Beginning in December 2007, members of jihadist forums were able to submit questions to Ayman al-Zawahiri in what was called an “Open Interview.” In April 2008, Zawahiri issued responses to several of these questions to jihadist forums in two installments. The first installment of Zawahiri's answers was covered in the May and June issues of inSITE. This issue of inSITE focuses on the second installment of responses released by Zawahiri, which was distributed as a two-and-a-half hour audio file along with a 79-page Arabic transcript.
While the first release on April 2 contained responses to 90 questions posted by 29 members, in the second installment, Zawahiri addressed 63 different members and answered over 250 questions. Likely due to the length of the response, Zawahiri divided his answers into several categories, including Iraq, North Africa, the Muslim Brotherhood, Pakistan, the Arabian Peninsula, Lebanon, and a “general” category.
In his responses contained in the second installment, Zawahiri repeatedly called for supporters to join jihadist groups physically, and, if unable to do so, to provide money, technical expertise, and other assistance to the jihadists on the ground. He justified the use of violence against the jihadists' enemies and defended al-Qaeda's collateral damage of killing Muslims in their attacks. As always, Zawahiri defended criticism of al-Qaeda and attempted to portray the organization and its affiliated groups as working and sacrificing to improve the status and condition of Muslims all over the world to free them from tyranny and oppression. He also attempts to convince readers that al-Qaeda adheres to true Islamic law, while maintaining that the governing regimes of the Middle East have abandoned the religion in favor of working with the West against Muslims.
This issue reviews Zawahiri's answers to the specific categories of questions contained within the second part of his open interview.
Iraq
For his discussion on Iraq, Zawahiri chose to respond to the questions of six individuals inquiring about the status of the jihad in the country. For many in the jihadist community, the issue of unity amongst the various insurgent groups operating in Iraq remains of great concern. Jihadists perceive the internecine fighting between jihadist groups in Iraq as damaging to the movement, and much criticism has been directed towards the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI), al-Qaeda's proxy, for not seeking greater cooperation with other insurgent groups.
When asked about why the Islamic State of Iraq engendered conflict with other jihadist groups, Zawahiri defended its affiliate in Iraq by maintaining that the ISI, when it was still the Mujahideen Shura Council, did all it was able in order to bring other jihadist groups into its fold. He further maintained the ISI can serve as a bulwark against disunity amongst jihadists, cautioning that it was this kind of internal conflict that hurt the jihadist movement after the defeat of the Soviets in Afghanistan:
The brothers in the Mujahideen Shura Council did all they could to absorb all the jihadi energies in Iraq, and delayed the declaration of the State for several months to contact all the jihadi leaders within Iraq. The declaration of the Islamic State of Iraq was not a reason for conflict, but will be - Allah willing - a reason in preventing the fall of the mujahideen in the trouble of inner conflict, like what happened in Afghanistan.
Questioned why the jihadist groups in Iraq need to pledge allegiance to the ISI and not the reverse, Zawahiri argued that the ISI is the furthest along the path of establishing a Caliphate, and that, therefore, the jihadist groups in Iraq should offer their support to the ISI:
The State is a step on the path of establishing the Caliphate and is greater than the jihadi groups, so the groups must pledge allegiance to the State and not the other way round. The Emir of the Believers Abu Omar al-Baghdadi – may Allah preserve him - is one of the Muslim and jihadi leaders in this era, and we ask Allah for us and him integrity, victory, and success.
Also in this vein, another individual asked how the jihadists could be expected to pledge their allegiance to Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, the Emir of the Islamic State of Iraq, when al-Baghdadi's true identity remains publicly unknown. The questioner notes, “That is because there are those who repeatedly say that it is not necessary to pledge to an unknown person, and who has no authority.”
Zawahiri responds by citing a portion of Usama bin Laden's speech “The Way to Contain the Conspiracies”, released on December 29, 2007, stating that “Sheikh Usama bin Laden says that whoever objects to Sheikh Abu Omar al-Baghdadi is one of the ignorant.” He quotes bin Laden's argument of why the jihadists must support al-Baghdadi:
And here there is an issue: most people do not know the credentials of the emirs of the mujahideen in Iraq. So I say: the reason for that is the circumstances of war and reasons of security. However, I consider that ignorance of the emirs of the mujahideen in Iraq is ignorance that is not harmful since they are recommended by the trustworthy people. Emir Abu Omar is recommended by the trustworthy people among the Mujahideen. He was recommended by Emir Abu Musab – may Allah rest his soul - and the Minister of War, Abu Hamza al-Muhajir, whose patience and steadfastness under the bombing raids over the land of the Hindu Kush showed them to be trustworthy, and they are well-known among your brothers in Afghanistan. I consider them as such and Allah is their advocate, and I do not consider anyone worthier than God.
Zawahiri was also asked whether it is legitimate to participate in the jihad in Iraq, despite the fact that numerous religious scholars, many ostensibly at the instigation of governments in the Middle East, have ruled that it is forbidden for supporters of the jihad to travel to Iraq to fight. In response, Zawahiri reasoned that only those actively engaged in the jihad know what is necessary to continue fighting, and that these jihadist leaders have called for support; as a result, supporters must provide them with aid, whether with their bodies or with money:
| "The leaders of jihad in Chechnya, Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Palestine and Algeria, have alerted the Ummah, so the Ummah must come to them. The people of jihad need men, need money, and need technical and scientific expertise in the fields of Jihad, so the Ummah must provide this to them. The war is an inferno for men and money. I advise every mujahid who is going to the battlefields of jihad to gather whatever money he can to give it to the mujahideen, for money is the backbone of the war. I also advise him to incite people of scientific and technical ability that the mujahideen need these people to fight with them, or he at least can be a liaison between them and the mujahideen." | ||
Asked why al-Qaeda has not attacked American naval targets, such as the operation against the USS Cole in 2000, Zawahiri only replied, “As for the naval operations, we ask you to pray that Allah facilitate our operations of all kinds.”
North Africa
Calling the category the “Islamic Maghreb,” Zawahiri answered the questions of eight individuals which he classified as focused on North Africa. With the establishment of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb in late 2006, al-Qaeda revived the jihadist spirit in the region for many supporters. Asked about the importance and significance of al-Qaeda's branch in North Africa, Zawahiri responded, “We see the jihad of the brothers in the Islamic Maghreb as an honest step - Allah willing - on the path to the Caliphate.”
As combating the North African regimes, most of which operate as police states, is extremely difficult for jihadists, Zawahiri was asked whether the jihadists should currently be focusing on those North African governments. Zawahiri replied unequivocally, that “the jihad [against] the apostate governments is a necessary step sooner or later to remove the obstacles from the path of the Caliphate.”
An individual identifying himself as being in Algeria asked Zawahiri whether it is better to attack local targets in North Africa or to instead target Western interests outside of the region. Zawahiri stated that the questioner must follow the lead of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and concentrate on the near enemy of the governments of North Africa:
| "I advise the good brother to follow the efforts of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. I consider - and I do not make anyone worthier than Allah - them to be the most concerned of people regarding the expulsion of the Crusader invaders from the lands of Islam, empowerment of the Caliphate state, and removing the apostate proxy government, as they said in their charter." | ||
Another individual asked Zawahiri whether jihadist supporters in North Africa should go to a foreign front, such as Iraq or Afghanistan, or remain local. Zawahiri responded, “I advise the youth of the Islamic Maghreb to go to al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb with their soul, money, knowledge, and expertise.”
A women described a predicament to Zawahiri in which she expressed her desire to join the jihad in North Africa but has two children whom she believes are not sufficiently imbued with a sense of duty to engage in jihad. Zawahiri absolved her of a duty to join the mujahideen and fight, instead encouraging her to ensure that her children grow up with a jihadist mindset:
| "The origin in jihad is that if it is obligatory, then everyone is included, but the mujahideen estimate their need in this. Therefore, I do not call upon the sister who asks to leave her sons when they do not apply the doctrine of allegiance and exemption [al-Wala wal Baraa], and that she always be ready to do any service the mujahideen might require of her." | ||
Similarly, an individual explained to Zawahiri that he had promised a woman that he would marry her, but now seeks to leave to go to jihad. The individual asked whether he should remain and get married or instead break his promise and embark on jihad. Zawahiri advised that he go on jihad, arguing:
| "[G]oing to jihad is more important than seeking knowledge or marriage, because it is a necessary duty. If he is not able to go [to jihad], then there is nothing wrong with seeking knowledge, even if at the hands of the scholars of the Sultans, as long as he takes from them what they bring from advanced scholars and leaves what they invent of their own words, especially in the matters of Shari'ah politics." | ||
Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb suffered a significant amount of criticism for its December 11, 2007, attack on the United Nations and Constitutional Court in Algiers, as many Muslims were among the casualties. Responding to a question about this criticism, Zawahiri defended the attack, stating that there are mistakes in war, al-Qaeda's killing of Muslims is unintentional, and that the jihad must go on, despite the collateral damage:
| "My Muslim brothers in Algeria. I reassure that your brothers in al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb are the most concerned with the souls of people and their money, honor, and dignity. They are engaged in jihad in the Name of Allah to liberate you from America, France, and the sons of France. They consider you their brothers in religion and creed, and they view your defense as the most important of duties. It is impossible for them to purposefully kill a Muslim, and if this happened it is unintentional, or is a lie from the governmental Crusader media, whose lying and cunning you have experienced. As you have, O brothers, went through a war to liberate Algeria from France, we are in a war to liberate the lands of Islam from America, France, and the sons of France. In war, there are mistakes, and they must be corrected and dealt with according to Shari'ah; but jihad must not stop." | ||
Muslim Brotherhood
Zawahiri chose to answer one long question about al-Qaeda's attitude towards the Muslim Brotherhood, especially given that the latter has increasingly participated in political systems in Egypt and Palestine (Hamas is an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood) that are not based on Shari'ah. In a critical analysis of the Muslim Brotherhood, Zawahiri argues that the group has abandoned the Shari'ah by participating in the political process in Egypt and allowing the Egyptian Constitution to trump God's law. Furthermore, Zawahiri maintains that the Brotherhood continues to ignore the plight of Muslims across the world, and has ignored its duty to support the global jihad and “failed to make any practical offer to support Islamic jihad against the invaders in Chechnya, Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine, and Somalia.”
In seeking to correct the Brotherhood's path to one of jihad, Zawahiri states:
| "As to the piece of advice I give to every loyal person in the Brotherhood group and other Muslim groups, it is that they seek to reform their groups...They should seek to improve the image of their group after the bad situations they fell into, such as that of pledging allegiance to Hosni Mubarak, and keeping silent to the entry of brothers of theirs into Kabul and Baghdad on Crusader tanks." | ||
Pakistan
Zawahiri briefly addressed Pakistan by answering one question about the state of jihad in the region and the level of unity of the mujahideen there. Zawahiri reports that Afghanistan and Pakistan are “experiencing an enormous jihadi revival that I expect – with permission from Allah – will change the situation in the area and will have a great impact on the Islamic world. As to the Crusaders and their agents in Pakistan and Afghanistan, they have started the stage of deterioration. Victory indeed is with patience.”
Arabian Peninsula
Saudi Arabia, which jihadists usually refer to as the “Arabian Peninsula,” remains a major area of focus within the jihadist movement. Zawahiri did not neglect to answer several questions about the state of jihad in the region. In response to a question about Movement for Islamic Reform in Arabia (MIRA), a dissident group seeking to overthrow the Saudi regime led by Saad Al-Faqih, himself a designated terrorist by the US and the UN living in London, Zawahiri offered his support. Regarding what supporters in Saudi Arabia unable to take up arms should do to assist the jihad, Zawahiri lauded groups like MIRA, stating, “I advise all who cannot go to the fields of jihad; nor work against the Crusader targets; nor seek to support the mujahideen financially or media-wise or through opinion or expertise; or who had been found by the government [to be a security risk], should cooperate” with movements like MIRA.
Zawahiri also argued that those able to carry out attacks within Saudi Arabia should do so:
| "I advise that whoever finds in himself the ability to do this should prepare the necessary equipment, take care as much as possible, and select the targets that would hurt the Crusaders." | ||
Zawahiri contended that it is legitimate to launch attacks inside Saudi Arabia due to the country's support of the United States. He maintained that “agent governments” like in Saudi Arabia must be fought:
| "We are now busy striking American, Crusader, and Zionist targets, but these agent governments are striking the mujahideen to protect the Crusader and Jewish targets. Was it not them who supplied the Crusader forces with bases, supplies, and stores, so as to help them in the killing of Muslims in Afghanistan and Iraq? Was it not these regimes that renounced Palestine and recognized Israel in their various initiatives and decisions? Is it not these regimes that prevent [people from going] to fight the Jews and the Crusaders with their security apparatus and the fatwas of their scholars?" | ||
Lebanon
With the summer 2007 conflict between the Lebanese army and the jihadist group Fatah al-Islam in the Nahr al-Bared Palestinian refugee camp near Tripoli still fresh in the minds of jihadists at the time the questions were submitted to Zawahiri, the jihadist leader also briefly discussed what the jihadists in Lebanon should do to prepare for jihad.
Responding to questions asking for advice about the activities the jihadists might do to support the jihad, Zawahiri called on the jihadists of Lebanon to ready themselves for the coming attack on Palestine. He argued that the jihadists must ignore UN Resolution 1701, which called for the cessation of hostilities between Lebanon and Israel, as well as the disarmament of Lebanese militias. Zawahiri proclaimed that they must support the jihadists in Iraq but to remain patient until the time is right to look towards Palestine:
| "What I ask of the jihadi generation in Lebanon is to prepare itself to reach Palestine, expel the invading Crusader forces, which claim to be peace-keeping forces in Lebanon, and not to accept Resolution 1701. I ask them to be a support for their brothers in Iraq. I know that the road ahead is long and arduous, but they must break the siege imposed on them, and find their way to Palestine. I know that the mujahideen in Lebanon are between two fires: the fire of the American agents and its allies from one side, and the fire of he who is tied to the regional forces and their schemes from another. But they must be patient, for the jihadi awakening is rapidly approaching the fences of Jerusalem." | ||
| “I advise the youth... to go to al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb with their soul, money, knowledge, and expertise.” | ||
Zawahiri reports that Afghanistan and Pakistan are “experiencing an enormous jihadi revival that I expect – with permission from Allah – will change the situation in the area and will have a great impact on the Islamic world.”
| “We see the jihad of the brothers in the Islamic Maghreb as an honest step ... on the path to the Caliphate.” | ||
| “...As to the Crusaders and their agents in Pakistan and Afghanistan, they have started the stage of deterioration. Victory indeed is with patience.” | ||