Just a brief note: on March 1 it was reported that a video had just surfaced, showing Tariq Ramadan at a lecture he gave at the “Youth Festival” (a broad translation of “Agora Juvenil”) held in Jerez de la Frontera, in Spain, on October 8, 2009. His lawyers have always claimed that he could not have raped, sodomized, tortured, and urinated on, his accuser “Christelle,” because on October 9 he was, they claim, on a plane from London that landed in Lyon at 6:35 p.m., and he could not have arrived at the Hilton Hotel in that city earlier than 7:30 p.m. And since, his lawyers insist, he was due to speak at 8:30, he could not possibly have raped, sodomized, tortured, threatened, and urinated on, Christelle in less than an hour.
But if he was in Spain on October 8, he could not have been on a London-Lyon flight on October 9. How do we know the the video that has just surfaced is from October 8, 2009? We know because it was clearly filmed in the local museum, the Museo de la Atalaya. The festival itself lasted from October 7 to October 12. On two of those days — October 8 and October 9 — “conferencias” (lectures) were given in the Museo de la Altalaya. Furthermore, Ramadan’s “conference” was listed in the Festival’s published line-up as scheduled for “Jueves 8 17:00 horas” — that is, on Thursday, October 8, at 5 p.m.
Tariq Ramadan was filmed in the museum at Jerez de la Frontera on October 8, with a lecture that was scheduled to last an hour, from 5 to 6 p.m. (though most of his talks on YouTube go on for longer than their scheduled hour), with a lengthy discussion to follow. Ramadan always enjoyed playing the “world’s most prominent Islamic scholar” during the post-lecture discussion, and while pontificating at these events, he is also sizing up his adorers, among whom he might choose to invite one or two to appear at his hotel room, so that they might continue an even more profound discussion. There was little likelihood he could have left Jerez de la Frontera for Madrid late on the evening of October 8. But had he done so, that would only have meant he could have landed in Lyon that much earlier on October 9 — which is exactly what his lawyers want to avoid suggesting. In any case, we know, thanks to his Lyon hosts, exactly what flights they had booked him for, just as his office requested, and he left Jerez de la Frontera for Madrid on October 9 at 7:05 a.m. On October 9, Ramadan was nowhere near London, as we now know from both the written (those flight itineraries) and the visual evidence (that video of Ramadan speaking in Spain).
We know that Ramadan’s office had first been contacted by the Union des Jeunes Musulmans on September 15, 2009, when he was invited to speak at their Lyon gathering. His office initially requested from his hosts a London-Lyon ticket for October 9, which would have had him arrive at 6:35 p.m. in Lyon. But that office subsequently requested a change in the itinerary, one which would allow Ramadan to fly from London to Madrid to Jerez de la Frontera on October 8, where he would deliver his lecture to the “Youth Festival” of Andalusia, and the next day he would fly to Madrid from Jerez de la Frontera, and then from Madrid to Lyon, arriving at 11:15 a.m. And that’s exactly what was arranged.
Much has been made by his lawyers of his original itinerary, and they keep insisting — and ignoring all the evidence of his revised itinerary that has him in Lyon by mid-day on October 9 — that Ramadan was 30,000 feet in the air when “Christelle” claims he assaulted her. What those lawyers keep overlooking is the testimony, from the Union des Jeunes Musulmans itself, that Ramadan’s office had requested that change in his itinerary.
He was then booked for, and did in fact take, the following fights:
1) On October 8, a flight leaving London at 7:25 a.m., arriving in Madrid at 10:45 a.m.
Then, another flight leaving Madrid at 10:55 a.m., arriving in Jerez de la Frontera at 1 p.m.
2) On October 9, a flight from Jerez de la Frontera at 7:05 a.m. arriving in Madrid at 8:05 a.m.
Then, another flight leaving Madrid at 9:35, arriving at Lyon at 11:15 a.m.
All of these flights — Ramadan’s complete flight itinerary as arranged by the Union des Jeunes Musulmans — can be seen here.
The video that has just surfaced — it was online on February 28 — is merely one more confirmation of just where Ramadan was on October 8, 2009. He was not in London, but had left London early that morning for Madrid, and from there to Jerez de la Frontera, in southernmost Spain, where he was scheduled to address, and did address, an early-evening crowd from 5 to 6 p.m. at the Museo de la Altalaya. The video is not needed to prove that Ramadan and his lawyers have been lying about this non-existent London-Lyon trip on October 9, but does offer the satisfying, and undeniable ocular proof, that Ramadan was in Jerez de la Frontera on October 8, just as his revised itinerary says. The video thus lends further support, if such were necessary, to Christelle’s version of events, and punches another hole in Ramadan’s defense.
Despite all the evidence, there are still those Muslims who remain unswerving supporters of Ramadan. Even after Ramadan’s itinerary, furnished by the Union des Jeunes Musulmans, was published, and the day after the video of Ramadan in Spain surfaced, an article appeared in the online, English-language version of the Kuwaiti newspaper the Daily Sabah. It was written by Jamal Elshayyal, a senior correspondent for Al-Jazeera English, who insists that Ramadan is being cruelly persecuted by the French because of his prominence as a Muslim intellectual.
But Jamal Elshayyal ignores all this, and keeps insisting on what he calls the “unequivocal” alibi of that supposed London-Lyon flight on October 9:
“The other of Ramadan’s accusers is “Christelle.” She alleges that he raped her in a hotel room in Lyon on the afternoon of Oct. 9, 2009. Ramadan’s lawyers have already presented evidence that suggests he was in fact, on a plane some 30,000 feet above the ground at the time. His plane landed in Lyon at 6:35 p.m. that day, and by 8:30 p.m. he was addressing a crowd of hundreds of French men and women who had gathered to hear him talk about coexistence, integration and the civic duties of young Muslims.You would think that a potentially unequivocal alibi would be enough to dismiss the allegation.”
The evidence his lawyers presented for Ramadan’s supposed London-Lyon flight consisted of only one thing: that initially he had been booked on such a flight. They continue to ignore, and Ramadan’s supporters like Elshayyal ignore, what the Union des Jeunes Musulmanes has stated, and what copies of Ramadan’s flight itinerary make clear. It cannot be repeated too often: on the instructions of Ramadan’s office, his itinerary was changed so as to allow him to speak at an event in Spain the day before he was to speak in Lyon. The video of Ramadan in Spain — as Othello said about a very different sexual dalliance, “give me the ocular proof” — is further evidence, or as Elshayyal likes to say, “unequivocal evidence,” that he was not on the London-Lyon flight the next day.
Only one question remains: after his Spanish lecture, did the ithyphallic Tariq Ramadan make time to schedule a meeting with a female admirer who had just heard this “towering intellect” speak, been entranced with his performance and, flattered that he had invited her to continue the discussion in his room at the Hotel Los Janados, showed up, only to get far more than she could possibly have bargained for?
Postscript: It would be unfair to Jerez de la Frontera to leave it linked in the reader’s mind to someone as crude, cruel, and monstrous as Tariq Ramadan. So here is a scrap of verse that I learned long ago in Madrid, the first stanza of a very beautiful and celebrated poem by El Marqués de Santillana, by name Iñigo López de Mendoza (1398-1458). He was a gifted poet, the first composer of sonnets in Spanish, and — which I was glad to learn — also fought in the Reconquista.
For the Hispanic delegation: “Es especialmente recordado por sus serranillas, poemitas de arte menor que tratan del encuentro entre un caballero y una campesina, a imitación de las pastorelas francesas, pero inspiradas en una tradición popular autóctona propia. Fue el primer autor que escribió sonetos en castellano.”
The speaker says that he never saw a girl (moza) anywhere in “La Frontera” (as in: Jerez de la Frontera) as pretty as a cowgirl (“una vaquera”) from “la Finojosa” (a toponym). Put it all together and here’s the first stanza of “Una vaquera de la Finojosa.”
Moza tan fermosa
non vi en la frontera,
como una vaquera
de la Finojosa.
And here’s the whole lovely poem.
What does something like this have to do with someone like Tariq Ramadan?
Nothing. And that’s the point.
Joe says
OK, Hugh. You care about language. Should you be saying ‘ithyphallic’ when referring to Ramadan? This word is a technical term used to describe statues, works of art, and gods, which have an erect member. It does not merely mean ‘having an erect member’. Is Ramadan a statue, a work of art, or a god? I think not.
A more apt word would I believe be ‘priapic’. I’ll take that without objection.
P.S. Good article, thanks.
Hugh Fitzgerald says
I like to take liberties, especially with those who take liberties. I chose with malice aforethought the adjective “ithyphallic.” I cheerfully admit to a fondness for using, in moderation, rare words that deserve to be given a chance to strut their stuff, and not remain forever cooped up in Webster’s 2nd or the O.E.D. “Ithyphallic” asks to be noticed in a way that “priapic” does not.
Another word I have used here repeatedly is “widdershins,” to describe Muslims performing the hajj, who “walk seven times widdershins round the Magic Wonderstone.” It remains in the mind longer than “counter-clockwise,” and then, of course, there is the welcome alliteration — “walk-widdershins-Wonderstone.”
Words — where would we be without them?
CRUSADER says
Not to circumvent anything, but just to bolster what has been proffered:
*** Widdershins comes from Middle Low German weddersinnes, literally “against the way” (i.e. “in the opposite direction”), from widersinnen “to go against,” from Old High German elements widar “against” and sinnen “to travel, go,” related to sind “journey”….
Certainly seems apt to use this word in connection to Muslims. Particularly immigrating ones.
RichardL says
All you guys are serious scholars!
Hugh: thanks for the poem about Jerez. In my opinion it is one of the most beautiful places in Europe. If I were a rich American, this is were I would buy myself a palace for next to nothing, drink ice cold fino en rama all afternoon, and act like a long lost relative of the Domeq family. Alé!
Joe says
OK, Hugh. I have no choice but to accept your reasoning and allow you your poetic license. Let me explain my complaint though from a personal position — I have respect for ancient ithyphallic iconography in its various forms. I respect Pan; I respect Lakulisha (and other forms of Shiva who were often ithyphallic). So the word has a positive connotation for me. The phallus in these cases represent fertility, life force, male virility, and power itself.
So I cannot but feel the association between these and the rapacious Ramadan. I don’t want Tarik Ramadan near my ithyphallic images. Know what I mean?
mortimer says
But Joe, TR was a LEGEND IN HIS OWN MIND? A self-created GOD among pre-eminent Islamic scholars, a self-declared ‘love’ poet.
And by ‘love’ we now know what his degrading and self-serving definition of the word was.
Hugh Fitzgerald says
Vive la différence!
Benedict says
Charlie Hebdo has a satirical or satyrical cartoon of Tariq Ramadan inferring the sixth pillar of Islam. But reflections on the genesis of Islam, its canon and its paradise conclusively show that Islam has only one pillar: Islam is the invention of the penis in cooperation with the human soul and supervised by the seducer of the world. And that explains the anti Semitic and Antichrist spirit that is at the root of Islam.
The circumcision of the heart through the cross of Christ is violently rejected in Islam and unfortunately it is increasingly unheard of or ignored in our culture. The cross of Christ is the offense par excellence, it is divine in its origin and it is the undoing of man in his fleshly nature – also his cultivated fleshly nature. If we dismiss this weapon against ourselves we have no weapon against Islam. The eloquence and erudition of a Hugh Fitzgerald amounts to nothing: Islam will literally and ideologically run us over like a truck the same way communism, nazism and fascism did.
Raja says
Benedict, Islam is indeed anti-Christ, anti-God, anti-freedom, anti-liberty and so on.
Hugh Fitzgerald says
“Islam will literally and ideologically run us over like a truck the same way communism, nazism and fascism did.”
Last I looked, communism, nazism, and fascism didn’t end up so well. But I agree that Islam is especially dangerous, not least because of the demographic conquest that does not require conventional warfare, and because too many non-Muslims have lost the ability, or simply can’t bear, to think.
gravenimage says
Hugh, your use of language is one of the great pleasures of Jihad Watch, especially given its necessarily grim content.
Phil Copson says
Get it right – in his case it’s a “bone of contention”….
BC says
It is well know that lawyers are also accomplished liars. they will say anything to get their client off.
CRUSADER says
Late Latin ithyphallicus, from Greek ithyphallikos,
from ithyphallos erect phallus, from ithys straight + phallos phallus
ANYWAY…straightforward and onward to more stout topics of deeper consideration and more penetrating concern….
gravenimage says
“Famed Professor” Tariq Ramadan: A Just-Surfaced Video Now Gives Us the Ocular Proof
…………………..
Well, this proves Ramadan was lying about his whereabouts.
Westman says
Sure enough.
A little borrowed and modified Mose Allison poetry for Tariq Ramadan:
Y’know if honesty was golden,
You couldn’t raise a dime.
Because your mind is on vacation and your ( ) is
Working overtime.
If you don’t like the words Hugh wrote,
just grin and Bear it.
All I can say is if the shoe fits wear it.
If you must keep talking please try to make it rhyme,
Cause your mind is on vacation and your ( ) is working
Overtime.
( ) – guess…
CRUSADER says
Your GUESS is working overtime?
Westman says
It appears that Charlie Hebdo is guessing that it’s the 6th pillar of Islam.
Hebdo seems to be getting more courage and more threats from the followers of that relgion of peace.
Warning, graphic:
http://www.breitbart.com/london/2018/02/28/french-court-denies-tariq-ramadan-bail-citing-risk-offending/
tpog says
Thanks, Hugh Fitzgerald, for the EXCELLENT article and the WONDERFUL alliteration — just LOVELY!! Westman, great poetry, keep it coming. Crusader — “….deeper consideration and more penetrating concern…” . huge guffaw from yours truly. Just love Jihad Watch articles and the commentators on the site. The takeover of the West by islam is a serious business, I know, but to be able to laugh at the sheer stupidity of the religion and its adherents once in a while is a great stress reliever in such depressing times. THANK YOU!!!
Carol (the 1st) says
The *indignity* of it all is so hilarious! It looks sooo good on Tariq and Islam!:
“French Court…denies bail, Citing REOFFENDING RISK”
and :
“one of the judges was led to add ‘..even with an ANKLE MONITOR Ramadan could be expected to continue his behaviour and possibly commit further offences.'”
Better safe than sorry!
Hugh Fitzgerald says
Moae Allison and the Marques de Santillana, together again at last.
If Ramadan is sentenced to a Paris prison, he’s likely to be treated with kid gloves by the authorities, and to be lionized by the Muslims who make up more than half of the French prison population. Too bad he can’t be shipped to Mississippi to serve his time, among prisoners he would not impress..
In Paris he won’t be treated rough,
Or so I’ve been told — not rough enough.
Maybe he could come to harm
Quicker down at Parchman Farm.
StellaSaidSo says
Ramadan has not been ‘treated with kid gloves’ by the French authorities so far, and there is no reason to suspect that he will be in future. Furthermore, he does not enjoy uniform support amongst French Muslims. It is a mistake to assume that Ramadan will be ‘lionised’ in prison. Au contraire, he will need to watch his back.
gravenimage says
+1
PABLO says
When is his schedule psychiatric assessment so that he can be deemed mentally ill.
Muslims are the only people whose criminal behaviour is a result of mental illness.
CRUSADER says
Irshad Manji, used to deftly handling phallus-heads, debated Tariq Ramadan (grandson of Muslim Brotherhood founder Hassan al-Banna) and Nadim Shehadi (of Tufts/Chatham) about free expression:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cLDNPgg-Uw
Terry Gain says
Was that before or after Manji claimed houris means raisins. I don’t care what she says. She’s a liar.
CRUSADER says
In what specific ways are you saying that Manji lies?
gravenimage says
Well, it *is* fairly ridiculous to claim that those “modest, dark-eyed” Houris as actually raisins…
Lebel says
“What those lawyers keep overlooking is the testimony, from the Union des Jeunes Musulmans itself, that Ramadan’s office had requested that change in his itinerary.”
Strange that these evil Muslims would provide that evidence.
gravenimage says
I see Lebel is pretending that Anti-Jihadists think that all Muslims are in touch with each other at all times on every matter. Ridiculous.
Lebel says
Responding to the fair Gravenimage, the disgusting Lebel writes:
Well they are providing evidence against a Muslim to non-Muslims in order to facilitate his prosecution. Jihadwatch tells me that Muslims always side with Muslims against the infidels.
So we have a slight contradiction.
Also, never trust a Muslim because they are liars is commonly heard on jihadwatch. Why should we trust these Muslims?
I’m calling Taqqiya on this one, Level: Professor
gravenimage says
What rot. Yes, Muslims are enjoined to protect other Muslims against the Infidels–this is not something Jihad Watch invented, this is in the texts and tenets of Islam.
This is one Qur’anic verse of many:
“O you who believe! do not take the Jews and the Christians for friends; they are friends of each other; and whoever amongst you takes them for a friend, then surely he is one of them; surely Allah does not guide the unjust people.”
–Qur’an 5:51
But of course this does not mean that no Muslim has ever worked with non-Muslims against other Muslims–in fact, this is common.
These Muslim women are bringing suit against Ramadan in Infidel courts of law–this is obvious.
And it is happening in other places today–Shia Muslims are–nominally, at least–allying with Russians against Sunni Muslims in places like Syria.
In fact, this happens all the time.
But this “allying” is often *quite* superficial. For instance, this is what the pious Saudi King Fahd had to say in 1993:
“I summon my blue-eyed slaves anytime it pleases me. I command the Americans to send me their bravest soldiers to die for me. Anytime I clap my hands a stupid genie called the American ambassador appears to do my bidding. When the Americans die in my service their bodies are frozen in metal boxes by the US Embassy and American airplanes carry them away, as if they never existed. Truly, America is my favorite slave.”
Lebel pretending we don’t know this is just ridiculous.
CRUSADER says
They do seem to be evil, however the story is sliced.
Sentinel says
Since his legal team’s recent medical claims is it not more likely to be a floppy member ?
Perhaps at the time it was travelling alone on a separate flight. The mind, and his member, boggles.
jack cade says
“Muslim” is what he is, and it describes him and his behaviour precisely.
Axolotl Grunch says
‘Ithyphallic’?
I think Hugh may be correct – at least in the eyes of TR himself. It’s not hard imagine this despicable character daydreaming of being a sex god, carved from stone, naked, sporting a massive boner!
gravenimage says
Muslims in paradise are described as having eternal boners. Even though if you have an erection lasting more than four hours you are supposed to seek medical attention…
Carol (the 1st) says
@axolotl…Why I think you have his number!:
“Christelle said that she received many SMS messages from Ramadan’s number, including a crucial one on October 10 at 19:29 – the day after the alleged assault – reportedly saying “sorry” for the violence, and also asking: “Do you want more? Not disappointed?”
Lebel says
““I summon my blue-eyed slaves anytime it pleases me. I command the Americans to send me their bravest soldiers to die for me. Anytime I clap my hands a stupid genie called the American ambassador appears to do my bidding. When the Americans die in my service their bodies are frozen in metal boxes by the US Embassy and American airplanes carry them away, as if they never existed. Truly, America is my favorite slave.””
Sounds like a plausible quote. You are so easily fooled Gravenimage. Do you picture any world leader saying this in this manner and within earshot of a journalist? The only reason you believe something so stupid is that it confirms your pre-existing belief.
Here’s a quote: “EVERY TIME WE DO SOMETHING YOU TELL ME AMERICANS WILL DO THIS AND WILL DO THAT. I WANT TO TELL YOU SOMETHING VERY CLEAR, DON’T WORRY ABOUT AMERICAN PRESSURE ON ISRAEL. WE, THE JEWISH PEOPLE, CONTROL AMERICA, AND THE AMERICANS KNOW IT.”
Do you think this quote is true? of course not? why not?
ann says
I read the poem. The most relevant verse is the last, in which the poet says that he desires the beautiful “vaquera de la Finojosa,” and the woman the poet is talking to about her tells him that she has no desire to be “loved” by him, and he shouldn’t expect it.
Bien como riendo,
dixo: –«Bien vengades;
que ya bien entiendo
lo que demandades:
non es desseosa
de amar, nin lo espera,
aquessa vaquera
de la Finojosa.»
Rastus says
Tariq Ramadan is a “Muslim intellectual”? An oxymoron if there ever was one.