An official source at the Islamic Jihad movement on Sunday confirmed to Al Bawaba that their prominent leader in the Gaza Strip, Abdullah al Shami, has submitted his resignation following “financial and organizational” disputes with the movement’s top leadership.
The official, who requested anonymity, said the resignation was submitted almost one month ago, but was not announced as they were hoping al Shami would reverse his decision – something that did not happen.
In his letter to the movement’s secretary general - Abdullah Shallah, who is currently residing in Damascus - al Shami detailed many obstacles and frustrations, saying “I have resigned from the movement with all the pain and bitterness which my resignation carries with it.”
However, al Shami did not reveal in his letter, which a copy of it was obtained by Al Bawaba, the reasons behind his resignation, although he did refer to the crisis which his movement is facing.
“In order to overcome the internal crisis, I shall leave the movement…but I will continue serving the Palestinian people by all possible means,” said al Shami in his letter, dated August 2, 2003.
According to the source, the resignation of al Shami - the Islamic Jihad’s spokesman in Gaza Strip - has come following “financial and organizational” disputes between him and those of the movement’s leadership that are outside Palestine. He said “Al Shami resigned as he was not able to tolerate the increasing financial cuts made by the movement’s leadership abroad headed by its secretary general Ramadan Shallah. These cuts, which were made over the past few months, have affected the allocations for the movement’s PR offices in Gaza as well as al Shami’s personal expenses… which have forced him to close down a number of Islamic Jihad offices.”
The resigning leader also found himself sidelined after new leaders - including Ahmad al Batsh, who has recently been named the Islamic Jihad spokesman and his predecessors Nafeth Azzam and Mohammad al Hindi - became more involved in the movement.
It has recently been noted that the Islamic Jihad’s website has not posted any of al Shami’s statements and announcements for several weeks - a fact that indicates that there were plans to replace him.
Al Shami, 50, is considered one of the most prominent Islamic Jihad leaders in Gaza. He entered the spotlight after being deported (along with 400 other Hamas figures) to Marj al Zuloour in Lebanon in 1993. Upon his return from Lebanon, the PA arrested him for six months for his sermons at Friday prayers in which he blasted the Palestinian leadership and president Yasser Arafat.
The Islamic Jihad was established in 1979 by Dr. Fathi al Shikakai who was assassinated by Israel in Malte in late 1995.
