21/3/2016

WhatisHarakatalSabireenandwhyisHamastryingtoblocktheirexpansion?AlMonitor:thePulseoftheMiddleEast

WhatisHarakatalSabireenandwhyisHamastryingtoblock
theirexpansion?
Author:FadiShafeiPostedMarch18,2016
RAFAH,GazaStripManyquestionsarecirculatinginGazaaboutAlSabireenMovementfor
SupportingPalestineHESN(MovementofThoseWhoEndurewithPatience),whoseactivitiesand
sloganshavebeenincreasingintheGazaStrip.Themovementismainlyconcentratedinnorthernand
centralGazaandinalShujaiyyaneighborhood.AlSabireensactivitiesaremainlysecurityoriented
duetoconstantconcernsaboutIsraeltargetingthemovementsmemberscomposedofyouthwho
havesplitfromtheIslamicJihadmovement.
Meanwhile,anumberofresearchersandSalaficlericshavebeenaccusingthemovementofhaving
ShiiteaffiliationsandofbeingfundedbyIran.
AlSabireenMovement,whichwasestablishedonMay25,2014,cameunderthespotlightonFeb.
19whenGazanswokeuptothenewsofabombingbyanexplosivedeviceinthevicinityofthehouse
ofthesecretarygeneralofHarakatAlSabireen,HishamSalem,whosurvivedtheexplosion.
Althoughnooneclaimedresponsibilityforthebombing,themovementaccusedIsraelinastatement
issuedonthatsameday.
AlMonitortriedtocommunicatewithSalem,whoisalsothemovementsofficialmedia
spokesperson,tonoavail.AlMonitorthenmetwithoneofthemovementsactivistsinthecityof
Rafah,namedMohammadHarb,40.HewasoneofthefightersintheranksoftheIslamicJihad
movementalongsideSalem,beforethelatterdefectedwithtwootherofhiscomradestoestablishAl
SabireenMovementintheGazaStrip.
HarbtoldAlMonitorthatAlSabireenwasfirstannouncedasareformativecurrentin2010within
theIslamicJihad,callingfortherevivaloftheideologyofFathiShakaki(19811995),founderofthe
IslamicJihadinPalestine.ShakakicalledforanIslamistrevolutionandexpressedhisadmirationof
theIslamicRevolutionofIraninhisbooktitledKhomeini:TheIslamicsolutionandthealternative.
Backthen,thecurrentdemandedadministrativereforms,intermsoforganizationalstructureand
decisionmakingmechanismswithintheIslamicJihad,accordingtoHarb,buttheIslamicJihadwas
notabletocontainthisnewcurrentandbecameunwillingtohaveitapartofit.Thus,thereformative
current,whichisfundedbyIran,defectedandformeditsownmovementcallingitAlSabireen[the
patient]fortheVictoryofPalestine.
Observersfollowinguponthemovementspositionscanclearlyseethatthesepositionsareinline
withthepositionsofboththeSyrianandIranianregimes.Suchpositions,withIransfinancialaid,led
toclaimsbysomeSalafijihadistgroupsinSunnimajorityGazathatAlSabireenMovementisa
religiousonethatseekstocreateaShiiteentityintheGazaStripthatwouldbeanextensionofIrans
influenceintheregion,alongthelinesofHezbollahinLebanonandAnsarAllah[Houthis]inYemen.
AllthesegroupshaveShiitebackgrounds,areactiveinvariousArabcountries,andarefundedand
supportedbyIran.
Harb,forhispart,believestheclaimspromotedbytheseSalafigroupsarebaselessallegationsand
anattempttoreplicatethesectarianconflictsprevailingintheArabregion[inGaza].
Harbdoesnotbelievethatthemovementhasanysectarianaffiliation,asAlSabireenMovementis
supportingthese[Iranianfunded]groupsintheirstanceandhostilityagainstIsrael.
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21/3/2016

WhatisHarakatalSabireenandwhyisHamastryingtoblocktheirexpansion?AlMonitor:thePulseoftheMiddleEast

Harbrefusedtorevealthenumberofthemovementsmembersasheconsideredthistobe
confidentialinformationthatAlSabireenwouldrathernotdisclosetothemedia.
AlthoughAlSabireenwasestablishedduringHamascontrolovertheGazaStrip,therelationship
betweenthetwopartiesisambiguous.OnJuly6,2015,presssourcesreportedthatadecisionwas
issuedbyHamasleadershiptobananddissolvethemovementafterlonginternaldeliberationswithin
Hamas,especiallyaftertherehadbeenevidenceofAlSabireensinvolvementinactsagainstthe
ideologyandmethodologyofthepeopleofGaza,accordingtothepresssources.
However,afewhoursfollowingtheissuanceofthesereports,Salemdeniedreceivinganynotification
todissolvethemovement.
Inthesamevein,HarbpointedthathehadbeendetainedbytheHamasaffiliatedsecurityforcesfor
criticizingthemovementsmanagementofGazaandfordiscussingtheproblemsofGazansonhis
Facebookpage.IwasinterrogatedaboutmyrelationshipwithAlSabireenMovement,hesaid.
AlSabireenhasbeenaccusedbySalafiactivistsofbeingaShiitemovementcreatedbyIraninthe
GazaStriptoreplacetheIslamicJihadandHamas.However,Harbbelievestheseaccusationstobe
unjustandunfounded,asthemovementisanewlyfoundedIslamicmovementseekingtofight
againstIsrael,alongsideHamasandtheIslamicJihad,hesaid.
MustafaIbrahim,aresearcherinPalestinianmovementsaffairs,toldAlMonitor,AlSabireen
MovementdoesnotposeanyideologicalthreattoHamas,althoughsomesupportitandjoinitsranks
asbeingaPalestinianresistancemovement.
AccordingtoIbrahim,AlSabireenMovementisaPalestinianresistancemovementwithaShiite
background.HamasapproachtothemovementisbasedonthelatterscommitmenttofightIsraelin
linewithHamasvisions.ShouldAlSabireenfailtoadheretothesevisions,Hamascouldresortto
forcetocompelittodoso.
ItisdifficulttoknowwhatthefutureholdsforAlSabireenwithouttakingintoaccountthesharp
polarizationprevailingintheArabregionbetweenthetwomainaxesleadingthecurrentphaseand
headedbySaudiArabiaandIran.ThissituationhasdirectlyaffectedthePalestinianorganizations,
andthedisagreementsbetweenAlSabireenMovementandtheSalafigroupsopposingitarenothing
butareflectionofthispolarizationinGaza.TheexistenceofAlSabireenMovementisthusdirectly
linkedtotheachievementsIrananditsalliesmayachieveintheregion.
ReadMore:http://www.almonitor.com/pulse/originals/2016/03/palestinianalsabireenmovement
spreadshiismgaza.html

2016AlMonitor.Allrightsreserved.

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