The Position of The Caucasus Emirate Regarding The Fitna In Syria
June 24, 2014
The Emir of the Caucasus Emirate, Ali Abu Mohammad, has made a video address entitled, “The Position of The Caucasus Emirate Regarding The Fitna In Syria”.
Abu Mohammad discusses the role of Chechen-led faction Jaish al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar (JMA), which calls itself the Caucasus Emirate (CE) in Syria. He expresses the opinion that, rather than set up an independent jamaat in Syria, North Caucasian fighters ought to have joined the “oldest and most legitimate” jamaat, which he says is Jabhat al-Nusra.
Regarding Umar Shishani, Abu Mohammad says that he is a “sincere brother” and that it was a mistake for him to cross over to ISIS; however, Umar should not be blamed for his choice. Yet the fact that he has drawn other “brothers” into the fitna has dissatisfied the leadership of the CE, and North Caucasian fighters should not listen to those people who are creating fitna. Abu Muhammad advises Umar Shishani to return to JMA and take the same position as the Caucasus Emirate in Syria.
Regarding an address by Umar Shishani’s close confidante Abu Jihad, Abu Mohammad says he does not know who Abu Jihad is and that he has no right to speak on behalf of the CE.
Abu Mohammad returns to the question that has plagued the CE ever since North Caucasian fighters started to show up and fight in Syria — namely, what position it should take toward them and under what circumstances North Caucasian jihadis are permitted to fight in Syria rather than at home.
Significantly, Abu Mohammad expresses dissatisfaction with the fact that North Caucasians had established independent factions in Syria. One reason for this is that these fighters have become notorious, making it far harder for them to return home to the Caucasus and fight there for the CE.
Below are notes from the address.
-Abu Mohammad (AM) says that when the jihad in Sham started, “many brothers asked us, about the laws of jihad and whether Mujahideen had to carry on the jihad on their territory or whether they should go to Sham and participate in the fighting there.”
– At first we didn’t know how to answer them and we didn’t have a strict position… and we were in confusion.
– This was also because there are hadiths that say that Sham is the very best of Allah’s territory, and that [Syrians] are the very best people and servants of Allah.
Abu Mohammad explains that while one hadith says Muslims should go to Sham, another says that Muslims should fight the enemies closest to them. So the CE did not not how to advise its brothers.
– Therefore the CE turned to scholars who were learned on issues of jihad to decide that question. AM says that they did not find any scholars who advised that those brothers who were waging jihad at home, should abandon it and go to Syria. And likewise the leaders of the jihad in Syria did not call those brothers who were waging jihad against the unbelievers at home.
– Those who were very keen on waging jihad in Syria could not be refused, AM says, adding that when the CE agreed to allow those brothers who had sworn an oath of allegiance to the CE to go to Syria, “we told them that they did not have to go there and fight under the CE, but that they should go there and find the oldest jamaat and join that jamaat”
– He says Allah demanded that Muslims be like one body and not divided, so that there would not be fitna.
He gives several reasons why he was not completely satisfied with Dokku Umarov’s decision to allow the CE in Syria.
– Everyone who makes their own independent jamaat establishes his own law/ rules and that is just fitna and there is nothing good about it.
– We had hoped that after they had participated in the fighting in Sham, the brothers would be able to return back home, and that those brothers could help us, because we have a great requirement…we hoped we could make use of those brothers.
– We asked them not to make any addresses so that the infidels would not know that our brothers were fighting in Sham and so the infidels could not pursue our brothers.
– If they did as we had intended, the single legitimate jamaat would be Jabhat al-Nusra.
– But what happened happened and they made their own independent jamaat, Jaish al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar.
– And of course the Kuffar learned that among the Muhajireen in Sham our brothers were fighting. Of course they are pursuing those brothers who return home.
– Had everyone pledged allegiance to Jabhat al Nusra, there would not be this battle between two sides, on the one side ISIS and on the other side Jabhat al Nusra.
– Each of those 2 sides wants to get JMA on its side.
– Both JAN and ISIS say that the fighters who came from the Caucasus are the bravest and most battle-worthy. ISIS want Caucasians to join their side and make such announcements, one of the reasons for this might be this.
– We didn’t know that such a revolution would happen, that what happened would happen
– But all the same the fitna happened between ISIS and JAN. And we want to bring some clarity to that fitna.
– At the start, the one legitimate jamaat in Sham was JAN. And there was no fitna.
AM now gives a lengthy history of the disagreements between JAN leader Jolani and ISIS leader al-Baghdadi.
- When Abu Mohammad Jolani was sent, that is he was in the Jamaat the Islamic State of Iraq, under the bayat of Baghdadi. And naturally Baghdadi sent him to Syria to continue the jihad.
- We made du’a when we heard about the conflict and prayed that all the brothers would come to the same opinion and continue the jihad against the clear Kuffar, Bashar al-Assad.
-Of course, as brothers who sympathize with what is happening in Sham, we made an address, and a nasikh, to Baghdadi and Jolani, that they conduct talks…and we instructed our brothers not to take sides either with Baghdadi or Jolani.
– We are satisfied with the position of our brothers who did not take sides. We demand that our brothers continue in this position and that they direct all their forces against the the Kuffar, i.e. Bashar al-Assad, and did not take sides.
– And the territories they conquer they should control those territories and install Sharia law and share out trophies, and those territories will be under the control of our brothers, because in Sham today there are scores of brigades and each has its territories and leaders and that situation will continue utnil the fitna ends
ON UMAR SHISHANI
– Concerning several brothers we want to make a nasikh. About Umar Shishani, at first he designated himself our representative abroad and that brother was able to capture the hearts of many people and reached many successes on the battlefield. But when the fitna started we called on brothers not to take sides but Umar did not listen and took the decision to go over to ISIS. That was his decision. Although we consider it mistaken, we cannot cast blame on our brother.That is his opinion. But after he switched over to ISIS he started to make propaganda and to make fitna with other brothers, we do not agree and do not authorize that brother to speak on behalf of the CE Emir and make such propaganda. We are not happy that he did that. We would like that brother to recognize the truth and stop the fitna and come back to JMA. Why? Because we see that this brother is sincere
– Abu Mohammad says that Umar should stop talking politics because he cannot express his opinion clearly in Russian or Arabic; he adds that it is the task of jihad scholars to explain these issues to people. He calls on “brothers” not to listen to others who talk on these issues because it will only increase the fitna. He calls on Umar to end the fitna and return to the position of the brothers.
– Abu Mohammad then turns to the issue of Umar’s right hand man, Abu Jihad. “We don’t know this man and he has no relationship with the CE. We do not authorize this brother to talk on behalf of the CE because he has no relationship with it.”
Abu Mohammad says that if Abu Jihad is a representative of ISIS, he should present himself as such if ISIS has authorized him to make such announcements.
Abu Jihad should know his place, he adds.
He closes by noting that “we suffer [“go through”] for our Ummah, for our jihad. We are part of the global jihad and we do not want to stand on the sidelines.”