“Reactions in the Muslim world to the recent publication of the cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad in the French magazine Charlie Hebdo were very harsh.” This was clearly evident, but it should serve as an exhibit of what normative Islam teaches regarding the penalty for blasphemy. Those who proclaim that Islam is inherently a “religion of peace” are ignoring the evidence. MEMRI reports:
“Unexpectedly, Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, the Sheikh of Al-Azhar, the most important religious establishment in Egypt and the entire Sunni world, joined in the criticism, but made conflicting statements. Despite denouncing Paty’s murder, he explicitly encouraged martyrdom for the sake of the Prophet Muhammad.”
Only, it isn’t — and wasn’t — unexpected. Jihad Watch ran a story on October 24 entitled: “Al-Azhar grand imam says man who beheaded teacher doesn’t speak for Islam, but warns against ‘insulting religions.’”
El-Tayeb blatantly justifies murder for blasphemy:
Despite denouncing Paty’s murder, he explicitly encouraged martyrdom for the sake of the Prophet Muhammad, at an October 27, 2020 event marking the Prophet’s birthday – thus implicitly justifying terrorism in response to the cartoon crisis. He called love for the Prophet the “personal duty” of every Muslim and said that Muslims must sacrifice their souls, their family, and all that is precious to them in order to defend him.
Coming from the “most important religious establishment in Egypt and the entire Sunni world,” this should demonstrate the low level of the understanding of normative Islam in the West, where counterterror analysts proclaim that an insignificant number of Muslims pose a security threat to Western interests and establishments. Normative Islam prescribes death for blasphemy, and as such, a significant number of Muslims support that penalty.
As for Shia Islam, the Ayatollah Khamenei, who is a Marja, the most important Shia authority, blamed “arrogant powers and Zionism” for jihad attacks on France.
Far too many Muslims (although certainly not all) support the jihad. Al-Tayeb “also quoted Quran 9:24, which states that the Muslims’ love for Allah, Muhammad, and jihad must be greater than their love for their family and possessions.”
“Sheikh Of Al-Azhar Provides Support For Extremist Islamists In Europe: Muslims Must Give Their Souls In Defense Of The Prophet; Islam Commands Us To Love Muhammad And Jihad More Than Our Own Families,” by Y. Yehoshua, MEMRI, December 11, 2020:
…Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, the Sheikh of Al-Azhar, the most important religious establishment in Egypt and the entire Sunni world, joined in the criticism, but made conflicting statements. Despite denouncing Paty’s murder, he explicitly encouraged martyrdom for the sake of the Prophet Muhammad, at an October 27, 2020 event marking the Prophet’s birthday – thus implicitly justifying terrorism in response to the cartoon crisis. He called love for the Prophet the “personal duty” of every Muslim and said that Muslims must sacrifice their souls, their family, and all that is precious to them in order to defend him. He also quoted Quran 9:24, which states that the Muslims’ love for Allah, Muhammad, and jihad must be greater than their love for their family and possessions.
Al-Tayyeb’s statements seem to be aimed at bolstering his status and the status of Al-Azhar as leaders of the campaign against the Charlie Hebdo’s publication of the Muhammad cartoons. At the same time, such statements coming from the Sheikh of Al-Azhar – who stood by Egyptian President Al-Sisi at a crucial time in 2013, when the latter deposed the MB administration headed by Muhammad Morsi – can seriously undermine his and Al-Azhar’s standing with the Al-Sisi regime. This is because these statements, in essence, support Al-Sisi’s bitter rivals, namely the MB and its patron, Turkish President Erdogan, as well as Qatar, who support and finance terror organizations and extremist Islamic elements in the Muslim world and the West.
In the long run, Al-Tayyeb’s extremist position can also harm his and Al-Azhar’s standing with the international community, since it belies the view of Al-Tayyeb and Al-Azhar as champions of moderate Islam who combat extremism and violence and can help the French authorities appease the Muslim public and resolve the cartoon crisis…
“It is thanks to [the Prophet Muhammad] that nations and peoples were saved and the warped and crooked ways of societies were mended. We believers must revive the feelings of love for and loyalty to the Prophet and defend him [by sacrificing] our souls, our family members, our children and anything that is precious to us. Know that love for Muhammad is a personal duty incumbent upon all Muslims. The Quran [9:24] enjoined us to [love him] by saying, ‘If your parents and children and siblings and spouses and extended family and the wealth you have acquired and the trade you fear will decline and the homes you cherish – if all these are more beloved to you than Allah and His Messenger and than waging jihad in His Way, then wait until Allah brings about His Will. Allah does not guide the sinful.’ Whoever loves his son, his family or his money more than Allah and His Messenger must expect something [bad] to happen to him sooner or later. Moreover, he is numbered among the sinful. This is supported by Muhammad’s words [in a hadith], ‘None of you is counted among the believers until he loves me more than his son, his father and all of mankind.’ This does not mean love in the emotional or sensual sense, which is a feeling that one cannot control or direct, such as the love for some person, for one’s child or for one’s money. That [kind of] love is not chosen and is beyond one’s ability [to control]. What is required of the believers according to this hadith is cerebral love, out of personal choice, which arises from learning, study and the drawing of inferences, like one’s love of heroes, role models with lofty values, and others who exhibit the highest degree of human perfection.
“The Muslim world and its religious institutions, headed by Al-Azhar, were quick to condemn the heinous murder of the French teacher in Paris. This [murder is indeed] a saddening and painful event, but it is also very saddening and painful to see the insults to Islam and the Muslims in today’s world. This has become a means of attracting electoral votes. The [publication of] cartoons that insult our great Prophet, endorsed by some newspapers and magazines and by some political agendas, is a wild and wanton act of [spreading] rubbish that breaches every boundary of responsibility and decency, as well as the accepted international norms and laws. This is open hostility to this monotheistic faith and to its Prophet, who was sent by Allah as grace to the entire world.
“We at Al-Azhar, and all countries of the Muslim world, harshly condemn these rude [insults] that do not hurt the Muslims and their Prophet as much as they hurt those who are ignorant of the greatness of the honorable Prophet Muhammad. We call on the international community to draft international laws that criminalize hostility towards Muslims and discrimination [against them] in terms of rights, duties and mutual respect. We also call on the Muslim citizens of Western countries to integrate positively and consciously in these societies and in every framework that preserves their religious and cultural identity and prevents [people] from being swept by the provocations of the far right, by despicable racism and by the polarization [promoted by] the groups of political Islam. The Muslim citizens [of these countries] must confine themselves to peaceful, rational and legal measures in opposing the discourse of hate and in attaining their legitimate rights, taking an example from the virtues of their noble Prophet.
“I am very surprised that these flames of fitna [strife], hate and insult have flared in countries that always boasted that they are the cradle of civilization, culture, enlightenment, science, progressiveness and human rights. Their norms have become very confused, to the extent that they hold up the lamp of liberty and human rights in one hand, and the call for hate and conflagration in the other…”…
mortimer says
So, it’s OFFICIAL now. Islam is NOT a religion of peace.(‘Nothing should be more important than waging JIHAD IN THE CAUSE OF ALLAH.’)
Grand Imam Al-Tayeb is virtually the Islamic pope. His pronouncements are the most authoritative in the Islamic world.
We should quote this every time someone refers to Islam as the RELIGION OF PEACE.
The top Muslim says that Islam isn’t a ‘religion of peace’.
It is the religion of jihad against the dirty kufaar.
tim gallagher says
Spot on, mortimer. Whenever I have seen that absolute crap about Islam being a “religion of peace” I have thought that it must only mean that once everyone has submitted and become a Muslim, then, finally, there would be peace. Complete bullshit of course. People who believe that islam and peace have anything to do with one another must be some of the most gullible people ever created, considering the blood soaked history of Islam from its beginnings until now, and all the neverending terrorist attacks, etc. At least the sensible people here at Jihad Watch don’t for a second believe that Islam and peace have anything to do with one another. Islam and peace – complete opposites.
Douglas Alsem says
You are right, We the real people are considered the infidels, and according to the Islamic Muslims must be converted or killed. I always try to be friendly to Muslims. all I get in return are dirty looks and hostility.!!!
tim gallagher says
Thanks for the comment, Douglas. As I move around, here in Australia, I do meet some Muslims who seem pleasant, although my dealings with them are merely superficial. And, knowing the content of the Koran and Islam, I don’t trust any of them. But I definitely also do come across plenty of the dirty looks and hostility from Muslims that you mention. I just think the content of Islam says it all. It is full of hatred for all non-Muslims, so I definitely see islam as a very clear enemy of the values and the way of life that I believe in.
Rob says
One of his fellow academics (female) is on record as saying kuffar women should be raped ‘as that’s the best way of humiliating them’.
Why doesn’t the West admit defeat and deport them all.
Lion heart says
Rob : as a Canadian Christian guy originally myself originally from Iraq, I wanna say that our ancestors said it hundreds of years ago “ if a Muslim is a piece of gold, then don’t put it into your pocket otherwise it will rip through “ which means that when Muslims have the chance and power to hurt nonMuslim especially Christians , they will not hesitate at all especially when they take Islam seriously and we saw their betrayal to Iraqi Christians after the fall of Saddam’s bloody regime ; that scum Muslima had that video about raping nonMuslim women translated into English in memri tv and yet when ISIS raped Iraqi Christian girls and yazidis according to Quran 4:24 , Muslims shameless said ISIS has nothing whatsoever to do with Islam ??
Infidel says
Will Gen Sisi talk to him? I remember some years ago when a big case was made of a speech he made at Al Azhar where he rhetorically asked whether Muslims could ever manage to rid the world of infidels! So maybe he could have a meeting w/ the grand sheikh and remind him of that?
James Lincoln says
From, of all places, Wikipedia regarding Ahmed Mohamed Ahmed El-Tayeb:
“In 2016 al-Tayeb, said that leaving Islam (apostasy) is punishable by death. In his view, crimes, assault and treason are forms of apostasy and must be punished. Apostates must rejoin Islam or be killed.
On 7 November 2017, he met Pope Francis in the Vatican, to discuss spreading the culture of peace and coexistence and renouncing extremism and Islamophobia.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahmad_al-Tayyeb
GreekEmpress says
He sure pulled the wool over PopeFrancis’ eyes—
somehistory says
And the pope agrees. After all, he has signed that paper saying they are “brothers,’ and he has made huggy bear and kissy face with this moslim creep, son of satan, and admonished all Christians to allow them inside, care for them and treat them hospitably.
And…he has not changed any of that in response to what this moslim creep…his “brother” is saying now. Guess he would be afraid to, since “family” comes after adoration and worship of the mass-murdering, raper of children, lying sack of slug slime, son of satan. Even lust for the pope’s lips has to wait for murderous jihad.
gravenimage says
Grand Sheikh of al-Azhar: Nothing should be more important than waging jihad in Allah’s way
…………..
Al-Azhar is the “vatican” of Sunni Islam–this is orthodox belief.
Tbs says
I have read the Bible several times and seen many verses that call for killing of innocent souls,even for animals,b young children,aged people, women and so on….yes,Islam calls for killing…but those guilty and those attacking it,you are all diverting from the real issue of insulting our beloved prophet (pbuh) and bringing in other excuses…so u want to insult and be left to loiter???not really…this is a matter beyond your understanding…
gravenimage says
Of course, no Jews or Christians are murdering people in the name of the Bible as Tbs here pretends.
Would that we could say the same of the vicious Qur’an…
Then, doesn’t Tbs here realize how grotesque it is to say that Muslims have the right to murder people for daring to say that Islam is violent? Muslims lack all sense of irony.
Then, that he holds a figure beloved who was a pedophile, a slaver, a rapist, and a mass-murderer just shows what an appalling character he has–this is what all Muslims are taught.
Then, the idea that we don’t understand this savagery is false–we just condemn this barbarism, which is an entirely different matter.