Dr. “Salman Dyiah” Condemns Hamas Attack on Israel
Dr. “Salman Dyiah,” a prominent Islamic figure in Gaza, condemned the Hamas attack on Israel.
Dr. Salman Dyiah, former dean of the Faculty of Sharia and Law at the Islamic University of Gaza and one of the most prominent Islamic figures and most credible religious authorities in Gaza, issued an unprecedented fatwa strongly condemning Hamas’s October 7 attack against Israel. According to him, this attack led to a devastating war in Palestinian territories.
A fatwa is a non-binding legal ruling issued by a credible religious scholar. Dr. Salman, in a fatwa he released through a six-page document, criticized the Hamas attack, which he believes “violates the Islamic principles governing jihad.”
Referring to the fact that jihad means struggle and in Islam means fighting in the way of God for spiritual improvement or military war against infidels, he added: “The Hamas attack on October 7, 2023 caused Israel to launch military operations to destroy Hamas in Gaza, and this war has resulted in the deaths of many innocent civilians, including children.”
Dr. Dyiah said in this fatwa: “If the pillars, causes, or conditions of jihad are not present, it must be avoided to prevent the destruction of people’s lives. This is something that is easily understood by the politicians of our country, therefore this attack should have been avoided.”
He also stated: “The significant casualties of civilians in Gaza, along with the widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure and the human catastrophe that occurred following the October 7 attack, demonstrate a direct contradiction of this attack with Islamic teachings. Hamas has failed in carrying out its duties regarding keeping its forces away from defenseless Palestinian civilian homes and their shelters and ensuring safety and security to the extent possible in various aspects of life, economy, health, education, and maintaining sufficient resources for them.”
He emphasized in this fatwa: “According to Islamic law, a military attack should not lead to a response that exceeds the benefits intended by that action. Human life is more precious to God than Mecca.” He also declared his direct opposition to Hamas’s approach to armed resistance and this group’s connections with Iran, which is under Shia rule.
In addition to condemning Hamas’s October 7 attack, Dr. Salman also condemned extremism and opposed groups such as the Islamic State (ISIS) and Al-Qaeda.
Dr. Salman Dyiah’s fatwa is embarrassing and damaging for Hamas, as this group often justifies its attacks on Israel with religious arguments to garner support from Arab and Muslim communities.
