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Elias Khoury (Channel 2)
Elias Khoury, the father of George Khoury, the Christian Arab who was murdered last month by Islamic radicals who mistook him for a Jew, has courageously stated the truth: that the Palestinians' jihadist leadership is the worst enemy of the Palestinian people. Of course, the radical Muslims he is addressing would disagree that what they are doing contracts Islam and the Qur'an, but that doesn't diminish the courage and moral clarity of Khoury's remarks.
From the Jerusalem Post:
Elias Khoury, a prominent lawyer from the Galilee who has been living in Jerusalem for 30 years, made his appeal in reaction to the arrest of three young Palestinians who have confessed to the killing of his son. ...In response to the suspects' argument that they committed the murder in order to appease God, Khoury said: "Religious leaders need first and foremost ... to see how these young people are influenced to take religious issues and distort them in the ugliest manner. This contradicts the will of God, the Koran, and Islam because they are taking matters into their own hands."
The father said he was extremely worried by the disrespect for human life, warning that the killings were destroying the interests of the Palestinians. "There is a complete loss of human values," he stressed.
"My message first of all to the religious leaders, the Palestinian leadership, Palestinian society, and to all the enlightened who still value human life in Palestinian society is that they must all rise, gather their courage and say 'Enough is enough.'"
Khoury called for an end to incitement by the Palestinian Authority. "We must begin educating our children and these young people about the right path which has respect for human life. We must teach them how a political culture should exist and how law and order should be observed and maintained," he said.
"These people are committing crimes and damaging Palestinian interests and the religion which they claim to represent or to serve. We need Islamic leaders who will rise and say these things in a loud and clear voice. By staying silent, they only damage Islam and Palestinian society."
Posted by Robert at April 26, 2004 9:47 AM
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Did Mr. Khoury speak up before he son was so brutally mowed down by these animals? I wonder. I am sorry for his loss, but rational Palestinians should have dealt with this problem on their own.
As for asking the clerics, scholars and other leaders to speak up to do something about this is akin to sending the fox into the henhouse. If there are moderate voices to be heard, I haven't heard from or about them, and until I do, they are all painted with the same brush of radicalism. Sorry.
Posted by: epg at April 26, 2004 10:15 AMWhat's this? A call for enlightened self-interest? The Palestineans will never go for it. It will take more than one voice to change decades of ignorant, self-destructive behavior.
Posted by: basil at April 26, 2004 10:16 AMThey will probably respond to him by saying that as a Christian, it is 'chutzpah' (though they won't use that word) for him to tell them what Islam is or what the Koran is. Christians used to be the majority in places like Beit Lechem (Bethlehem), but over the years their numbers have decreased because of repression by Moslems; and they have left. People like Hanan Ashrawi are being used by the PA to show the world how 'tolerant' they are to the Christians. When terrorists were holed up in the church in Beit Lehem, they desecrated the place but the priests were too scared to make any complaints. Christians still living under the PA rule are too scared to say anything.
Posted by: Chaya Eitan at April 26, 2004 10:17 AMThere's no hope for the Palestinians. They live in a constant state of "victimization". Their leadership and their people as a whole cynically point the finger at everyone but themselves. They perpetuate acts of violence and terrorism, with the full knowledge of an Israeli overreaction. They hide behind women, thrust their children in fire zones, hide their weapons in mosques - in order to promote their "victim" status. It is a sick society. In 2000 PM Barak offered to the Palestinians a homeland that gave them 75 percent of Jerusalem, 97 percent of the occupied territories back, and 30 billion in payments to refugees. It was considered overly generous. The entire Middle East supported it. Arafat (the egotist) led everybody down a happy path at Camp David, and then inexplicably rejected the proposal, giving no explanation nor offering a counter proposal. Immediately the intifada started up again. Poor, poor Palestinians. Helpless victims to Israeli aggression. They wouldn't have it any other way.
Posted by: JoeIreland at April 26, 2004 10:43 AMAnd, instead of dealing with Barak, they got Sharon.
jay
Posted by: Jay Stevens at April 26, 2004 11:49 AMAnd,after Sharon retires, one hopes the Palis get Bibi...
Posted by: Earl at April 26, 2004 11:58 AMMr. Khoury should start first, with his own backyard, in Israel. He should make sure his Muslim neighbors, who reside as Israeli Arab citizens, repect the land they live in, and not help harbour the ciminals who shot his son to death. He should make sure, that there is an understanding that to live in Israel, and benefit from the society, one should not align themsleves with the PA. However, we know this is not the case. And let me make note of the fact, that it was stated Mr. Khoury is a "prominent lawyer" in what is called a "racist apartheid state". The people in the PA should realize that this man represents the best of society that allows freedom of speech, education, and thought. He does not sound, nor look like a second class citizen to me.
Posted by: Allyson Rowen Taylor at April 26, 2004 12:26 PMWhen this happened Mr. Khoury did react and was very vocal at the terrorists who murdered his son. Any report I've read he has not minced words for the hurt, anger and humiliation (true humiliation, not the "tribal" kind that is bandied about especially in Arab media) over what his own people did to his son and his family. arafat called to pay his respects and apologize. Big deal. One more family still has a vital son in a too-early grave and is suffering horribly at the hands of their own. They DO still live and work in Israel where the family appreciates freedom and democracy.
Posted by: BJ at April 26, 2004 7:06 PM
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