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.”