"This stuff is in your own books!"
It's not enough that al-Qaeda has called Fr Zakaria Botros "one of the most wanted infidels in the world," issuing a 60 million dollar bounty on his head, or that popular Arabic magazines call him "Islam's public enemy #1"; now, as expected, CAIR is getting in on the action, calling for a "national alert" -- as in umma alert, eerily reminiscent of a fatwa -- against him. Apparently his last few shows dealing with Muhammad's questionable sexual habits, including necrophilia -- which I translated here, here, and here -- are irking CAIR, specifically as his words are "embraced by a number of bloggers and Web sites that criticize Islam."
Why do radical Muslims, such as CAIR, hate -- and fear -- Zakaria Botros so? (I first described him and his ministry on NRO; be sure to click on links that go to important video clips of him, with English subtitles, where he makes several impressive demands of Islam). The problem Muslims have with Fr Botros is that they simply cannot refute him: everything he says -- no matter how scandalizing to Islam -- is always based on, often revered, Islamic sources. Moreover, Fr Botros rarely makes any claims about Islam: he only exposes; he only raises questions and then invites Islam's ulema to respond and "clarify" the matter. However, as this story indicates, their response is only to have him censored -- or, for the more radical, killed.
As he always says, however, "This stuff is in your own books! If you don't like it, go burn your books -- you know, the way Caliph Uthman burned all the other contending Korans [there were 7] when he prepared the authoritative version, the one you believe is based on a 'heavenly' Koran!"
Anyone interested in supporting Fr Botros and his mission can do so at his website; here also.
"Broadcast angers Muslims," by Gregg Krupa for the Detroit News, January 30:
Leaders want radio station to stop airing comments by priest they say defame Muhammad.If it wasn't, there would be no Zakaria Botros, as he would've been immediately discredited as a liar and forger. That he's famous, that people listen to him, and want to kill him, all evinces that what he says is, in fact, based on Islamic scriptures and thus not open to debate -- hence the appeal and conversions on the one hand, rabid anger and hate on the other.SOUTHFIELD -- Muslims and interfaith leaders in Metro Detroit are asking a local radio station owner to discontinue broadcasts in which, they say, a Coptic priest has repeatedly defamed the Prophet Muhammad over the past year.
In an Arabic-language broadcast Wednesday on WNZK 680/690 AM, the Rev. Zakariah Boutros said the Muslim prophet Muhammad had engaged in necrophilia and gay sex, according to the Council on American Islamic Relations.
Boutros has previously come under fire from area Muslims, who say he disparages Islam. The controversial, American-based priest can be heard on purchased time slots on radio stations internationally. His words have stirred controversy in Egypt and Great Britain, and are embraced by a number of bloggers and Web sites that criticize Islam.
Amani Mostafa, who hosts the program "Questions About Faith" on which Boutros spoke Thursday, said Boutros was "reading from an Islamic text" when he said, over the air, that the Prophet Muhammad slept in the grave of a dead woman and allowed a man to kiss and caress his chest.
"I am a former Muslim," said Mostafa, who is now Christian. "I know exactly what I am talking about. These are the things we were taught as children. We are quoting the Quran and the Hadiths, and if the Muslims have a problem with that then they have a problem with their own book."
Hadiths are Muhammad's saying or writings, as reported by his followers.
Muslims say that no such wording appears in the Quran or the Hadiths.
"If that's their excuse, it's lame," said Dawud Walid, of CAIR, which distributed a "national alert" Thursday asking Muslims to contact the radio station to express concerns about the broadcast. CAIR also counseled Muslims to be "firm but polite. Hostile comments can and will be used to further defame Islam and Muslims."
Sima Birach, who owns the station, said he had received some complaints on Thursday, though he said he did not know how many.
In an interview with The Detroit News last summer Birach promised to end the broadcasts, upon the request of interfaith Muslim, Jewish and Christian groups in Metro Detroit.
Birach went so far as to put people associated with Boutros's broadcasts on conference calls with this reporter, while he berated them for allowing what some consider hate speech.
"It's not right," Birach said at the time. "It's not fair to use some fake or stupid books to accuse someone's religion. Do you hear me?" But on Thursday, Birach said he had since heard from "several prominent people in the community," that what Boutros stated in the broadcasts is true.
"Maybe we need to have more meetings," Birach said, referring to members of the Muslim and interfaith communities.
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