Al-Azhar Grand Sheikh outraged at being depicted in Christian garb: "Tolerance has its limits"

I agree with Tantawi: tolerance has its limits.

So let's stop tolerating Muslims.

Well, then, I wonder what sort of fatwa awaits Scrappleface for doing THIS:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_S74ZDa2EA

Well, then, I wonder what sort of fatwa awaits Scrappleface for posting the video of Zawahiri sending Christmas greetings. Heh.
Go to youtube, and type Zawahiri Christmas Greeting and then sit back and read all the comments!
I tried to post the link, but no go.

this is surrealist

Jewel--

I pushed the comment with the link through-- I'm surprised it got snagged in the system with just one link.

Anyway, it made me laugh out loud, particularly where the subtitles and gestures line up.

Back on topic, I bet smoke comes out of Tantawi's ears when you call the thing on his noggin a "Santa hat."

Excerpted from an article by Andrew Bostom:

"My forthcoming book The Legacy of Islamic Antisemitism includes extensive first time English translations of Tantawi’s academic magnum opus, Jews in the Koran and the Traditions. Tantawi wrote these words in his 700 page treatise rationalizing Muslim Jew hatred:

[The] Koran describes the Jews with their own particular degenerate characteristics, i.e. killing the prophets of Allah [Koran 2:61/ 3:112], corrupting His words by putting them in the wrong places, consuming the people’s wealth frivolously, refusal to distance themselves from the evil they do, and other ugly characteristics caused by their deep-rooted lasciviousness…only a minority of the Jews keep their word {Koranic citations here]….[A]ll Jews are not the same. The good ones become Muslims {Koran 3:113], the bad ones do not.

Tantawi was apparently rewarded for this scholarly effort by being named Grand Imam of Al-Azhar University in 1996, a position he still holds. These are the expressed, “carefully researched” views on Jews held by the nearest Muslim equivalent to a Pope—the head of the most prestigious center of Muslim learning in Sunni Islam, which represents some 90% of the world’s Muslims. And Sheikh Tantawi has not mollified such hatemongering beliefs since becoming the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar as his statements on “dialogue” (January 1998) with Jews, the Jews as “enemies of Allah, descendants of apes and pigs” (April 2002), and the legitimacy of homicide bombing of Jews (April 2002) make clear.

Tantawi’s statements on dialogue, which were issued shortly after he met with the Chief Rabbi of Israel, Jacob Lau, in Cairo, on December 15, 1997, provided him another opportunity to re-affirm his ongoing commitment to the views expressed about Jews in his Ph.D. thesis:

…anyone who avoids meeting with the enemies in order to counter their dubious claims and stick fingers into their eyes, is a coward. My stance stems from Allah’s book [the Koran], more than one-third of which deals with the Jews…[I] wrote a dissertation dealing with them [the Jews], all their false claims and their punishment by Allah. I still believe in everything written in that dissertation. [i.e., Jews in the Koran and the Traditions, cited above]

Unfortunately, Tantawi’s antisemitic formulations are well-grounded in classical, mainstream Islamic theology. The Koranic depiction of the Jews—their traits as thus characterized being deemed both infallible and timeless—highlights, in verse 2:61 (repeated in verse 3:112), the centrality of the Jews “abasement and humiliation”, and being “laden with God’s anger,” as elaborated in the corpus of classical Muslim exegetic literature on Koran 2:61, including the hadith and Koranic commentaries. The terrifying rage decreed upon the Jews forever is connected in the hadith and exegeses to Koran 1:7, where Muslims ask Allah to guide them rightly, not in the path of those who provoke and must bear His wrath. This verse is in turn linked to Koranic verses 5:60, and 5:78, which describe the Jews transformation into apes and swine (5:60), or apes alone (2:65 / 7:166), having been “…cursed by the tongue of David, and Jesus, Mary’s son” (5:78). Moreover, forcing Jews, in particular, to pay the Koranic poll tax “tribute,” (as per verse 9:29) “readily,” while “being brought low,” is consistent with their overall humiliation and abasement in accord with Koran 2:61, and its directly related verses.

An additional much larger array of anti-Jewish Koranic motifs build to a denouement (as if part of a theological indictment, conviction, and sentencing process) concluding with an elaboration of the “ultimate sin” committed by the Jews (they are among the devil’s minions [Koran 4:60], accursed by God [Koran 4:47]), and their appropriate punishment: If they do not accept the true faith (i.e., Islam), on the day of judgment, they will burn in the hellfire (Koran 4:55). As per, Koran 98:6: “The unbelievers among the People of the Book and the pagans shall burn forever in the fire of Hell. They are the vilest of all creatures”

However, understanding and acknowledging the Koranic origins of Islamic antisemitism is not a justification for the unreformed, unrepentant modern application of these hateful motifs—with predictably murderous consequences—pace Tantawi. Within days of the Netanya homicide bombing massacre on a Passover seder night, March 27, 2002, for example, Sheikh Tantawi issued an abhorrent endorsement (April 4, 2002) of so-called “martyrdom operations,” even when directed at Israeli civilians.

And during November, 2002 (“Tantawi: No Antisemitism” Associated Press 11/19/2002), consistent with his triumphant denial, Sheikh Tantawi made the following statement in response to criticism over the virulently antisemitic Egyptian television series (“Horseman Without a Horse”), based on the Czarist Russia forgery, “The Protocols of the Elders of Zion”:

Suppose that the series has some criticism or shows some of the Jews’ traits, this doesn’t necessitate an uproar…The accusation of antisemitism was invented by the Jews as a means to pressure Arabs and Muslims to implement their schemes in the Arab and Muslim countries, so don’t pay attention to them

Finally, just this past January 22, 2008, it was reported that Tantawi cancelled what would have been an historic visit to the Rome synagogue by Ala Eldin Mohammed Ismail al-Ghobash, the imam of Rome’s mosque. The putative excuse for this cancellation was Israel’s self-defensive stance—a blockade—in response to acts of jihad terrorism (rocket barrages; attempted armed incursions) emanating from Gaza. The Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, commenting aptly about these events, observed that the cancellation proved, “…even so called Muslim moderates share the ideology of hate, violence and death towards the Jewish state.” Al Azhar, Corriere della Sera, further argued, which in the absence of a central Muslim authority constituted a “Vatican of Sunni Islam,” had in effect issued “a kind of fatwah.” The paper concluded by noting that “What the Cairo statement really means is that Muslim dialogue with Jews in Italy is only possible once Israel has been eliminated.”

Tantawi’s case illustrates the prevalence and depth of sacralized, “normative” Jew hatred in the contemporary Muslim world. Arguably Islam’s leading mainstream cleric, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar University, Sheikh Muhammad Tantawi, embodies how the living legacy of Muslim anti-Jewish hatred, and violence remains firmly rooted in mainstream, orthodox Islamic teachings, not some aberrant vision of 'radical Islam.'”

He's wearing Christian clothing? I need to get out more, because I've never attended a church where the pastor/minister looked anything like that. Has anyone been to a Christian church where the minister dressed like that? I would run for the door if my pastor ever came out looking like this guy.

Instead he will incite the mob and sit back and pretend that Islam is the religion of peace.

So, depicting Christians and Jews as apes and pigs, or publishing political cartoons of Jews with blood dripping from their mouths is fine, but and image of Al-Azhar Grand Sheikh "in Christian garb" is a great outrage?

"Tolerance has its limits" Yes, indeed.

Which is of greater shame, being depicted in the garb of a Christian cleric, or your brethren being found hiding dressed as a Muslim woman? Oh, Grand Sheikh, your piety is vanity! What color is your burka?

Thanks, Marisol. The first time I saw this, I laughed so hard, and thought, This has gotta piss 'em off but good. Sheer genius. As for the Christian garb, maybe he was wearing a What would Jesus Do? bracelet, or a John 3:16 T-shirt. I, myself have a big black t shirt that says in Arabic and English Lan Astaslam/I will not submit.
Pretty lame, I realize. But Allahpundit used to have a T shirt commemorating the 6 Day War that said, "Six Days, Bitch!" Which I now wish like hell I would have bought.
Humor. It's lost on them.

Superimposing faces on other people's bodies is fun, and in some cases, an improvement.

(Note to fellow JW'ers: I would appreciate my face on Angelina Jolie's body.)

Anyhow, Robert looked really hot as Darth Vader (which was done by Muslims), so what's the big deal?

For Boggarts, the Riddikulus charm is required.

From Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban:

"'the first question we must ask ourselves is, what is a Boggart?'

Hermione put up her hand. "It's a shape-shifter', she said, 'it can take the shape of whatever it thinks will frighten us most."

'Couldn't have put it better myself,' said Professor Lupin, and Hermione glowed.

'So the Boggart sitting in the darkness within has not yet assumed a form. He does not yet know what will frighten the person on the other side of the door. Nobody knows what a Boggart looks like when he is alone, but when I let him out, he will immediately become whatever each of us most fears."

'This means', said Professor Lupin...'that we have a huge advantage over the Boggart before we begin. Have you spotted it, Harry?'...
'Er - because there are so many of us, it won't know what shape it should be?'

'Precisely...It's always best to have company when you're dealing with a Boggart. He becomes confused...

'The charm that repels a Boggart is simple, yet it requires force of mind. You see, the thing that really finishes a Boggart is *laughter*.

'What you need to do is force it to assume a shape that you find amusing.

'We will practise the charm without wands first. After me, please - *riddikulus*!' END QUOTE.

I am reminded of Ali Sina's advice that mockery, ridicule, is very powerful against Islam. Do NOT 'respect' it or flatter it: mock it! Laugh at its many absurdities.

Laughter cuts the pompous, the arrogant, the baselessly proud, right down to size. Why else would Islam express - explicitly - such fear of laughter?

Of course, this applies, I would think, most properly to the Mohammedan Boggarts of the Stealth Jihad, who are - at present - not in a position to apply open violence directly.

When going up against the Mohammedan equivalent of Dementors, however, one requires something stronger.

The man is a self-important sanctimonious ass.

And yes, I agree, he deserves to be laughed out of court.

Is it just me, or do this man's eyes have the characteristic features of a mongoloid idiot? (Medical term - no offense either to Mongols or to idiots.) No doubt this is due to mental degeneration from thousands of years of Arab inbreeding (thanks to jdamn for some super links on this fascinating subject).

Eastview - Are you referring to Down's Syndrome? The earlier (non PC) term was a reference to the eye folds of the individual.

Having worked in the special education field for 10 years; no, this fine example of an Islamic scholar does not suffer from Down's Syndrome. As to being inbred, if you can pick up a copy of the book "Not Without My Daughter, you can form your own opinion of the prevalence of inbreeding in Iran.

Don't watch the ABC movie of the same name. It is a very fine movie, starring Sally Fields, but it does not go into the detail the book does. The book is even more horrifying than the movie.

tansaafl, OK, maybe not Down's syndrome. My comment was a little tongue in cheek, intentionally trying to cast aspersions on his ancestry. But I still maintain there's something scary about his eyes, a peculiar "shining" about them that one also sees in other Islamic fanatics.