Radical Imam Muhammad al-Asi has spoken at UC-Irvine many times. His speaking style (which you will note in the below videos) is directed to the American Jews in his audience as he repeatedly castigates them for their support of Israel. In February 2001, he said this at UCI:
Al-Asi: "We have a psychosis in the Jewish community that is unable to co-exist equally and brotherly with other human beings. You can take a Jew out of the ghetto, but you can't take the ghetto out of the Jew. And, this has been demonstrated time and time again in Occupied Palestine. And, now they have American diplomats and politicians and decision makers and strategists in their pocket because they have the money."
-Investigative project on Terrorism
http://www.investigativeproject.org/239/muhammad-al-asi-ghetto-jews
On February 7, 2008, Imam Muhammad al-Asi again spoke at UC-Irvine. If you google (video) this event, you can download 5 parts of this speech. I won't torture you with all of them here, but I have chosen to post parts 4 and 5.
Part 4 is the conclusion of his speech. Though he doesn't use the word "Jew", he refers to Israeli Zionist supporters here in the US who have supported wars in the Middle East on behalf of Israeli interests. He refers to people who hold American citizenship but who are in effect "Israeli Zionists". He then lists several of them by name-all apparently with Jewish names- Paul Wolfowitz, Richard Perle, etc.
In part 5, Al-Asi takes a question from a sympathetic member of the audience who asks him if he ever quoted (as charged) the hadith that says, "Oh Muslim, there is a Jew hiding behind me. Come and kill him." Listen carefully to Al-Asi's answer that those were not HIS words but the words of the final Prophet. Then listen to Al-Asi's tortured explanation that it really refers to "Zionist Jews".
Two points: In the time of the Prophet and the hadith, were there "Zionist" Jews?
Is Al-Asi implying that killing Zionist Jews is permissible?
Anti-Semitic?
You be the judge.
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24 comments:
I watched 45 seconds of the second video, and that was all I could take. Anti-Semitic? My verdict - yes.
And he also does one of the things that I really can't stand - he obfuscates when asked a rather simple question.
Thanks,
I would appreciate more of your imput in this topic.
I don't really have much else to say. There's no doubt that there's a serious problem with anti-Semitism in the Muslim world. You read Ayaan Hirsi Ali's book; she goes into some detail of the level of propaganda that's leveled at the Jews.
Unfortunately, they've been a convenient boogey-man for thousands of years now. The Christian world seems to have finally become a safer place for them, but the Muslim world seems to be taking several steps backward. And there's no doubt that both the Qu'ran and The New Testament contain some passages that justify anti-Semitism. (Again, another reason why we shouldn't use either one of those books as a guidebook for our modern world.)
As for all this Jews versus Zionist Jews thing - that's all just a convenient way of dancing around their true feelings.
The thing is, I don't know what to think about Zionism, mainly because I haven't read into it enough. I'm not entirely on the same page as you when it comes to Israel. I think that they're not always doing the right thing. However, I don't really have any better answers, as the fact of the matter is that their enemies don't even think that they have a right to exist.
While I tend to think that easy answers are rarely the solution, I do have to wonder what this situation would be like if there was no such thing as religion. (But even if I'm right - and religion is to blame - that hardly provides a solution, as I don't believe in forced conversions or deconversions.)
There is an interesting question that is often asked; what if, by some miracle, every Jew in Israel were to convert to Islam tomorrow. Would there still be a problem? Some Muslims when asked this say -there would be no further problem.
That suggests that it's not about the land; it's about the religion.
I have never suggested that the palestininas don't have some grievances or that Israel is perfect. I just think that they have a right to exist.
I have never suggested that the palestininas don't have some grievances or that Israel is perfect. I just think that they have a right to exist.
I didn't mean to imply that you did. I just know that I've disagreed with some of Israel's actions whereas you have not.
OK Lance name me one Christian nation that is safe for a Jew. Just one.
OK Lance name me one Christian nation that is safe for a Jew. Just one.
I believe that I used the term "safer". I was comparing the Christian world of today to the Christian world of 70+ years ago. Also, it's much safer than it is in the Muslim world (which I'm sure you'd have a hard time disagreeing with me on that point).
To answer your question, I sure saw a lot of Jewish people in England when I was there. They were out and about in public without feeling the need to hide their religion. (I'm referring to the Orthodox Jews.) So, I'd say they're pretty safe there.
Am I trying to imply that anti-Semitism is a thing of the past and no Jew in the Christian world should ever have to worry ever again? Absolutely not. However, in most European nations and even in this country, they have the same rights under the law as everybody else.
Practicing Jews like Dennis Prager and Michael medved have said on their radio shows that Jews have been allowed to prosper in the US because the country has Christian values. (Shopuld I say modern Christian values.)
I've heard this before, and I don't really even understand what it means. What values are they talking about? Equal protection under the law? How is that a Christian (or even a modern Christian) value and not a basic human value?
Lance,
Perhaps you should adress that question to Prager and Medved. Perhaps they feel that jews today in America are treated better by American Christians with our traditions of freedom of religion. That's my guess.
Well, maybe I'm just being cynical, but I think that they're trying to appeal to their conservative Christian audience.
I definitely think that our freedom of religion is a good thing - but I sure as heck don't see how that's a "Christian value". If you ask me, it's an American value.
I don't think so. These guys I consider intellectually honest.
Maybe it's just your atheist bias.
Could be. Still, I guess I'd like to hear (from them, if they've addressed it) exactly what they mean by that. I mean, didn't all those European countries that persecuted the Jews have an even longer Christian tradition? (And I'm not just talking about what happened in Germany.)
Yes, but not with our traditions of freedom.
I am happy that my daughter and I are German and EU citizens. What will come of it..we shall see; but it was worthwhile to get this from the German Government. They owed this to me and my family; and plenty of Jews have and are continuing to take advantage of this. And Ingrid...most Jews do not do stupid things..there must be good enough reasons for this. My cousins and their families are now pursuing it as well..and trust me my cousin and her husband are very very shrewd business people; my other cousin, her brother is a very highly regarded doctor in connecticut...stupid people are not pursuing the German citizenship...
This is from my Jewish friend who lives and works in NY. Just thought you might find it interesting. Obviously Germany is the place for Jews to feel safe, and it is still considered a Christian nation. Findalis, start packing your bags.
Findalis, I don't quite know what you are implying. I only live in Germany, I don't vote here and I stay pretty much to myself and a small circle of people. I am not against Jews at all, and I am not pro Moslem. I don't like the actions of German neo nazis or islamists. I am too old to wait for anything, and I am glad my children are in America. You would have to know my history to make any judgement or predictions about me.
As my Jewish friend, whom I have quoted, said: as a Jew he feels safer in Germany than in Israel, that's why he applied for and got a German passport.
Findalis,
You wrote:
But take heart Ingrid, within 10-15 years you will get your desires fulfilled when Europe will finally become free of Jews.
That's a pretty damned disgusting thing to accuse Ingrid (yes, she is my mother, but that has nothing to do with this) of wishing. I grew up with her, and you can trust me when I say that we disagree on a whole lot of things. I can also tell you that she has never expressed anything so hateful.
I'm sorry, but to accuse somebody of such hatred without any evidence is just as bad as actually being that hateful.
If you ask me, unless you can find any evidence of her actually expressing such sentiments, you owe her an apology.
@ Lance
And have either of you protested to the government their complacency in the rise of anti-Semitism? If no, why not? If the US Government was allowing such behavior to fester, not only would I write to my elected officials, but I would be very vocal about the problem.
Looking at Europe, all I see is a bunch of cowards too scared of being called an Islamophile to speak out and say "NO! NOT IN MY NAME!"
Until Europeans find that courage, the label Nazi should be applied.
For anti-semites, Islamists and all apologists of same: irrational hatred is self-hatred and is a mental loop whereby a human lifetime is not long enough for such people to understand that the problem is not Jews or any other person or group outside of oneself. It's a perfect trap which eternally deflects all hope of self-growth. No wonder the Muslim world is anti-everything.
If I ever hear a Muslim speak of real power (spirituality), then I will entertain that there is hope for reform of Islam. That's their challenge, but of course it wouldn't be Islam if that were to happen.
Findalis,
What does any of that have to do with what I wrote? I'm referring to what you said to my mom - where you accused her of wishing for a Europe free from Jews, even though she never said anything like that.
Please address my point and not the voices in your head.
@ Lance
That sentence was not directed at Ingrid personally, but in the direction of all who live in Europe.
It is more of a call to remember the words of Pastor Martin Niemöller:
First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a communist;
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist;
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew;
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak out for me.
A powerful reminder to speak out to anyone, to everyone, regardless if you vote in a nation or not.
A call to use that voice of yours to shout out "NO!" to discrimination and injustice.
I have a good idea that you Lance, your mother, Mr Fouse, and the majority of the readers here would be raising their voices in protest if what is happening in Europe, started to happen here.
I do apologize to you and your mother if I insulted either of you. It wasn't my intent at any time.
Thank you, Findalis. Hopefully you can see how I thought that comment was indeed aimed at my mother (moreso than me). However, if you say that wasn't your intent, then I will take you at your word. No hard feelings, I hope.
At this point I would like to add that I know from my long correspondence with Ingrid that she has no Nazi or anti-Jewish feelings. I take Findalis' comment to mean that Europeans in general are not dealing with a resurgence of anti-Semitism in Europe because they don't want to confront those who are spreading it.
Findalis, a lot is said in the heat of an argument on both sides. I don't wear the shoe that doesn't fit me.
I would like to explain something about the Germans from my own experience of having lived here for the last ten years. I have met many Germans because of my teaching, and not one of them had ever met a Jew. My life partner, who is 58, met the first Jew, my friend Geoffrey in NY in 2002.
The only time Germans are confronted with Jews of today is when they see Charlotte Knobloch (google her), who always seems to be around, and when the old chancellor Helmut Schmidt kisses Henry Kissinger's butt on television. Daily Germans are confronted on television, in magazines, in newspapers of their horrendous guilt, and most are sick of it.
A general apathy has developed in Germany. Ten thousand Germans protested in Dresden against neo nazis, so all is not lost.
My friend Geoffrey Cahn (google him) comes to Germany on a regular basis to teach young Germans that they need to stop feeling ashamed, and look forward. He gets a lot of huff from some of his Jewish colleagues.
I don't know when the day comes when Germans don't feel guilty, and Jews don't feel as victims anymore, only then things can change. I doubt this will happen. In the meantime, most Germans want to be left alone, and don't care to discuss politics.
After watching the entire series, I have to say, he has some very legitimate points. Why bash such a speaker without pointing to the issues he is speaking about?
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