Who is Syeikh Ahmad Yassin?

Taken from IMU Muslim Society blog, Sept 10 2009.

Syeikh Ahmad Yasin is the founder of HAMAS (Islamic Resistance Movement) based in Gaza. HAMAS main agenda is to liberate the whole Palestine from the occupation of the Zionists. Syeikh Ahmad Yasin was assassinated cruelly on 22nd March 2004 by an Israeli Apache helicopter. He was bombed three times, and what was remained were only pieces of his body.

Biography

Syeikh Ahmad Yasin was born with the name Ahmad bin Ismail bin Yassin. His Palestinian passport recorded that he was born on January 1st 1929 but he claimed that he was born in 1938, 9 years younger than the documented age.

It is worth knowing that on May 15th 1948, the imaginary country, Israel declared its independence. The day after, 5 Arab countries launched an attack towards the newly formed government. The countries were Jordan, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon and Iraq. However, these Arab countries lost in the war; "The Arab-Israel 1948 War". At that time, Syeikh Ahmad Yassin was 10 years old. His village was destroyed during the war and he was forced to move out to Gaza with his mother.

During his schooling years, Syeikh Ahmad Yassin was known as a bright and sporty young boy.
However, when he was 16 years old (some sources mentioned 12) he was injured while recreating on a beach. He suffered from spinal cord injury, and was paralysed. He can only move his head, he became a quadriplegic. However, wikipedia mentioned that he was wrestling with his friend when he got injured. As to not create hatred and fight between the two families, he lied about his cause of injury. However, that was what wikipedia reported. The truth is hard to find.

Syeikh Ahmad Yassin got married when he was 22 years old and he was gifted with 11 children. In 1964, he went to Univ Ain Shams in Cairo, Egypt to further his study. However, he was captured by the Egyptian government 2 years after that because he was involved with Ikhwanul Muslimin "IM" (Muslim Brotherhood). IM was not accepted by the Egyptian government.

In 1967, the Zionists started occupating Gaza, and by that time Syeikh Ahmad Yassin was released and he went back to Gaza to serve his own people. He started off with being a teacher, and then a speaker and gradually becoming the Khatib during Friday prayers in the mosque. Being a quadriplegic, people doubted his potential at first but was later mesmerised and motivated by his speeches. He encouraged the youngs in Gaza to come to the mosque an additional of two times in a week. He was trying to nurture the value of mosque-loving in Gaza youngsters. And he succeedeed. The occupation by the Zionists burnt the spirit of the younger generations in Gaza, giving them reasons to stand up and defend their homeland.

During the period 1969-1970, Ikhwanul Muslimin was set up in Gaza, with Syeikh Ahmad Yassin being the leader. In 1973, he set up Islamic Academy while in 1982, he set up Al-Mujahidun Al-Filastiniyyun, an organisation specialising in defending the lands of Palestine and the welfare of its people.

In 1983, Syeikh Ahmad Yassin was captured for possessions of weapons, setting up an underground resistance movement and threatening the existence of Israel country. For all that, he was punished 13 years in the jail. But he was jailed for only 11 months when he was released in an exchange of prisoners between the Palestine Liberation Org (PLO) and the regime.

In 1987, when the Arabs gradually lose their spirit and motivation to liberate Palestine, Syeikh Ahmad Yassin founded HAMAS @ Harakatul Muqawamatil Islamiyyah @ Islamic Resistance Movement as the official wing of Ikhwanul Muslimin in Palestine. The co-founder of HAMAS was a paeditrician, Dr Abdul Aziz Rantisi. The members of HAMAS are those whose hearts are very well attached to the mosque, those who have high jihad spirit.
Syeikh Ahmad Yassin declared, "We chose this road, and will end with martyrdom or victory" and it has been a motto among the warriors of HAMAS ever since. One of Syeikh Ahmad Yassin's main idea was to make sure Israel is eradicated, and not anywhere on the world map anymore (It's worth knowing that the West pictures Syeikh Ahmad Yassin as the terrorist leader, instead of the hero of Palestinians, who despite being paralysed still have the spirit bigger than anyone in liberating his homeland).

In December 1987, Syeikh Ahmad Yassin led the First Intifadha (the uprising). The Intifadha started off when a big Israeli lorry purposedly hit two of Palestinians small lorries, killing 4 people. The uprising was full of spirit, although they weren't supplied with any weaponries. Gaza had all their borders being blocked by the Isrealis. Gaza had become an open prison but that had never dampen the spirit of the Palestinians. One of the infamous act was throwing of stones to Israeli tankers. Useless it may sound, but if it was the only thing the Palestinians can do, it is better than staying indoor, letting the Israelis rape their women, burn their houses and kill their families.

In 1988, the Zionists chased Syeikh Ahmad Yassin out of his house to South Lebanon, and his house in Gaza was demolished. On May 18 1989, Syeikh Ahmad Yassin was captured with hundreds other HAMAS warriors. A year later, he was charged with the murder of Israelis commander and army. He was punished 15 years in the prison (Just as a comparison, in 1982, Ariel Sharon brought in his army to the refugee camp in Sabra and Shatilla in Lebanon and killed more than 3000 refugees! The case was heard in the military court. And a resolution was created: those found guilty were fined 14sen USD!)
Two of Syeikh Ahmad Yassin's sons volunteered to accompany their father in the prison as his health is deteriorating, plus the fact that he is paralysed.
During his imprisonment, Syeikh Ahmad Yassin suffered chronic respiratory and abdominal diseases. He also lost his right-eye sight, blurred vision in the left eye, and muscular deterioration.

In 1992, HAMAS commando team kidnapped a Zionist army, an negotiated for a prisoner exchange. The kidnapped army will be released if the Zionists release Syeikh Ahmad Yassin and a few other old and sick HAMAS fighters. However, Zionist refused and attacked the site where the army was captived and killed 3 HAMAS warriors. The kidnapped army and 2 other Israeli commanders were also killed.

5 years later, in 1997, Khaled Mash'al, the speaker for HAMAS based in Syria was staying in Jordan. During his stay, 2 of Israeli's spies tried to assassinate him but failed miserably. They were caught by the commoners and sent to the Jordan government for trial. The King of Jordan offered to release them with the condition that Syeikh Ahmad Yassin is also released. No one knows how important the 2 Mossad agents are but the regime agreed to release Syeikh Ahmad Yassin after imprisoning and abusing him for 8 years.

The West media reported that Syeikh Ahmad Yassin agreed to be released and promised to "stay quiet" and refrain himself for calling any resistance from the Palestinians but when he resumed his post as HAMAS leader, the West media potrayed him as someone who broke the agreement.

In Sept 2000, Ariel Sharon, the then PM of the imaginary country Israel visited Masjidil Aqsa, the thirs most sacred mosque for Muslims (the West media reported that Ariel Sharon visited Al Aqsa but the Muslim media reported that Ariel Sharon polluted Masjidil Aqsa)
This sparked off the Second Intifadha. Unlike the first, the Second Intifadha was supported by Arab countries and wasn't done only by HAMAS but also by FATAH and Jihad Islami. Not only stones but mortar weapons, and traps were also used. The spirit of Muslims rose up due to the release of Syeikh Ahmad Yassin. Amaliyyah Istisyahidiyyah (known as suicide bombings by the West) also increased. Israel suffered from wealth and lives loss.

3 years later, Sept 6 2003, Israel sent an Apache to bomb Syeikh Ahmad Yassin's house in Gaza. He wasn't killed but few other children were. He was only wounded on his hand. Despite a try of assassination, Syeikh Ahmad Yassin did not try to protect himself. He's still very much a people-man, not having bodyguards surrounding him, still maintaining his daily routine and went to the mosque for daily prayers on his wheelchair. An important question, "Will the leaders now do the same if their enemy tried to kill them?".

6 months later, on 22nd March 2004, Syeikh Ahmad Yassin was being pushed in his wheelchair to his house after a Subuh prayer in the Islamic Academy Mosque in Gaza. His house was very near to the mosque. Half way to his house, an Apache flew over the sky and released 3 bombs onto Syeikh Ahmad Yassin. The bombs cost him his life and his two men. His remainings were shattered everywhere on the floor. Eye witness mentioned that after the 1st bombing, he saw a wheel from Syeikh Ahmad Yassin's wheel chair flew up into the sky. In a split second, Palestine lost a leader very dear to the people's hearts and the Muslim community lost a leader, who was brave enough despite being a quadriplegic.

Upon assassiation of Syeikh Ahmad Yassin, Dr Aziz Rantisi took office, replacing his friend as the leader of HAMAS. After not even a month, he was assassinated by an Israeli Apache. Since then, HAMAS did not disclose the identity of their leader, avoiding the same fate of Syeikh Ahmad Yassin and Dr Aziz Rantisi.

HAMAS frontmen were quotes as saying, "The Israels had killed one Syeikh Ahmad Yassin, but there will be thousands more Syeikh Ahmad Yassins emerging from the streets of Palestine".