"Whoever does not have concern for the affairs of the Muslims, is not from them." (Reported by al-Haakim (4/317), at-Tabaraanee and others.)

"Allaah will not change the condition of a people until they change themselves." [13:11 Interpretation of Meaning.]

"Whenever people abandon a part of what Allaah has commanded them with, this causes enmity and hatred to arise between them." Shaykhul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah (rahimahuilaah) [Majmoo Fatawa (3/421)]

"You who believe! If a rebellious bad person comes to you with a news, verify it, lest you harm people in ignorance, and afterwards you become regretful to what you have done."  [49: 6.  Interpretation of Meaning ]
 

Recently, several unnamed officials of the British government - widely regarding as agents of MI6, the British Secret Service - returned from the American camp in Cuba which holds the Mujahideen illegally detained by the American infidels. [ Illegally detained according to Shari'ah.]

These officials had, apparently, interviewed three Mujahideen who were regarded by the British government as British citizens, and in these interviews the Mujahideen had, allegedly, said they were being treated fairly and that they had no complaints.

Immediately, sections of the Western Media and government officials - especially in Britain - used these alleged statements to dismiss the allegations which had been made about the brutal, uncivilized, degrading conditions under which the Mujahideen were being held.

More recently still, the United States government released affidavits from its own officials regarding statements allegedly made by Mujahid Abdul Hamid (also known as John Walker Lindh) during his interrogation. These affidavits were presented to the American court which charged Abdul Hamid with so-called "terrorist offences".
 

Caution Regarding Statements:

All such statements, and especially alleged "confessions" - made by those detained in prisons or elsewhere - should be treated with caution. This applies even if there is no evidence suggesting that coercion or physical force or torture or drugs have been used to obtain such statements and confessions. For it is well-known that physical intimidation, psychological pressure or promises made by the authorities in return for "co-operation" have been used and are used in all penal establishments in the West and by most Police forces or government agents.

This caution is also required when detainees, and prisoners, talk to representatives of so-called "impartial" or neutral agencies or groups, such as Aid agencies. For the same kinds of threats, or promises, may have been made beforehand to the detainees and prisoners by the prison authorities.

Thus, in the case of the three Mujahideen seen by British government agents, they may have been tricked into giving statements, or they may have been offered some inducement, or may even have been told that if they did not say what the authorities wanted them to say, then "things might happen to them."  Their statements may even have been doctored by the insertion of things they did not say, or the officials, or interrogators, may have "suggested" they say something, which they may have done.

The truth is that we do not know the circumstances which led to the statements, although we do know how the captured Mujahideen have been and are being humiliated, and how they have been and are being forcibly restrained, drugged, and subject to torture techniques such as sensory deprivation and disorientation.

Some years ago I came to know a brother who had recently reverted/converted to Islam. Before his reversion, he was often - in his own words - in trouble with the authorities, and spent several years in various Prisons in a certain Western country. [ He has given me permission to recount his experiences, by the way - may Allah (SWT) reward him - in the hope it might help us understand the plight of the Mujahideen and particularly their alleged statements and "confessions".]

This brother knows from personal experience how the Police in Western countries offer inducements to obtain a "confession" and how they sometimes "suggest" certain things be added to a written or verbal statement. These inducements often take the form that they, the Police, will "put in a good word for them", or "see what they can do," or "we might drop those other charges against you if you co-operate."  This brother also knows how things can be made quite difficult for someone in Prison if the Prison authorities want to make it difficult for them. Quite often, the mere threat of physical violence, or a longer sentence, or harassment of the person's family is sufficient, although of course, the authorities in most Western countries now try to make sure that their threats go unrecorded, unwitnessed.
 

For myself, therefore, I regard the statements made by the three Mujahideen - as recounted by agents of the British government - as essentially devoid of value, just as I know from reading the affidavits against Mujahid Abdul Hameed that his honesty, his co-operation with the infidel authorities, only served the infidels, who used what he said, and wrote, in order to charge him with "crimes" that are not crimes according to Shari'ah. That is, they dishonourably and without shame tricked him into incriminating himself as a result of which he will probably - unless Allah (SWT) wills otherwise - spent the rest of his life in an infidel prison for the infidel "crime" of doing his Islamic duty by undertaking the obligation of Jihad according to the command of Allah (SWT).
 

In addition - knowing the hypocrisy and dishonour that is rife among the infidels, proven by their treatment of the Mujahideen - I fully expect the US authorities to obtain some "confessions" from the captured Mujahideen which "implicate" Sheikh Osama bin Laden in the Jumaad Al-Thaani attacks, just as I know the infidels will try, through torture and psychological methods, to break some of the Mujahideen in an effort to get them to admit "their mistakes" and renounce Jihad, and say such things as they "regret what they have done".

Therefore, we should be very cautious about any and all such statements and "confessions" made by captured Mujahideen and others, not form any opinions on the basis of them, and in fact reject them outright since we are commanded by Allah (SWT) to reject all rumours, stories and gossip we may receive second or third-hand, and only accept the direct personal word of the person themselves or the personal word of a witness who was present. Media reports, of whatever kind, and stories related to us indirectly or through some other person, are not evidence. And if we cannot speak good of a brother or sister, we are commanded by Allah (SWT) to remain silent.
 
 

"The Jews and Christians will never be satisfied with you until you follow their way of life." [2: 120  Interpretation of Meaning]

"You will not find any people who believe in Allah and the Last Day, making friendship with and loving those who oppose Allah and His Messenger  (salla Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam), even if they are their fathers or their sons or their kindred..."  [58:22 interpretation of the meaning]

"You who believe! Take not as (your) Bitanah (advisors, consultants, protectors, helpers, friends, etc.) those outside your religion (pagans, Jews, Christians, and hypocrites) since they will not fail to do their best to corrupt you. They desire to harm you severely. Hatred has already appeared from their mouths, but what their breasts conceal is far worse. Indeed We have made plain to you the Ay�t (proofs, evidences, verses) if you understand. " [ 3: 118. Interpretation of Meaning.]
 
 

Abdul Aziz
13 Zul al-Qi`dah 1422