In the first-ever interview with an Arabic national newspaper, Asharq Al-Awsat, since his disappearance more than a year ago, radical activist Omar Mahmoud Omar Othman also known as Abu Qatada, who is of Palestinian origin, responds to the charges against him. He denied having struck a deal with the British security forces, adding that the accusation of treason is one of the easiest and dirtiest for an enemy to make.
Abu Qatada is wanted by seven European countries in addition to Jordan, who wants him to try on charges of funding terrorism. Spanish investigators accuse Abu Qatada of being Bin Laden’s right-hand man in Europe as well as maintaining ties with the "Tawheed" organization in Germany. Western security agencies consider him to be the spiritual leader of Al-Qaeda.
Abu Qatada, who received political asylum in London, declared great admiration for Ayman Al-Zawahiri, the head of the Egyptian jihad and the first ally of Bin Laden.
Abu Qatada vigorously attacked the leaders of the Jama’a Islamiya in Egypt for the book they published — "Legal Revisions" — that advocates ending violence. His greatest shock came from their admission that the terrorist attacks they unleashed were motivated by revenge and not as part of a jihad for an Islamic state.
Abu Qatada describes the terrorist attacks on the United States on Sept. 11 last year as acts of jihad: "What occurred in America has its positive elements ... these outweigh its viciousness."
He feels it is an honor to be considered an enemy of America and the Jewish state and hopes to die with those same sentiments.
The interview follows:
Q: First something about your situation as well as your family’s.
A: Thank God for everything. I consider what is happening to me and to others seeking justice on earth to be the price we have to pay, for as the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, we are all tested to the extent of our religion. I had to go into hiding due to the racist British laws and the charges of terrorism and incitement to terrorism leveled against me by many countries. This kept me away from my family for more than a year; I haven’t seen them since Eid Al Fitr last year.
Q: What do you do now?
A: I pray to God to the extent that I can, I read and observe events, I have also done some writing some of which has been published.
Q: How do you respond to accusations that you incite terrorism in Britain, Germany and Spain?
A: I preach on the basis of the Qur’an and Sunnah of the Prophet — jihad for the sake of God, killing His enemies and the enemies of the religion and Ummah including those apostates in our land who have distorted the religion and changed the Shariah and allied themselves with the polytheists; this is God’s religion and I don’t care if others call it terrorism or not.
Q: With regard to your family, the media and intelligence services claim that you live under the protection of British intelligence under a deal you struck with them.
A: These are all lies. There is no doubt that I live alone, well away from my family. Everyone who knows me knows that my family lives its life normally in London and that my children go to well-known schools. Furthermore, he who fears God and knows His injunction regarding allying oneself with polytheists will not accept any of such deals.
I am quite aware of the decree regarding such alliances and this prevents me from falling into such traps. How can I wish to replace that which is good (my affiliation with my Ummah and the youth carrying out jihad) with that which is base?
Q: Do you mean that there has never been a deal between you and any intelligence organizations — British or otherwise?
A: I think it would be crazy and idiotic for them to think of contacting or meeting me because they know what my response would be.
Q: There are many accusations against you today; that your call for jihad has hampered all Islamic activities and that your actions have harmed Muslims, especially the Sept. 11 attacks blamed on Osama Bin Laden.
A: We each have a scale by which to judge events.
We judge by the Shariah and religion only and if we were to determine on that scale whether we have won or lost, then what they consider loss is merely a pain and grievance to us, for as we are told in the Qur’an: "They will not harm but only grieve you" and "they hurt as you hurt".
My evaluation is that we live not in loss but in great victory, the victory of belief and religion. Witness the rate of reversion to Islam and the increasing trust in this religion and greater adherence to its teachings.
As for the removal of the Islamic nation — the Taleban — and all the good that it brought, then this indeed is a loss. However the chapter is not closed on this war. Furthermore most people are aware that the war against the Taleban wasn’t a result of the attacks on New York and Washington but came long before.
We still believe in God’s words that "the outcome will be for the pious".
Q: Do you mean that there is no sin attached to the terrorist attacks on America?
A: All work is a mix of good and bad. Nothing is purely good or bad in this world. The acts of jihad in America are a mix of good and bad. The question is which side of the scale outweighs the other and is it legal or not. On the latter question much has been written by others and myself. On the former issue then it is clear that the benefits far outweigh the viciousness and even today, the reality speaks for that fact.
There is however one negative side: The Sept. 11 attacks were so massive and magnificent.
Now Muslims don’t want to undertake jihad activities that are of a lesser scale. For example if what occurred in Bali had taken place before Sept. 11, people’s interest and joy would have been much greater.
In fact, interest in the Bali action has been low because of the images of the two towers falling in New York. Against this backdrop, other activities look modest.
Q: Then you don’t think that the events in America have caused Islam or you any harm, even through you are on the run because of Sept. 11.
A: Everything happens according to the will of God. I say again let us judge by the Shariah and not by our worldly standards.
Q: You have often said that you are not part of Al-Qaeda even though intelligence agencies have said that you are its spiritual leader in Europe. Do you still stand by this denial?
A: I proclaim openly what is true today and what will be true tomorrow: I am no affiliated to Al-Qaeda. However I work alongside any of my brethren who work for God’s religion.
America has antagonized the Muslims all over the world after its great leader announced that Jerusalem would be the capital of the monster that is the Jewish state of Israel.
I feel honored to be treated as an enemy of America and Jewish state and all who ally themselves with them and all apostate rulers and hope to die with this sentiment. My alliance is with Muslims and that is stronger than any organization and thanks be to God.
Q: How do you respond to accusations of the Spanish authorities regarding your association with a cell that was captured in that country and which is now being tried on the basis of its links to Al-Qaeda?
A: This is one among the lies being spread. All countries are now ridding themselves of Muslims and those with whom they feel uncomfortable saying they are associated with Al-Qaeda. This means that you are part of Al-Qaeda because it is possible that you may one day join it or that your thoughts run in such a direction that you may share their (Al-Qaeda’s) convictions.
Q: Do you wish to convince the readers that you are a peace-loving man and not as has been said, wanted by eight countries among them America, France, Germany, Spain, Jordan and Britain?
A: The countries you have listed are really one country. I thank God for their hatred of me and mine of them and pride myself on their enmity. As for Jordan, I was tried there for being part of an organization they called ‘Al Islah.’ But no such organization existed and the case was dropped.
Q: You still stick to your convictions even though many of the leaders of the Jama’a Islamiya who believe in the same things you do have changed their programs and retreated. Why don’t you take advantage of their experience?
A: This is a question of Shariah and not one’s convictions or ideas. I think you mean those who wrote a book entitled ‘Legal Revisions.’ I was taken aback by the shallowness of the research undertaken and frankly it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the book isn’t worthy of a high-school student.
I was most astonished when they declared their newfound belief that they are a people of Hisba and not jihad and that their work thus is merely to promote good and prohibit that which is evil, further that all their acts of jihad were merely revenge and not within the plan of establishing an Islamic country. I have almost finished preparing my response to these statements.
Q: Some media and intelligence circles repeat that you are linked to Ayman Al-Zawahiri, head of the jihad organization in Egypt and an ally of Bin Laden. It was mentioned that there is a special folder for you on his personal computer and that there exists a poem that he wrote praising you and your European role.
A: I consider Dr. Ayman Al Zawahiri the wise man of the Islamic movement and its greatest intellect. He is unique in this age and what you have just said is an honor to me, if it is true. My link to him is merely that we love and follow the same God. Once again I repeat that I have no association with any organization you or others mention.
Q: Do you think that the jihad organizations will have a role to play if there is an attack on Iraq?
A: Jihadi organizations have always been active in Iraq and will still be active after an attack. America’s increasing tyranny and its never-ending backing of Israel and its killing of peaceful people in Afghanistan and now its plan to bring in an "Iraqi Karzai" makes the battle much fiercer. In truth, I was the one who had asked that we concentrate on the enemy from within — the apostate rulers. However it has become clear lately that the distinction between apostate and infidel is purely a mental exercise and has no practical value. America’s plan to create a world in which it controls people’s minds and thoughts will make her commit more follies and will make all the Islamic world its enemy and thus it will lose the war.
America will lose and this Ummah will live on; the tyrannical mentality of the American administration in Iraq especially and elsewhere will cause it to act unwisely and the result will not be as it dreams. It will bleed until it meets its fate — the fate of every tyrant and that which befell the USSR — downfall.
Q: One last question, how long you hope to remain in hiding?
A: I do not complain; neither am I in a hurry. I count myself lucky and ask for God to be pleased with me and if that were to be through trials and tribulations then I thank God for that and ask that God join me to all virtuous people.
