Al-Qassam website - The exiled prisoner, Mahmoud Azzam, said after his arrival to the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, 26/5/2009 that Gaza does not represent his exile as the occupation want, but he regards it as a starting point for the return of all Palestinians exiled from their land. Azzam said in a dialogue with the media office of Hamas - the North -: "In fact, nostalgia takes me to my home town in Jenin, and my soul yearns to meet my parents, my wife and my children, but, in Gaza, I feel that I am here between my family and my clans, and that any region of Palestine is my beloved homeland, especially the beloved Gaza.” Here is the text of the interview:
Q: Could you tell us some about the prisoner, Mahmoud Azzam, please?
Name: Mahmoud Said Saleh Mahmoud Azzam, "Abu Adel". Place of Birth: Harthiya - Jenin. Date of arrest: 29-10-1997. Release date: 26-5-2009.
Q: How was the arrest process, and what was the charge made against you, and how was the Zionist treatment inside the prison?
The Arrest was made on 29-10-1997 from my house as soon as I arrived in it. During the whole period of detention, which lasted for twelve years, I was not accused of any official charge. Moreover, I was not called as an administrative prisoner as the other prisoners who are not charged - and this is a precedent of its kind. On the questions that were directed to me during the investigation, it was about the nature of my work in Pakistan and the companionship with the martyr Sheikh Abdullah Azzam.
The treatment within the prison is untold, as the Occupying Power does not operate any account of human feelings of the prisoners nor their relatives. Of course, they do not hesitate to use any method to embitter the life of prisoners; and even when I left the prison, they still tied my hands and feet until I arrived in the Gaza Strip. Q: Could you talk briefly about your life as a companion to Dr. Abdullah Al Azzam?
This is very long story to be told in details in such session, but I can say that I had been with Dr. Azzam since 1985 until his martyrdom in 1989. I accompanied him in all his movements and learned some of his knowledge, and quoted his ideas, his Jihad and his sacrifice. The Martyr Abdullah Azzam left behind him more than 80 books, 300 cassettes and 50 video contain his lectures; and he established more than 22 social and charitable institution in Pakistan.
As for his role in the jihad, resistance and sacrifice, he was primarily a leader of Jihad, which was coupled with his work and struggle and steadfastness on the road, and he had a prominent role in the reconciliation between the factions of the Mujahedeen and the consolidation of work among them. Q: How do you feel out of jail, expelled to Gaza from where you were born in Jenin?
In fact, nostalgia takes me to my home town in Jenin, and my soul yearns to meet my parents, my wife and my children, but, in Gaza, I feel that I am here between my family and my clans, and that any region of Palestine is my beloved homeland, especially the beloved Gaza.
Q: What is the prisoner’s message to:
- The Palestinian people and resistance factions which have the soldier Shalit?
The prisoners within the prison are waiting impatiently for the moment of release and the disposal of bars. I came out leaving thousands of prisoners who rely on the deal, so my message to the resistance factions which captured the Zionist soldier is that all the prisoners are behind their leadership until it reaches the best honorable deal for the release of prisoners.
I say to the Palestinian people, keep behind your leadership until we achieve our desired goals in the liberation of prisoners and to return to our beloved homeland. - Palestinian factions in Cairo?
I tell them you have no choice, however, happen to agree on unity, through unity we can achieve the best of the goals and aspirations of our people; I ask Allah, the Almighty, to help who want to reconcile. - Your family and relatives who desired to see you between them?
I tell them I wish to be with you in my home, but this is my fate and we will to meet soon, God willing and the hateful occupation has been removed from our land and our people and our holy places.
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