"Salafism....needs no license to practice in the heart of Tel Aviv or in Washington"

From the Palestinian Ma'an News:

Exclusive interview with Gaza's Army of Islam
Gaza - Ma'an Exclusive- "Salafism is not only in Gaza, it is all over Palestine and needs no license to practice in the heart of Tel Aviv or in Washington," Jaish Al-Islam (Army of Islam) leader Omer Al-Ansari told Ma'an during an exclusive interview on Wednesday.

"But enough about the movement, its time to move is subject to its men and their ability to stand in the face of the tyrannies," Al-Ansari said from his secret hideout and weapons store, settling in for an in-depth discussion on the relationship of the movement to Al-Qaeda, tensions with the ruling Hamas party, and its vision for the Palestinian national struggle.

Al-Ansari described movement as independent in both its make-up and method, saying it had its own path to reach goals that are similar to Al-Qaeda, while at the same point having its own visions and policies in relation to "Jihadist issues in general and Palestine in particular."He called the affiliation as "more moral than financial."

Followers and operatives of Jaish Al-Islam and other Salafist movements, the leader said, have been "killed imprisoned or placed under house arrest." He said the movements were "being chased, terrorized or were threatened, conspiracies coalitions were set up against them."

Many of the founding leaders, he added, "the sheikhs and the scholars, have been killed, captured or displaced."

On resistance, Al-Ansari appeared to fall in with the official Hamas line, saying that the "explosions that are happening in Gaza are political in the first place with the main mission of creating a state of security chaos," but accusing the leading party of using the chaos to operate under an "undeclared law of emergency," and to scuttle any opposition.

He said a truce with Israel, the liberation of Islam's holy places, freedom granted to prisoners, and an end to the occupation, "are all the same case."

Al-Ansari then sat down and answered a series of questions relating to the movement:

Q: Army of Islam, what does it mean? Who are you? What are your goals?

A:Army of Islam is an Islamic group that lives among the unbelievers: Israelis and Christens. It does not have a producer, or founder, nor date of creation or expiry date. The movement extracts understanding and action from the Qur'an and the Sunna.

Its goal is divided into two parts, the first: preaching the mission of prophets and his messengers, sharing the reasons why Allah sent messengers and holy books based on Tawheed (Oneness) and rejecting atheism.

The second, Jihadist: This does not follow preaching and does not precede it, anyone who declares Islam is from the Muslims.

Q:In a previous interview with a leader of a Salafi group, he estimated that the number of affiliates to Salafism, and specifically Jund Ansar Allah, was some 11,000. What do you think of this number? Has there been a real increase?

A: The Salafi method has proven itself when all failed in attempts to kill its affiliates. We have established coalitions.

Q: To what extent is Army of Islam is linked to Al-Qaeda?

A: Army of Islam is in general is linked with the entire Muslim world, and we are supported in carrying out Jihad against enemy nations, against the Israelis, against the Christians and against Muslim rejectionists in Chechnya, Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia. Coalitions between our groups add little in terms of support or advice.

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