Ahrar al-Sham's Abu Eissa comments on rebel merger rumors and says Nusra Front should cut ties with Qaida

(these brackets are my own)

Translation:

In the name of Allah the most Merciful

-First I'll say that "مزمجر الشام"'s (https://twitter.com/saleelalmajd) accounts and posts don't represent the movement. The movement has its leaders' accounts and official documents. That's enough to those who are fair. (enough to use to judge policy)

-We reproach the brothers and writers that blamed Ahrar ash-Sham the responsibility for leaking a cut and sabotaged video of an important meeting between most factions' leaders. They should go and find the leaker.

-Then we wonder, should the initiative that we discuss be the one initiated by Ahlu Al-ilm (means those with knowledge. Scholars. I'll use AA from now on), or the one initiated by the brothers at Al-Nusra? Because these two initiatives are not the same initiative at all.

-Note that AA's initiative came before jolani's initiative by around 20 days. Even a large number of talabatu al-ilm (means knowledge seekers, students) signed on it. Even some of them are in Nusra's ranks.

-AA's initiative is more inclusive as it includes most of the scene's factions while jolani's is limited to those in Jaish al-Fatih (army of conquest. JaF) ony.

-If it is AA's initiative that we agree on, then sheikh Aba Yahya when he met the scholars he literally said to them "Move forward with whatever you see as the best. We're going to be an arrow in your quiver not an obstacle".

-Today we stress Aba Yahya's words. We are with AA's initiative. We did not interrupt it and will not refuse it. In fact, unfortunately the one who interrupts is the one who refuses to meet the scholars completely!

-In regards to jolani's initiative to unify JaF's factions without stopping his association to Alqaeda, this is what where we stopped and didn't reply to him after. We see it as a damaging thing to the field.

-There's no benefit coming from uniting under Alqaeda to the revolution and to the people. When none of the factions invites others to meet under an umbrella from outside.

-In fact we invite our brothers in Nusra to disassociate themselves from Alqaeda to protect jihad in Syria and to for the benefit of the revolution and to break the stereotype that our enemies see.

-The regime on the first day of the revoultion wanted it to be a battle of government against terrorism. We want it a battle between a brutal regime and oppressed Muslim people. The battle of the elites is lost. (not sure if 'The battle of the elites is lost' is correct here)

-We call for the activation of AA's initiative, and not to go around it by suggesting new initiatives. The scholars -may Allah reward them- are an independent side that knows where the benefit lies for the field very well.

/r/syriancivilwar Thread Link - twitter.com