Six years ago, I wrote about another scandal starring Tariq Ramadan, the scandal of his Boughten Professorship at Oxford. I think now is the appropriate time to re-post it. The defender of the Muslim Brotherhood, founded by his beloved grandfather, Tariq Ramadan is the sweetly sinister taqiyya tosser and Defender of the Faith, possibly to be brought down not because of all that, but because he turns out, according to his accuser, a fellow Muslim (she was once a fervent Salafi who has seen the light) to be guilty of “rape, sexual assault, voluntary violence, harassment, intimidation.” Well, Al Capone was finally locked up, not for extortion or murder, but for tax evasion. Any port in a storm.
If he puts you in mind of Harvey Weinstein, do remember that Harvey Weinstein, unbelievably awful as he is, never threatened the way Tariq Ramadan is said to have threatened the children of his victim (“take it to the children”); nor did he slap anyone around, the way Tariq Ramadan is said to have done. Oh what the hell, let’s think of them as brothers under the skin. Convivencia!
Why should Tariq Ramadan be sentenced according to the laws of French Unbelievers? He deserves the verdict of Muhammad.
Here’s the relevant hadith:
“When a woman went out in the time of the Prophet for prayer, a man attacked her and overpowered (raped) her. She shouted and he went off, and when a man came by, she said: That (man) did such and such to me. And when a company of the emigrants came by, she said: That man did such and such to me. They went and seized the man whom they thought had had intercourse with her and brought him to her. She said: Yes, this is he. Then they brought him to the Messenger of Allah. When he (the Prophet) was about to pass sentence, the man who (actually) had assaulted her stood up and said: Messenger of Allah, I am the man who did it to her. He (the Prophet) said to her: Go away, for Allah has forgiven you. But he told the man some good words (AbuDawud said: meaning the man who was seized), and of the man who had had intercourse with her, he said: Stone him to death.”
Tariq Ramadan, with His Boughten Professorship?
The torturer’s apprentice, or at least his son, Mehdi Hashemi Rafsanjani, is the subject of an Oxford Student article. Many months ago, the news that the London School of Economics had awarded a Ph.D. (or a D.Phil.) to that deep student of the human condition, Seif al-Islam, son of the late Muammar Qaddafy, and that the doctoral dissertation in question was written by others (and the scandal of papers being written, over the last four decades, in universities all over the Western world, for rich Arabs and Persians and Pakistanis, entitles us all to believe that none of those degrees can be taken seriously, that none of those supposedly educated people did their own work, and that they are to be under suspicion until they can prove otherwise, and give evidence of their being educated and — a lesser thing — vocationally trained).
But the greatest scandal of all is the appointment, to fill a chair created, and paid for by some Arab potentate (the waddling emir of Qatar? The mediagenic, hawk-on-hand folkloristic Sultan of Oman? I forget) for the precise purpose of giving a particular propagandist a better perch from which to conduct his sweetly sinister campaign on behalf of Islam throughout the Western world.
That man, with his bought-and-paid-for professorship, is Tariq Ramadan. He’s the grandson of Hasan al-Banna, founder of the Muslim Brotherhood. He offers example after example, in his every public appearance, of Taqiyya and Kitman, of lies and semi-lies, that are piled up so fast, one cannot keep up and rebut each, so even the best prepared debater finds it hard to deal with him. He had, for a time, been teaching in Geneva. But what with Caroline Fourest’s book (Frere Tariq) and his being taken apart in two widely-viewed appearances (one with Nicolas Sarkozy at his best, and the other with Alain Finkielkraut), it was time for Tariq Ramadan to leave the French-speaking world, where too many people had his number, and to light out for the English-speaking territories in Dar al-Harb, that is England, and beyond England the big prize, America. But first he tried the Netherlands. He arranged to have a chair created for him, with Arab money, at a university in the Netherlands. But soon he realized that would never do — he would need to be in England, and necessarily, at Oxford or at Cambridge (though the University of London, that is the SOAS, might do in a pinch).
Tariq Ramadan would not settle for being a lowly lecturer at St. Antony’s College, where for decades the Middle Eastern wing (not the East European and Russian wing, which has always been legitimate) was under the iron rule of Albert Hourani, who ran a diploma mill for Arabs (among them: Rashid Khalidi) and strolled benignly among his charges, a kind of fat abbot dispensing his favors. So he had a chair created at Oxford, one that was meant for him — after a comical “international search” — to be filled by him, Tariq Ramadan. And did the dons at Oxford, those who were in Arabic or Middle Eastern or Islamic studies, who depend so much on contributions from rich Arabs that are constantly dangled before them, raise a ruckus about this bought-and-paid-for professorship? They did not. They were either silent or, still worse, publicly ecstatic about such a fine and worthy appointment. The whole thing nauseates.
And for a while Tariq Ramadan continued his campaign, the one where he says “We [the Muslims] are here” and “we are here to stay” and “there is nothing you can do about it,” and then he goes into another mode, that of sweetness-and-light, until those such as Ibn Warraq, or Ayaan Hirsi Ali, lay him flat in a debate. He’s much happier dealing with those who, being Westerners, are afraid to believe what they learn about Islam, can’t quite believe it, and are eager not to believe it, to convince themselves that there really is no problem, or if there is one it can quite easily be solved.
But now Tariq Ramadan has been, for the past ten months, unusually – for him — quiet. Why? Well, what can he say about the events in Egypt, the country to which he belongs, even if he thinks he is entitled to consider himself a European because he happens to have been born and raised in Europe, but as a fanatical son of a fanatical father who was the son of a still more fanatical grandfather? Well, what can Tariq Ramadan say about Egypt? Can he come out on the side of the tiny secular and liberal opposition, that fears the Muslim Brotherhood? Of course not. Can he speak up about the persecution of, and murderous attacks on, the Copts? No, he can’t. He won’t. So for now he is lying low.
The Oxford Student should look into the funding for Tariq Ramadan, look into how he received his appointment to a professorship at Oxford, look into his soi-disant “scholarship.” That would require investigative reporting of a high level. But it would be fun, for someone. It would be useful, for the entire academic world, to see the rot and corruption, of Arab money deployed, not only to build Centers of Islamic Studies at such places as Durham and Exeter, where only those willing to defend the faith of Islam, and deflect criticism from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the Emirates — that is, from the donors who vigilantly monitor all of the appointments of these centers, and make sure that no independent, much less critical voices, are kept on.
Yes, a series on “How Tariq Ramadan Got His Professorship” — starting with his decision to leave the French-speaking world, and his false start in the Netherlands, and the St. Antony’s College lectureship, and finally the scheme to buy him a chair, that has worked out so well for him, and so badly for the image of Oxford, and no doubt for the morale of those professors who deserved their appointments, and for the morale of those who never got professorships but who know perfectly well about the scandal behind Tariq Ramadan’s appointment.
The scandal of those who have been admitted as students (interesting the way all of the rich and powerful Muslims want to study, or have their children study, in the West, for as many years as they can — yet they still do not ask themselves why, why it is that Christian-run or Western-run schools in their own rich but wretched countries, are what the Muslim elite wants for its own children, or why it is that they must send them to the West for an education) has received its due. The son of Rafsanjani here, the son of Qaddafy over there, dozens of Saudi princelings and princelettes way over there — that’s easy.
But the scandal of Tariq Ramadan’s professorship is more important. And so are all the ways that Muslims, and non-Muslim apologists for Islam, have been helping and hiring one another, and promoting one another, all over the academic departments of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies in the United Kingdom, and throughout the Western world.
It has been laid bare — by, among others, Martin Kramer.
But there has to be a continuing effort at exposure.
Why not a series, in a major London paper, rather than in an Oxford student paper, on Tariq Ramadan, and his Resistible Rise?
mortimer says
Tariq Ramadan wins mainly by taking advantage of unstudied Western journalists who have as much knowledge of Islam as a housecat has of the nuclear fuel cycle. In other words, Tariq Ramadan’s job is not hard at all, because journalists know so little he doesn’t need to defend any of his claims.
When he debated Maryam Namazie in 2016, he argued that freedom of speech is alright in theory as long as you don’t use it against Islam.
This is a perfect example of GOAL SHIFTING. Either there is freedom of speech and a level playing field or there isn’t.
Dacritic says
This is similar to what the Malaysian government practises.
Freedom of religion….. as long as Muslims don’t abandon Islam.
Freedom of speech… as long as you do not speak against Islam or the ruling government.
Freedom of surfing the internet… as long as you do not visit http://www.thereligionofpeace.com
Carolyne says
Actually it seems that “Freedom of speech is alright in theory as long as you don’t use it against Islam,” has become law in Great Britain. From time to time when I see an article about someone being arrested or harassed by English LE for “Hate speech” against Islam, I email the police department involved and ask them why they waste their time when there are real crimes to be investigated. I never get an answer, just an automated reply saying I will receive a response shortly. Strangely, I never do receive that response.
Of course I live in the US and they can’t touch me, but if I were English in England, I would be arrested immediately for daring to write such an email. That how bad it has become, sadly. Who would have thought the land of Churchill, Shakespeare and Magna Carta would have come to this?
John Forbes says
Always the BRITISH seem to bow down to ISLAM as though they would rather give in that FIGHT for Free Speech & Democracy than for go the Spanish Holiday !
They – now having tossed their own faith into the dist bin are TOO LAZY to even look at the IDEOLOGY MASQUERADING as a RELIGION & NOT of PEACE !
Then to KEEP the SPANISH HOLIDAY & not rock the MULTICULTURAL BOAT – People such as DENNIS MCSHANE ( Rotherham Council Head at the RAPING of CHILDREN START) boasts that he did nothing !
In any other so CALLED THIRD WORLD COUNTRY MR MCSHANE would either be hanging by his feet from a LAMP POST or seeking ASYLUM in a FRIENDLY MIDDLE EAST PLACE ! BUT NOT for BRITAIN – This DESPICABLE HUMAN is still happily out & about !!
overman says
“If he puts you in mind of Harvey Weinstein, do remember that Harvey Weinstein, unbelievably awful as he is, never threatened the way Tariq Ramadan is said to have threatened the children of his victim (“take it to the children”); nor did he slap anyone around, the way Tariq Ramadan is said to have done. Oh what the hell, let’s think of them as brothers under the skin. Convivencia!”
More is coming out about Weinstein. The FBI are now investigating his connection to Epsteins ‘orgy island’ through Weinstein’s friendship with Bill Clinton – pedogate.
Robert says
Not surprised about Weinstein’s connection to the other abusers. But it makes me wonder, when did these guys have time to work?
Carolyne says
If it is the FBI investigating Clinton, forget it. All it takes is a meeting on the tarmac with an official of the DOJ and all is forgiven.
I doubt if Mr. Ramadan, if he is guilty, thinks he did anything wrong. Rape is nothing unusual in Islam. It is a way of life and culture. The West is more and more accepting that Muslims are not guilty if their culture permits their bad behavior, no matter the laws of the country in which they happen to be living at the time.
overman says
” Rape is nothing unusual in Islam. It is a way of life and culture”
True – and we can add Pedophilia to that as well. l’ve lost count of the number of children abused by muslims.
mortimer says
In her 2016 Oxford debate with Ramadan, Maryam Namazie described Ramadan as an Islamist, a theocratic fascist. She described his call for ‘responsible’ free speech as a way of limiting speech, which it is… it will be limited the way HE WANTS it limited. Ramadan wants to be able to define the word ‘RESPONSIBLE’ so that criticism of Islam is defined as ‘irresponsible’. Presumably, Ramadan will consider EVERY and ANY criticism of Islam to be ‘irresponsible’ as well. There goes freedom of speech.
That is a perfect example of shifting the goal posts. Ramadan CLAIMS to want freedom of expression, but not if his side loses the debate.
lebel says
I have waiting for jwatch to steer the current sexual harassment controversy to Muslim (they must always be guilty) and you didn’t disappoint. Also Fitzgerald hates that any jewish person is accused of anything and always does his best to shift the blame to Muslims.
Remember when you refused to believe that Israeli extremists had burned that kid alive?
Hugh Fitzgerald says
If memory serves, and by gad it better — “Ich dien” it insists, and clicks its heels teutonically — because, after all, it’s only been a few hours, it was not Jihad Watch that steered the “current sexual harassment controversy” to a Muslim, but a Muslim lady, Henda Ayari, who steered all who would listen right into the listing ship the S.S. Tariq Ramadan.
At Jihad Watch, we merely took the occasion to remind readers of Ramadan’s bought-and-paid-for professorship at Oxford, and his Deep Thoughts, those beyond-belief banalities that he has proudly tweeted out to the world.
And then we added some extra, just for you. See Philip Larkin for that last allusion. Or if you will permit a final twist of the bare bodkin, this tale might be called, with now disabused former fans of Ramadan in mind, Lost Illusion.
‘.
gravenimage says
What absolute crap from lebel.
The fact is that people at Jihad Watch condemn *all* sexual abuse–except for lebel, who has no criticism for Muslim rape.
He just wants us to ignore the tsunami of Muslim rape–all on islamic grounds. The “Prophet” himself was a rapist, urged others to rape their victims, and kept sex slaves to rape.
Will he say anything critical of this? I won’t be holding my breath…
Rape is *a crime* in the civilized West. Not so in Islam when the victims are Infidels or other “uncovered” women.
Robert says
You seriously think that Weinstein’s rapes were connected to his ethnicity as a Jew? Talk about deflection!
LeftisruiningCanada says
Indeed they are brothers, as we all are, being sons of Adam and in possession of a fallen, sinful, nature.
However, one of the brothers in this story has a book and tradition which tells him its ok to take what he wants from certain kinds of women, while the other does not….
any guesses which is which?
Jayell says
So Ramadan and his ilk seem to want Western and the respect that goes with it, and they’re willing to pay for it with the oil money that no doubt they’ll claim Allah gave them. Well, there’s no other way they’d possibly get the wealth, and certainly not by earning it honestly since this sort have not the talent, nor the ability, nor the moral integrity, nor the honesty (a concept which appears to be absent from their psyches in the same way that colour perception would be an unknown quantity to the colour-blind). In short, they are intellectually and morally deficient posturing frauds who contaminate any clean environment they presume the right to infest because they would be incapable if recognising cleanliness even to save their own dubious lives. Yet they appear to get away with it because of the corrosive effect of their very presence – but maybe for not much longer. The academic authorities in the UK seem to have woken up to the recent epidemic of corruption and crass dishonesty amongst their students and are threatening investigations into any individual whose achievements might be shown to be bogus with consequent confiscation of their degrees. In the same way, the UK Government is also cracking down on those who try to compromise free speech on UK campuses using the pathetically contrived excuse of ‘needing safe spaces’ by threatening to remove funding from those institutions that fail in their duties to maintain proper academic integrity. Strange that all this sort of measure has only become necessary in the last few decades! One wonders exactly who might be responsible for importing these problems, because they never used to be so evident. Perhaps this character Ramadan might be part of the dross to be cleared out?
Incidentally, if we’re talking about the whole.business of dubious morality, dishonesty and lack of intellectual.integrity, Islam itself comes to mind. And when we think of this questionable ‘religion’ and those questionable people who practise it, we might ask ourselves how it came to be invented. And then we might find ourselves in a ‘chicken-and-egg’ debate.
carpediadem says
The Britis “upper classes” are all about money. Islam knows its customers.
Carolyne says
Many of the Brits “Upper Class” are products of close familial marriage so they have been affected in the same way as have Muslims with their first cousin marriage. The British royal family has always been proponents of close familial marriage as Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were first cousins. Only recently have they stopped this practice with George VI and Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. This is a tradition practiced by the “Upper class,” for centuries.
Chris Malan says
Tariq Ramadan and Harvey Weinstein: Brothers Under the Skin. The Muslim and the Jew; brothers under the skin? One should be careful with one’s captions.