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With great sorrow I must inform you that Tashbih Sayyed, a courageous foe of the global jihad, has passed away.
After a long career at Pakistan Television, Tashbih's differences with the Zia ul-Haq regime in Pakistan (which gave the Islamization of Pakistan its first great boost) led him to come to the United States, where he founded two newspapers, Pakistan Today and Muslim World Today, and wrote eight books, including Mohammad – A Secularist's View. He appeared in documentaries including Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West. He was the President and founder of The Council for Democracy and Tolerance, an adjunct fellow of the Hudson Institute, and a member of the Jihad Watch Board.
Tashbih was insightful, humorous, and above all, fearless in his opposition to the jihad ideology of Islamic supremacism. Despite numerous threats and a relentless barrage of insults and personal attacks, he kept on trying to awaken the world to the magnitude of the threat we face, never trimming his truth-telling to fit current fashion.
He was a dear friend, and he will be greatly missed.
May his memory be eternal.
Posted by Robert at May 24, 2007 5:02 AM
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How did he die?
Posted by: Jason![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jihadwatch.org/nav-commenters.gif)
at May 24, 2007 5:36 AM
My condolences on the loss of your friend Robert.
Posted by: Cornelius at May 24, 2007 6:23 AM
My sympathy to the family and friends of Tashbih.
Some of Tashbih Sayyed's articles can be found online here and here.
Posted by: Khaybar Oasis at May 24, 2007 6:54 AM
Assalamau Laikum Mr Spencer,
My condolonses to you & the Jihadwatch board on Tashbih passing away. I notice that he was a Sayyed...a dying sect in Pak....as most Sayyed decided to remain in India...and Sayyeds' are renowned to want to only marry in another Sayyeds household....protect the bloodline purity and keep it in the family like...a very muslim trait.
Can you tell me Robert ...if in your view how Tashbih had changed over the years...after settling in the Amerike....was he still a muslim....a wuslim...or would you catogerised him as a Kaffur.
Obviously you trusted him...but did you think it is ever possible for a muslim to completely become a non-muslim....I mean did you ever keep an "eye" on him.
Personally, I couldn't bear to be apart from Allah SWT...although as may well know that I have my own intreptation of what being a muslim really is....that is why I like the term wuslim....because that is where I think I am.
I would appreciate an honest answer to an honest question.
Posted by: Naseem at May 24, 2007 7:00 AM
R.I.P.
A video of Tashbih Sayyed, speaking about 9/11:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7nCORZPB-M
Posted by: DJM at May 24, 2007 7:04 AM
I first read an article by Tashbih Sayyed several years ago. His good sense and clear writing impressed me and I would check in to Pakistan Today to read his updates on Middle East issues.
My condolences to his family and sadness at his passing.
Posted by: carpediadem at May 24, 2007 7:09 AM
My condolences to all those who grieve for him. A truly brave man to come from that region of the world and did what he did.Together with Anwar Shaikh and Ibn Warraq I think his is the voice we should never forget when we face the onslaught of Jihad.
RT
Posted by: RT at May 24, 2007 7:10 AM
I should have added - a brave writer.
Posted by: carpediadem at May 24, 2007 7:11 AM
What of course magnifies the sadness of it all was just how different and excpetional he mamaged to be among the muslim world. He was among the few practicing muslim activists willing to endorse the secualr islam declaration when it came out, was an unapologetic defender of zionism as a noble and respectable cause and was so dedicated in fighting global jihad we even ended up having his work posted on the faithfreedom.org site which normally features articles by non and ex-muslims.
His story, from what I've heard, is pretty impressive too. It starts with him being bascically exiled from Pakiland for going agaisnt the grain of the islamaniac nation, then built up his own succesful political/religous magazine, focusing on the islamic world's relationship with the Western one, then lost a huge proportion of his business he spent decades creating simply for defending, among other things, Western policies in the middle east and Israel's right to fight back agaisnt jihad. It is quite a shame he didn't get a chance to introduce and defend his viewpoints to the new generation of muslim youth here who if recent *surveys* indicate are rapidly becoming islamic imbeciles, (thanks once again Saudis!!!).
Posted by: maxwell46&2 at May 24, 2007 8:38 AM
...it takes one to know one, Tashbih Sayyed was a Muslim and was unafraid to speak the truth. Pakistan booted him out for speaking the truth...
...he never changed and neither has Pakistan....
at May 24, 2007 9:06 AM
RIP Mr. Sayyed. If only there were more Muslims like him who truthfully acknowledged and wrote about jihad in Islam. He did his small part in trying to get the Islamic reform ball rolling. Indeed he will be sorely missed.
Posted by: wrathofasma at May 24, 2007 9:09 AM
It is so sad when such a great man as this passes. Tashbih has such great importance to us.
I was just starting to learn of him, that there are people like him too. My prayers go out to Tashbih Sayyed and his family and to all who continue to keep his work alive! To you Robert too! Shalom
at May 24, 2007 9:37 AM
"Obviously you trusted him...but did you think it is ever possible for a muslim to completely become a non-muslim....I mean did you ever keep an "eye" on him."
Hey Naseem, not everyone on this earth is a brainwashed troll....Here's some information for you about how Muslims become non-Muslims, in large numbers.
Sorry to pop your balloon of happiness with your Allah, but to the sane world, this is good news.
And, note in this article how the word America, or in this case, American is spelled. It's apparent that you have no respect for the United States, which is fine, because other than comic relief from the problems the Muhammadites cause everywhere they go, you're not a necessity.
http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2006/05/six_million_african_muslims_le.html
Posted by: Prickzilla at May 24, 2007 9:46 AM
Mr. Sayyed wrote:
"It is mind-boggling to see the Bush administration declaring on one hand that Pakistan is harboring the Islamist terrorists and on the other hand, continue to maintain that the sole Islamic nuclear power is a "vital partner in the global Coalition against terrorism, playing a key role in the diplomatic, law-enforcement, and military fight to eliminate Al Qaeda." South Asia experts believe that the continued U.S. reluctance to place the blame where it truly belongs is causing a lot of grief to the American troops busy fighting the scourge."
This is a very inopportune time to lose this guy.
at May 24, 2007 10:17 AM
RIP
We must continue to fight and let us take a greater devotion to this cause to which he gave struggle and energy. No one really dies unless they do nothing with this life. Tashbih Sayyed faught the secular struggle that is critical for any modern democracy. His struggle is a reaffirmation of those values. As long as people do that his spirit and deeds will never die and it shall be as if he is alive and well.
Posted by: greatcometof1577 at May 24, 2007 10:21 AM
My sincere condolensces to him and his family. His death is a significant blow to the work that true moderate Muslims are carrying out. It was my desire to work with him, sadly this will never happen. May Allah accept him. He was the bravest of the brave of the secular Muslims who had'nt disavowed Islam completely and made an enormous contrbution, that I hope gets recognised.
Posted by: Haidon at May 24, 2007 10:41 AM
A great light has gone out ... Hopefully, everything he wrote will remain accessible. One day, I think, he will be looked upon by Muslims everywhere as one who spoke truth when so many others lied, one who was brave when so many others were spineless, one who stood when most cowered. One day Pakistanis will realize he was one of the country's greatest sons.
May the longtime sun shine upon you, all love surround you ...
May the pure light within you guide you all the way Home.
Posted by: Morgaan Sinclair at May 24, 2007 12:08 PM
Tashbih Sayyed was a great man who will be sorely missed by all who cherish freedom. His wisdom and honour were beyond compare. Truly, may his memory be eternal!
Posted by: Provoslavni at May 24, 2007 1:09 PM
This is distressing news indeed.
I did not have the privilege of meeting Mr. Sayyed, and I greatly regret that such an opportunity could not present itself earlier. I came to know of him when I saw the online proceedings of the Secular Islam Summit, and I was very impressed with his courage and intellect, to say the least.
When I spoke to one of the organisers shortly after the event, she used to relay stories as to what a great man he was. At one of the conferences held by the Center for Inquiry some years ago, in what came to be a gathering of panelists of what may be thought of as the proto-Secular Islam Summit, Mr. Sayyed held the rapt attention of the audience for hours with his brilliant witticisms, incredible humour and fearsome intelligence.
There are very few people who truly understand the scope and severity of the Islamic threat: Ibn Warraq, Miss Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Mr. Robert Spencer etc. Mr. Tashbih Sayyed was another such person; his courageous example will always continue to be an inspiration to those of us seeking to eliminate the dark ideology of jihad.
My deepest condolences to his family and friends.
Posted by: Adil at May 24, 2007 1:30 PM
Robert I'm sorry for the loss of your friend.
It is always devastating when the world loses an insider who fights the scourge of Islam.
God bless his soul and may we be fortunate enough to find another like him to take up the cause from within.
Posted by: The fanatic at May 24, 2007 2:41 PM
Blessed is the Judge of truth, the “righteous Judge.”
The prophet Zechariah, speaking the word of the Lord, proclaimed to the people (8:16-17): “Speak the truth (Dabru emet) to one another; render true and perfect justice in your gates. And do not contrive evil against one another, and do not love perjury, because all those are things I hate.”
After we filmed one of his now legendary speeches, Dr. Sayyed warned me that if Jews continue their complacency and not stand-up to defend their/Israel's reputation, they'll lose humiliatingly, further emboldening Islamist bullying against the world.
May his legacy serve as a rallying call to us all.
Re-experience his spirit and inspiration.
Democast.TV
Democast.Net
at May 24, 2007 2:53 PM
Tashbih was the first man I met who truly explained the meaning of Jihad. He also taught me about the possibility of peace. I loved him as a dear friend and I will miss him terribly. The American Jewish Congress awarded him with the Louis Brandeis Award for being a true hero to America and Israel. His video is on the democast link above. I beg you to watch this man of valor. He was a dapper, polite, gentleman who ws one of the kindest people I knew. I will miss him terribly, and hope that all of us who adhere to the values of western civilizaton will continue to work on the legecy he has left us. We have a big void now, and we need to fill it as best we can with his widsom, values, and dreams. Goodbye my dear friend, I will never forget you.
Allyson xo
at May 24, 2007 11:29 PM
Correction, The Award was for "Profiles In Courage" and He was a very courageous man.
Posted by: allysonrt at May 24, 2007 11:55 PM
May his spirit rest in peace.
Posted by: YshaYahuw at May 25, 2007 1:51 AM
I am deeply saddened over the passing of my very dear friend and colleague, Tashbih Sayyed. Tashbih’s insights, firm moral principles and courage to speak out, unaffected by hostility and threats, inspired all of us fortunate enough to have known him. His unpretentious manner, warmth, great sense of humor, and unwavering commitment touched our lives in countless ways. With his unexpected passing at just 64, a beacon of light has gone out. We who were blessed with the glow of that light will do all we can to keep his work and vision alive. Tashbih, we love you and will miss you so very much. You will live on in our hearts forever, you made the world a better place.
Here is a video portion of Tashbih's acceptance speech to the media upon receiving a "Profile in Courage" Award in September, 2006, from the American Jewish Congress, Los Angeles, Ca. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7736878201517462306&hl=en
Posted by: MI at May 25, 2007 3:01 PM
Voices like Tashbih are much needed in this time. Condolences to all who loved him during this difficult time.
Posted by: yadayada at May 29, 2007 1:20 PM
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