| FrontPageMag.com | By Robert Spencer | By Hugh Fitzgerald | Books | Dhimmi Watch | Islam 101 | Qur'an Blog | Raymond Ibrahim | Robert Spencer |  |
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An extraordinarily important report in today's WND comes from the inside of the controversial Florida Islamic conference about which we have written here before. It's a lengthy, detailed, insider's account (and it's just part one) -- read it all, but here are a few highlights:
"Just as a Florida Islamic conference was trying to recover from one media controversy, they were mired in another when Islamic speakers who have voiced support for suicide bombers and referred to Jews as 'Jewish crackers,' 'apes' and 'pigs' freely addressed the crowd and were warmly embraced by conference leaders.
"The speakers addressed the crowd just hours after Islamic leader Dr. Sayed M. Saeed assured media that those present represented 'mainstream' Islam, and radical rhetoric or 'misguided imams' would not be tolerated. The controversial leaders addressed the crowd after all media (except for WND) had left. One addressed the attendees in only Arabic in a separate room. . . .
"Last April, while addressing 2 million followers at the Grand Mosque in Mecca, chief cleric Sheikh Abdul Rahman al-Sudais prayed to God to 'terminate' the Jews, who he called 'the scum of humanity, the rats of the world, prophet killers ... pigs and monkeys.' Al-Sudais also urged Arabs and Muslims to abandon peace initiatives with Israel. His comments were carried worldwide by Reuters and the Associated Press. The racist characterization of Jews was not a singular occurrence, as suggested by some media. Al-Sudais has variously described Jews as 'evil,' a 'continuum of deceit,' 'tyrannical' and 'treacherous.'
"Al-Sudais was listed as a 'specially invited guest' of the conference . . . Following media exposure, al-Sudais' name disappeared from conference materials. Later, Imam Siraj Wahhaj's name also was dropped from a new issue of the program. Wahhaj was deemed a potential unindicted co-conspirator of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and sits on the board of directors of the Islamic Society of North America, or ISNA, and the advisory board of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR.
"On the opening night of the conference, Dec. 19, Dr. S.M. Syeed, secretary general of the ISNA, addressed the controversy directly, with media present.
Syeed said the conference presented and 'extraordinary opportunity' since the public and media are 'waiting to see what we're saying.
"'We would never allow such statements to be made on our stage,' Syeed said. 'That kind of rhetoric has no place in our conference, projects or programs. We need to be sensitive and we should certainly distance ourselves from them.'
"Referring to the prior media controversy, Saeed said, 'This does not represent the Islam mainstream … these misguided imams. …We should clearly announce they are not representing us or the message of the prophet as mercy to mankind.' . . .
"Early the next day, the moderator announced that an address by Egyptian cleric Sheikh Wagdy Ghunaim would be re-scheduled from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The moderator said Ghunaim was 'in town' but was not present at the Silver Spurs Arena. The sheikh had previously referred to Jews as 'monkeys' and 'pigs' during a Brooklyn College conference of the American Muslim Alliance on May 24, 1998. Before leading the audience in anti-Jewish verse, Ghuneim said: 'The Jews distort words from their meanings. ... They killed the prophets and worshipped idols. ... Allah says he who equips a warrior of jihad is like the one who makes jihad himself.'"
Another speaker, Imam Malik, "has previously voiced empathy and support for suicide bombers, denied Muslims were involved in 9-11, characterized the war on terror as a conspiratorial Zionist plot designed to destroy Islam and Muslims, and blamed attacks on affirmative action on 'the rise of the Jewish cracker,' according to media reports and audio/video recordings obtained by WND."
One problem in an otherwise excellent piece was this nuggest of dhimmitude: "Middle East experts told WND that in contradiction to mainstream Islam, which accepts Jews as fellow believers in monotheism, Hamas is characterized by a theological anti-Semitism that regards Israel and Jews as an embodiment of evil in the world that will, in time, be destroyed as part of the divine plan."
Unfortunately, Hamas's view is supported by passages of the Qur'an such as Suras 2:62-5, 5:59-60, and 7:166, all of which depict Jews as "pigs and monkeys." Sura 9:30 says Jews and Christians are under the curse of Allah. Mainstream Islam does recognize Jews as fellow monotheists, but these other aspects are part of it also.
Posted by Robert at January 3, 2004 5:08 PM
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I'm not going to use my real name because I study Islam at a Mosque. However, I'm delighted that someone covered the conference in Kissemmee. The mosque where I study did advertise the conference; however, I couldn't attend as I was in Mexico. I did have the opportunity to cover the Texas Da'wa conference in Houston, Texas. There were three video conferences from Saudia Arabia: Sk.Allama Abdullah ibn Abdur-Rahmaan Ibn Jibreen and Sk. Dr. Muhammad bin abd Al-rahman Al-Arifi, and Sk.Salah As-Saua, American Open University (Wahhabi on-line)(www.open-university.edu). All the speeches were recorded in Arabic and English. However, I don't speak Arabic. The mosque where I study is moderate Salafee (Wahhabi). This conference was very Salafee (Wahhabi). Ibn Wahhab and Sayyid Qutb were thought to be heroes. The bookstore that sold these books was located in Austin, Texas. Ladies and Gentlemen, the militants are among us. When will the Internal Revenue Service stop these bigots from abusing our tax-exempt exemptions,as they did in Canada against the World Muslim League?
Currently, I'm reviewing textbooks that are used in Texas Islamic schools. The Jews are despised. It's like reading "The Learned Elders of Zion". Are there are any other people that are interested in reviewing Islamic school textbooks, please let me know. El Colombiano. Si me quieras comunicar en Espanol, bien se puede.
Posted by: El Colombiano at January 3, 2004 10:30 PMThis very morning, the Friends (of "Fox and Friends") were expressing grave concern about the concept of "profiling." A serious worry was that increasing security activity was leading in the direction of going into mosques to hunt down information about terrorist activity.
The mere fact that mosques are beginning to be watched is encouraging. Perhaps we are slowly getting the picture; little by little, perhaps we are learning the truth about what drives the enemy. Perhaps, as threats continue, we will get real and stop viewing these people and their religion as if they shared our view that LIFE is the "standard of the good," when, in fact, they are death-worshippers.
Ethics 101.
Posted by: Cubed at January 4, 2004 9:55 AMBeing from that part of the world, I do believe what is written in this article. I do know of the Muslims and the Middle-eastern Christians' hatred toward the Jews and Israel. The problem is that we do not know the difference between the Jews and the Zionists. What is going on in Israel is the work of the Zionists. If there is a jew who support such strocities in the name of Yahwee that is done in Israel toward Palestenian, then and only then, they should not be labled pigs, they should be labeled Terrorists.
Posted by: Ghada Michael at January 4, 2004 4:07 PM
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