"Gaza Islamists uproot statue for Arab dead," from Reuters:
GAZA - Radical Islamists in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip destroyed a cement statue, long considered a symbol of Palestinian hopes for statehood, because they see the depiction as a violation of strict religious laws.
Still quite symbolic of the recent turn of events in Gaza.
A Hamas security source said those who attacked the statue were members of the so-called radical Salaf group, which abides by strict religious edicts. ‘The whole issue is under investigation. We do not agree with what happened,’ the Hamas security source said.
The presence of radical Islamist groups in Gaza has grown recently. Some say they follow the lead of Al Qaeda.
[...]
For many Palestinians, the cement statue for the Unknown Soldier has been a symbol of the Arab fight against Israel. It was erected during Egyptian rule in Gaza in the 1950s but was destroyed by Israel. Arafat rebuilt it in the 1990s.
The Gaza City statue stood as memorial to Palestinian and Egyptian soldiers killed in the fight against Israel in the 1948 Middle East war. It is a focal point for officials and ordinary Palestinians, especially during national holidays.
But radical Muslims say statues are sacrilegious because ‘non-believers’ who pre-date Islam used to worship them as idols instead of worshipping God.
The press assumes people behaving in this manner must be "radical." Actually, Muhammad expressly forbade graven images:
Narrated Abu Talha: I heard Allah's Apostle saying; "Angels (of Mercy) do not enter a house wherein there is a dog or a picture of a living creature (a human being or an animal)." - Sahih Bukhari 004.054.448
Abu Talha reported: I heard Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: Angels do not enter the house in which there is a dog or a statue. - Sahih Muslim 24.5250
At least a cement statue feels no pain-unlike living creatures thrown from rooftops in Gaza.
Am pleased HAMAS are exposing themselves for what they are-murderous ,seventh century Bigots.
Not to mention CRAZY NUT JOBS!
One bright spot: a couple of years of this will cure any desire for pure Islam by any regular Gazan
By the same token they should not enter any toilets where the picture of a man/woman appears on the door. Hmmm... interesting dilema, sooner or later they will blow up being full of.... you know what.
Way to go Hamas! Now the palestinians have their very own Taliban.
It is fitting that the statue of the " Unknown Soldier" is destroyed. islamist do not have soldiers in the ways we in the West believe "Soldiers" fight and behave. Muslims islamist soldiers do not have a
army clothes, but fight among civilians wearing civilian clothes and with masks on their faces. There are no Arab/muslim country that will face Israel head on in any fight. Islamist fight in ambush and cowardly retreat when they get their big bang resulting in carnage among innocents. The statue of the "Unkown Soldier" is too much of a symbal for bravery. Let the Gazans sink low with Hammas and let them live the life of misery led by the terrorists they have freely elected. Let them take repsonsiblity for what they freely gave away.
Now that they have driven the fatah "moderates" out of gaza, how long before one faction of hamas, maybe more "militant" or more "muslim", or more "taliban" than the others tries to become top dog?(can you say that?...top banana...) They will soon begin fighting amongst each other, we should arm them well, fence them in, and wait for the shooting to stop, kill off any left standing, and be done with them.
This is a Demonstration Project of mass-man on Islam. It may not last forever, but the possibility of such behavior, and such attitudes, reasserting themselves at any point, if there are a sufficient number of Believers around, and if they deem themselves powerful enough to behave this way, is present wherever large numbers of Muslim Believers, in Dar al-Islam or in what is still Dar al-Harb, can be found.
Lessons are to be drawn.
"But radical Muslims say statues are sacrilegious because ‘non-believers’ who pre-date Islam used to worship them as idols instead of worshipping God."
Of course there is much more meaning to worship the stones in the Kaaba.
If they didn't have so much blood dripping from them it would be like Monty Python...
if they didn't have so much blood dripping from their hands it would be like Monty Python..
Ooops! never press the submit button instead of the preview button :)
"The press assumes people behaving in this manner must be "radical."
....people assume the press actually knows about Islam.....
...both assumptions are flawed...
No dogs either? Is that because "dog" is "god" spelled backwards? I.E. dogs are "the anti-Allah?" Does the ASPCA know about this?
@Un:dhimmi
Have you seen the Life of Brian?
I think parts of the film can be seen as a parable on the situation in Israel.
Romans = Israel
wacky resistance groups killing each other = Pallies
see also:
http://www.epicure.demon.co.uk/whattheromans.html
Christianity has a similar commandment, at least in the Protestant bibles: thou shalt not make any graven image, but it's talking about an image of GOD. That Hamas could equate a fallen soldier with an idol is mind boggling. But then again, the Taliban did something similar with ancient Buddha statues. They committed a crime against humanity when they destroyed those priceless works of art.
Where does Keith Ellison stand on all of this? Our Capitol is filled with historical objects and busts and carvings of various congressional leaders throughout our history. Can we expect the "secular" Muslims to respect our history or would even the portrait of George Washington be destroyed? How about the Lincoln Memorial? Imagine if they could get to Mount Rushmore!
What is a "radical muslim"? What is an "Islamic extremist"? How are their beliefs different from what mainstream Muslims believe?
These terms are the hateful, bigoted words of an ethnocentric West, a West that cannot fathom any religion or creed that disagrees with the current moral fads and fantasies.
Stop telling muslims what they believe. Stop telling muslims that Islam is a "religion of peace." Stop holding the ladder and driving the getaway car for the terrorists.
Why would Hamas object to someone worshipping the Unknown Soldier? Don't they idolize their martyrs? Is there a difference between that statue and the many killer videos that Muslims go ape over?
So can you enter a house to kill some one if their are statues and pictures or do you have to wait out side?
I
First you kill the statue, then you kill the people. But you knew that, you were just testing us...
"..Radical Islamists in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip destroyed a cement statue, long considered a symbol of Palestinian hopes for statehood.."
Yes, and destroyed, once and for all, any hope for statehood.
Go ahead and trash the place. I'll get out my violin.
Well the news of Hamas in Gaza keeps on rolling out to us. Have they stopped the executions yet, or are they waiting for the second act?
I'm sure that Gaza will end up being another Hellhole when fundamentalist Islam takes completely hold there.
Par for the course. As the jihad advances, the signs of culture and civilization vanish. You won't believe me, but afghanistan once had majestic buildings and massive plantations. Also, Persia (now iran) was a land rich in monuments. We all know the state of these two places that fell, er, I beg your pardon, "rose" to be islamic.
Idolatory is haram. Artistry is haram. Statues are haram. Image making is haram. allahu akbar.
Islam = a mental desert...