Al Libi Salutes Scholars For Issuing Gaza Statement, Calls for Attacks on U.S., Europe
"The mujahideen from the east and the west are preparing to retaliate and avenge what happened and what is still happening to Muslims in Gaza at the hands of the Jews. It's a debt in their conscience, and they shall know no rest until they pay it back…in full," al Libi said.
Al Libi's speech came in reaction to a statement on Gaza war issued by a over a hundred Muslim scholars last January, which urged Muslims to support "jihad" in Gaza and labeled those who cooperated with the Israeli government apostates.
Al Libi urged the scholars to issue similar "fatwas," i.e religious edicts legitimizing "jihad" in other Muslim land such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, and Eastern Turkistan. "Isn't the tragedy in all those places the same? Aren't all those enemies transgressors, infidels and impious?" exclaimed al Libi.
Al Libi asked the scholars to clarify to the Muslim nation that the United States and Israel formed one entity and that there wasn't any difference between waging war against the Israeli army and striking against U.S. interests wherever they may be.
"Why should the U.S. be exempted from paying for its support just like Israel? And why shouldn't we target it on its own land, and wherever it maybe, by bombing its military, political, economic and financial facilities?" He then turned his attention to Europe, saying that everything he said regarding the U.S. applied for Europe "especially the United Kingdom and France."
Al Libi ended his message by saluting the scholars and discretely suggested that some form of cooperation between the two sides might be possible. "Such stances enables us to benefit from their knowledge, and put our hands in theirs…it's a victory to the righteous that they called for."
Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden had himself issued an appeal to "the devoted committees of scholars in the Islamic world," in an audio statement on Gaza that he released in mid-March. He asked them to establish an advisory body to create awareness about what he called true Islam amongst youths in Muslim countries, and about the future of the region.
Al Libi had released a video statement last February where he called on Somalis to rebel against newly elected president. His video released today runs over 58 minutes. He appeared sitting against a brown background, dressed a military jacket on top of his traditional dress, and a white turban on his head.