Former Hizbullah Leader Subhi Al-Tufayli Criticizes Intervention In Syria, Says Shi’ites Must Reach Understanding With All Sunnis And Confront West, Russia, ‘Israeli Enemy’: ‘Wrong To Think That Jerusalem Was In Palestine… Turns Out That Jerusalem Is In Aleppo…’
MEMRI/October 28/16
Former Hizbullah Leader Subhi Tufyli criticized the organization’s intervention in Syria in a series of Friday sermons, which he posted in September and October on his YouTube account. Jerusalem is in Palestine, not in Aleppo, Sanaa, or Baghdad, he said, adding that Hizbullah must withdraw from Syria. Tufayli further said that the Shi’ites must reach an understanding with all the Sunnis “without exception” and claimed that some ISIS members who perpetrate atrocities are members of intelligence agencies trying to tarnish the image of Islam.
Following are excerpts
September 30, 2016
Subhi Al-Tufayli: “There is another group of infidels, who pretend to be Muslims. In Al-Madina, Abdallah ibn Ubayy joined the Prophet Muhammad at the mosque, but he was a hypocrite. In other words, deep inside, he was an infidel, who was fighting, day and night, against Islam, while pretending to be a Muslim. Many Arab and Islamic regimes adhere to the school of Abdallah ibn Ubayy. They are hypocrites, who purport to support the Palestinian cause and liberation, but all they really do is sow destruction.
“Abd Al-Nasser used to wear us out with [his talk about] fighting the Israeli enemy, and with his declarations that he was striving to liberate Palestine. He started wars in several places in the Arab and Islamic world. He started political battles and sent armies to fight here and there, under the slogan of making preparations to fight the Israeli enemy. His radio station would curse and malign the Israeli enemy day and night. Back then, we believed that this was all for the sake of liberating Palestine, and that the liberation of Palestine was the only thing on his mind. But in 1967, we were surprised to discover that he was in slumber, along with his entire army and all his commanders and officers. The Israeli enemy invaded Egypt before they had awoken from their slumber. We discovered that all that clamor had been a lie.
“Today, we are liberating the Arab and Islamic world, under the slogan of building a front to confront the Israeli enemy. The truth is that we may have been wrong to think that Jerusalem was in Palestine. It turns out that Jerusalem is in Aleppo… I cannot believe how anyone can turn a blind eye to our children and women lying under the rubble, following the strikes of the Russian Crusaders, who have occupied Iran for a long time. The planes striking in Aleppo may turn on you tomorrow.
“Brothers, what is happening is a great crime. Jerusalem is in Palestine, not in Aleppo. It is not in Sanaa or Baghdad. Jerusalem is in Palestine. Whoever wants to liberate Jerusalem should go to Palestine. Anyone who is fighting here and there is serving the Jews – even more than the people who sent their condolences for the death of Peres.
“There must be a reexamination! We must reach an understanding with all the Sunnis without exception. We must not be so stupid as to fight one another and let others collect the booty. We need to realize this fact. Brothers, we have pushed our people who belong to other sects to the point that they consider making peace with their rivals, in order to be able to confront their own brother, who decided to destroy them until he sees them dead. What are you doing in Syria? Withdraw! What are you doing? What is this disgrace that you are committing?”
October 14, 2016
“A few days ago, the Russian Duma declared that Russia would remain permanently in Syria, and that the Russian bases in Syria are there to stay. The Russians will not return to their country. I’d like to remind you that when the Russians first entered Syria, I called it an invasion. This is a Crusader invasion of our countries. All the Muslims must confront this invasion, and drive the invaders – Russians or others – out of their countries. Some people say: ‘The Russians are here to help us.’ Oh, no. They are not here to serve you. You are the servant, not they.
“I repeat: The Muslims must drive out the invaders, and especially the Russian invaders. Let no one deceive you. This is not a Sunni-Shi’ite war. It is not a war between Muslims. This is a war against Muslims – Sunnis and Shi’ites alike.
“This is not a sectarian war. It is a Western war. Whether Sunni or Shi’ite, America and Europe want us dead.”
October 21, 2016
“As you know, the war against Mosul was declared these days. Many armies, weapons, and implements of war and destruction were amassed from all directions, under slogans such as ‘eliminating ISIS,’ ‘ISIS is an epidemic,’ ‘ISIS is a cancer,’ ‘ISIS poses a danger, and we want to finish it off.’ I am not disputing that ISIS has committed crimes, killing children, women, and innocent people. There is no question about this.
“But the question is whether the other side is really the enemy of ISIS. Is it doing this in order to save people from ISIS or not? We need to make up our minds about this. I have a simple question: Who founded ISIS and how? ISIS – and this is well known – was born overnight. It was born a complete state. Organizations usually start off small and gradually grow, It has been fighting for years. Where did all these weapons come from? It must have supporters and facilitators. Someone planned and then gave birth to this ‘state.’ Who? Who founded ISIS in Syria and Iraq? Undoubtedly, it was the Syrian regime and the Iranian regime. And who supports ISIS? Iran, America, Russia, Europe, and even Israel. They all have an interest in the existence of ISIS in Syria and Iraq.
“There are two kinds of people in the ranks of ISIS. There are people who have come, from all corners of the world, to die. Believing that they are defending Islam, and defending the downtrodden and the oppressed, these people have come to die. They don an explosives belt and kill themselves on one front or another. You cannot claim that these people have worldly agendas, for they are marching towards death. They are wrong, but their intent is true. By acting this way, they are defending people’s rights. But indeed, there are also (planted) intelligence officers in this organization.
“Their job is to perpetrate ugly and revolting deeds that will make Islam and the Muslims loathsome in people’s eyes, thus preparing the groundwork until people say: Let’s wage war. This is why many of their deeds are inexplicable – they have nothing to do with Islam, the Muslims, or the Quran, although they were perpetrated by members of this organization in the name of Islam. How else can you explain people carrying out bombings in Baghdad, killing women and children, or doing this in Syria or Lebanon? Obviously, when I denounce these people, it does not mean that I welcome what the others are doing. The Sunnis have ISIS, but the Shi’ites also have ISIS. ISIS is not only people who kill children in Baghdad, but also people who kill children in Aleppo, in Baghdad, and everywhere. ISIS is not only the organization based in Mosul and Al-Raqqah.”