Shady Alsuleiman sermon after the Gaza delegation: “The Gaza Strip”
This is a Friday sermon by Sheikh Shady Alsuleiman, president of the Australian National Imams Council, given in Sydney after he returned from a delegation of Australian imams and community leaders to Egypt, Gaza and Jordan. The delegation, led by the Mufti of Australia, met Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Gaza on 26 December 2012 (ABC).
He opens (3:36): "Two weeks ago, I spoke to you from this minbar and I mentioned to you that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala had blessed me ... and other imams and mashayikh and community leaders [to travel to] Gaza, Egypt and Jordan, and alhamdulillah, we arrived yesterday night after one of the most beautiful journeys that I had ever experienced in my life." The earliest copy found online was uploaded on 5 February 2013. The exact date of the sermon is not stated; from his own words, it was given in early January 2013.
On meeting Hamas (18:40): "Yes, we met with some of the leaders there, and you probably all aware that the Gaza Strip is led by Hamas, and Hamas to some of the countries is a terrorist organization, but by the way in Australia it's not." (At the time, Australia listed only Hamas's armed wing, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, listed since 2003. Hamas as a whole was listed on 4 March 2022.)
On the people he met (23:48): "I felt pride when I was there ... I felt that I was proud Muslim to be amongst true men ... They fear no one except Allah, they fear no attacks, they fear no war."
(25:14): "You see it from a father who says that one of my children died and I've got three other more ready to die. You see that mother that says that two of my children passed away for the sake of Allah and I've got another two more ready to die for the sake of Allah. You see that pride and you see the honor."
The sermon is in English, with opening and closing prayers in Arabic. Transcribed by The Evidence Project.
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