Public safety officials are not aware of any threats to Hawaii in the wake of Hamas’ former leader calling for Muslims around the world to demonstrate in support of Palestinians.
Khaled Meshaal, who led Hamas until 2017, called for mass protests around the world in a recorded statement sent to Reuters.
“(We must) head to the squares and streets of the Arab and Islamic world on Friday,” Meshaal said.
He went on to say, in part, “To all scholars who teach jihad for the sake of God and who preach the fighters and martyrs, to all who teach and learn, this is a moment of application (of theories), so that words are not just words.”
Meshaal’s use of “jihad” in his call to demonstrate got the attention of law enforcement agencies around the world.
Jihad, as defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary, means “holy war waged on behalf of Islam as a religious duty.” It is also used in reference to “a personal struggle in devotion to Islam especially involving spiritual discipline.”
Jihad is also used to describe “a crusade for a principle or belief.”
Hakim Ouansafi, chair of the Muslim Association of Hawaii, told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser in an interview that he was unaware of Meshaal’s message and condemned the violence in Gaza and Israel.
“We don’t take calls from anybody when there is an injustice anywhere. Whether it’s a Muslim or non-Muslim, we have to speak up, collectively, as human beings. We do our best to protect the children, civilians, the elderly and the disabled. … No innocent life should be lost,” said Ouansafi.
“Let it be a Jewish life, a Muslim life … what we have seen is … devastating. It should be condemned. Hamas or otherwise, any government that will target and kill innocent civilians, children … that should be condemned,” he said.
He cited a teaching from the Koran, the sacred book of Islam, that cautions, “Whoever kills one human is as if they kill the entire humanity. And whoever saves one human saves humanity.”
Hamas claims to represent Palestinians, but the Palestinian people do not recognize it and abhor its tactics, he noted.
“We see this, our heart aches, what we see all over the world. We don’t want anyone to be oppressed … hurt … traumatized. … It’s just horrible,” he said.
The FBI’s Honolulu Division has been in touch with local communities around Hawaii to reassure them the bureau is closely tracking the events in the Middle East, Steven Merrill, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Honolulu Division, told the Star-Advertiser in a statement.
“Hate crimes and violence against members of any community will not be tolerated,” said Merrill. “We remind the public to report any suspicious or threatening activity to tips.fbi.gov.”
The Hawaii Office of Homeland Security “is actively monitoring the developing situation in Israel and any local impacts from recent statements made by Hamas,”according to a news release.
“I want to emphasize that we are not aware of any specific or credible threats to Hawaii at this time and we are keeping Governor Green apprised of this evolving situation,” said OHS Administrator Frank Pace in a statement.
Pace told the Star- Advertiser in a statement that the state is committed to the “security of our faith-based communities” and will immediately address any threats to their safety.
“We are taking the threats from Hamas seriously and are taking measures along with our state and federal law enforcement partners to ensure the safety of Hawaii residents,” said Pace. “We encourage all residents in Hawaii to be cognizant of current events and to immediately report any suspicious activity.”
Honolulu police are also monitoring the situation, according to a department spokesperson.
Thousands of pro- Palestinian demonstrators gathered Friday in New York’s Times Square after the former leader of Hamas called for Muslims to rally in support of Palestinians as the Israel-Hamas war entered its seventh day.
In the week-old war, the Gaza Health Ministry said Friday, roughly 1,900 people have been killed in the territory — more than half of them women or under age 18.
The Hamas assault Oct. 7 killed more than 1,300 Israelis, most of whom were civilians, and roughly 1,500 Hamas militants were killed during the fighting, the Israeli government said.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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The FBI asks the public to report any suspicious or threatening activity 24/7 at 808-566-4300 or tips.fbi.gov.
OHS strongly encourages residents to immediately report suspicious activity to the Hawaii State Fusion Center at hsfc.hawaii.gov and to call 911 for all emergencies.
