12th Commemoration of the Passing
of Imam Abdessalam Yassine

Saturday, February 01, 2025,

NAFIS Reading Mosque, Reading, Massachusetts, USA

12th Commemoration of the Passing of Imam Abdessalam Yassine

Introduction

For over 75 years, the Palestinian people have endured unimaginable suffering. They have faced displacement, occupation, and systemic oppression. Their land has been taken, their homes demolished, and their voices silenced. Yet, through it all, they have remained steadfast, resilient, and unwavering in their pursuit of justice. Their return to their homes in north Gaza is a clear example of their perseverance and attachment to their homeland despite the genocide and utter destruction of Gaza by Israel’s occupation forces.

Justice is not a privilege; it is a fundamental human right. It is the right to live in dignity, to walk freely on your own land, and to determine your own future. But for the Palestinian people, justice has been denied. They have been subjected to a brutal occupation that has stripped them of their basic rights and freedoms.

We cannot turn a blind eye to the atrocities committed against the Palestinian people. The ceasefire, which we hope and pray that it continues to hold, must not make us forget the brutal and inhuman conditions of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. We cannot remain silent as thousands of children were killed, families were torn apart, and entire communities were erased from existence. The world has a moral obligation to stand up for what is right, to speak out against injustice, and to hold those responsible accountable.

The Palestinian struggle is not just about land; it is about humanity. It is about the principles of equality, freedom, and self-determination. It is about standing up against oppression and fighting for a world where every individual, regardless of their race, religion, or nationality, can live in peace and security.

The Imam on Palestine

Imam Abdessalam Yassine, the founder of the Justice and Spirituality Movement and School of Thoughts and whom we commemorate his passing tonight, is well known for his strong stance on various global issues, including the Palestinian cause. He viewed the Palestinian struggle as a central issue for the Muslim world and emphasized the importance of solidarity with the Palestinian people in their quest for justice and liberation from occupation. Yassine often criticized the international community’s double standards and the injustices faced by Palestinians, advocating for a unified Muslim response to support their rights and resist oppression. His writings and speeches frequently highlighted the moral and religious duty of Muslims to stand with Palestine, reflecting his broader vision of social justice and spiritual renewal within the Islamic world.

He considered the issue of Palestine as a permanent wound, a catastrophe, and a dilemma. He said in his book, Al-Adl: Al-Islamiyuoon wal-Hukm (Justice: Islamists and Governance): “This central, pivotal dilemma—the constant concern—the cause of Palestine and the catastrophe of Palestine.”

One of the Imam’s innovative insights into the Palestinian cause is placing it in the perspectives of the Quran and the Way of God by seeking to understand why Palestine was lost, why the ummah is weak, and what can Muslims do to regain control of their own affairs. He said in his book Sunnatullah (The Way of God): “Whoever thinks that the issue of Palestine and Zionism is a temporary, isolated matter, disconnected from the broader course of human history, the history of Islam, and the order of the universe, has not understood the way of God, nor has he read the Quran with true comprehension.”

He further explained this perspective: “When we look through the lens of the Quran and from the perspective of the Quran, we see the issue in its profound dimensions, deeply rooted in the divine way of God, and deeply ingrained in the hearts of the children of Adam regarding their faith in God, their belief in His Messengers, or their denial of them. Through the Quran, we do not forget God, nor does God make us forget ourselves. Through the Quran, the truths of God’s way are not concealed from us.”

He also framed the Palestinian issue in the Quranic concepts of truth and falsehood. Truth being the right of Palestinians to live freely on their land and the false claims of the occupation that there is no such historical right. He wrote that “the issue of Palestine is the beginning of the decisive confrontation between truth and falsehood.”

He also highlighted the hypocrisy of the Western countries that control the geopolitical and economic games in the lands of Islam. While Western governments and their NGOs take every opportunity to expose the abuses of women rights and minority rights in Muslim countries, the killing of tens of thousands of Palestinian women in Gaza and the genocidal erasure of its native inhabitants are not worth exposing. He wrote in Dialogue with The Honorable Democrats: “Palestine is the foremost witness to the double standard by which human rights are measured.”

Another example of the hypocrisy of Western countries and their NGOs is their constant appeal for democracy in Muslim countries while denying it to the Palestinian people. Imam Yassine did not deny the virtues of democracy for its Western people, nor did he reject it for Muslims. He said that: “Democracy is a practical doctrine and a form of chivalry through which their systems have been stabilized. Though they may be a calamity and adversary to us, among themselves they uphold accountability, prevent tyranny, ensure succession in governance, embrace plurality of opinion, respect differing views, allow freedom of speech and criticism, safeguard against the ruler’s domination, and uphold the rule of law.”

However, for Palestinians, Arabs, and Muslims, democracy is an ordeal. He wrote in his book Winning the Modern World for Islam: “Modern democracy in Israel has proved to be a system not for liberating the people but for subjugating them. …. It is there as our ordeal, an ordeal for Arabs and Muslims.”

The Imam believed that this ordeal will continue until Muslims return to God and embrace unity and community. He said: “The Ordeal of Israel will remain for some time until that scattered billion and a half Muslims become aware of their true identity. The Ordeal—by which God recognizes the faithful and distinguishes them from those who are not—is a central notion in Islam.”

Qualities of Western People

Despite enumerating the many hypocrisies of the West in regards to the Palestinian issue and democracy in the Muslim world, Imam Yassine recognized the qualities of Western people and wanted Muslims living in the West to work together with them in order to restore humanity and establish justice. He mentioned the following Hadith that describes the qualities of the West. He said: “The West, with their vast numbers and chivalry, were referred to in a Hadith as “the Romans” (Ar-Rum). This was the name by which European peoples were known during the time of the Final Prophethood.

Imam Muslim narrated that Al-Mustawrid Al-Qurashi (May God be pleased with him) said in the presence of Amr bnu Al-As (May God be pleased with him):
“I heard the Messenger of God (God bless him and grant him peace) say: ‘The Hour will come while the Romans are the majority of people.’” Amr said to him, “Watch what you are saying!” He replied, “I am only repeating what I heard from the Messenger of God (God bless him and grant him peace).” Amr then said, “If you say so, indeed they have four qualities: They are the most patient in times of tribulation, the quickest to recover after calamity, the fastest to regroup after retreat, and the best in kindness toward the poor, the orphan, and the weak. And a fifth quality, which is both good and beautiful: they are the most resistant to the oppression of kings.”

The Imam commented on this Hadith by saying that “the virtues and chivalry that Amr bnu Al-‘As recognized in the Romans are still evident today. The most prominent among them is the “good and beautiful quality”—the political virtue that prevents the “oppression of kings.”

Preventing the oppression of kings in our time implies establishing a true democracy and social justice system in our country. It means limiting the government’s authority to wage wars in our name and spending our money on murderous regimes. It also means making our politicians accountable for crimes against humanity through supplying Israel with 2000-pound bombs that obliterated people and buildings.

It’s our role and duty as American Muslims to prevent the oppression of the current administration, which stated publicly that the people of Gaza should be transferred to Jordan and Egypt. Such blatant violation of international laws and conventions requires a strong condemnation by everyone.

We need to prevent such oppression by raising awareness among Americans about our government’s misguided policies, by spreading the news of Palestinian plight through social media, by supporting like-minded candidates for political offices, and by voicing our objection to the use of our tax money to finance the transfer of Palestinians and destruction of their homeland.

Roles and Responsibilities of American Muslims Towards Palestine

Muslim Americans have a duty towards Palestine, especially under the current administration, which aims to silence any voice on college campuses supporting Palestinian liberation and self-determination. We must remember that silence is complicity. When we remain silent in the face of injustice, we become part of the problem. We must raise our voices, educate others, and demand action from our leaders. We must support the Palestinian people in their quest for justice and stand in solidarity with them until their rights are fully realized.

The road to justice is long and arduous, but it is not impossible. History has shown us that when people come together and fight for what is right, change is possible. The end of colonial rule in many parts of the world, the fall of the Asad regime in Syria, and the college students’ protests in the US and other Western countries are testaments to the power of collective action.

Muslim Americans can be inspired by these examples and can work collaboratively with peace-loving organizations and people of goodwill for a just and lasting solution to the Palestinian issue. We must advocate for an end to the occupation, for the right of return for Palestinian refugees, and for the establishment of a sovereign and independent Palestinian state.

Thank you for listening.

All praise is due to the Lord of the worlds.