Arabic:
Muslim al-Shīshānī — Explanatory Statement
English:
It seems that what has been circulated about what happened to us recently has reached the point where there is no room for silence.
First of all, we did not want differences and dissensions between Muslims to occur because of us, so we tried to resolve the issue away from the media.
However, we were surprised by the spokesperson for the HTS’s media relations office speaking, as if he did not know what happened to us! And because on the part of HTS, there are those who deny what happened with us or do not know it; We found it necessary to explain to them and the Muslims what happened.
Yes, we got a summons from the official of the General Security Agency of HTS in our region, and the next day I went with some brothers to them.
They asked me to dismantle the group and leave Idlib, and he told me: (This is a final decision of HTS, and you are not allowed to appeal this decision).
I asked him: What is the reason? I have been here for more than eight years, and have you seen any injustice on my part during this period?!
He replied: No
I asked him: Did I participate in any conspiracy against you or harm you?!
He replied: No
I asked him: Did I violate your system?
He replied: No
So, I said: What is the reason for such a decision?!
He said: The authority today is in the hands of HTS, and we will not leave anyone who does not obey us or is not under our authority.
This is the most important things that were said in this conversation.
In response to that:
If there was a Unity of all the factions of the Ansar brothers in Sham, and we were on the opposite side, we would have understood this decision taken by HTS. However, there are still many groups, such as (Ahrar al-Sham, Faylaq al-Sham, Ansar al-Tawhid), and even such as the Turkistan Party and many others…
Why are they asking me personally?!
I cannot understand it.
We as a group are one of the last people who anyone may think we are causing problems to them.
– What affected us the most as a group, and especially on me, and hurt me a lot, were the accusations that the media spokesperson for HTS made to us in his official statement: From accusing us of covering up and protecting criminals and wanted persons, or defending them, and HTS asked us to help in that and that we did not fulfill our responsibility in this regard!!
Whoever knows us knows well that during the past eight years we have called on the Mujahideen in general and the Muhajreen in particular to be an example to the Ommah and an example to it, and not to be like Ommah weak Muslims; Because we set out on the path of jihad as the protectors of Islam, and in order to protect the Islamic system based on justice, and that the whole world looks at us and watches us as Mujahideen, and some of them have their hope after Allah in us, and others defame Islam if we commit mistakes; This reason requires us to be more responsible.
– This is what we call for, then HTS accuses us of violating the Islamic system, and not carrying out our responsibilities!!
Regarding the robbery of the money exchange in Kafr Takharim, I think that HTS received wrong information: these criminals whom HTS is talking about, we have nothing to do with them, we know some of them when they were in HTS before.
Two years ago, during the battles of mount Torkoman and mount Akrad, they joined us, then left our battalion, and since then we know nothing about them.
However, there was one thing that during the arrest of these criminals, two suspects from their compatriots which they are related, and they are from our battalion, were arrested later.
There was a suspicion of communication between them and the criminals, they remained in prison for three months, and after the investigations ended, HTS released them (innocence), and nothing was proven against them.
We have no relationship with these crimes or criminals, so we hope that no one will accuse us of anything of that.
Before that, whether inside or outside Syria, if one of the brothers from our group was asked, who are you with?
They say with Jonood Al-Sham, and they mention our battalion, and people know our group and that we are far from the filth, which defiles the name of the Mujahideen here, so they respect them, when they know that they are from our group.
I do not want the brothers from our group to be viewed with suspicion or criminality, for cruelty and injustice are not part of our morals – and even our enemies we do not treat them like that -.
My next statement explains this:
And I ask all the Mujahideen who participated with us in the operations, starting with Chechnya and ending with Sham to testify, when we were going out to carry out the operations, as we always strongly warned the brothers not to touch or harm civilians, whether they were women or men, and forbid them from killing prisoners – if there was no danger from one of them -.
And I tell you more than that when I see the enemy laying down his weapon and trying to escape
I hate shooting him in the back.
And we always handed over the prisoners under our authority to the people of the region, and we warned them not to kill them, but rather exchange them for Muslim prisoners. Whatever their number, their killing is not comparable to saving and liberating our sisters or brothers from captivity, or a father or any sons of Muslims; Especially since among our enemies there are many who are affiliated with the Sunnis, who are forcibly recruited.
As I said, we did not deal with bad manners with the Russian prisoners, and whoever knows the situation in Chechnya – from the news of the Mujahideen and not from the Russian propaganda and media – will know how we dealt with the Russian prisoners there; The conscripts which were forcibly recruited were handed over to their families, and I know very well that many of those affected by bad Russian propaganda against us will find it difficult to understand and believe it.
But in fact, we and our scholars were fighting the cruelty and injustice, which has spread today on earth among the infidels and some Muslims.
What will be left of Islam for us if we put justice aside?!!
Nothing remains.
Islam is justice.
HTS comes today and accuses us of committing crimes against Muslims!!
For the record, none of them have contacted us so far asking for help, and they have not asked any of us.
I swear by Allah, if there is one among us, starting with me, who has been unjust, and he must stand before the Sharia judiciary; Neither you nor the weakest Muslim man has any doubt that I will comply with the court, but rather I will comply without having any embarrassment about it.
Tell us, then, why should we sacrifice ourselves if we do not apply Allah’s sharia to ourselves!!
– I think we do not deserve this way of treatment, we sacrificed a lot of our time and blood to help you.
– For the record, during all this previous period of our presence here in Sham, we only used our strength and capabilities, and we never took anything from HTS, no ammunition, let alone weapons, and all our headquarters and homes were established with our capabilities.
There were also Muhajreen in Chechnya, and the whole world knows how we treated them.
And if the debt is not forgiven even for the martyr, then we want to purify ourselves from any debt.
I take this opportunity
So, I want to say to the Shami people in general and the Mujahideen in particular:
If we committed any injustice or debt, and you have something to complain about us, you are welcome.
– We also want the Shami people to know something important:
When I went to the person who gave us the decision to get out of Idlib; I asked: How do you tell me to leave?! And you know very well that I am a wanted man worldwide; This is not because of my jihad in Chechnya, but because of my jihad here.
He replied: The interest of the group is more important than the interest of individual, and that the interest is more important than the interest of the group, and because of ten or fifteen people we cannot all be in danger.
So, I say: If -in reality- there will be a problem for our people in Sham because of us. We will not allow this, and we, during our lifetime, were afraid to harm one person, so how about an entire nation.
However, if you, our people, need our help, regardless of everything; We are ready to be with you until the end, and we, praise be to Allah, as a group do not feel disappointed or frustrated with what we have done for you, and are ready to do what we can; Because we know your love and respect for us.
________________
Source: Telegram