SITE Institute: SITE Publications – The Echo of Jihad – A Period Magazine Featuring General Mujahideen News
SITE Institute: SITE Publications – The Echo of Jihad – A Period Magazine Featuring General Mujahideen News
The Echo of Jihad – A Period Magazine Featuring General Mujahideen News
By SITE Institute
May 4, 2006
Sada al-Jihad, “The Echo of Jihad,†a periodic publication electronically distributed via the Internet and featuring articles concerning general mujahideen news from several regions, was recently issued in its April 2006 release. Within the 45-page magazine, authors discuss the relative importance of Islamic scholars versus mujahideen, the danger of jihadist groups joining government, the importance of security for these groups’ survival, and recent operations and media happenings of mujahideen in Chechnya, Waziristan, Afghanistan, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. In addition, an article relating prisoner stories from Guantanamo Bay and another discussing the importance of jihad are prominently featured in this issue.
The magazine opens with a short editorial written by Abu Hajer al-Lubnani, which caustically tells of those the lies spread by “simpletons†that Usama bin Laden and Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri are guilty of killing Abdullah Azzam, citing American and Jewish television channels as sources. Anyone who places faith in these channels, according to Abu Hajer, is guilty of helping the “Crusadersâ€.
Other articles, such as: “Though Ye Make Mock of Us, Yet We Mock at You,†by Abu Fahr, and “Our Flesh is Heard,†contain inspirational rhetoric for the mujahideen in particular and jihad in general. The latter article describes the merits of Islamic scholars and the importance of education, compared to the necessity of jihad: “Scholars usually sit [passively] and do not fulfill the duty of Jihad for the sake of Allah and of protecting the sanctum of religion as Allah has commanded them; and there are Mujahideen who wage Jihad without knowledge, and they spoil more than they correct, and do more damage than goodâ€. However, the situation today is such that jihad is an individual duty, rather than education, and thusly, gives the mujahid greater importance.
The article, “Circumstances Enabling Survival of Jihadi Organizations,†written by al-Mu’taz Billah, emphasizes the critical importance of a security cover for a jihadi organization to prevent infiltration by spies of a “hostile country†or a different group. Al-Mu’taz states: “The downfall of the majority of jihadi organizations was due only to this issueâ€. He also quotes Saif al-Adl, an al-Qaeda chief, in this regard. Likewise, the piece titled: “The Security Principles and Guidelines of the Muslim Mujahid,†provides 26 qualities a mujahid should maintain, besides how he should act. These include: “pure intention,†knowledge in the field, stealth, capability of expressing thought clearly, and critical thinking.
Another article, “The Mujahideen in the Peninsula – Pain and Hope,†laments the absence of Saudi mujahideen media, be it video, audio or written word, believing that such is an important issue for every mujahid group or organization. It states that media bears “crucial importance in allowing people to know the Mujahideen, in explaining to them the path that they follow and in rejecting slander, accusations and liesâ€. The author urges for the resumption of Saudi jihadist publications, and advises to separate those specializing in media from participating in military operations due to security concerns.
A piece about three stories from prisoners in Guantanamo Bay alleges that American guards at the detention facility have been demonstrating respect for Usama bin Laden, converting to Islam, and being threatened with deployment to Iraq for this conversion. Also, another article, “What Benefit?,†openly questions what good can come of Hamas as a government administration, and for Islamic parties joining government, in general. It states: “Throughout the history of Islam, there were many sects, groups, men and peoples whose aim was to help religion, and they might have been devout to Allah almighty in this desire… Yet they did not achieve what they sought because the path that they followed does not help religionâ€.
