Jordanian youths determined to defend Iraq against the U.S.-led invasion

By Shehabudin Naser, IOL Jordan Correspondent

AMMAN, April 5 (IslamOnline.net) – The heartbreaking images of blood and Iraqi civilians torn apart in the U.S.-led indiscriminate bombing of all Iraqi cities broadcast daily by TV channels moved a lot of Jordanians, who decided to go to Baghdad to fight off the U.S.-led invasion troops.

The volunteers came from all walks of life, including unreligious youth, who voiced no indecision and were determined to come home as “martyrs.”

“I put it frankly, I will only come home as a martyr…I am dying for martyrdom, which sank into oblivion by the (Arab) governments which deprived dozens of going to Palestine for martyrdom,” a 26-year-old volunteer told IslamOnlin.net Friday, April 4.

“This is a golden opportunity and Islam’s stance is crystal clear….Delinquency at such a critical juncture would fail Islam…It is like shying away from the individual duty of jihad imposed on every citizen in wartime,” said another.

“Dozens die daily in car accidents or squabbles…But we decided to choose the death that would elevate our status in the Hereafter and make our families proud of us…Then the world will know pretty well that the youth of this (Muslim) nation is well and alive,” he averred.

On the families’ stance, a third martyrdom-seeker said: “jihad is an obligatory duty…you cannot anger Allah Almighty to satisfy man. Islam made it permissible for women to go to jihad without the consent of her husband.”

Another one said that if families had had the final say as regards jihad, the Palestinian intifada would not have performed such miracles against the Jews, thanks to the Palestinian youth.

“The real sin is to stay here and not to go here without permission,” he underlined.

On their activities in Iraq, they said they would do a plethora of things such as fighting, transferring military equipment and food stuffs to the Iraqi fighters, first aid operations and surveillance.

“Jihad is not only limited to weapons, yet we hope to take up arms against the invaders from the bottom of our hearts,” the Jordanian would-be martyrs said in unison.

“Baghdad is our destination…we pray that we could arrive there before the Americans laying siege to it,” they hoped.

Asked about their wishes, they said “martyrdom is our first and foremost wish.”

“We hope that Allah Almighty will help us in our mission against the U.S. troops and armored vehicles and taste martyrdom there…I wish that I would breathe my last there and never come back…Arabs are being humiliated,” one volunteer lamented.

Asked whether they decided to go to Iraq because of unemployment, they all laughed, adding: “we all have jobs…Most of us are literate and some of us are well-off.”

“Intensions are what really matter…we know that some would say that these young people went there because of rising unemployment rates or deplorable living standards…we don not care,” they said.

Iraq recently announced that over 6,000 volunteers had already arrived in the country and were ready to carry out martyr operations against the U.S. and U.K. troops in Iraq.