But the organization leans toward the “resistance” in Iraq, Palestine and Afghanistan, and is working to bring the resistance movements there under a single roof. In this way, the GAAC is a structure that has determined America and Israel to be fundamental threats. For this reason, more than resistance, it has taken on the appearance of an establishment that aims to damage American interests in every way.The Iraqi Muslim Scholars Delegation (IMAH) forms the top level of GAAC and is the real organizer of the İstanbul conference, and also has bureaus in Ankara. Established with the participation of university professors, academics, scientists, imams and students in 2003 in the years following the invasion, the organization would later become a central authority for the organizations and structures opposing the invasion of Iraq. The secretary-general of IMAH is Shaykh Dr. Harith al-Dhari. Al-Dhari holds the position of spokesperson for all of the Iraqi resistance groups that have gathered together and all of the dozens of other resistance movements in that country, large and small. Some of these organizations are as follows: the Jihad and Change Front (which includes the 1920 Revolution Brigades, the Army of Rashedeen, the Army of Muslims in Iraq, the Islamic Movement of Iraqi Mujahideen, the Jund al-Rahman Brigades in Iraq, the Da’wah and Ribat Brigades, the al-Tamkeen Brigades, the Muhammad al-Fatih Brigades, the Army of Tabe’eyn and the Jihad Army); Asaib al-Iraq al-Jihadiyyah, the Army of Mujahideen Murabiteen and the Army of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal.
Attendance at the conference was not high. There was at most an audience of 150 in a 700-person hall. Outside of the organizers, there were a few people from Turkey with sympathies toward the topic present and some from East Turkistan who live in İstanbul. It’s also not possible to say that national media paid the event much attention.
The speakers emphasized that violence “can only ever be considered as acceptable when used to save people under oppression, and that extremism is not accepted [by Islam].” The resistance movement’s representatives said that there was a terrorist movement in Iraq but that it had settled into the country following the US invasion, and that before the invasion, organizations like al-Qaeda were unable to gain a foothold in Iraq. So the resistance movement, even if it looks like it finds commonality with al-Qaeda on the principle of opposing America, distances itself from that group and says that it does not support its actions. In fact, they even say that organizations such as themselves have even put together events that serve the interests of America and some other countries in the region. The talks given at the conference tried to stay away from focusing on names, and also viewed Iran as a regional threat.
The conference in question stirred great reaction in Iraq. For example, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s spokesman said: “The conference is a negative indicator for bilateral relations. Turkey must take a side. There is no resistance in Iraq, and making it appear as if there is does not work toward Turkey’s interests. The American presence is legitimate. Turkey should do some thinking when hosting conferences of this type, which aim to hurt Iraq.”
In recent years, İstanbul has become a center of attraction for politicians and intellectuals of the Middle East and the Muslim world. People in power, opposition and even resistance factions have begun holding their meetings in İstanbul. This situation has been a source of both curiosity and concern in the West. While leaders of the Middle East have been pleased with such meetings that they themselves held, they are deeply discomfited by the activities held by their opponents.
Why İstanbul? Turkey’s development of its relationship with the Middle East and the Muslim world was influential in the choice of İstanbul. But the main factor of importance here is that Turkey is the only democratic country in the region that shares the same religion and culture. Different opposition groups can gather freely in İstanbul without procuring any permission ahead of time. The lack of any such obstacle, if anything, should be supported because the free debate between different ideas may point out the right road -- a road toward reconciliation -- for the Middle East and Muslim world.
