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Arab world harshly condemns slaughter of Russian children
Seattle Times ^ | 9/5/04 | Megan K. Stack

Posted on 09/05/2004 4:19:05 PM PDT by freedom44

CAIRO, Egypt — Expressions of shame and self-reproach swept the Arab world yesterday as Muslims mourned the deaths of Russian schoolchildren and voiced unusually critical condemnations of the social ills widely blamed here for breeding terrorism.

The Arab world has watched with mounting disgust in recent weeks as a wave of civilian hostages — some of them Arabs and Muslims — were slaughtered by masked insurgents in Iraq. This weekend, newspapers and satellite channels were dominated by pictures of bloodied, naked children in southern Russia fleeing armed guerrillas suspected to be Islamic rebels supporting an independent Chechyna.

Many Arabs faced an ever-more-common dilemma: struggling to reconcile their sympathy for a political cause with growing revulsion at the wrath leveled by self-described "holy warriors" against innocents.

Ahmed Bahgat, an Egyptian Islamist and columnist for Egypt's leading pro-government newspaper, Al-Ahram, wrote that the TV and newspaper images "showed Muslims as monsters who are fed by the blood of children and the pain of their families."

In an editorial, the Saudi Arab News condemned the school hostage-takers, "who had put themselves in a position where no one would shed tears when the punishment came. They reached a new low when they chose toddlers as bargaining chips."

Grand Sheik Mohammed Sayed Tantawi, Egypt's highest-ranking cleric, also railed at the attackers.

"What is the guilt of those children? Why should they be responsible for your conflict with the government?" Tantawi said during Friday prayers in the Egyptian town of Benha. "You are taking Islam as a cover and it is a deceptive cover; those who carry out the kidnappings are criminals, not Muslims."

Tantawi's refrain was a familiar one among Muslims who've felt unfairly tarred by the bloodbaths carried out by fellow believers: This wasn't Islam.

Yesterday, some prominent Arabs came forward with a more sobering interpretation: Corrupt, repressed Arab and Islamic societies have turned into breeding grounds for terrorism. It's a judgment often heard among Western critics, but rarely voiced in heavily censored Arab rhetoric.

"Most perpetrators of suicide operations in buses, schools and residential buildings around the world for the past 10 years have been Muslims," wrote Abdulrahman al Rashed, general manager of the Al-Arabiya television channel. In a blunt column in the pan-Arab newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat, Rashed listed attacks carried out by Muslims in Iraq, Russia, Sudan, Saudi Arabia and Yemen.

"Our terrorist sons are an end-product of our corrupted culture," he wrote. "The picture is humiliating, painful and harsh for all of us."


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; Russia
KEYWORDS: arabworld; butnotcair; cair; cairsilentonchechnya; ossetia; silenceissupport; silenceofcair; whereiscair
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1 posted on 09/05/2004 4:19:06 PM PDT by freedom44
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To: freedom44

Well, we already know this filth will lie to the world while secretly rejoicing the murder and meyhem their fellow killers committed.


2 posted on 09/05/2004 4:21:27 PM PDT by AlaskaErik
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To: freedom44

Nobody will scrub your latrine like yourself. The muzzys need to get scrubbing up their filth and quit being self reproaching and blah lah Allah Achbar


3 posted on 09/05/2004 4:22:19 PM PDT by Wardawg (Hanoi John was here.)
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To: freedom44

What, no burqa-clad women cavorting around making cricket noises?


4 posted on 09/05/2004 4:23:09 PM PDT by Senator Goldwater
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To: freedom44

Glad to hear some condemnation from the middle east.

Now how much of it is true and how much is deception?


5 posted on 09/05/2004 4:23:29 PM PDT by mylife (The roar of the masses could be farts)
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To: freedom44

They're hearing faint hoofbeats of the New Crusaders on the distant horizon.


6 posted on 09/05/2004 4:23:49 PM PDT by Hank Rearden (Never allow anyone who could only get a government job attempt to tell you how to run your life.)
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To: freedom44

they must be more scared-er of ruskies than yanks


7 posted on 09/05/2004 4:24:06 PM PDT by Chilldoubt
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To: freedom44
It is without question the responsibility of the entire world of Islam to condemn dangerous fanatacists within their own religion. Issuing statements is not enough. As they stall, and refuse to address the issue seriously, the United States and other countries such as Russia and Spain will have to protect themselves by cracking down.
8 posted on 09/05/2004 4:25:45 PM PDT by scuret
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To: freedom44

Thank goodness. Well that settles that, all is forgiven. Now reign in the rhetoric, Vladimir.


9 posted on 09/05/2004 4:25:49 PM PDT by PISANO (NEVER FORGET 911 !!!!)
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To: Chilldoubt

Probably.


10 posted on 09/05/2004 4:25:52 PM PDT by Jaded ((Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society. - Mark Twain))
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To: freedom44
So, I suppose starting tomorrow all over the world the Imams in every Mosque will tell their robots that if they kill innocent people they wil not enter paradise? /sarcasm off

""Most perpetrators of suicide operations in buses, schools and residential buildings around the world for the past 10 years have been Muslims," wrote Abdulrahman al Rashed, general manager of the Al-Arabiya television channel. In a blunt column in the pan-Arab newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat, Rashed listed attacks carried out by Muslims in Iraq, Russia, Sudan, Saudi Arabia and Yemen.."

Must be a typo? Israel is not mentioned? I'm sure that was a mistake. Right? /even more sarcasm off

11 posted on 09/05/2004 4:26:12 PM PDT by isthisnickcool (If it's followers kill children it isn't a religion!)
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To: freedom44
This weekend, newspapers and satellite channels were dominated by pictures of bloodied, naked children in southern Russia fleeing armed guerrillas suspected to be Islamic rebels supporting an independent Chechyna... and some who were hired Arab mercenaries. I'll believe the tv manager is sincere if after 6 months, his news reporters devote just 1 minute per day reporting the outrage of the general Arabic society against these thugs.
12 posted on 09/05/2004 4:26:25 PM PDT by mtbopfuyn
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To: freedom44

They condemn it with their mouths and fund the terrorist with their bank accounts. F**K em all.


13 posted on 09/05/2004 4:27:09 PM PDT by Artemis Webb
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To: freedom44

They will have to get earlier and stay later to make me believe this.


14 posted on 09/05/2004 4:27:16 PM PDT by Dubya (Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father,but by me)
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To: freedom44

Who is stupid enough to believe this?


15 posted on 09/05/2004 4:27:35 PM PDT by austingirl
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To: Artemis Webb
Someone needs to Freep their convention in Chicago.
16 posted on 09/05/2004 4:29:07 PM PDT by isthisnickcool (If it's followers kill children it isn't a religion!)
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To: freedom44

Hmmm...

Still waiting for a response to 9/11/01.


17 posted on 09/05/2004 4:29:53 PM PDT by Pete'sWife (Dirt is for racing... asphalt is for getting there.)
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To: Senator Goldwater
What, no burqa-clad women cavorting around making cricket noises?

LOL!!

18 posted on 09/05/2004 4:31:09 PM PDT by MCH
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To: freedom44
"Many Arabs faced an ever-more-common dilemma: struggling to reconcile their sympathy for a political cause with growing revulsion at the wrath leveled by self-described "holy warriors" against innocents."

Oh cry me a river! Here's what their "faith" says:

"When you meet the unbelievers in jihad [holy war], chop off their heads. And when you have brought them low, bind your prisoners rigorously. Then set them free or take ransom from them until the war is ended." (Koran, 47:4)

"Remember Allah inspired the angels: I am with you. Give firmness to the believers. I will instill terror into the hearts of the unbelievers: you smite them above their necks and smite all their fingertips off of them." (Koran, 8:12)

Qur’an-(9:5): “But when the forbidden months are past, then fight and slay the pagans wherever ye find them, And seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them in every stratagem (of war) ; but if they repent (accept Islam) and establish regular prayers and practices regular charity then open the way for them; for God is oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.”

Qur’an(48:20): “….Allah promises you much booty (spoils of war) that you will capture from the defeated infidels….”

And now Muslims are expressing anguish over what their cult hath wrought? Feh!

19 posted on 09/05/2004 4:31:16 PM PDT by sauropod (Hitlary: "We're going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good.")
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To: freedom44
"showed Muslims as monsters who are fed by the blood of children and the pain of their families."

My, my, my! The truth stings a bit, does it?????

20 posted on 09/05/2004 4:31:24 PM PDT by Wonder Warthog (The Hog of Steel)
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