blue, 4. September 2003 um 11:34:32 MESZ

I. Introduction

Beginning in March, the Arab media published stories of young Arabs traveling to Iraq to carry out Jihad against the U.S. They came from various Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, Syria, Yemen, Egypt, Lebanon, the Palestinian territories, Algeria, the United Arab Emirates, Libya, and from Afghanistan as well. A report in the Lebanese daily Al-Nahar told of 36 Islamists (Lebanese, Palestinians, Egyptians and Syrians) receiving visas from the Iraqi Embassy in Beirut to volunteer as martyrs. [1] Syria's Foreign Minister, Farouq Al-Shar', stated that his country would not stop volunteers going to Iraq via Syria [2], while the Saudi Minister of Interior Prince Nayef bin Abd Al-Aziz claimed that there was no evidence of Saudis volunteering in droves for Jihad in Iraq. [3]

Religious personalities in the Arab world have given a mixed blessing on allowing Arab youth to travel to fight the U.S. In a recent Fatwa (Islamic religious ruling), the Shariah Court in Qatar banned such travel unless it was with the parents' permission: "It is considered against Islam to travel to another country for Jihad without permission from one's parents." The Court also stated that the permission of "those charged with authority among Muslims" is necessary to initiate Jihad. [4] On the other hand, one of the spiritual leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood movement, Sheikh Yousef Al-Qaradhawi, called for Jihad "to expel foreign troops from Iraq." However, he too qualified his statement, saying that "only governments have the right to organize volunteers for Jihad." [5] In Baghdad, Sheik Ahmad al-Kubaysi praised the Arab volunteers: "These young men who came here from other Muslim countries to defend Iraq are very brave. They left their homes and comfortable lives to protect fellow Muslims. That is the most important form of Jihad. These Mujahideen are guaranteed paradise." [6]

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