His prediction also matches that of another "Islamist" politician in Egypt, just reported yesterday. Did these guys call each other?
No, what we have is another case of striking uniformity in alleged "misunderstanders" of Islam that are geographically well removed from one another. Funny how that keeps happening. "Muslim Brotherhood leader of Tunisia calls for an end to Israel," from Spero News, May 21 (thanks to Weasel Zippers):
Arab media has reported an interview with Tunisian Muslim Brotherhood leader Rachid Ghannouchi in which he calls for and predicts the end of Israel. According a Muslim World News translation of the interview in the London-based Elaph:
Ghannouchi is developing / has developed a new strategy for post-revolutionary Tunis, and calls it “The jurisprudence of building, economic growth and construction”, and a new political perception of joint work and tolerance between the different political forces Nahda supports the foundation of a democracy, and preserving Tunis. * Ghannouchi praises the role that Qatar played in the Tunisian and Arab revolutions by adopting them in the media; Qatar provided a platform to their spokesmen * Ghannouchi says that the Tunisian revolution is a true popular revolution. He has confidence in it in spite of the attempts to arrouse a counter revolution * In the next four years, the IUMS plans to establish four universities, one Arab speaking in Turkey, and another is the Tunisian defunct Zaytuna. Ghannouchi supports the Libyan revolution, and hopes it succeeds and joins the other successful revolutions *
Ghannouchi maintains that altogether the Arab revolutions are positive for the Palestinians, and threaten to bring Israel to an end. He says that the Palestinian problem lies at the heart of the Nation [umma], and that all the land between the mosque in Mecca and Jerusalem represents the heart of the Islamic Nation, and any [foreign] control over part of this heart is a stamp on the umma’s illness. There is no doubt, he continues, that the revolutions open a new age, in which the regimes which support the West and Israel fall – Egypt, Tunis and soon Libya, Yemen and Syria. The foundations of Western interests in the Arab countries are shaking. Sheikh Ahmad Yassin, he concludes, said that Israel will come to an end prior to 2027; this date looks far, and may be Israel will come to an end sooner.
Earlier posts reported on the return of Mr. Ghannouchi to Tunisia following his long exile in the UK.
An Egyptian news report has identified Rashid Ghannouchi (many spelling variations) as a leader of the Muslim Brotherhood “abroad.” Ghannouchi is the leader of the Tunisian Islamist movement known as Nahada (aka Ennahda, Al Nahda) and can best be described as an independent Islamist power center who is tied to the global Muslim Brotherhood though his membership in the European Council for Fatwa and Research (ECFR) and his important position in the International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS), both organizations led by Global Muslim Brotherhood Youssef Qaradawi. Al-Ghannouchi is also one of the founding members of the World Assembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY), a Saudi organization closely linked to the Muslim Brotherhood and dedicated to the propagation of “Wahabist” Islam throughout the world. Ghannouchi is known for his thinking on the issue of Islam and citizenship rights.
In 1994, scholar Martin Kramer reported on the extremist background of Mr. Ghannouchi. According to that report:
Assuming a valid distinction can be made between Islamists who are “extremist” and “reformist,” Ghannouchi clearly belongs to the first category. Since his last visit to the United States, he has openly threatened U.S. interests, supported Iraq against the United States and campaigned against the Arab-Israeli peace process. Indeed, Ghannouchi in exile has personified the rejection of U.S. policies, even as he dispatches missives to the State Department.
Kramer notes the following statement by Mr. Ghannouchi in which he alleges that Jews are behind a “worldwide campaign against Islam”:....
A quick note that Rachid Ghannoutchi is NOT a Muslim Brotherhood leader. NOR is there a "Tunis" Ikhwaan.
But rather Rachid Ghannoutchi is the founder and leader of 'an-nadah Islamiyah" which, has the same methodology and ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood, but it ISN'T an offshoot of them, you could say it's an "equivilant" of sorts.
Thanks. I've edited the posting.
an interesting bit:
"In the next four years, the IUMS plans to establish four universities, one Arab speaking in Turkey, and another is the Tunisian defunct Zaytuna. "
Is Zaytuna University actually defunct?
Zaytuna University has been held out by some as an example of progressive-modernist Islam (under the previous secularist Tunisian regimes). For example, Lafif Lakhdar received notice as a moderate muslim intellectual for his teaching of tolerance there. He actually seems (ed?) sincerely moderate, but that is a reflection of his-own-private-islam rather than islam-in-general. However that theological moderation is not the same as acceptance of, for example, the right of Israel to exist, as Lakhdar's association with the PFLP and Hawatmeh is hardly political moderation.
I'm not sure where he is now, but he did move to France years ago...
It would be instructive to follow the progress (?) of Zaytuna/Zaitouna/Zitouna as a measure of the islamization of Tunisia.
yusef qaradawi from MEMRI:
http://www.memritv.org/clip_transcript/en/2774.htm
"Zitouna University must be restored to its former status as an Islamic university, not merely a college. It has become the Islamic Zitouna College. It was the first university – even before Al-Azhar. Zitouna University has turned into a place where girls who study Islamic law come without a hijab, wearing short sleeves and mini- and micro-skirts. It has a mixed swimming pool for boys and girls. Zitouna University must be restored to… The hijab must return. At the very least, it should be permissible. "
A 2005 article from GLORIA:
http://meria.idc.ac.il/journal/2005/issue1/jv9no1a3.html
The English language version of the Zaytouna University website seems to have been frozen in the 2005-6 school year.
Odd.
How come the Arab Spring doesn't include Bahrein? Somehow, every Muslim leader seems okay w/ Bahrein being left out of this wonderful turn of events. Just the Shia there?
Iran & Hizbullah, time to step up your meddling in Bahrein, and also stir up unrest in the al Hasa province in KSA, which is Shia, and has much of their oil.
We see some quite peculiar characters returning from exile these days - often it reminds me of Iraq when any dog catcher emerging from hiding fancied himself the new strong man - and again we in Rachid Ghannouchi find an undoubted extremist celebrating the Arab uprisings and talking about "democracy", all the while it should be perfectly obvious that their notion of "democracy" is alien to that of the Western understanding. But political correctness dictates otherwise.
The Iranian ABNA news agency (see posting above) also mentions Rachid Ghannouchi, and at the end is this pompous and contradictory little gem: "...Ghannouchi is reported to have developed a new strategy for post-revolutionary Tunis which he calls "The Jurisprudence of building, economic growth and construction," which embraces a proposal for closer cooperation between different Islamic groups and the establishment of a democratic Tunisia."
*giggle*
"Arab Spring" ...does it smell as nice as Irish Spring? I love the smell of that soap, but it turns my skin into dried out parchment paper - so I switched to Dove.
Seriously now ...
"He says that the Palestinian problem lies at the heart of the Nation" ...
In a nutshell, the Arabs hide behind the "Palestinian problem", when in fact they CREATED this problem in the first place! ...but they peg it on Israel. Arabs are stingy land whores and religious bigots hellbent on stamping out all democratic societies and other religions. Blah, blah, blah - this "muslim leader" is so transparent, and those awake can see right through his evil intent.
Again, clueless Obama wants to come out swinging for regime change in the Arab world, when it turnes out that such regime change is just the same old same old.
They want to get rid of Israel, but if I were a gambling man, I'd bet the farm and my sons' futures that once Israel gets thrown into the sea, the Arab states will still be the same old sinks of strongman posturing, corruption, conspiracy-mongering, and violence.
That's an excellent point. This is the one thing I can recall seeing on why Bahrain was uninvited from the "Arab Spring" party:
http://www.jihadwatch.org/2011/03/lets-make-a-deal-saudis-agreed-to-back-libya-airstrikes-in-exchange-for-muted-us-criticism-of-bahrai.html
These arabs are in over their heads. Remember Nasser, the great arab hope, who was going to destroy the hated zionist entity? I suppose it's time for Israel to give the muslims a harsh reminder.
Arab Sprint will soon turn into Arab Winter in nuke form !
I don't understand these Arabs. It isn't 65 years ago. The Jews are not going to be herded into cattle cars like sheep to slaughter. Israel has nukes and if the Jews get scared enough, I'm sure they will use them.
With you, champ, yet again. Your criticism of the Arabs is right on point, e.g., "stingy land whores and religious bigots." I know of no major people in history more pathetic, dysfunctional and burdensome to the rest of mankind than the Arabs. I do not say this with venom but rather with sad resignation. They are a drag on the human race like no other people.
Arabs in the aggregate should feel overwhelming shame for what they have become (so much of this is due to Islam but tribalism and stupid codes of honor {as opposed to intelligent codes of honor) function as other reasons why). The fact that they don't, again collectively speaking, feel shame speaks volumes about this sorry-ass excuse of the human population and serves as the sine qua none reason why peace in the Middle East remains so elusive.
Hope you and yours are doing well, champ. As always, I enjoy reading your comments. Don't stop them.
@Wellington
"before I was nine I had learned the fundamental canon of Arab life. It was me in opposition to my brother; me and my brother against our father; my family against my cousins and also the clan; the clan against the tribe; and the tribe against the world and all of us against the infidel."
- Leon Uris, 'The Haj'
Hi, Wellington ...thank you! I enjoy your comments as well. And I want to wish you and yours the very best, dear friend :)
As usual, Wellington, these remarks really astute.
Personally, I believe the natural conclusion to the Arab Spring's rise of "the third reich" and its virtually identical aims, almost surely will be soon followed by a major correction of most of the ills you've correctly identified, with a hopefully soon and robust Arab Winter, and land will be far more scarce, after that, especially around the deserts.
My belief is that the arabs are setting themselves up for all time failure, not just setting up Israel, as is their eternal won't.
These muslim doomsday oracles must get a perverse, euphoric thrill from predicting the 'end of Israel'. They've been doing it for over sixty years and Israel is still there and will be there sixty years from now. Good grief, why can't they move on?!
Israel was in existence before most of today's Arab muslims were born and will be there after they are all dead and buried, yet they all live their entire lives obsessing about Israel's destruction. For millions, it is the primary focus of their short, miserable existence. What a pathetic waste.
Irish Spring---We bat potatoes with our shillelaghs over our neighbors fence. (sarc)-----Muslim Spring----They bat somebody's head over a fence. (truth)---Irish Spring---A lovely fragrance after a shower---Muslin Spring---The foul stench of death.
Yes, Israel is still there and will remain forever because she has a Divine benefactor who will see to her foes. And yes, it is a short miserable life for those who choose to rile this benefactor and His people.
Eradicating the Jews is the glue that holds together all the differing and warring sects of islam. Having a common enemy is the great uniter. Many of these islamists now have ties with western leftists/anarchists. Again, the glue that holds them together is the shared belief in the destruction of America and Israel. American unions are in bed with hard core islamists. Demonstrators in Cairo knew about Wisconsin. Undoubtedly, there will be more ugly union confrontations. This "arab spring," is an orchestrated production. Bottom line-in this bizarro world, the bad guys are organized are gaining in strength. We must never let the evil darkness of islam to hide the light of truth and goodness. And, we must stand with Israel.