Al-Azhar University President justifies Palestinian jihad/martyrdom bombings

Al-Azhar, of course, is the most prestigious and influential institution of higher learning in the Islamic world.

"Ahmad Al-Tayyib, Al-Azhar University President and Former Mufti of Egypt, Justifies Palestinian Suicide Bombings," from MEMRI (thanks to LGF):

Following is an excerpt from an interview with Al-Azhar University President Ahmad Al-Tayyib, former mufti of Egypt, which aired on Al-Mihwar TV on October 10, 2007:
Ahmad Al-Tayyib: We do not permit the killing or terrorizing of peaceful people, when two countries, two armies, or two forces confront one another. This is forbidden, even if the Muslim forces are being defeated. But with regard to Palestine and Israel, this is not the case, and to say otherwise is to confuse things. We are facing a country, which is armed to the teeth with a hellish weapon...

Interviewer: It has lethal weapons.

Ahmad Al-Tayyib: Exactly. We are facing tyranny and oppression, while the world watches from the sidelines. The Palestinians, on the other hand, are defenseless and have nothing, and they want to defend their country, their faith, and their homeland. The only method they have is [martyrdom operations], and employing it is very difficult for them. Is it easy for a Palestinian to bring his life to an end? No, it isn't. He too is a human being, who wants to live. What makes him resort to this method? It is not despair, as is claimed by many people who try to interpret martyrdom operations as suicide operation driven by despair. No. That is not true. The Palestinian martyrdom-seeker knows that he is free to go to this operation, in order to please Allah and enter Paradise, in defense of his religion, his country, and his land.

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18 Comments

exsgtbrown | December 4, 2007 6:58 AM

"...Ahmad Al-Tayyib: We do not permit the killing or terrorizing of peaceful people..."

...what a load of horse manure.....The Palestinians routinely fire the point and shoot rockets into school yards, hospitals, civilian neighborhoods, fields, highways, and other areas....the only purpose of a rocket is to kill and destroy....The Palestinians routinely target Non Muslims for assassinations, bombings, kidnappings, extortion, rape, assaults, intimidations, and even forced conversions...his idea of a "peaceful people" must mean those bow before him, pay jizyah, and accept a tortured dhimmi status...

...I refuse...thank God , I am an infidel...Ban Muslim Immigration....

flowerknife_us | December 4, 2007 7:00 AM

Right from the pages of the Book 1001 Excuses for doing what we do. OK, so the Palestinians have a special excuse. What about the thousands of others?

Aunt Bea | December 4, 2007 7:32 AM

The Palestinian martyrdom-seeker knows that he is free to go to this operation, in order to please Allah and enter Paradise, in defense of his religion, his country, and his land. from the article

Conversation over, the Palistinians already have a country. The state department can go on Christmas vacation.

I am so glad the fathers of my country didn't need someone else to 'create' a country for me to be born into freedom.

awake | December 4, 2007 8:27 AM

Ahmad Al-Tayyib:
"The Palestinians, on the other hand, are defenseless and have nothing, and they want to defend their country, their faith, and their homeland."

Huh? Defenseless?

Ahmad Al-Tayyib:
"The only method they have is [martyrdom operations], and employing it is very difficult for them."

Hey, give a jihadist a break. Successful uicide bombings are hard work.

Ahmad Al-Tayyib:
"It is not despair"

No? What about social disaffection, poverty or even boredom?

Ahmad Al-Tayyib:
"The Palestinian martyrdom-seeker knows that he is free to go to this operation, in order to please Allah and enter Paradise, in defense of his religion, his country, and his land."

This man is OBVIOUSLY a grave misunderstander of Islam. Suicide [bombings] is strictly forbidden in the Qur'an.

Clay Marley | December 4, 2007 9:04 AM

So it's OK for the Palestinians but not for everyone else?

TheReligionofPeace.com tracks terrorist events since 911. There have been Islamic terrorist killings in 2354 cities representing 61 countries since 911.

Of the killings tracked, those in Israel and the Palestine Authority account for only about 4%.

Sneakyzionistcrusader | December 4, 2007 9:14 AM

"Ahmad Al-Tayyib: We do not permit the killing or terrorizing of peaceful people, when two countries, two armies, or two forces confront one another. This is forbidden, even if the Muslim forces are being defeated. "

Since when have Muslims not killed and terrorized innocent people?

ebonystone | December 4, 2007 9:44 AM

Since when have Muslims not killed and terrorized innocent people?
Posted by: Sneakyzionistcrusader

There were a couple of days back in 1351. To celebrate the ravages of the Black Plague in Europe, where tens of millions had died and more were dying, the Caliph declared a week-long holiday from kaffir-killing. The holiday actually lasted only two days: some Christians in Egypt rang their church bells in honor of the holiday, and, well, the Moslems just couldn't restrain themselves at this insult from the uppity kaffirs: they killed the priest and the bell-ringers. With that, the holiday collapsed and the Moslems resumed the usual rate of kaffir-killing.
Some Moslem scholars at the time believed that the Black Death was Allah's judgement against the kaffirs, but that he was displeased by this violation of his Caliph's truce, so he ended the plague early and allowed the Europeans to survive, to continue to be a menace to the Moslems. If only the Moslems had obeyed the Caliph's command for the whole week, Allah would have allowed the disease to run its course until every last European, Christian and Jew alike, had been killed, and the continent opened to Moslem settlement.

special_guest | December 4, 2007 10:04 AM

The President of the most prestigious and influential institution of higher learning in the Islamic world said:

The Palestinian martyrdom-seeker knows that he is free to go to this operation, in order to please Allah and enter Paradise, in defense of his religion, his country, and his land.

...taken out of context...bla bla bla...the Zionists invaded Muslim lands...bla bla bla...you're an Islamophobe for quoting this...bla bla bla...lying Zionist reporter...bla bla bla...uneducated, starving, desperate "Palestinians"...bla bla bla...Islam forbids violence against all innocent people...bla bla bla...etc. ad infinitum.

But he said it. Clearly and definitively.

dgene | December 4, 2007 10:17 AM

Lies, damned lies, and then, what's the other ?

Oh yes, islamic lies.

But then, we would get similar crap from our own 'academics'.

To quote Blake: Expect poison from standing waters (the very condition of most universities).

Over here we see fools in the populace, the press, the government following the fools at the institutions of higher (or in the case of the Saudi-funded - 'hire') learning.

Another fool on the other side of the struggle of our times.

One sometimes wonders whether there is any sensible persons or groups to reach out to on the other side, or whether this is a fight to the death.

The goal: we win, they lose.

Chris of Dangerous Logic | December 4, 2007 11:27 AM

You see what he did there? He completely hand-waved over his minor premise - that there are no peaceful people in Israel.

Paraphrased:

Major premise: Quran prohibits Muslims from killing 'peaceful people.'

Conclusion: Suicide bombing of any Israeli within range is acceptable.

Therefore, his minor premise must have been "there are no peaceful Israeli [Jews]."

poetcomic1 | December 4, 2007 11:31 AM

dgene-

Fight to the death it is. Only the obliteration of Mecca from the face of the earth (a situation THEY will make thinkable) total subjugation and isolation of political Islam (which at this time is all Islam) will free them of their delusions and free us of their delusions.

Incidentally, Al Azhar is a glorified village madrassah.

Kevin | December 4, 2007 11:37 AM

When students went to this institution of higher learning, did they know that "higher" was being used as a double entendre?

ISLAMSFORLOSERS | December 4, 2007 12:03 PM

What "hellish weapon" does Israel have? The truth?
Yes-that would be hellish indeed for the supreme liars.

FM | December 4, 2007 3:09 PM

This illustrates why there can be no peace between Palestinians and Israel. It is because the cult of Islam cannot accept Jewish Israel existing over once Islamic territory, which is why this ex- Mufti can make Israel an exception for suicide bombing. The Jews won’t leave and are heavily armed so anything goes – makes perfect Islamic sense. Hence the Palestinians are permanently at war as a matter of their religion and the only way to peace is for Israel to defeat them with such devastation that either the Palestinians are completely eliminated or driven out and there is no Palestinian will to fight – this was how the allies obtained peace with Japan & Germany; they killed so many that the devastated survivors had no will to fight on. The percentage of fatalities would have to be much higher of Palestinians in this case since Israel is dealing with religious fanaticism. The alternative is for Israel to live indefinitely with suicide bombings while both sides only pretend to seek peace while the Palestinian population grows.

I can see only a very bloody future for the Levant.

Alarmed Pig Farmer | December 4, 2007 3:59 PM

...(murder) in order to please Allah...

How come my god (Yaweh) is displeased with murder?

...and enter Paradise...

And how come Yaweh doesn't have an orgy heaven like Allah? Man that would be so cool, if you were good enough to make it in. But, Islam's orgy heaven is an open admission that you have to be bad to be admitted.

...in defense of his religion...

Ain't no religion,it's a belief system replete with military, government administration, and legal system. It's also a criminal enterprise, an evil one at that, so Islam doesn't qualify cuz all religions do good, not bad.

... his country, and his land.

Wasn't this land sold to the in-migrating Jews by the absentee Arab landlords? Are the Bedouin Moslems who were sold out by the absentee Arab Landlords starting to drink their own whiskey? (That's a lawyer's phrase for believing your own bull.)

Robin Starveling | December 4, 2007 4:20 PM

There is something else about this Muslim apologetic justifying suicide terror against Israel. It does not explain why their overwhelmingly powerful enemy has not yet exterminated the Palestinians. Where is the Muslim recognition of this forbearance and doesn't it offer an opening to compromise and peace?

Goob | December 4, 2007 8:30 PM

Why do they get to choose martyrdom and not us? Can't we give them martyrdom as a gift?

profitsbeard | December 4, 2007 9:12 PM

Any "religion" that approves of terrorism is Terroristic madness itself.

Back to Mecca with the lot of these maniacs.

They can stew in their psychopathia there until it cures itself.

Or kills itself.

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