Egypt's top cleric rails against terrorism

AP on Bakersfield Californian ^ | 7/29/05 | Lee Keath - AP

[NormsRevenge]

CAIRO, Egypt (AP) - Egypt's top Islamic cleric delivered a fierce sermon against terrorism Friday at the main mosque in Sharm el-Sheik, the Red Sea resort struck in deadly bombings a week ago.

Even the Lebanese guerrilla group Hezbollah, branded as terrorist by Washington, says Muslim clerics have to act to curb extremism.

After the unflagging bloodshed in Iraq and this month's London bombings, the Sharm attack has deepened what has been a growing debate in the Muslim world over how Islam should deal with terrorists who act in its name.

Mohammed Sayyed Tantawi, grand imam of Al-Azhar - one of the Sunni world's most prestigious institutions - delivered the sermon at Friday prayers in Sharm el-Sheik's "Peace Mosque," packed with hundreds of worshippers still reeling from the July 23 bombings, which killed scores of Egyptians and foreign tourists.

Tantawi told worshippers that "even polytheists who come to Egypt to see its civilization, who didn't come to harm you, you have to protect them and treat them in a good way."

The cleric used the Arabic word "mushrikin" - "polytheists" - a term heavy with negative connotations in Islam. The Quran, Islam's holy book, repeatedly denounces "mushrikin," while accepting Jews and Christians as fellow monotheists. Islamic radicals often rail against polytheism and its followers.

Those who killed dozens of innocents, "have no justification," and if they claim they are obeying orders of Islam, "then they are liars, liars and charlatans, and Islam disavows them," he said.

"The aggressors who blow up themselves, their cars and bombs against innocent men, women and children will not be given any mercy by God ... they will be cursed by God and his angels," Tantawi said.

Tantawi has emerged as a strong voice against terrorism in recent months. In early July, he harshly condemned Islamic insurgents in Iraq - who even some moderate Muslims feel are fighting for a just cause against U.S. occupation - saying all Iraqis and Arabs should unite to purge Iraq of "their filth and viciousness."

Egyptian investigators have been focusing on the likelihood that homegrown Islamic militant cells in Sinai - possibly with international links - carried out the Sharm bombings, in which two car bombs and a knapsack bomb ripped through a luxury hotel, a neighborhood full of Egyptians and the entrance to a beach promenade. The official death toll stands at 64, but hospitals say bodies still uncounted could bring it to 88.

With every terror attack, Arabs and Muslims have been struggling to strike a balance between condemning bloodshed and pointing to U.S. policies in Iraq and Israel they say fuel Islamic militant violence. Debate has focused on whether reform is needed to purge extremist teachings.

In Lebanon, the militant Shiite Muslim Hezbollah said immediately after the Sharm attack that "mass murder attacks against innocent people ... require a decisive stance by (Muslim) clerics" against violence.

Hezbollah is considered a terrorist organization by the United States, which accuses it of supporting Palestinian militants against Israel. But in Lebanon, it's seen as a nationalist force after its long fight against Israeli troops that occupied southern Lebanon until 2000.

The group's stance on violence is becoming more nuanced. It sharply opposes the U.S. troop presence in Iraq - but with its Iraqi Shiite brethren frequently falling victim in bombings, it has grown more vocal in condemning the insurgency in Iraq.

Lebanon's most senior Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah - who had past connections with Hezbollah, but broke with the group - said after the Sharm attacks that all Muslims must condemn such attacks, which he blamed on "backward minds that do not understand Islamic texts."

But in his sermon Friday, he said the "evil phenomenon" of terrorism "stems from the policy of arrogance (by the United States and Israel)."

At a small mosque in Cairo's Heliopolis suburb, the Friday preacher appealed to his congregation, trying to explain the proper meaning of "jihad" - a word often translated as "holy war" but more broadly meant as a "struggle" for Islam against oppression.

Jihad, he said, is by word, not by action.

"Oppression should be fought, but every thing has rules," he said in a sermon blared by loudspeaker across the neighborhood. "The world has become a small village, and with good words, we can influence and impress the rest of the world, not by horrific actions."

[WestTexasWend]

Those who killed dozens of innocents, "have no justification," and if they claim they are obeying orders of Islam, "then they are liars, liars and charlatans, and Islam disavows them," he said.

"The aggressors who blow up themselves, their cars and bombs against innocent men, women and children will not be given any mercy by God ... they will be cursed by God and his angels," Tantawi said.

Sounds good to me. Let's hope he stays alive & starts a trend...

[softwarecreator]

Egypt's top cleric rails against terrorism

Somehow I don't think this was the result the terrorists were hoping for.  Part of the plan was to cause non-muslims to come under attack after these events thereby causing them to rally with the terrorists.

Maybe it's time for plan B, where instead of bombs, they hire lawyers and sue us to death.

[Kenny Bunk]

"evil phenomenon" of terrorism "stems from the policy of arrogance (by the United States and Israel)."

The Germans used to use this same sort of "they make us so angry" argument about the French.

They are such arrogant and annoying fools
that we must attack every 20 years!

[BushisTheMan]

Finally....Bush will be proven right over the Iraq war as more and more clerics and imams speak out against terrorism and the extremists. Took them too darn long though.

[olde north church]

Does the phrase "Under the radar" come to mind?

[longtermmemmory]

Condemn but approve.

This is just propaganda. In arabic they probably have not changed their tune.

[Mister Baredog]

My first thought was that Mubarak is holding his family hostage and threatening to kill them if he doesn't do this.

My second thought is I'm encouraged to read this post, thanks.

[Mister Baredog]

Maybe it's time for plan B, where instead of bombs, they hire lawyers and sue us to death.

LOL, the ACLU is standing by to help them right?

[UnbelievingScumOnTheOtherSide]

The cleric used the Arabic word "mushrikin" - "polytheists" - a term heavy with negative connotations in Islam. The Quran, Islam's holy book, repeatedly denounces "mushrikin," while accepting Jews and Christians as fellow monotheists. Islamic radicals often rail against polytheism and its followers.

This is not correct. Christians who "corrupted" scripture and set Jesus up with God the Father and some bizarre interpretation of Judaism make them included in the polytheists as well.

KORAN

[9.30] And the Jews say: Uzair is the son of Allah; and the Christians say: The Messiah is the son of Allah; these are the words of their mouths; they imitate the saying of those who disbelieved before; may Allah destroy them; how they are turned away!
[9.31] They have taken their doctors of law and their monks for lords besides Allah, and (also) the Messiah son of Marium and they were enjoined that they should serve one God only, there is no god but He; far from His glory be what they set up (with Him).
[9.32] They desire to put out the light of Allah with their mouths, and Allah will not consent save to perfect His light, though the unbelievers are averse.
[9.33] He it is Who sent His Apostle with guidance and the religion of truth, that He might cause it to prevail over all religions, though the polytheists may be averse.
[9.34] O you who believe! most surely many of the doctors of law and the monks eat away the property of men falsely, and turn (them) from Allah's way; and (as for) those who hoard up gold and silver and do not spend it in Allah's way, announce to them a painful chastisement,

[UnbelievingScumOnTheOtherSide]

I WANT THEM TO DENOUNCE THIS

THIS IS NOT FROM AL-QAEDA!

THIS IS JUST A BIT OF WHAT ALL MUSLIMS, INCLUDING SO-CALLED MODERATES, SIGN UP FOR WHEN THEY SAY THE BISMALLAH, "THERE IS NO GOD BUT ALLAH AND MUHAMMAD IS HIS PROPHET"!

KORAN [3.28] Let not the believers take the unbelievers for friends rather than believers; and whoever does this, he shall have nothing of (the guardianship of) Allah, but you should guard yourselves against them, guarding carefully; and Allah makes you cautious of (retribution from) Himself; and to Allah is the eventual coming.

KORAN [4.34] Men are the maintainers of women because Allah has made some of them to excel others and because they spend out of their property; the good women are therefore obedient, guarding the unseen as Allah has guarded; and (as to) those on whose part you fear desertion, admonish them, and leave them alone in the sleeping-places and beat them; then if they obey you, do not seek a way against them; surely Allah is High, Great.

KORAN [4.89] They desire that you should disbelieve as they have disbelieved, so that you might be (all) alike; therefore take not from among them friends until they fly (their homes) in Allah's way; but if they turn back, then seize them and kill them wherever you find them, and take not from among them a friend or a helper.

KORAN [9.29] Fight those who do not believe in Allah, nor in the latter day, nor do they prohibit what Allah and His Apostle have prohibited, nor follow the religion of truth, out of those who have been given the Book, until they pay the tax in acknowledgment of superiority and they are in a state of subjection.

KORAN [9.30] And the Jews say: Uzair [Ezra] is the son of Allah; and the Christians say: The Messiah is the son of Allah; these are the words of their mouths; they imitate the saying of those who disbelieved before; may Allah destroy them; how they are turned away!

HADITH Sahih Bukhari [4:52:176] Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Umar:
Allah's Apostle said, "You (i.e. Muslims) will fight with the Jews till some of them will hide behind stones. The stones will (betray them) saying, 'O 'Abdullah (i.e. slave of Allah)! There is a Jew hiding behind me; so kill him.' "

HADITH Sahih Bukhari [4:52:177] Narrated Abu Huraira:
Allah's Apostle said, "The Hour will not be established until you fight with the Jews, and the stone behind which a Jew will be hiding will say. "O Muslim! There is a Jew hiding behind me, so kill him."

HADITH Sahih Bukhari [4:56:791] Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Umar:
I heard Allah's Apostle saying, "The Jews will fight with you, and you will be given victory over them so that a stone will say, 'O Muslim! There is a Jew behind me; kill him!' "

HADITH Sahih Muslim [41:6981] Ibn 'Umar reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying:
You will fight against the Jews and you will kill them until even a stone would say: Come here, Muslim, there is a Jew (hiding himself behind me); kill him.

HADITH Sahih Muslim [41:6982] Ubaidullah has reported this hadith with this chain of transmitters (and the Words are):
"There is a Jew behind me."

HADITH Sahih Muslim [41:6983] Abdullah b. 'Umar reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying:
You and the Jews would fight against one another until a stone would say: Muslim, here is a Jew behind me; come and kill him.

HADITH Sahih Muslim [41:6984] Abdullah b. 'Umar reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said:
The Jews will fight against you and you will gain victory over them until the stone would say: Muslim, here is a Jew behind me; kill him.

HADITH Sahih Muslim [41:6985] Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying:
The last hour would not come unless the Muslims will fight against the Jews and the Muslims would kill them until the Jews would hide themselves behind a stone or a tree and a stone or a tree would say: Muslim, or the servant of Allah, there is a Jew behind me; come and kill him; but the tree Gharqad would not say, for it is the tree of the Jews.

HADITH Sahih Bukhari [4:52:283] Narrated Abu Juhaifa:
I asked Ali, "Do you have the knowledge of any Divine Inspiration besides what is in Allah's Book?" 'Ali replied, "No, by Him Who splits the grain of corn and creates the soul. I don't think we have such knowledge, but we have the ability of understanding which Allah may endow a person with, so that he may understand the Qur'an, and we have what is written in this paper as well." I asked, "What is written in this paper?" He replied, "(The regulations of) blood-money, the freeing of captives, ******** and the judgment that no Muslim should be killed for killing an infidel." *********

HADITH Sunan Abu Dawud [14:2526] Narrated Anas ibn Malik:
The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: Three things are the roots of faith: to refrain from (killing) a person who utters, "There is no god but Allah" and not to declare him unbeliever whatever sin he commits, and not to excommunicate him from Islam for his any action; and jihad will be performed continuously since the day Allah sent me as a prophet until the day the last member of my community will fight with the Dajjal (Antichrist). The tyranny of any tyrant and the justice of any just (ruler) will not invalidate it. One must have faith in Divine decree.

© Religion of Peace

KORAN: http://www.hti.umich.edu/k/koran/
HADITH: http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/reference/searchhadith.html

[thoughtomator]

Thank you, Tom Tancredo.

[softwarecreator]

LOL, the ACLU is standing by to help them right?

The ACLU would wet themselves to get this type of case.

[solzhenitsyn]

What a complete hypocrite! Not so long ago, Mohammed Sayyed Tantawi was calling for his fellow Muslims to go to Iraq and fight the American agressors.

The guys with the guns and bombs are the little terrorists. The big terrorists are the guys like Mohammed Sayyed Tantawi who brainwash the little guys about how evil we are. Incidentally, as the head of Al Azhar, MST is perhaps Islam's most influential religious leader. He's a viper. As I recall, he was appointed to his position by Hosni Mubarak. If Mr. Mubarak were any "friend" of ours, he would have removed Tantawi when that man called for his coreligionists to go to Iraq and murder its liberators.