Praise be to Almighty God; Peace and prayers be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and companions.

This is a message to our neighbors, north of the Mediterranean, containing a reconciliation initiative as a response to their positive reactions. Praise be to God; praise be to God; praise be to God, who created earth and heaven with justice and who allowed the oppressed to punish the oppressor in the same way.

Peace upon those who followed the right path:

In my hands there is a message to remind you that justice is a duty toward whom you love and whom you do not. And rights will not be harmed if the opponent speaks about them. The greatest rule of safety is justice and stopping injustice and aggression. It was said: Oppression kills the oppressors and the hotbed of injustice is evil. And the situation in occupied Palestine is an example. What happened on 11 September and 11 March are your commodity that was returned to you.

It is known that security is a pressing necessity for all mankind. We do not agree that you monopolize it for yourself only. Also, vigilant people do not allow their politicians to tamper with their security.

Having said this, we would like to inform you that labeling us and our acts with terrorism is also a description of you and of your acts. Reaction comes on the same level of the action. Our acts are reaction to your own acts, which are represented by the destruction and killing of our kinfolk in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Palestine. The act that horrified the world; that is, the killing of the old, handicapped Shaykh Ahmad Yasin, may God have mercy on him, is a sufficient evidence. We pledge to God that we will punish America for him, God willing. Which religion considers your killed ones innocent and our killed ones worthless? And which principle considers your blood real blood and our blood water? Reciprocal treatment is fair and the one who starts injustice bears greater blame.

As for your politicians and those who followed their path, who insist on ignoring the real problem of occupying entire Palestine and exaggerate lies and falsification regarding our right in defense and resistance, they do not respect themselves. They also disdain the blood and minds of peoples. This is because their falsification increases the shedding of your blood instead of sparing it.

Moreover, the examining of the developments that took place and are taking place, in terms of killings in our countries and your countries, will show an important fact; namely, that injustice is inflicted on us and on you by your politicians, who send your sons, although you are opposed to this, to our countries to kill and to get killed. Therefore, it is in both sides' interest to check the plans of those who shed the blood of peoples for their narrow personal interest and subservience to the White House gang, taking into consideration that this war brings billions of dollars in profit to the major companies, whether those that produce weapons or those that contribute to reconstruction, such as the Halliburton Company, its sisters, and daughters. Based on this, it becomes very clear who is the one benefiting from igniting this war and from the shedding of blood. They are the warlords, the suckers of the peoples' blood, who are steering the world policy from behind a curtain.

As for President Bush and the leaders who are revolving in his orbit, as for the leading media companies, as for the United Nations which make laws for relations between the masters of veto and the slaves of the General Assembly, are only some tools to deceive and exploit peoples. All these pose a fatal threat to the whole world. The Zionist lobby is one of the most dangerous and most difficult figures of this group. God willing, we are determined to fight them.

Based on the above and in order to deny war merchants a chance and in response to the positive interaction shown by recent events and opinion polls, which indicate that most European peoples want peace, I ask honest people, especially ulema, preachers, and merchants, to form a permanent committee to enlighten European peoples of the justice of our causes, firstly Palestine. They can make use of the huge potential of the media. I also offer a peace initiative to them, whose essence is our commitment to stopping operations against every country that commits itself to not attacking the Muslims or interfering in their affairs--including the US conspiracy on the greater Islamic world. This peace can be renewed once the period signed by the first government expires and a second government is formed with the consent of both parties. The peace will start with the departure of its last soldier from our country. The door of peace is open for three months of the date of announcing this statement.

For those who reject peace and want war, we are ready. As for those who want peace, we have given them a chance. Stop shedding our blood so as to preserve your blood. Applying this easy, yet difficult, formula is in your hands. You know that the situation will expand and increase if you delay things. If this happens, do not blame us and blame yourselves. A rational person does not relinquish his security, money, and children to please the liar of the White House. Had he been truthful about his claim for peace, he would not describe the person who ripped open pregnant women in Sabra and Shatila (reference to Israeli Prime Minister Ari'el Sharon) and the destroyer of the surrender process (reference to the Arab-Israeli peace process) as a man of peace. He also would not have lied to people and said that we hate freedom and kill for the sake of killing. Reality proves our truthfulness and his lie.

The killing of the Russians was after their invasion of Afghanistan and Chechnya; the killing of Europeans was after their invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan; and the killing of Americans on the day of New York (reference to 11 September) was after their support of the Jews in Palestine and their invasion of the Arabian Peninsula. Also, killing them in Somalia was after their invasion of it in Operation Restore Hope. We made them leave without hope, praise be to God. It is said that prevention is better than cure. A happy person is he who learns a lesson from the experience of others. Heeding right is better than persisting in falsehood. Peace be upon those who follow guidance.

Translated from the original by WNC.