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by Husain Marhoon: Until the beginning of 2013, there were no signs of splitting in the lines of the Islamic Jihadi bloc in Bahrain. The two prominent leaders of the movement were Sheikh Adel Hassan Al-Hamad and Turki bin Mubarak Al Binali who together supported and pledged allegiance to the Nusra Front, which is considered Al Qaeda's military hand in the Levant.

The Islamic State's Emir, Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi, hadn't at that time dissolved the Nusra. Besides, the disagreements between the two extremist organizations had not yet been clearly shown and augmented until the fighting.

Thus, the Bahraini jihadists who left at the early stages of the Syrian events between 2012 and 2013 joined Nusra Front. Among those who died for Al Nusra was: Sheikh Al-Hamad's son, Abdulrahman Adel Al-Hamad¹, and that of Al Adala's secretary general, Ibrahim Mohieddin Khan². Most of the reports show that these two along with 4 other Bahrainis³ died in the ranks of Nusra Front.

This matter will completely change with the progress of ISIS in the battlefields. When Al-Baghdadi declared to dissolve the Nusra Front and merge it with the "Islamic state of Iraq" under the new name "Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria", known as ISIS⁴, the allegiance of most of foreign jihadists, with Bahrainis among them, turned to the new organization which they rushed to join.

It is noteworthy that unlike the first jihadists, all the Bahrainis who were killed at the end of 2013 and in 2014 died in the ranks of ISIS in Syria and Iraq.⁵

Sheik Al-Hamad persisted to deliver a weekly summon, with permission from the Bahraini Ministry of Justice, in Al Nesf Mosque in Al Riffa, south of Manama, until August 2014. His sermons often-included clear messages calling the youth to seize the opportunities to fight in Syria, although, he always avoided clearly referring to specific jihadi organization. He did not mention this matter in his sermons. He only pointed out the Taliban saying "The rule of Islam was only truly implemented when Taliban ruled.". Any of his followers on twitter could easily notice Sheikh Al-Hamad's recalling "Al Nusra Front" news to other jihadi factions.

His call for jihad, which he stated in several sermons between March 2012 and July 2013, was of a generalized nature as, defining "readiness to jihad for sake of Allah"⁶, "motives of jihad for sake of Allah"⁷, "privileges of the martyr for sake of Allah"⁸, "position of jihad in Islam"⁹, "implications of jihad for sake of Allah"¹⁰, "worship of jihad in Ramadan"¹¹ and "jihad fields"¹² that are characterized in Syria. He did not avoid issuing prejudges related to jihad in Bahrain.

Sheikh Al-Hamad mentioned in one of his summons on 16^th March  2012 that, "Shiites are taking practical steps in escalating the situation while Sunnis still pin their hopes on the government" and "getting ready to Jihad for sake of Allah is demanded. All the pre-Islamic pagan ideas such as nationalism did not move you forward".  

According to him, the list of "disbelievers" to be fought is: America, European countries, Christians, Jews, Shiites and Alawites. In this context he says, "If America was not of the disbelievers and so was the case with the European countries, then who the disbelievers whom Allah asked us to fight are?" Sheikh Al Hamad announces in another summon on 24^th May 2013, "incite people to jihad, fight this nation's Magi, Shiites and Alwaites everywhere."

The son utters the father's "undeclared" words

Al-Hamad's "undeclared" views are reflected by the tweets his son, Abdulrahman, posted on his twitter account before his death. His tweets reveal his adoption of "Al Jihadi" ideology embraced by the Afghani school with its symbols represented by Sheikh Abdullah Azzam, the Taliban, Osama bin Laden, and Ayman Al-Zawahiri, besides its out-turn resumed on the Syrian land represented by "Nusra" Front.

Al-Hamad, the son, surpasses his father in representing the "Bin Laden" list with respect to "religion enemies" which includes the tyrants, disbelievers, the US and the crusaders more than Shia who occupy the first rank in "Al Jihadi" dictionary adopted  by the Iraqi school since it was established by Al-Zarqawi up to "ISIS".

There are distinctive differences between the two schools; the "Bin Laden" school does not consider fighting Shiites a priority as Al-Zarqawi does. Moreover, none of Al Qaeda leaders have been known for attacking Shiites in their speeches.

According to Abdelbari Atwan in his book "Al-Qaeda, the secret organization" (2007), this was one of the most prominent differences between bin Laden and Al Zarqawi which led the latter to delay giving his pledge of allegiance to the founder of Al Qaeda until late, before he was killed.

This will be repeated with "Al Baghdadi", who will also refuse to give Al Zawahiri "the pledge of allegiance", for reasons including urging the latter not to fight Shiites; the thing that some of its chapters will be clearly revealed in the following lines.

Amid this fervent debate between the two fighting organizations on representing the "original", it was striking when Sheikh Al Hamad released an essay prepared by the general supervisor of Al-Dorar Al Sonya establishment, Alawi bin Abdulqader A-Saqqaf, entitled "The Declaration of Islamic Caliphate.. A Realistic Legitimate View" on his "twitter" account after ISIS had announced the establishment of the "Islamic Caliphate". The essay, which he described as "absolutely excellent", says "the curatorship which the nation does not meet on, is not a general curatorship, and it must not be called Caliphate regardless of who declared it."

"If all Muslims pledged allegiance everywhere to one of them, then he is their Caliph, and that curatorship is a caliphate, otherwise, it is only one of the emirates, and the curator of that spot is but a governor or a prince over them," the essay adds.  

According to this outcome, Al-Hamad expressed disagreement to the caliphate which the "Islamic State" organization has announced, under the leadership of AbU Bakr Al Baghdadi, "it is only one of the emirates, and the curator of that spot is but a governor, or a prince over them", as the "excellent essay" states. However, Al-Hamad, starting from September 2014, returns to rely on the same approach which Nusra Front and the leaders of the Jihadist Islam have relied on, including those who disagree with ISIS, which is refusing the war that the United States launched against it on the basis that it is "a war against Sunnis". In this context "the gathering of the criminal forces in an international global alliance to wage a war against Sunnis(....) will lead to the growth of Jihad industry worldwide, he says. "If the manifestation of ISIS danger took much time according to many scholars due to confusion, does participating in a war against Sunnis with the disbelievers throw them into confusion?" it adds.

It is the same opinion "Al-Adala" Bahraini society which includes the old jihadists in Afghanistan; has adopted, as it considered in a statement (on 1^st October 2014) that "this war is directed to strike and weaken the Sunni factions and enable the enemy in the area to impose its power and dominance". "The participation of Bahrain in this alliance is a ill-considered step and it may put us in front of new fronts and involve us in a vortex with undefined parties", it considered.

Interim "agreement "followed by a division

The beginnings of Turki Al-Binali's adherence to the Jihadist Islam matches to a large extent, but not totally, with Sheikh Al Hamad, in recalling "the Afghani school" and perfecting it¹³

 He says in one of his advisory opinions he published on "the platform of monotheism and jihad" in 2009 and which he reassembled later in a book entitled "A Group of Advisory Opinions of Sheikh Abi Hammam Al Athari" that "Al Qaeda organization was and still is the era's tyrant, America, most prominent enemy (...) Al Qaeda is the Islamic nation's figure and pride in this period."

In response to a question in another context, he says, "Al-Qaeda organization is the Islamic spearhead through which we fight the atheist st nations, whereas, Taliban is the support, backup, proponent and assistance."

He also agrees with Sheikh Al-Hamad in advocating "Nusra Front" in its first months of engagement in the incidents in Syria.  A video dated to March, 2013 shows Al-Binali in a Bahraini assembly along with his fellow the Bahraini Abu Laden, who will later follow Al Binal's way and join ISIS, reciting an Islamic song that says "my greetings to Nusra/ conqueror of the atheism /its leader is Joulani/ I provide him my melodies/ oh my front go forward/ for you all my appreciation".

In a series of explicit tweets on "twitter", Al-Binali exceeds his metaphorical reciting of one of the songs, which does not keep any doubt about his initial support for Nusra Front.  As he says " since the first day of the declaration of Nusra Front, I myself, the poor slave had an attitude in supporting and backing it when everyone was talking about the Free Army."

In this subject, he adds "when supporting you was considered very odd, and some referred to it as swimming upstream, in that stage and afterwards we were defending you and discussing, until we were harmed and assaulted by some villains."

However, Al Binali will soon receive in the next few months signs of "the jihadist civil war" which had started in April 2013 between ISIS and Al Nusra after the latter refused its dissolving decision. The war reached a level of direct fighting in August 2013. 

Under the effect of this war, Al-Binali composed his final "divisive" approach through which he will transfer his allegiance from "Nusra" prince to that of "ISIS". He will then become one of the most prominent "legitimates" in "ISIS" organization which conquered all other competitors by its cruelty.

Accordingly, "Nusra Front" will turn in Al-Binali Speech to a "Non- Islamic front"; but rather "the Losers Front". "The opponents of the Islamic State from the non-Islamic Front and Losers front were shown to disrupt the rules of Allah in the pretext of progression on one hand, and that Allah's rules cannot sometimes be followed during war on the other hand".

The Division has become obvious

Al-Binali confirms this "division" by revealing a crushing fundamentalism to an extent that exceeds Al-Qaeda leader "Al Zawahiri" in extremism, whom Al-Binali considers a person with a "devious approach" after his speech through which he calle-on ISIS to limit their military activities to Iraq and abandon Syria to "Nusra". This will not match "ISIS" desires who brag of their field "successes" noting that he has become now one of its legitimate members.

In this context, Al-Binali says in his letter to Sheikh Abu Mohammed Al-Makdessi marked by "My ex-Sheikh, this is a separation between you and me", stating that the disagreement origin is "the mistakes of Doctor Ayman Al-Zawahiri are related to belief and approach". He explains the differences between Al-Zawahiri and him including a "naive" remark about using the word "Mister" by Al Zawahiri while speaking about the American president, Barack Obama.

He comments, "My Sheikh, consider Sheikh Ayman's words about Obama or Mr. Bush" adding that, "This deviation is as the morning sunrise! We criticize the usage of "Mister" term, that is: sir, addressing the Imam of atheism and the leader of crusaders, the cursed by Allah, Obama". He continued, "It is a forbidden term, which has nothing to do with any preceding or following threat".

He continues, non-stop, revealing another remark "one of his deviations is also his compliment of the two tyrants Haniyeh and Morsi disregarding their rules that cannot be hidden from him."

He refers in the same letter to a significant issue among the issues of conflict with Al-Qaeda leader, which he considers to be related to "the approach", i.e targeting Shia.

He says referring to a previous letter of ISIS spokesperson, Abu Mohammad Al Adnani, "not responding to your repeated demand of ceasing the targeting of the Rafidis in Iraq; who are considered Muslims and are excused due to their ignorance, if we were pledging allegiance to you: we would have obeyed your order, even though we disagreed with you, this is what we have learned in obedience. If you were the prince of the state: you could impose your order, and you could seclude who disagree with you, while we complied with your order not to target them outside the state in Iran and other states."

From Al-Zawahiri "the head", Al-Binali reservations descend upon his hand in the Levant, "Nusra Front". He wonders in one of his tweets "why Al-Joulani soldiers didn't target the Americans and the Rafidi and other movements in Iraq but only moved to fight the Islamic State (...) where have they been during a whole decade of America and Rafidi's oppression.

It is an ironic and a meaningful coincidence; they are the same remarks which Al-Zawahiri advocates raise against Al-Binali himself "he didn't utter a single word against his tyrant and curator, the King of Bahrain", as the extremist preacher Tariq Abdulhaleem says. 

The division's outcome of the foreign jihad princes which was provoked by the events in Syria and Iraq will be reflected on the "parties" in form of similar divisions.  It is revealed, as an example, from the separation of the two symbols of "Al Jihad" in Bahrain regarding the declaration of "the caliphate" and inauguration of Al-Baghdadi as "Amir Al Mouminin".

While Sheikh Al-Hamad, along with the old jihadist generation who fought in Afghanistan, continue to pledge allegiance to the old wing established in "Al Qaeda"; where there is no record for any single attitude criticizing its leader Osama bin Laden or his successor Al-Zawahiri, he refuses "the curatorship which the nation does not agree on and which must not be called caliphate regardless declared by whomever."

On the other hand, Al-Binali, along with the new enthusiast to participate in the foreign battlefields generation, reveal a rebelling behavior against the old jihadist relations which suits their youth (he was born in 1984), so that "the complete empowerment on all Muslims areas, according to Al-Binali, is not a validity condition for caliphate as far as it is a perfection condition". How will it be now as he has become "a prominent legitimate member" in "the caliphate state".

النسخة العربية

Read in the next part:

- Long episode of the government's denial of any existence of extremist cells and then its confession after it was too late

- "Samira" follows the same path of the "Revolution of Clans".."Al-Fayhani" follows her steps and ISIS books in Bahraini curricula

- "The Marshal's" calculations and his followers..WikiLeaks and the ambassador's concern..The FM's "confession": Yes, we do arm the Syrian revolution

- Official statements and empty promises against Takfiri groups since 2011...Yet Nabeel Rajab is the only one being charged in courts

Also read :

(1) ISIS Are Among Us: Peculiar Transition in Al-Asala Society Tactics

ISIS Are Among Us: From Puppets in The Hands Of The Government To Rebels Against It (2)

Footnotes :

1.Abdulrahman Adel Al Hamad (19 years) was killed in Syria on 27th May 2013

2.Ibrahim Mohieddin Khan (19 years) was killed in Ariha in Syria on 4th September 2013

3.Abdulaziz Otham (17 years, Arad), Abdulrahman Aziz (21 years, Arad) and Abdulmeneam Ali (25 years, Al Muharraq, of Syrian roots).

4.On 9th April 2013, Al Baghdadi announced the dissolving of Al Nusra Front and merging it with the Islamic State of Iraqi under the new name "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria", known as ISIS.

Some of them are: Ali Al-Rowa'i, nicknamed "Abu Hamza Al-Bahraini", Abdullah Jamal Al-Mouhayze', nicknamed "Abu Al-Zubair Al-Bahraini" and "Abu Jamil", Yusof Jamil Al-Bahraini, Abu Mo'tasem Al-Bahraini, Abdulrahman Al-Sharqi, known as "Ahmad Shihab", Ibrahim Al-Awadi, Nawaf Saif and Mohammed Mubarak.5.

6."Readiness to jihad for sake of Allah" is Friday's summon title delivered by Sheikh Adel Al Hamad on 16th March 2012

7."Motives of jihad for sake of Allah" is Friday's summon title delivered by Sheikh Adel Al Hamad in Al Nesf Mosque in Al Riffa on 23rd March 2012

8."Privileges of the martyr for sake of Allah" is Friday's summon title delivered by Sheikh Adel Al Hamad in Al Nesf Mosque in Al Riffa on 30th March 2012

9."Position of jihad in Islam" is Friday's summon title delivered by Sheikh Adel Al Hamad in Al Nesf Mosque in Al Riffa on 21st June 2013

10."Implications of jihad for sake of Allah" " is Friday's summon title delivered by Sheikh Adel Al Hamad in Al Nesf Mosque in Al Riffa on 22nd February 2013 

11. "Worship of jihad in Ramadan" is Friday's summon title delivered by Sheikh Adel Al Hamad in Al Nesf Mosque in Al Riffa on 26th June 2013

12. In this context, we can refer to Sheikh Adel's Al Hamad summon "How you become one of the braves" he delivered in Al Nesf mosque on 27th February 2012 and that entitled "Men of victory" delivered in 10th May 2013 and that about "summer vacation in advocating Syria" on 24th May 2013 besides his summon "victory in Syria demands achieving brothers of faith" on 14th June 2013 and "Syria's battle and Quranic education" on 7th June 2013.

12.The disagreement between Turki Al Binali and Adel Hassan Hamad is old. The former has already replied to al Hamad under the title of "The good say in advicing Adel Hassan"

13.See his book "Following in Not Requiring Caliphate Full Empowerment"