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Harmony and Disharmony: Doc ID: AFGP-2002-003345 Full Text: English Part: One Two Three Four Five Arabic Notes: Skipped pages indicate repetition of a communiqué The translations omit specific Sura and Hadith, as well as the names of scholarly sources that were mentioned in the original Arabic texts. References: Imam Malik, Imam Ahmad, Ibn Taymiyah, Al-’Izz Ibn ‘Abd-al-Salam Synopsis: The following letters were written between 1994 and 1998, and cover a range of topics related to Saudi Arabia. The primary theme is the illegitimacy of the Saudi regime, and the allegation that they are supporting a Western plot to destroy the Muslim nation. Each letter addresses a current event, describing the event and providing the author’s analysis of the context and implications of the regime’s actions. Most statements end with a call to action on the part of the regime, the scholars, or the citizens of Saudi Arabia. The statements are coherently written and well-organized, and they are designed to motivate support through appeals to Muslim’s better nature. Bin Laden’s writing demonstrates an ability to communicate with multiple audiences, appealing to each group’s pride and specific capabilities Statement 7 (sic), pp. 001-003: Our invitation to Give Advice and Reform To: King Fahd Bin ‘Abd-al ‘Aziz Al-Saud and the people of Saudi Arabian Peninsula 02-11-1414 (12 April 1994) King Fahd has asked Osama Bin Laden to return to the country, however this is unlikely as Osama Bin Laden’s money was frozen and his passport confiscated. Religious scholars have previously asked King Fahd to cease actions against God’s law but he has not done so. A petition signed by 400 people was sent in 1411 (during the Gulf War), and another in 1413. The people’s rights have been abrogated and corruption infests government agencies. The country’s monetary and economic situation is worsening, taxes have been raised yet the government wastes money. The armed forces are in poor condition, and shari’a law has been suspended. Foreign policy works against the interests of Muslims in Gaza, Jericho, and Algeria while supporting infidels. Attempts to promote reform have triggered reprisals and the “waging of war against just people who are hunted at home and abroad.” To fulfill advisory promises, “we would like to announce the arrival of our brothers and scholars into the country.” Osama Bin Laden urges King Fahd to abide by the requests of the Committee. End quote: God will not change people unless they do so for themselves. Statement 3, p. 007: Saudi Arabia Supports the Communists in Yemen 27-12-1414 (07 June 1994) The Yemeni communists have enslaved the Yemeni people, spreading apostasy and corruption. Infidel forces and their agents in the region led a conspiracy to re-establish two Yemeni states to promote conflict between them, Prince Sultan led a special committee that funneled support to the Yemeni Socialist Party. King Fahd is known to have anti-Islamic policies such as opposing Islamic awakening that would expose the artificiality of his rule; supporting anti-Islamic regimes such as the USSR, Algeria, Syria, and Christian groups in Sudan. Furthermore, he supported United Nations resolutions that cost Muslim lives in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Lebanon, and Kashmir, and which support the Jews in Palestine, Muslims now realize that the U.N. is an instrument in the hands of the Jews and Crusaders, Such behavior encourages divisions in the umma, leads to dispersal of wealth away from the Arabian Peninsula, supports socialists and communists who oppress the Yemeni people, is likely to provoke punishment from God, and allows for foreign intervention in the region. The letter ends with a call to the ulema to declare that these policies are dangerous and evil. Statement 4, pp. 009-010: The Banishment of Communism from the Arabian Peninsula: The Episode and the Proof. 12-2-1415 (11 July 1994) Jihad operations had been successful in eliminating socialist camps in Yemen, which is a lesson proving that all those who oppose the faith of the amah will fail. The Saudi regime, particularly Prince Sultan, supported the communist factions with money and weapons, which is a form of apostasy given that communists are atheists. Western powers were too smart to back the losing side, showing that Western powers will not “take the risk of intervening in order to protect or assist corrupt regimes that do not have the support or endorsement of their people.” The defeat of the communists is a rejection of secular and atheist regimes across the region. Statement 5, pp. 013-014: Quran Scholars in the Face of Despotism 11-2-1415 (19 July 1994) Osama Bin Laden praises scholars who have bravely unveiled the truth about the Saudi government. The government has used witchcraft and the media to justify its stands against Islam, while supporting the unbelievers. Scholars have raised the head of the ummah high to face the despotism and injustices of the regime. In turn, the government has slandered these scholars, taking away their freedom and trampling their rights. Statement 6, pp. 017-018: Saudi Arabia Unveils its War Against Islam and its Scholars 08-04-1415 (12 September 1994) In accordance with instructions from the United States, Saudi intelligence agents are arresting prominent anti-government scholars and preachers, including Salman Al-’Awdah and Safar al-Hawali. Prince Bandar also publicly acknowledged a relationship with the Zionist entity. This confirms that the Saudi government is in a war against Islam and is no different from secular governments. The government has been unable to deal with criticism, and indicates that the King and his “gang” obey the mercenary intelligence agents of foreign governments, Christians, and Zionists, Osama Bin Laden calls for righteous scholars to be patient and steadfast, for Muslim people to stay committed and not be confused by government deception, for silent scholars to take a stand, for Muslims in government to remember that they are accomplices unless they act against the regime, and to the government to be advised that they are at war with God. Statement 7, pp. 21-22: Urgent Letter to Security Officials 11-04-1415 (16 September 1994) Security officers are reminded that they were trained to defend the interests of their people and to act as their representatives. They must be vigilant guardians, but the government has attempted to take this “great and honorable position” away from them and turn them against Islam by forcing them to participate in the arrest and detention of scholars. He lists crimes of the Saudi government before calling on the security services to refuse to arrest any more scholars. He reminds them that God will bear witness to the punishment of those who stand by a tyrant, and reminds them that “every Muslim’s blood, wealth, and food are forbidden to other Muslims.” To show other Muslims that they are slaves of God alone, they should repent evil, refuse to obey orders to commit aggression against ulema, urge others not to obey such orders, help the people remove tyranny, not trust the regime, and strive to have the arrested scholars released. Statement 8, pp. 25-26: Important Telegram to Our Brothers in the Armed Forces 14-4-1415 (19 September 1994) The Saudi government has exposed its hostility to Islam by arresting the best of the ulema. The regime also imported Christian women to defend it, thereby placing the army in the highest degree of shame, disgrace, and frustration. It allowed American army bases in the peninsula, supported communists in Yemen, and has not helped defeat the IDF. Prince Sultan received five billion dollars’ worth of commissions on arms sales in one year at the same time that allowances and reimbursements for soldiers were stopped. He argues that the regime has lost its legitimacy as a result of its friendliness with enemies of Islam and because of its hostility to the feelings of the people in a time of need. He predicts that it’s only a matter of time until the regime falls. He reminds the “extraordinary men” that they are guardians of the faith, and reminds them that “if a man kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is hell, to abide therein forever and wrath and curse of God are upon him,” (Quran 4:93) and that “the most despicable to God is he who kills a Muslim man” (Hadith). Statement 9, pp. 29: Do Not Have Vile Actions in Your Religion 11-04-1415 (16 September 1994) Muslim youth are called to action. The time of listlessness and relaxation is over. The Saudi government committed a fatal mistake in arresting scholars, as this shows that they are enemies of Islam. This not a trial but a blessing, as it reveals the truth about the battle between the regime and the people and their ulema, The people, who are “exploding with anger” are urged to renew their pledge to God by giving as much as they can (to zakat), to be disciplined and avoid taking actions that will harm the interests of the whole, to reveal the reality of the struggle to everyone they know, and to continue to demand the release of the imprisoned scholars. There is a genius way of writing as if his opinions are already accepted and as if it should all be intuitive. Statement 10, pp. 31-32: Higher Committee for Harm!! 10-05-1415 (15 October 1994) After conducting an “insane campaign” against the ulema and scholars in Saudi Arabia, the regime created the Higher Committee for Islamic Affairs. This entity is an attempt to polish the regime’s image by deceiving the people into believing that its purpose is to promote da’wah. Prince Sultan (Minister of Defense) and Prince Naif (Minister of Interior) are head of the council, which “leaves no room for doubt” about its intentions: “the destruction of true Islam and its da’wah, support for the religion of the king, and preparation for the history of the two black men filled with a malice for Islam.” The duties and powers of the council are not defined, showing the arrogance of the regime. The creation of this committee shows that the regime is not ready to listen to the good council of Sheikh ‘Adb-al ‘Aziz Bin Baz, who had tried to encourage reform. The committee has punished Sheikh Bin Baz by absorbing his powers. The strange thing is that the regime is able to find ulema that are still willing to back it. Statement 11, pp. 35-38: Open Letter for Sheikh Bin Baz 27-07-1415 (29 December 1994) Begins with praise and greetings, and a Hadith: “The best jihad is the word of truth in the presence of the unjust sultan.” The ulema are heirs to the prophets and represent the good example and ideal model for the umma. The true ulema resist tyranny and speak the truth. Osama Bin Laden reminds the Sheikh of his great responsibility, and wonders at his silence during a time of liars and evil. Osama Bin Laden lists examples where the ulema have acted in error, about which Sheikh Bin Baz has not corrected the error. 1. Corruption has spread, and ulema have been complicit in sanctioning usury (charging interest for bank loans, which is considered haram by some Muslims). Osama Bin Laden states that the Sheikh has deceived the people by not making a distinction “between rulers who merely tolerate usury and rulers who legitimize and legalize usury.” Those who legitimize usury are apostates and infidels, but Bin Baz continues to praise the regime. The current economic struggles are a punishment from God for allowing usury. 2. King Fahd wore a cross, and Bin Baz justified this action, although it is clearly apostasy. The king’s poor health is clear indication that this was infidelity. 3. Bin Baz issued a fatwa permitting the Crusader-Jewish alliance that occupied the country in the name of liberating Kuwait. This was an abominable action that insulted the honor of the umma, sullied its dignity, and defiled the holy places. 4. Bin Baz kept silent when the Saudi regime aided the communists in Yemen, considering them to be fellow Muslims. Osama Bin Laden writes, “When were the communists ever Muslims? Aren’t you the one who previously issued a fatwa on their apostasy and the necessity of killing them in Afghanistan? Or is there a difference between Yemeni communists and Afghan communists?” 5. Bin Baz wrote a fatwa allowing the “attacks and maltreatment” of the ulema that resulted in eh arrest and detention of Salman al-’Awdah and Safar al-Hawali. More recently, Bin Baz supplied a fatwa sanctioning peace and normalization with the Jews, something that is painful for Muslims as it gives a veneer of legitimacy to the “surrender documents that the treacherous and cowardly Arab tyrants signed,” opening Jerusalem to occupation. Per Osama Bin Laden, the present Jewish enemy is “not dwelling in his original country,” and therefore peace is not allowed (as it is with one who is warred on from outside). Jews have usurped sacred Muslim land, and they are an “attacking enemy” that corrupts religion. [The formulation that Jews are outside their original country allows any kind of warfare upon them.] Ibn Taymiyah is quoted as follows: The attacking enemy who corrupts the religion and the world must, in keeping with the faith, be repelled. There are no (limiting) conditions.” Therefore, it is religiously required to defend Palestinian people and the “stone-throwing heroes.” Osama Bin Laden goes on to argue that even if it were permissible to make peace with the Jews, the Arab leaders are illegitimate, and are therefore not allowed to make peace on behalf of the umma. Such apostate rulers have neither legitimacy nor sovereignty over Muslims. Bin Baz’ fatwa gave legitimacy to secular organizations [the United Nations] and deceived the umma with its disgraceful summary and misleading generalization. Osama Bin Laden suggests that the opinions of people who have experience in jihad are more legitimate than those who have no experience. Quoting Ibn Taymiyah, “Obligation is to be considered in matters of jihad according to the opinion of upright men of religion who have experience in what people of this world of, rather than those who mainly look at a matter from the viewpoint of religion. Do not adopt their opinion – not the opinion of men or religion that have no experience in the world.” [This is another key formulation that gives Osama Bin Laden’s opinion equal weight to that of religious scholars, and gives him the authority to challenge more learned men]. Whoever issued Bin Baz’ fatwas has a “lack of awareness of the true nature of the situation.” Osama Bin Laden closes with several paragraphs urging bin Baz to keep his distance from the tyrants and wrongdoers. Statement 12, pp. 47-50: The Second Letter to Sheikh ‘Abd al’Aziz Bin Baz 29 January 1995 Sheikh Bin Baz’ latest fatwas have “scared Muslims in general, as well as freedom fighters, and weaker men/women and children of Palestine.” These fatwas give religious legitimacy to Arab leaders’ political treason in that it allowed reconciliation with the [Jewish] enemy. The Advice and Reform Foundation had expected Sheikh Bin Baz to take a stand against this, but instead he confirmed his earlier fatwas on the same subject. The current situation in Palestine cannot be considered a truce, because only the enemy’s terms have been met. Additionally, the deal was created by a group of apostate Arab leaders. The agreement, which establishes diplomatic representation and economic cooperation, effectively indicates Jews’ “eternal ownership of the land – thus permanently calling off jihad” [Entering into treaty commitments legitimizes Israel’s existence]. Secularism amounts to atheism, and so this agreement is based on “invalidity,” therefore it is invalid itself. “This fatwa’s claim of Muslim’s weakness and inability to fight Jews is invalid, because...subject experts did not issue it...It does not make sense [that] more than a billion Muslims who own the largest natural resources in the world are unable to defeat 5 million Jews in Palestine.” The ailment is not the military or financial, but rather the leaders’ betrayal and the scholar’s acceptance of the current situation. Osama Bin Laden calls for a return to fatwas issued by those who have knowledge of both religion and current affairs, urges Bin Baz to distance himself from the regime or resign his position. Statement 13, pp. 51-52: Prince Salman and Ramadan Alms 12 February 1995 The Saudi regime has dissolved charitable organizations that used to deliver donations directly to needy people inside and outside the country. These independent organizations have been replaced by new institutions that are subservient to Prince Salman, who “has never been known to be interested and care for Muslim affairs.” In the past, the Saudi regime used popular donations to influence Afghan freedom fighters to conform to Western policy goals. It also gave donations to Christian organizations in Bosnia, to Yemeni communists, to the communist Dostum (Rachid Dostum, an Afghani warlord), and the Al-Kata’ib party in Lebanon. The Saudi regime supported the Algerian regime as it suppressed Muslims, and also provided money to the Soviets to repress Muslims in Chechnya. The timing of this initiative supports the U.S. presidents’ decision to freeze the assets of groups that oppose the [Middle East] peace process. Osama Bin Laden draws the brother’s attention to the danger of depositing monies into UD banks, as it may be frozen. Muslims are encouraged to avoid giving funds to the government agencies, but rather give them directly to the needy, or those “trusted individuals who will deliver them.” Statement 14, pp. 55-58: Saudi Arabia Continues Its War Against Islam and Its Scholars 09 March 1995 After Eid a- Fitr, a second group of clerics was detained, including Muhammad bin Sa’id al-Qahtani, Dr. Sa’id bin Zu’ayr (Zuhayr) and Dr. Bashar al-Bashar. This confirms the aggression of the Saudi regime against Islam and is evidently a “strategy planned by international infidel countries.” These Sheikhs, like Salman al-’Awdah and Safar al-Hawali, have been imprisoned for speaking the truth, calling for the application of Islamic laws, and calling for reform of the media and administration. [Text goes on to list same grievances previously mentioned in preceding letters regarding usury, the state of the military, etc]. Reiterates the regimes hostility to Islam and these scholars personally, and reminds umma to be wary of fatwas issued on behalf of the regime’s interests. Osama Bin Laden notes that these most recent arrests came after NATO’s “call tot eh countries of the region to cooperate in order to eliminate the danger that threatens its interests and desires for hegemony [referring to ?]. In fact, the Saudi regime has done Muslims a favor by revealing its true objective and providing proof to those who still think positively about the regime. He urges fair trials for the detainees, who are praised for their courage and reminded that this is a trial from Allah to differentiate the righteous from the others. Statement 15, pp. 59-68: Scholars are the Prophet’s Successors 16 May 1995 Scholars are the successors of the prophet and the defenders of religion. Because of their importance, it is important to distinguish between those working to further the word of Allah, and those who prefer earthly things and materials. Sura and Hadith emphasizing importance of scholars. Underestimating scholars, or talking negatively about their knowledge is “associated with danger,” yet no one should be impressed with the knowledge of one who memorizes the Quran but doesn’t follow its teachings. Bad scholars can be distinguished from good scholars in two ways: lack of acting on their knowledge, and changing what Allah said to interpret laws to their own benefit. “Disintegration of rulers is caused by scholar’s dissolution, which is caused by love of money and material things,” and standing up to bad scholars is a priority in defending Islam. Yet a majority of people believes that “obeying scholars had no limits” and this is a mistake, which is why religious laws warn against glorifying scholars. Quoting Sheikh Muhammad bin ‘Abd-al Wahab in his book Al-Tawhid: those who obey scholars and rulers in forbidding that what Allah allows and vice versa, perceive them as gods. [Therefore, anyone who blindly follows any scholar in something contrary to Allah is an apostate.] Several paragraphs about proper way to correct scholars follow, which show that a harsh response is legitimate when a scholar persists in a judgment or action after he is aware that he is “on the wrong side.” Some exception is made for scholars who have good intentions but are taken advantage of by corrupt sultans. However, fatwas may not be issued by those who are not fully informed, and such fatwas are automatically null. The requirements for a good scholar are listed. Scholars must be role models in knowledge and action, and must be sure of all the conditions of a fatwa. He must be aware of the possibility of being led into temptation, and have the courage to speak out. Salman al-’Awhad and Safar al-Hawali are examples of courageous scholars. Scholars must stay away from the “suspicious ways of rulers,” and the Prophet is quoted as saying, “Whoever gets close to rulers will be infatuated, the closer a person gets to a ruler, the farther he gets away from Allah.” Scholars who abide by these guidelines deserve respect and honor. Statement 16. p. 69: Prince Sultan and the Air Aviation Commission 13-2-1415 (11 July 1995) The Saudi regime has abandoned the requirements of monotheism and witnessing (there is no God but God, and Mohammad is his messenger), and therefore has lost its legitimacy. The economy is in terrible condition, due in part to the accumulation of interest debt and the plundering of public wealth by the regime. These debts have led to privatization of state assets such as the Saudi airline. Clearly, the regime intends to get new money “from the hands of the people.” Privatization will get rid of the debts of the airline, but only after it purchases 7.5 billion dollars for 60 new American-made planes, which are not needed. The French made a much better offer, but royal family members (particularly Prince Sultan) made the deal in order to please the Americans. This will provide 20,000 jobs to U.S. airline manufacturers, which will keep it operational for five years. The private sector will probably be forced to buy the Saudi national airline at an unfair price, and will have to assume the accumulated debt. As a result, privatization will cost many people their jobs, and it is unclear who will then pay for the air travel of the royal family. Statement 17, pp. 71-79, 89: An Open Message to King Fahd On the Occasion of the Latest Ministerial Shuffle 5-3-1415 (3 August 1995) This letter is an attempt to “pierce the veil with which [the king] has surrounded [himself] so that [he] does not have to listen to the truth.” Osama Bin Laden hopes to break through the wall that [the king] has built around [himself] “that stops the truth from getting to” him. The king and his princes have deceived the people, and have tried to “absorb their anger through marginal and deceptive reforms,” which were “nothing more than temporary sedatives for the people’s anger.” The Advisory council was “born dead” and the recent ministerial shuffle will have minimal impact. The king curbed the rights of the religious scholars, and desecrated the nation’s holy places while plundering its wealth. He led the nation into an economic decline. The basis for these problems is that the king and the regime “strayed from the requisites of monotheism and its obligations.” Anyone who legislates human laws that are contrary to the laws of Allah is an infidel [Quranic citations apparently follow, but these were not included in the translation]. The Saudi regime is therefore practicing the arbitration of infidel laws, which are “positive” [can be developed and elaborated upon by people]. Trade councils and banking laws that allow interest in transactions are one example of such laws. A second example is the Gulf Cooperation Council, which lists as its legal basis the laws of the council itself, the principles of international law, the world conventions, and the principles of Islamic shari’a. Osama Bin Laden calls this mockery to the religion and contempt to the shari’a, and continues, “You placed the scum of human positivist thoughts, the customs and traditions of the pre-Islamic epoch, and the laws of infidel judicial associations above the shari’a.” Several Sheikhs are quoted to establish the authenticity of this argument. On the subject of interest, Osama Bin Laden writes that, “the one that was aware that it was forbidden to accept interest and goes ahead and does it, he had committed one of the gravest sins, Allah protect us; however, the one who legislates the laws that allow interest is an infidel. The bank towers themselves rival the towers of the two holy mosques. The true motive of the regime is to protect infidel interests. Although the regime sometimes supports Islamic causes, it never supports these causes when they conflict with Western interests. Somalia, Bosnia, and Palestine, “the mother of Islamic causes” are examples. He relates an incident in which President Clinton demanded that the king meet him at the American air base, not in Riyadh, as a humiliating example of American dominance, demonstrating that the kingdom is no more than an American protectorate subject to American laws. The economic situation is dire. At the beginning of the king’s reign, there was an estimated reserve of one hundred and forty billion dollars, with average daily oil revenue amounting to one hundred million dollars. In spite of this, the country is indebted by more than eighty percent of its national gross income, which makes it the most indebted nation in the world [?]. Average citizens suffer from high taxes and duties, and the rising cost of water, electricity, and food. Commodity prices are rising, and schools are suffering from over crowdedness. Hospitals are no being properly maintained or funded, and unemployment is rising. The government has urged people to conserve energy while the palaces are well lit, with the air conditioning running day and night. The king has built palaces all over the country, and in every major world capital and Western resort. The causes of the crisis include falling oil prices, for which the king bears some responsibility as he allowed the oil reserves to be tapped in order to prevent price spikes. The king is subordinated to Western interests, as demonstrated by his decision to provide $25 billion to Saddam Hussein to keep the price of oil down during the Iran-Iraq war in order to hurt Iran. The king has not attempted to find alternate sources of income, and spent sixty billion dollars to underwrite the cost of the Gulf war. After the war, the regime spent an additional forty billion dollars on American arms, and also purchased Tornado aircraft from the British. The regime borrowed from local international banks with interest, and the king has “broken every statistical record in squandering” public funds. This puts him in a class with the Shah of Iran, Marcos of the Philippines, Ceausescu (SP?) of Romania. The first economic crisis of Saudi Arabia was in 1964 and 1965, due to the mismanagement of King Sa’ud who was removed from the throne to resolve the crisis. There was a second crisis in 1986 due to collapse of oil prices. On judgment day, Allah will not talk to an adulterous sheikh, a lying king, or an arrogant destitute (Hadith). The king has limited options, none of which will be politically popular. In a mocking tone, Osama Bin Laden asks the king if he will reduce the interest, devalue the riyal, raise taxes, or sell government properties (by which he means palace furnishings). Osama Bin Laden tells the king that his “staying will be the cause of your extinction, and your continuing on will be the cause of your end.” The military situation: The army has traditionally consumed one third of the national budget, which is much more than other countries (France, for example, spends one percent). In spite of this spending, the army is just a lot of equipment with no human resources to use it. It has been used as a source of income by influential princes. Examples of unnecessary spending include the seventy F-15 aircraft purchased “to support George in his election campaign after the war.” There was a deal to expand the telephone system for the sake of Clinton, who “lost because of your support to his competitor George Bush” (sic). During the Gulf war the air force “did not perform anything worth mentioning” while the navy didn’t fire a single shot. In order to prepare one brigade of armored cars, the army had to bring in technicians from Pakistan. This demonstrates the failure of Prince Sultan as Minister of Defense. In 1992 the citizens of the Arabian Peninsula spent more money on defense than Germany, Italy, Egypt, Romania, Poland, Spain, Ecuador, Uruguay, Ireland, and the United States combined (sic). Much of the money has gone to commissions and bribes, as princes seize between forty and sixty percent of the value of every arms deal. Most of the balance of money has been spent on bases and facilities that are too large for the national army, and were built to serve the American and Western forces. Why are the Americans still on these bases? Is Iraq still an imminent threat? Saudi Arabia has been delivered into “a condition of chronic military crippling in [an] effort to tolerate the Crusader and Jewish forces that are defiling the holy places.” The king and the defense minister are to blame, not the “members of the Army or the Guard, whose goodness, gallantry, and bravery have been witnessed by many.” The King has always been afraid of allowing coordination between the forces, yet coordination is essential for successful military operation. Summary: The regime has “committed sins against Islam that negate its guardianship in the eyes of Allah.” These sins include corruption, subordination to the infidels and their laws, and failure in the areas of defense, economics and economics. These failures demonstrate the king’s inability to run the nation, “even if he had not sinned against Islam.” There is a deep struggle between two ideologies: a godly system that is whole and places all matters in the hands of Allah versus the regime itself. The religious scholars, reformers, merchants and tribal sheikhs will all go against the regime. This will not be considered a prohibited abandonment of the rulers because the regime lacks legitimacy: “what does not exist legally, does not exist at all.” Osama Bin Laden urges the king to accept responsibility and resign. Statement 18, pp. 91-92: The Bosnia Tragedy and the Deception of the Servant of the Two Mosques 15-3-1416 (11 August 1995) The Saudi government closed charitable organizations that delivered contributions of benefactors to deserving recipients. These organizations have been replaced with associations that are supervised by members of the ruling family such as Prince Sultan and Prince Salman. This revealed a scheme to monopolize charitable contributions to prevent Islam and Muslims from reaping any benefit. It has been used to pressure mujahideen and influence their policies. These “scandals” have become public, but the regime ignores the growing level of awareness about this situation. The government’s involvement is merely a show of support to “raise the value of its declining political stock.” By way of example, money donated to the Palestinian cause (the mother of all Islamic causes) was diverted to the “extortive Jews.” Contributions that were meant for Bosnian Muslims were shared with Croats and Serbs. The Saudi regime sponsored a United Nations conference on Bosnia that was designed to ensure the destruction of Bosnian Muslims by denying them the means to defend themselves. When individual citizens tried to intervene to help the Bosnians, the regime prohibited their travel in response to Western pressure, and then arrested these individuals when they returned to Saudi Arabia. The Bosnians know who their real supporters are, the “cream of youth who have slipped away from the grasp of the ruling regime.” The following lessons have been learned: Muslim regimes do not represent the will of their own people, human rights and equality are dead slogans of the west when it comes to Muslim matters, the United Nations is nothing but a tool to implement the Crusader’s plan to kill the nation of Islam, and compliance with the United Nations constitutes conspiracy against Muslim causes. Therefore, Muslims are urged to bypass the regime-sponsored charitable organizations and donate directly to trusted individuals who will ensure that the money is used for Muslim causes, not against them. Statement 19, pp. 95-96: The Saudi Regime and the Repeated Tragedies of the Pilgrimage 8-12-1417 (16 April 1997) Every year there are catastrophes and tragedies during that kill thousands of pilgrims. The Saudi regime has not taken the necessary precautions to prevent these tragedies. There are insufficient accommodations, which leads to crowdedness. The lack of security procedures, poor handling of events, and general negligence contribute to the problem. The number of pilgrims is increasing, yet little money is being spent on the problem. A little spending is all that’s needed. At the same time, the regime has made a big deal about the killing of a handful of American military personnel. “To satisfy the Americans, the regime offered the heads of a group of pure youth who are zealous about their belief , their country, and their nation….Since when are a handful of defiled Jewish souls and the conquering Americans more precious than thousands of guests of the most merciful and the pilgrims of his ancient house?” Adding insult to injury, the regime has kept some of the bodies of deceased pilgrims for autopsy materials. Statement 20, pp. 97-98: (no title) No date or signature The recent arrest of scholars from Pakistan is one more example of the Saudi regime’s “deep-rooted hate and animosity toward Islam.” These guests were performing “the rituals of pilgrimage when they were arrested by Saudi intelligence services for the following charge: that some of them gave a fatwa in which they said that the Americans must be forced out of the land of the two holy mosques.” These scholars were only doing their duty in honoring their covenant pledging to show the truth to the people. They mentioned nothing negative about the Saudi regime, which has demonstrated that it is not satisfied with that it is doing against its own people, but is seeking to generalize these rules of repression. By its actions, the regime is actually strengthening the message of the scholars that have been persecuted. The scholars and influential people that have not condemned the regime’s actions cannot be excused, as it is an obligation to help a brother Muslim. Statement 21, pp. 103: Supporting the Fatwa by the Afghani Religious Scholars of Ejecting the American Forces Form the Land of the Two Holy Mosques 1-1-1419 (7 May 1998) The united religious scholars of Afghanistan issued a fatwa that stresses the necessity of ejecting the American forces for the Arab peninsula and the land of the holy two mosques. The fatwa contained shari’a proofs that the entrance of these forces into this country is forbidden, and that their ejection is absolutely necessary. The responsibility of ejecting them and declaring jihad against the occupiers rests with the entire nation of Islam. This fatwa was originally issued eight years ago by Safar al-Hawali and Salman al-’Awdah, who willingly paid the price for their truthfulness. The prophet’s last wish, may Allah’s prayers and peace be upon him, was to drive the polytheists out of the peninsula, and he said that “the big countries are the cause of problems and instability in the region, and they are the ones that create incidents. They show up every time there is an incident under the pretense that they will improve the situation and eliminate the danger, yet they are the biggest danger of all. How can the fox be the shepherd for the sheep?”
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