During 1999, General Kazanstev, Commander-in-Chief of the Russian army which had invaded the Muslim land of Chechnya, boasted: “This time, the war will be over in two —three weeks.” Several generals who were with Kazanstec when he made this pronouncement were grinning their approval and exuding with confidence.

Today, 30 June 2005, is the 302nd week which sees the Chechen Jihad in strong progress, Alhamdulillah! 302 weeks is a far cry from the promised two to three weeks.

In addition to the war not being ‘over’, it has in fact extended to the whole of the Northern Caucasus region. The paucity of news from the Jihad zone due to the news blackout has concealed the plight of Russia in Chechnya.

In the week from 4th to 10th June, the Russian military suffered the following losses:

• 138 Russian troops killed
• 180 wounded
• 5 armoured troop-carriers and two BMPs destroyed
• 11 trucks including 2 armoured Urals, 1 armoured Kamaz, 4 armoured UAZs and 11 other vehicles destroyed

The ‘two-three week’ conception which Russia had entertained six years ago when it invaded Chechnya and perpetrated some of the most horrendous acts of brutality, rapine and torture, has clearly been debunked by its propounders.

The resilience of the Mujahideen is truly due to Allah’s help which has sustained them against an immensely powerful and brutal enemy who operates at sub-human levels.

IMPOTENCY
Just as the Iraqi Mujahideen are humbling the U.S. military in Iraq, so too is the situation in Chechnya. The very fact that The Mujahideen have succeeded with Allah’s aid to sustain the Jihad for six years, should be adequate testimony for the plight of Russia. The Russian military has proven its impotency against the Mujahideen. Undoubtedly, the suffering is mostly felt by the Chechen civilian population which is brutally penalized by the Russian military.

Unable to defeat the Mujahideen, the Russian military vents its wrath on unarmed men, women and children.

Once again Allah Ta’ala has demonstrated the ability of small groups of Mujahideen against huge, well-equipped armies of unbelievers. It is truly the kindness and mercy of Allah Azza Wa Jal that despite the flagrant disobedience of this Ummah, He does not allow the unbelievers the ability and the satisfaction of routing those who wage Jihad in His Name.

POWER
It is cause for eternal lament to observe the indifference of the Ummah at large. The suffering of the Muslims in Iraq and Chechnya and elsewhere does not appear to be a sufficient eye-opener for us. If this Ummah can only understand its latent power and the secret of unlocking this reservoir of power, the history of the world will be re-written.

SHACKLED
This Ummah is today a shackled giant. Its enemies have succeeded in shackling it because Muslims have fallen into their trap and have gulped down the liquor of their civilization. In consequence of this intoxication, they have succeeded in shackling the Ummah, and so will it remain as long as it does not sober. Only then will the Ummah succeed in the struggle to break the chains of slavery which are holding it firmly anchored to the ground.

ARTIAL SUCCESS
The partial battlefield success of the Mujahideen in Iraq and Chechnya and the heavy losses they are inflicting on the enemy forces are not due to any extraordinary taqwa of the Mujahideen. In practical
life, they are not much different from the masses of misguided Muslim. Their main virtue is their desire for Jihad and Martyrdom.

The successes which Allah Ta’ala is bestowing to the Mujahideen in Chechnya and in Iraq, are the effects of Allah’s mercy on the Muslimeen. After all said and done, it is only this Ummah which prostrates to Allah Azza Wa Jal notwithstanding the gross and flagrant transgression it is embedded in. Alas! Muslims have failed to take lessons from the dangers and miseries
which have engulfed them.