MEMRI has an illuminating report about the Islamic Affairs Department (IAD) of the Saudi embassy in Washington: “Officials of the Saudi government working at the IAD in Washington, D.C. and its worldwide offices have been mentioned in media reports in 2002 and 2003 for suspected connections with terrorist activities. During the past week, it was reported that the FBI has subpoenaed records and documents of Saudi government bank accounts in the U.S., including accounts from the IAD.”
Also, the IAD presents a vision of Islam at sharp variance with the peaceful, tolerant version purveyed by American Muslim advocacy groups.
A few highlights of the IAD’s presentation of Islam:
Today’s false idols, which dominate over the entire world, are Democracy, Capitalism, Socialism and Communism. Islam instead calls for a Khilafa (Caliphate) based on consultation, and a just economic system based on Zakat and a prohibition of usury.
Hmm. So the Saudi government is calling for restoration of the caliphate, just as radical Muslims are worldwide.
Islam is not a terrorist group as the stereotype would have one believe… We are told that Muslims are terrorists, barbaric and what not. But let us recall what the Christian authorities did… over 12 million people were put to death through the authority of the ‘Inquisitions.’ Such barbaric act has never been committed by any Islamic authority in the history of Islam. Where was the media then and where are they now – let us judge. Who is barbaric, who chops heads?…
Very well. Leaving aside the fact that this 12 million figure is wildly inflated, show me the global network of Christian terrorists operating today and I will concede your point.
The Muslims are Required to Raise the Banner of Jihad in Order to Make the Word of Allah Supreme in this World. . . . The Muslims are required to raise the banner of Jihad in order to make the Word of Allah supreme in this world, to remove all forms of injustice and oppression, and to defend the Muslims. If Muslims do not take up the sword, the evil tyrants of this earth will be able to continue oppressing the weak and [the] helpless…
Where have I heard this before?
The IAD cites several hadiths to support this, including this one:
Narrated Ibn ‘Umar : The Prophet (pbuh) said: ‘Whoever of My slaves comes out to fight in My way seeking My pleasure, I guarantee him that I will compensate his suffering with reward and booty (during his lifetime) and if he dies, I would forgive him, have mercy on him and let him enter Paradise.’
This is one of the Hadith Qudsi, the “holy hadiths” in which Muhammad quotes Allah. They are regarded by Muslim theologians as on a par with the Qur’an as Allah’s word.
And this one:
Narrated Ibn ‘Abbas: Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) said: ‘When your brethren were killed as martyrs in the battle of Uhud, Allah put their souls into some green birds which arrived at the rivers of Paradise, ate from its fruits and took shelter beside lanterns, made of gold, and suspended in the shade of the divine Throne. When they enjoyed eating, drinking and sleeping, they said: ‘Who will convey to our brethren on earth that; (we are alive in Paradise where we are provided with sustenance, so that they would neither renounce fighting in the way of Allah nor retreat at the time of war).’ Allah, the Glorified, said: ‘I shall inform them of you.’
Not only does the IAD glorify violent jihad. It also denigrates Judaism, Christianity, and other religions:
It is our opinion that whoever claims that any religion other than Islam is acceptable, such as Judaism, Christianity and so forth, is a non believer. He should be asked to repent. It is also our opinion that whoever rejects the universal message of Muhammad, (pbuh), rejects the message of all messengers, even if he claims that he believes and follows His Messenger.
The report says:
Verses from the Qur’an are cited to explain the Muslims’ superiority over Christians and Jews: ‘Allah does not accept any other religion from anyone, for He, the Exalted, said: ‘Surely, the true religion according to Allah is Islam…’ [Sura 3:19] Another verse states, “Whoever desires a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted from Him, and in the Hereafter he will be among the losers. [Sura 3:85]
According to the IAD, the Qur’an ‘abrogated all previous revealed books’ such as the Torah and the Gospels’ . . . The IAD cites a series of Qur’anic verses to conclude, ‘By means of the Qur’an, Allah abrogated all the previous revealed books.'” This is traditional Islamic teaching.
The IAD also cites a verse from the Qur’an that says most Jews and Christians are disobedient in their religious beliefs: ‘You [Muslims] are the best of peoples ever raised up for mankind… Had the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) believed, it would have been better for them; among them are some who have Faith, but most of them are disobedient to Allah and rebellious against Allah’s Command.’ [Sura 3:110]
Christians, according to a Qur’anic verse cited by the IAD, made a mistake that amounts to blasphemy: ‘Indeed they do blaspheme who say that Allah is Christ the son of Mary. But Christ said: “O Children of Israel! Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord… Whoever joins other gods with Allah – Allah will forbid him Heaven, and the Fire [meaning Hell] will be his abode. And there will be no-one to help the wrong-doers.”‘ [Sura 5:72] . . .
According to the IAD, only prayers of Muslims are of value: ‘From… Qur’anic injunctions we can conclude that any form of worship that does not conform to Islam is not valid. Any prayer outside Islamic teachings becomes useless because Allah will never accept it… When Allah took a covenant from those who were given the Scripture (Jews and Christians) to make it (the news of the coming of Prophet Muhammad and the religious knowledge) known and clear to mankind, and not to hide it, but they threw it away behind their backs, and purchased with it some miserable gain! And indeed the worst is that which they bought.’ [Sura 3:187] . . .
All this leads straight to the subjugation of non-Muslims as dhimmis. Says the IAD:
Dhimmis are the group most eligible for rights, because they live in an Islamic territory and under the protection of the Muslims, besides the Jizya (head-tax set by Islamic law on Non-Muslims under Muslim rule) they pay to the public treasury… The leader of the Muslims is under strict obligation to provide protection to them and shield them against any sort of potential or actual harm that may befall them.
This is Islamic tolerance. The IAD continues:
It is one function of Islamic law to protect the privileged status of minorities, and this is why non-Muslim places of worship have flourished all over the Islamic world. History provides many examples of Muslim tolerance towards other faiths…
However, the IAD also gives us the rest of the story of this “tolerance”:
Dhimmis must be discriminated from Muslims in their attire. They are not allowed to display any abominable deed or gesture that could go in conflict with Islam such as the cross or bell. Observation of the above mentioned rules promotes amity among Muslims and removes all traces of enmity and hatred.
If you know your place, you’ll get along just fine. Watch those “abominable deeds.”
If you don’t know your place, however, watch out:
Hostile non-Muslims have no right to protection, whatsoever. . . . The covenantee non-Muslims [that is, the dhimmis] have the right to holding us committed to honor the covenant we entered with them so long as they commit themselves to the articles of the agreement, and neither conspire against us nor slander our religion. Allah says: ‘Except those of the Mushrikin with whom you have a treaty… So fulfill their treaty to them to the end of its term…’ But Allah Almighty goes on saying: ‘But if they violate their oaths after they signed the covenant, and attack your religion with disapproval and criticism, then fight the leaders of disbelief… for surely their oaths are nothing to them.’ [Sura 9:12]
There is much more at MEMRI, including the assertion that Islamic polygamy is superior to Western monogamy and an explanation of why “the husband’s rights on his wife are greater than hers over him” and a defense of the Qur’an’s mandate (Sura 4:34) for wife-beating (as long as it is done gently).
UPDATE: Charles Johnson at LGF tells me that the Saudis, evidently watching MEMRI closely, have removed this site, although it still shows up in Google’s cache files.