Appendix A
The transfer of funds from the Union of Good to Al-Tadhamun Charitable Society in Nablus (jam’iyyat al-tadhamun al-khayriyyah al-islamiyyah),1 a test case for the Union’s knowingly having aided Hamas’ terrorism-supporting apparatus.
 1. Al-Tadhamun in Arabic means “solidarity,” interpreted as Islamic solidarity with the Palestinians in the PA-administered territories.

Introduction
Al-Tadhamun Charitable Society is located in the Rafidia neighborhood of Nablus and is a veteran organization, having been founded by the Muslim Brotherhood2 a early as 1956. It is currently (January 2005) a centralHamas group in the Nablus area. It is headed by sheikh Hamid al-Bitawi, a prominent Hamas activist and a leading figure in the West bank. The members of its board of directors are Hamas activists and it operates in close cooperation with the Hamas-affiliated Nablus “charity committee”3 and the Jenin Charity Committee, among others.
2. The Muslim Brotherhood was the first-founded and is the most well-know radical Islamic movement in the Middle East and beyond. It was founded by Hassan al-Banna in Egypt in 1928 and has many branches sometimes bearing different name in many parts of the world. Out of it grew a Palestinian branch , today’s Hamas movement in the PA-administered territories, established in 1987.
3. Its board of directors and that of the Nablus “charity committee” share the same members, almost all of whom are Hamas activists.
Al-Tadhamun was declared an illegal organization and outlawed by Israel in 2002.

Sheikh Hamid al-Bitawi


Sheikh Hamid Suleiman Jaber Khidhr al-Bitawi (Abu Hatem) is a Hamas activist who heads Al-Tadhamun. He was born in 1944 in the village of Bita (near Nablus), graduated from the Shari’a college of the University of Jordan and got a partial Master’s degree in Islamic law from the Shari’a department of Al-Najah University. He is chairman of the board of Al-Tadhamun Charitable Society and vice chairman of the Nablus Charity Committee, both Hamas-affiliated. When the West Bank was turned over to the Palestinian Authority he was appointed president of the Muslim religious appeals court in Nablus.
Sheikh al-Bitawi is an accepted authority in Islamic law and is one of the founders and leaders of the Islamic movement in the West Bank and among Israeli Arabs. He is also chairman of the Palestinian Association of Islamic Scholars (Rabitat ‘Ulama’ Filisteen), which issued a fatwa (See below) praising suicide bombing attacks and is one of the representatives of “Palestine” on the board of trustees of the UG. In December 1992 he was deported to Lebanon with other Hamas activists. In the past he denounced the PA and the family of the governor of Nablus, for which he was arrested by the PA and for a long period of time forbidden to preach in Palestinian mosques.

The Palestinian Association of Islamic Scholars

The Association is composed of Palestinian Islamic scholars living on the West Bank and in the Gaza Strip. It is headed by sheikh Hamid al-Bitawi who, like many of its members, is a high-ranking Hamasactivist. Its former head was Jamal Salim, a Hamas operative who died in a targeted killing in July 2001. One of its founders is Bassam Nihad Jarrar, one of the representatives of “ Palestine” on the UG’s board of directors. Dr. ‘Essam Salhoub, another representative of “ Palestine,” is also a member of the Association and even signed the fatwa supporting suicide bombing attacks ( May 5, 2001). In the fatwa praising such attacks (al-‘amaliyyat al-istishhadiyyah) the members of the Association claimed that “such actions are an exalted expression of jihad for the sake of Allah and are not to be considered suicide…” (www.islam-online.net, May 2002, in an article about sheikh al-Bitawi).4
4. An important Islamic Internet site based in Qatar and serving as a forum of the fatwas and general opinions of Yussuf Qardawi.
Ideologically , al-Bitawi was influenced by the Muslim Brotherhood, to which he was first exposed as a high school student in 1962 and which he joined as a college student in Jordan. He was influenced by the idea of Hassan al-Banna (assassinated in Egypt in 1949), the Brotherhood’s founder, Sayyid Qutb (its most radical ideologue, executed in Egypt in 1966) and sheikh Yussuf al-Qardawi, one of whose lectures he attended in Nablus in 1962.5
5. According to an article by Samir al-Huwaykah, Al-Najah Press Bureau, entitled “Sheikh Hamid al-Bitawi…words made of bullets” (Islam-online, May 2002).
Hamid al-Bitawi is known for his extremist, rabble-rousing speeches supporting suicide bombing attacks . For example, after the attack at the Apropo café in Tel Aviv6 he said to an audience of 10,000 Hamas supporters in Nablus: “I have good news. There was a suicide action in Tel Aviv… that is the only language the occupiers understand, the language of death for the sake of Allah” (AP, March 21, 1997). He also noted that: “It is our people’s right to resist the occupation by all means, including suicide bombing attacks (al-‘amaliyyat al-istishhadiyyah), which are considered the height of jihad ;” “Immediately after the perpetrator committed the action his pure soul rose to paradise, and in addition, the martyr [sic] is not actually dead…” At that point he quoted from the Qur’an and added: “In that respect we have clear fatwas” (From an interview with Islam-online, February 12, 2004).
6. A Hamas suicide bombing attack which claimed the lives of three Israeli civilians and wounded 48.


Other members of Al-Tadhamun’s administration

Following are the names and profiles of other members of Al-Tadhamun’s administration:
  Dr. ‘Abd al-Rahim Radi al-Hanbali : Senior political Hamas activist and chairman of the Nablus Charity Committee. He is also one of the directors of the Qur'an Memorization Committee, which belongs to the Society. His son, Muhammad al-Hanbali, was, until his death, one of the heads of Hamas’ terrorist-operational infrastructure in Nablus.
  Haj ‘Adli Rif’at Salih Ya’ish : Senior political Hamas activist and one of those deported to south Lebanon in December 1992. He is known to be involved in transferring funds to Hamas and is the treasurer of the Nablus Charity Committee.
  Dr. Mu’awiyah Rizq al-Masri : A Hamas activist. He is involved in Hamas welfare activities and the Al-Tadhamun clinic, and prominent in gaining support for the families of shaheeds. At the end of 2002 he waged a public struggle for the continuation of payments to such families.
  Hamzah Jaber : Director of the Islamic sports club Al-Ansar.7 He is active in other Hamas social institutions in Nablus.
7. Literally “the supporters” (of the prophet Muhammad), this term has become popular with various radical Islamic groups, some of which became involved in terrorist activities (e.g., Ansar al-Sunnah in Iraq).
  Ibrahim Muhammad Ibrahim Muslih : A Hamas leading figure in the West Bank. He is one of the directors of the Qur'an Memorization Society belonging to the Nablus Charity Committee.
  Abdallah ‘Abd al-Rahman ‘Abd al-Fattah Hajawi : A Hamas activist. He is one of the directors of the Qur'an Memorization Society belonging to the Nablus Charity Committee.
  The other members of Al-Tadhamun’s board of directors are all Hamas activists : Haj ‘Abdallah al-Hamid Sharif, Haj ‘Izzat ‘Azizi, Haj Taysir Halawah, sheikh ‘Azzam ‘Akr and Samir al-Wadi. It should be noted that in the past sheikh Jamal Salim Ibrahim Damouni, a high-ranking Hamas operative, was a member of the board of directors until he died in a targeted killing in July 2001. In addition, there were other members who were Hamas activists deported to Lebanon in 1992.

Al-Tadhamun’s activities
Like the other “charitable societies” or “charity committees,” Al-Tadhamun engages in a broad range of social activities. It operates a clinic (located under Al-Rawdhah mosque), a school (Al-Tadhamun), an orphanage, a kindergarten, an Islamic sports club (Al-Ansar) and a club for adults which serves as an old-age home. It also organizes conventions and meetings around religious, social and national topics (such as the demonstration on the occasion of the release of Hamas prisoners from jail. However, it is also important in Hamas’ terrorism-supporting apparatus in the Nablus region, as was shown by the documents found during Operation Defensive Shield (See below).
Documents containing inflammatory material were found in Al-Tadhamun’s offices, including propaganda encouraging acts of terrorism and the use of suicide bombers as role models. For example, a picture and handbills glorifying ‘Imad Kamil Sa’id al-Zubeidi, a Hamas terrorist from Nablus who perpetrated a suicide bombing attack in Kfar Saba (to the north of Tel Aviv) on April 22, 2001 (one civilian killed and 38 wounded) were found in the offices of the Society’s infirmary.
The Society is financed by the Nablus Charity Committee.8 However, Al-Tadhamun has other sources of funding and its budget is partially based on donations from abroad and from the PA-administered territories. It also receives money from the UG.9 It also has independent assets and sources of income; for example, it is a partner in the Nablus Mall.10
8. Which is in turn supported by Interpal ( Britain), The Holy Land Foundation (USA), Al-Aqsa Fund (German) a
9. Al-Tadhamun also serves as a pipeline for Union of Good funds which reach other Hamas-affiliated institutions.
10. It should be noted that the Hamas civilian infrastructure (da’wah) in Nablus, which centers around the Nablus “charity committee” and Al-Tadhamun, has created a kind of closed economy (autarchy) for itself. For example, a worker who receives his salary from the Yasfa dairy company (which belongs to the “charity committee”) does his shopping at the Nablus Mall (which belongs to the da’wah). His children go to the kindergarten or school belonging to the Islamic Riyadh al-Salihin [literally “the kindergartens of the righteous”] network and when he needs a doctor he is treated free of charge at Al-Tadhamun clinic, which was also built by the “charity committee.”
 
Al-Tadhamun as viewed by the Palestinian Authority
It should be noted that the PA also identified the Society as an institution affiliated with Hamas . Therefore, in December 2001, when it took action against Hamas institutions (as a result of pressure from the United States in the wake of the events of September 11), Al-Tadhamun was one of the institutions affected. The PA closed the Society’s main offices, its Islamic sports club and its clinic (which was under PA jurisdiction). In addition, an attempt was made to place its school under the authority of the PA’s Ministry of Education. However, as in other districts, after a few months the initiative flagged and the institutions were reopened by their former directors.
A file of documents relating to August-September 2002 was found at Palestinian Preventive Security headquarters in Gaza. They deal with plans to transfer $50,000 in donations from Muslims in Bosnia-Herzegovina to the Al-Tadhamun bank account in Nablus. According to the documents, sheikh Hamid al-Bitawi was the contact person for the Mufti of Bosnia for the transaction.
In the same documents Palestinian Preventive Security noted that the transfer deviated from what had been agreed upon with the PA. Rashid Abu Shbak, head of Palestinian Preventive Security for the Gaza Strip, asked Arafat for instructions, since the matter was deemed serious. Arafat’s response, if indeed there was one, is unknown, and he seems to have done nothing to prevent the funds from reaching Hamas (See Appendix A (3)).

Documents dealing with the transfer of funds from the
Union of Good to Al-Tadhamun Charitable Society
The following documents found during Operation Defensive Shield (April 2002) deal with the transfer of funds from the UG to Al-Tadhamun for the families of shaheeds, including those who were suicide bombers. There are also documents relating to the transfer of donations to Al-Tadhamun in ways contrary to the PA’sposition on the matter.

Appendix A (1)

The Transfer of funds by the Union of Good to Al-Tadhamun Charitable Society for the families of shaheeds who died during the ongoing violent Palestinian-Israeli confrontation.

Overview
The following is a table of the names of shaheeds, including suicide bombers, who died between January and March 2002, immediately preceding Operation Defensive Shield, when Palestinian terrorist attacks reached unprecedented dimensions. The shaheeds came from the Nablus district and belonged to various Palestinian terrorist organizations, mostly Hamas and Fatah’s Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades. Others belonged to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and even to the various Palestinian security organizations themselves (National Security, Preventive Security, police).
In Israeli assessment, the table was composed to organize the payments from the Union of Good to the families of shaheeds through Al-Tadhamun. It shows that Al-Tadhamun, although it belongs to Hamas, handles payments to families of Nablus-region terrorists who belonged to all the Palestinian terrorist organizations, as well as to shaheeds who belonged to the PA security apparatus.
The last column refers to the circumstances surrounding the shaheed’s death, and specifically notes those who died during suicide bombing attacks in Israeli cities. The individuals in the UG responsible for transferring funds to al-Tadhamun were therefore in all probability, as previous experience has shown, fully aware, that the money was going to the families of terrorists who had murdered Israeli civilians.
The following is a translation of the table with notes relating to the identity of the shaheeds, especially those who perpetrated suicide bombing attacks in Israel.

Document No. 1
Translation

In the name of Allah the all-merciful

The Islamic Charitable Society

The Union of Good

Al-Tadhamun

[Emblem of the organization]

The Hundred and One Day fund-raising drive to alleviate the distress of the Palestinian people and support for its firm resistance

The names of shaheeds [who died] during January, February and March 2002

No.

Full name

[Family] representative

District

Address

Age

Date of death for the sake of Allah

Circumstances of death for the sake of Allah11

1.

Yussuf Muhammad Khaled al-Surkaji

 

Nablus

Nablus

37

22/01/02

Killed by the special [Israeli] forces [Note:12 senior Hamas terrorist who died in a targeted killing]

2.

Jasser Ahmad Ramzi Samaro

 

Nablus

Nablus

28

23/01/02

Killed by the special [Israeli] forces [Note: senior Hamas terrorist who died in a targeted killing]

3.

Naseem ‘Ali Abu al-Rous

 

Nablus

Nablus

28

24/01/02

Killed by the special [Israeli] forces [Note: senior Hamas terrorist who died in a targeted killing]

4.

‘Abd al-Salam Sadiq Hassouneh

 

Nablus

Beit Amarin or ‘Amarin ?

23

17/01/02

Suicide bombing attack [Note: belonged to Fatah/Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades and the Palestinian National Security apparatus; perpetrated shooting/suicide bombing attack in Hadera during bat-mitzvah ceremony: 6 dead, 35 wounded]

5.

Safwat ‘Abd al-Rahim Khalil

 

Nablus

Beir Wazan

21

22/01/02 [Should read 25/01/02]

Suicide bombing attack [Note: Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist, died during suicide bombing attack at Central Bus Station, Tel Aviv, 30 wounded]

6.

Khamis Ahmad ‘Ali ‘Abdallah

 

Nablus

Old

‘Askar Refugee Camp

42

17/01/02

[Died during] armed confrontation [Note: Fatah terrorist, blew up with an explosive device, apparently a “work-related” accident]

7.

‘Abd al-Nasser Sawafteh

 

Tubas

Tubas

31

23/01/02

[Died during] a[n armed] confrontation

8.

Ibrahim Sa’id Ramadan

 

Nablus

Al-Tal

24

22/01/02

Suicide bombing attack [Note: details same as No. 9, apparently the same suicide bomber]

9.

Sa’id IbrahimSa’id Ramadan

 

Nablus

Al-Tal

23

22/01/02

Suicide bombing attack in West Jerusalem [Note: Fatah/Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades terrorist, killed in shooting/suicide bombing attack at Jerusalem bus stop, 2 dead, 40 wounded]

10.

Lo’ai Muhammad Mussa ‘Adeli

 

Nablus

Iwadin

15

01/02/02

Shot in the head during a[n armed] confrontation

11.

Mahmoud Ziyad Fayiz Muhammad al-Khalili

 

Nablus

Nablus

26

06/02/02

Suicide bombing attack in the Jordan Valley [Note: Hamas terrorist, killed while infiltrating Israeli settlement in the Jordan Valley, 3 dead, including mother and 11-year old daughter]

12.

Muhammad ‘Abd al-Hamid Salih Hamuda

 

Nablus

‘ Amman Street

19

17/02/02

Suicide bombing attack in Hadera [Note: Fatah terrorist, killed during shooting/suicide bombing attack near Hadera, 9 wounded]

13.

Salah al-Din Mansour Farah Faraj

 

Nablus

Balata Refugee Camp

35

18/02/02

Armed confrontation during incursion into Balata refugee camp

14.

Leila Kamal Muhammad Qattawi

 

Nablus

Balata Refugee Camp

25

18/02/02

Shot in the chest during incursion into Balata refugee camp

15.

Khalil Muhammad Mahmoud Harb

 

Nablus

Balata Refugee Camp

22

19/02/02

Wounded in numerous places

16.

Zahi Mahmoud Muhammad Zawatiah

 

Nablus

Zawata

26

19/02/02

Wounded in numerous places

17.

Omar ‘Abd al-Fattah Hafiz Yassin

 

Nablus

Al-Junayd

30

19/02/02

Suicide bombing attack at Mehola [ Jordan Valley] [Note: Fatah terrorist, died during suicide bombing attack on bus, no victims because the driver pushed him off the bus, preventing a catastrophe]

18.

Fu’ad Ya’kub Muhammad Ishtayeh

 

Nablus

Al-Tal

35

19/02/02

Wounded in numerous places [Note: Palestinian National Security activist, died during Israeli attack]

19.

Mahmoud Hussein ‘Atallah Hashash

 

Nablus

Balata Refugee Camp

17

19/02/02

Bullet through the heart

20.

Muhammad ‘Abdallah Abu Mirsal

 

Nablus

Balata Refugee Camp

27

19/02/02

Shot in the chest

21.

Zuheir ‘Abd al-Kadr ‘Othman ‘Aqel

 

Nablus

Sebastia

34

20/02/02

Wounded in numerous places [Note: Palestinian policeman, died during Israeli attack]

22.

Muhammad ‘Abdallah Haik

 

Nablus

Jama’in

22

24/02/02

Wounded in numerous places

23.

‘Abd al-Rahim Mustafa Sayif

 

Nablus

Barakah

35

27/02/02

Wounded in numerous places

24.

‘Imad Suliman ‘Abd al-Nabi al-Maghrabi

 

Nablus

Balata Refugee Camp

27

27/02/02

Wounded in numerous places

25.

Mahdi Hassan al-Namour

 

Nablus

‘ Amman Street

34

27/02/02

Wounded in numerous places

26.

Mahmoud Mustafa Qassem

 

Nablus

Surrah

25

28/02/02

Wounded in numerous places

27.

Darin Muhammad Tawfiq Abu ‘Issa

 

Nablus

Beit Wazan

21

01/03/02 [Should read 27/2/02]

Suicide bombing attack at road block [female suicide bomber, Fatah terrorist, perpetrated suicide bombing attack, 3 wounded]

28.

Taysir Kamal Ja’arah

 

Nablus

‘ Amman Street

20

02/03/02

Wounded in numerous places [Note: terrorist killed by Israeli soldiers while he was placing an explosive charge]

29.

‘Abdallah Kamal al-Hilu

 

Nablus

‘Askar

Refugee Camp

25

03/03/02

Wounded in numerous places

30.

Mahmoud Khalil Tantawi

 

Nablus

Balata Refugee Camp

16

03/03/02

Wounded in numerous places

31.

Ahmad Fakhri Hashash

 

Nablus

Balata Refugee Camp

17

04/03/02

Wounded in numerous places

32.

Hakam ‘Abd al-Fattah Abu ‘A’ishh

 

Nablus

Balata Refugee Camp

30

04/03/02

Wounded in numerous places [Note: Palestinian Preventive Security officer killed during clash with Israeli army]

33.

Walid Sayf Sulayman

 

Nablus

Dir al-Hatab

24

04/03/02

Wounded in numerous places

34.

Yehiya Jamil Ahmad Ishtayeh

 

Nablus

Salem

28

05/03/02

Bullets through the heart during attack on Kafar Salem [Note: terrorist killed by Israeli soldiers while he was placing an explosive charge]

35.

Shadi Muhammad Sidqi Nassar

 

Nablus

Ma’dama

22

07/03/03

Suicide bombing attack in [city of] Ariel [Note: Popular Front terrorist, perpetrated attack at Hotel Eshel, 15 Israeli civilians wounded]

36.

Mahmoud Sa’id ‘Abd al-Rahim Salah

 

Nablus

Beit Wazan

24

08/03/02

Intercepted on his way to perpetrating a suicide bombing attack and killed

37.

Hamid ‘Izzat Sulayman ‘Imran

 

Nablus

Nablus

30

09/03/02

Three bullets to the heart [Note: Fatah terrorist killed in clash with Israeli army]

38.

Sa’id ‘Abd al-Hafiz Samih al-Battah

 

Nablus

‘Askar Refugee Camp

21

09/03/02

Suicide bombing attack in Netanya [Note: Fatah/Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades terrorist, perpetrated shooting/suicide bombing attack, 2 killed (one a 9-month old baby girl), 56 wounded]

39.

Shadi ‘Ali Mutlaq al-Najmi

 

Nablus

Al-Ayn Refugee Camp

22

09/03/02

Suicide bombing attack in Netanya [Note: Fatah/Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades terrorist, perpetrated shooting/suicide bombing attack, 2 killed (one a 9-month old baby)

40.

Mahmoud Taysir Ahmad Ghanem

 

Nablus

Surrah

27

10/03/02

Bullet in shoulder which reached heart

41.

Ghanem Taysir Ahmad Barhum

 

Nablus

Kafar Qaddum

27

20/02/02

Blew himself up at Al-Maslakh road block [Note: Palestinian National Security terrorist who died attacking Israeli soldiers near Nablus]

Telephone and Fax: 00970-9-2335680 Cellphone: 00970-59-875987 Email:anfm@hally.net

11. In Arabic, istishhad, i.e., the battlefield death of a Muslim martyr for the sake of Allah. The term also includes death during a suicide bombing attack or during a targeted killing or a military confrontation.

12. The notes in this column are additions which do not appear in the original document.

 

Appendix A (1)

Original Document


Appendix A (2)


Table of Al-Tadhamun shaheeds in Nablus for whom an allotment of 500 Jordanian dinars13 (about $710) was not paid (as of early 2002)

13. The names appearing on this table (except for the first one, which was crossed out) are almost identical to those appearing above, entries 9- 32. In Israeli assessment the names are those of shaheeds sent by Al-Tadhamun to the Union of Good for the purpose of receiving allotments for shaheed families
Translation

Table of Al-Tadhamun shaheeds in Nablus for whom an allotment of 500 Jordanian dinars14 (about $710) was not paid (as of early 2002)

14. The names appearing on this table (except for the first one, which was crossed out) are almost identical to those appearing above, entries 9- 32. In Israeli assessment the names are those of shaheeds sent by Al-Tadhamun to the Union of Good for the purpose of receiving allotments for shaheed families.

Translation

In the name of Allah the all-merciful

Al-Tadhamun Islamic

Registered at the [PA] Ministry for

Charitable Society, Nablus

Social Affairs15

[Emblem]

Number: 2117-189-4

Telefax: 2335680

 

Email: anfm@hally.net

Date [founded]: June 27, 1956

15. Following custom, Hamas “charitable societies” or “charity committees” are licensed by the PA to operate, but are in effect completely controlled by Hamas.


Names of shaheeds [who died during] February and March 2002 for whom 500 dinars has not yet been received16

16. Almost certainly a reference to the monthly allotment of Union of Good funds paid to shaheed families through Al-Tadhamun.

No.

Full name

District

Address

Age

Date of death for the sake of Allah

Circumstances of death for the sake of Allah

1.

Tawil Ibrahim Hassan Faraj [name crossed out in black ink]

2.

Sa’id IbrahimSa’id Ramadan

Nablus

Al-Tal

23

22/01/02

Suicide bombing attack in West Jerusalem [

3.

Lo’ai Muhammad Mussa ‘Adeli

Nablus

Iwadin

15

01/02/02

Shot in the head during a[n armed] confrontation

4.

Mahmoud Ziyad Fayiz Muhammad al-Khalili

Nablus

Nablus

26

06/02/02

Suicide bombing attack in the Jordan Valley

5.

Muhammad ‘Abd al-Hamid Salih Hamudah

Nablus

‘ Amman Street

19

17/02/02

Suicide bombing attack in Hadera

6.

Salah al-Din Mansour Farah Faraj

Nablus

Balata Refugee Camp

35

18/02/02

Armed confrontation during incursion into Balata refugee camp

7.

Leila Kamal Muhammad Qattawi

Nablus

Balata Refugee Camp

25

18/02/02

Shot in the chest during incursion into Balata refugee camp

8.

Khalil Muhammad Mahmoud Harb

Nablus

Balata Refugee Camp

22

19/02/02

Wounded in numerous places

9.

Zahi Mahmoud Muhammad Zawatiah

Nablus

Zawata

26

19/02/02

Wounded in numerous places

10.

Omar ‘Abd al-Fatah Hafth Yassin

Nablus

Al-Junir

30

19/02/02

Suicide bombing attack at Mehola

11.

Fuad Yakub Muhammad Ishtayeh

Nablus

Al-Tal

35

19/02/02

Wounded in numerous places

12.

Mahmoud Hussein ‘Atallah Hashash

Nablus

Balata Refugee Camp

17

19/02/02

Bullet through the heart

13.

Muhammad ‘Abdallah Abu Mirsal

Nablus

Balata Refugee Camp

27

19/02/02

Shot in the chest

14.

Zuheir ‘Abd al-Qadir ‘Uthman ‘Aqel

Nablus

Sebastia

34

20/02/02

Wounded in numerous places

15.

Muhammad ‘Abdallah Haik

Nablus

Ghamain

22

24/02/02

Wounded in numerous places

16.

‘Abd al-Rahim Mustafa Sayif

Nablus

Barakah

35

27/02/02

Wounded in numerous places

17.

‘Imad Sulayman ‘Abd al-Nabi al-Maghrabi

Nablus

Balata Refugee Camp

27

27/02/02

Wounded in numerous places

18.

Mahdi Hassan al-Namour

Nablus

‘ Amman Street

34

27/02/02

Wounded in numerous places

19.

Mahmoud Mustafa Qassem

Nablus

Al-Surrah

25

28/02/02

Wounded in numerous places

20.

Darin Muhammad Tawfiq Abu ‘Issa

Nablus

Beit Wazan

21

01/03/02 [Should read 27/02/02]

Suicide bombing attack at road block Sira

21.

Taysir Kamal Ja’arah

Nablus

‘ Amman Street

20

02/03/02

Wounded in numerous places

22.

‘Abdallah Kamal al-Halawa

Nablus

‘Askar

Refugee Camp

25

03/03/02

Wounded in numerous places

23.

Mahmoud Khalil Tantawi

Nablus

Balata Refugee Camp

16

03/03/02

Wounded in numerous places

24.

Ahmad Fakhri Hashash

Nablus

Balata Refugee Camp

17

04/03/02

Wounded in numerous places

25.

Hakim ‘Abd al-Fatah Abu ‘Aisha

Nablus

Balata Refugee Camp

30

04/03/02

Wounded in numerous places


Appendix A (2)
Original Document

 

Appendix A (3)


Palestinian Preventive Security documents relating to the transfer of funds from the Mufti of Bosnia-Herzegovina to Al-Tadhamun in Nablus and its head, sheikh Hamid al-Bitawi

Document No. 1 (A)
Translation

In the name of Allah, the all-merciful

Palestinian National Authority

 

Reference 512

Preventive Security

 

September 7, 2002

Gaza Strip

 

 

 

[Hand-written note:]

‘Abeer [Rashid Abu Shbak’s female secretary],

This should be forwarded to the President [i.e., the late Yassir Arafat] with the enclosed letters

[Signature of Rashid Abu Shbak]

September 8, 2002 .

To brother [head of the Palestinian Preventive Security, Rashid Abu Shbak], may Allah preserve him

Blessing of the homeland

In re: The Mufti of Bosnia-Herzegovina

1. The Mufti used the media to call upon the Bosnian people to contribute to the Palestinian people.

2. They collected the sum of $50,000 which is now in the Mufti’s possession.

3. Sheikh Hamid al-Bitawi sent a letter to the Mufti of Bosnia stating that the fund should be transferred to the bank account of the Al-Tadhamun Islamic Charitable Society in Nablus.

4. It should be noted that that is contrary to what was agreed upon by the embassy [the “Palestinian Embassy” in Sarajevo].17

 Note: Enclosed are the documents dealing with the matter.

Your brother/Head of the Foreign Activity Department

[Stamp and[Signature of Suhil al-Sheikh]

[Handwritten note:]

This should be referred to Political Security

[Illegible] relevant correspondence enclosed.

Notes :

1. An identical document (No. 1 (B)) was sent from Rashid Abu Shbak to Yasser Arafat on September 8, 2002, asking for instructions.

2. That document contained the following:

The report should be completed.

Abeer, please complete the report.

17. The implication is that the agreement was so send the money to the Palestinian Authority.

Appendix A (3)

Document No. 1 (A)
Original Document


 

Appendix A (3)

Document No. 1 (B)
Original Document



Appendix A (3)

Document No. 2


Translation

[Fax message sent (according to identifier) from the “Palestinian Embassy” in Bosnia

October 22, 2000 ]

In the name of Allah the all-merciful

ISLAMIC COMMUNITY IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

OFFICE OF RAISU-L-ULAMA

Reference: 02/2/0275

Date: August 19, 2002

To Minister Sabri Ikrimah, Minister of Endowments and Islamic Matters [sic]

The State of Palestine [sic]

May peace be upon you, Allah’s mercy and his blessing

I would like to use this opportunity to bless you and your brothers in Palestine and to pray that Allah will provide you with his support and victory.

I want to inform you that the office of the Islamic sheikhdom in Bosnia-Herzegovina organized an unlimited drive to collect donations to aid the Palestinian people. Therefore, we would like to consult you regarding the beneficiaryand how to send [to it] the contributions collected.

Yours sincerely,

Dr. Mustafa Ceric

Chairman of the [Association of] Muslim Scholars and the Grand Mufti of Bosnia-Herzegovina


Appendix A (3)

Document No. 2

Original Document

 

Appendix A (3)


Document No. 3
Translation

[Fax message sent (according to identifier) from the “Palestinian Embassy” in Bosnia

October 22, 2000 ]

In the name of Allah the all-merciful

ISLAMIC COMMUNITY IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

OFFICE OF RAISU-L-ULAMA

Reference: 02/2/0274

Date: August 19, 2002

To: Majid Ma’ruf, Acting Ambassador for the Embassy of Palestine [sic] in Sarajevo

Heartfelt greetings,

 

The Ministry for Relations with the Islamic World blesses the Embassy of Palestine [sic] in Sarajevo.

 

Enclosed please find a letter from Dr. Mustafa Ceric, chairman of [The Association of Muslim] Scholars and the Grand Mufti of Bosnia-Herzegovina, to his brother the honorable Minister Sabri Ikrimah, Minister of Endowments and Islamic Matters in Palestine [sic]. Please transmit it to the Minister.

 

I would like to bring to the attention of the Embassy that we received a letter from the honorable sheikh Hamid al-Bitawi, chairman of the Palestinian Islamic Scholars Association and preacher of Al-Aqsa mosque, to be transmitted to the office of the [most senior] Islamic sheikh in Bosnia-Herzegovina, in which he proposes sending the contributions collected in Bosnia-Herzegovina to support the Palestinian people to [the Hamas-affiliated] Al-Tadhamun Islamic Charitable Society in Nablus. A copy of his letter is enclosed.18

Please send us your recommendation.

 

Yours sincerely,

[Signed] Ibrahim Ahmatagic [?]

Head of the Office of Relations with the Islamic World

Attachments: As noted above

 18. Note 1: Al-Bitawi’s letter, which was sent via email, is attached to the letter and not translated because it was an illegible copy.

Note 2: This letter is a clear indication of the high level of identification and support of the Muslim leadership of Bosnia-Herzegovina, part of Yugoslavia until its disintegration, for the Palestinian cause, in this case, for more extreme Palestinian figures and institutions directed in Bosnia-Herzegovina by the highest Islamic authorities in the state. The nature of the various Palestinian activities and their future impact in Bosnia-Herzegovina in particular and the Balkans as a whole in general needs further research beyond the scope of this bulletin. For an example of such activities performed by an outstanding Palestinian student and leading Fatah activist, see: Rub’ Qarn ‘ala Ishtishhad Qadat al-Harakah al-Tuladiyyah – Iqlim Yughuslafiya, 1.10.1976 (The 25 th anniversary of the death as martyrs for the sake of Allah of the leaders of the [Palestinian] student movement in Yugoslav territory, January 10,1976). Ramallah-Al-Bireh: Hay’at al-Tawjih al-Siyasi al-Watani, 1.10.2001. (Special reference in the commemoration booklet dedicated to Hazim Ridhwan Shahadah, an outstanding Palestinian student born in a village in the West Bank who studied for several years in Yugoslavia and became a leading figure among the Palestinian students there, a Fatah activist who took part in various operations in Jordan and Lebanon, and who eventually died in Lebanon in 1976 during a clash with the invading Syrian army at the beginning of the long civil war in that country 1975- 1990. A more recent example deals with Gamal Geridli, PLO envoy [i.e., ambassador] to Bosnia who was alleged to have criminal and terrorist connections leading all the way to Al-Qaeda and was hastily and secretly recalled to the PA-administered territories (probably Gaza) to avoid indictment. See Pazit Ravina “Whisked Away,” The Jerusalem Report, November 4, 2002, pp. 26-28.


Appendix A (3)

Document No 3

Original Document


       
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