Good thing the Saudis are holding that counterterrorism conference, eh? It will help them zero in on the Jews and Christians who are the real terrorists, according to Sheikh Musa Al-Qarni on Saudi TV. Note his repeated references to this posture toward Jews and Christians being fixed in the Qur’an. From MEMRI, with thanks to JC:
‘The Jews and Christians are Allah’s Enemies’
Al-Qarni: “The uproar and the chaos that we see today in the human race — the killing, the acts of aggression, the rape, the robbery, and the disgrace of honor — what causes this is that the banners which are hoisted high are those of the Jews, the Christians, and other religions and faiths, and not the banner of ‘There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is Allah’s Messenger.’
“Let’s have a look at what is written in the Koran. What position must we adopt towards Allah’s enemies? Is it the position we have adopted? First of all, we must be aware of the fact that at present we see that [the West] doesn’t want us even to say the words ‘Allah’s enemies.’ They don’t want us to say that the Jews and the Christians are Allah’s enemies. They don’t want us to say that the Jews and the Christians are the enemies of the Muslims and the enemies of Islam.
“This is fixed and established in the Koran and in the tradition”¦
[…]
Interviewer: “You shouldn’t blame them for this. We are the ones to blame if we agree to change the Koran and the tradition to suit them.”
Al-Qarni: “The terrorists are these Jews and Christians who implement these policies through the use of force, repression, and tyranny, and to this end make use of planes, tanks, and all manner of deadly weapons.”
And here is a bit of what faithful readers of Hugh Fitzgerald’s Jihad Watch columns will recognize as tu-quoque:
Interviewer: “Aisha’s second question [is about whether] Islam spread by the sword. They always say that Islam spread by the sword. How should we respond to them?”
Al-Qarni: “First of all, we ask by what means is the freedom that the U.S. wants spread? The freedom that it wants now to market?”
Interviewer: “Through missiles and bombs”¦”
Al-Qarni: “Through B-50s, bombs that the international community has forbidden, hundred of thousands of armed soldiers — this is how freedom has spread.”
Interviewer: “And we don’t see any freedom. All we see afterwards is subjugation”¦”
And here is a restatement of traditional Islamic theology on making war against those who are seen as impeding the progress of Islam:
Al-Qarni: “At any rate, if we return to our discussion of the heart of the matter”¦ First of all, we must realize that Allah obligated us to disseminate this religion all over the globe. And first, it should be spread through outreach and calling people to Allah’s word, through pleasing words, gently, and through good deeds. Through letting people hear Allah’s words and showing them Islam. However, if we run up against someone who opposes this path and attempts to obstruct the spread of the upright religion and the light, and to obstruct their reaching others — in this case it is a duty to fight such a person. And Allah said: ‘Fight them until there is no more strife and Allah’s religion reigns supreme.’
“We don’t agree with those who disavow this completely and say that the religion [of Islam] doesn’t use the sword. No. Islam uses the sword when there is no other alternative. Therefore wisdom, as the religious authorities say, consists in utilizing each thing in its proper place. If there is need for the sword, then it is wise to use the sword, and if the occasion requires kind words and outreach, then it is wise to utilize them.”