Eretz Israel is our unforgettable historic homeland...The Jews who will it shall achieve their State...And whatever we attempt there for our own benefit will redound mightily and beneficially to the good of all mankind. (Theodor Herzl, DerJudenstaat, 1896)

We offer peace and amity to all the neighbouring states and their peoples, and invite them to cooperate with the independent Jewish nation for the common good of all. The State of Israel is ready to contribute its full share to the peaceful progress and development of the Middle East.
(From Proclamation of the State of Israel, 5 Iyar 5708; 14 May 1948)

With a liberal democratic political system operating under the rule of law, a flourishing market economy producing technological innovation to the benefit of the wider world, and a population as educated and cultured as anywhere in Europe or North America, Israel is a normal Western country with a right to be treated as such in the community of nations.... For the global jihad, Israel may be the first objective. But it will not be the last. (Friends of Israel Initiative)

Monday 21 February 2011

Al Beeb Still Stroking Those Fluffy Muslim Brotherhood Pussycats

Seemingly, the BBC is still fighting a desperate propaganda war on behalf of the Muslim Brotherhood's essential niceness, to bolster the insistence of inept Middle East editor Jeremy Bowen (pictured) that the Brotherhood (“mistrusted in the West”) is a “moderate” organisation.

Tarik Kafala – who was, and perhaps still is, editor of the Middle East section of its news website (which is often arguably more outrageously biased against Israel than even Al Beeb’s radio and television broadcasts) – has an article on its website entitled “Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood promotes moderate path.”

Reports Kafala:

‘With its conservative Islamist agenda and its historical links to radical and sometimes violent groups, it is feared and mistrusted in the West and to some extent in Egypt.
Its many critics fear it will seek to come to power through the ballot box and institute Sharia Islamic law, moving Egypt in a far more conservative and anti-Western direction.
Dr Issam al-Arian, the Muslim Brotherhood's spokesman, is himself a medic. He runs his own private medical lab and volunteers three days a week at the Islamic Medical Association.
"The worry about us in the West is the result of bias and double standards," Dr Arian says.
The movement, he says, wants to be a party representing all kinds of Egyptians.
"We will serve Muslims, Christian, men and woman, young and old. Many friends - Christians I am talking about - are asking us when we will form a party."
He insists the movement is genuinely democratic, and will have to compete with emerging parties for the votes of Egyptians.
"The West should respect this, and after elections respect the wishes of the Egyptians.
"It is in the West's interest to honestly pursue its own interests in the Middle East. The main demand of our revolution was for democracy, and this cannot be put this on hold across the region because of the fears of six million Israelis."’ [My emphasis]
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12504820
Frankly, I’m surprised that Al Beeb, which is always careful to give short shrift to the views of those who don't subscribe to its agenda, hasn’t presented Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, the elderly Egyptian cleric and Muslim Brotherhood stalwart sometimes depicted as a “moderate,” as a champion of women’s rights. After all, in matters of Jihad and martyrdom he’s an “equal opportunity” cleric. Just look at this inquiry he received, and his answer (fatwa) to it (and see him justifying genocide in the video at the end):

"Question: I would like to ask about the ruling of Palestinian women carrying out martyr operations. Fulfilling this mission may demand that they travel alone, without a mahram [male relative who acts as a woman's mandatory chaperone] and they may need to take off their hijab, the matter which may expose part of their 'awrah [the part of the female body, in effect most of it, that must ordinarily be concealed according to imams]. Would you please comment on this? I'd prefer Dr. Qaradawi to answer this urgent question, if you please.
Dr. Qaradawi answers: The martyr operation is the greatest of all sorts of jihad in the cause of Allah. A martyr operation is carried out by a person who sacrifices himself, deeming his life [of] less value than striving in the cause of Allah, in the cause of restoring the land and preserving the dignity. To such a valorous attitude applies the following Qur'anic verse: "And of mankind is he who would sell himself, seeking the pleasure of Allah; and Allah hath compassion on (His) bondmen." (Qur'an, 2: 207)
But a clear distinction has to be made here between martyrdom and suicide. Suicide is an act or instance of killing oneself intentionally out of despair, and finding no outlet except putting an end to one's life. On the other hand, martyrdom is a heroic act of choosing to suffer death in the cause of Allah, and that's why it's considered by most Muslim scholars as one of the greatest forms of jihad.
When jihad becomes an individual duty, as when the enemy seizes the Muslim territory, a woman becomes entitled to take part in it alongside men. Jurists maintained that when the enemy assaults a given Muslim territory, it becomes incumbent upon all its residents to fight against them to the extent that a woman should go out even without the consent of her husband, a son can go too without the permission of his parent, a slave without the approval of his master, and the employee without the leave of his employer. This is a case where obedience should not be given to anyone in something that involves disobedience to Allah, according to a famous juristic rule.
In the same vein, the public welfare should be given priority to the personal one, in the sense that if there is a contradiction between the private right and the public one, the latter must be given first priority, for it concerns the interest of the whole ummah [Muslim community]. Given all this, I believe a woman can participate in this form of jihad according to her own means and condition. Also, the organizers of these martyr operations can benefit from some, believing women as they may do, in some cases, what is impossible for men to do.
As for the point that carrying out this operation may involve woman's travel from [one] place to another without a mahram, we say that a woman can travel to perform Hajj [pilgrimage to Mecca] in the company of other trustworthy women and without the presence of any mahram as long as the road is safe and secured. Travel, nowadays, is no longer done through deserts or wilderness; instead, women can travel safely in trains or by air.
Concerning the point on hijab, a woman can put on a hat or anything else to cover her hair. Even when necessary, she may take off her hijab in order to carry out the operation, for she is going to die in the cause of Allah and not to show off her beauty or uncover her hair. I don't see any problem in her taking off hijab in this case.
To conclude, I think the committed Muslim women in Palestine have the right to participate and have their own role in jihad and to attain martyrdom." http://www.meforum.org/646/the-qaradawi-fatwas

Hat tip for video: reader Roger
For more on Qaradawi see: http://rubinreports.blogspot.com/2011/02/egypt-qaradawi-worlds-leading-islamist.html
 http://www.familysecuritymatters.org/publications/id.8354/pub_detail.asp

8 comments:

  1. Qaradawi is just going by the book.

    Here is the sura (9:111) from the Koran.

    'They shall fight in the way of Allah and shall slay and be slain.'

    There is no such thing as 'moderate' Islam. It is an extremist ideology.

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  2. Thanks for the comment, Roger - this post has the video you mentioned earlier, h/t to you.

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  3. Things are going to get even worse at the BBC from now. They have just appointed Chris Patten as Chairman - he is one of the most ignorant anti-Israel bigots ever to come from the Tory Party.

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  4. Roosevelt Vs. Obama

    "Speak softly and carry a big stick" was Teddy Roosevelt's slogan.
    Try to guess which President loves these two slogans:
    "Fight for Allah and not for America!"
    "Jigaboo for Jihad and not for Jesus!"
    Want some new facts about our lawless Hypocrite-in-Chief?
    Google "Obama Fulfilling the Bible" which some have even banned!

    (spotted the above web snippet! Najwa)

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  5. Thanks, Edgar and Anon.
    Edgar, I was waiting for the official announcement of Patten's appointment before blogging about it.
    What a wretched development.
    Bowen will never again be ticked off by the BBC Trust with Patten at the helm.

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  6. Your so right Edgar, but he should be due for another heart by-pass soon, maybe with a bit of luck this one won't work.

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  7. Oh dear!
    Patten's held so many plum posts - pity Cameron won't reconsider!

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  8. http://www.bbcgovernorsarchive.co.uk/docs/reviews/bbcnews_middleeast_strategy.pdf
    "Jeremy Bowen’s new role is, effectively, to take a bird’s eye view of developments in the
    Middle East, providing analysis that might make a complex story more comprehensive or
    comprehensible for the audience, without the constraints of acting as a daily news
    correspondent. His remit is not just to add an extra layer of analysis to our reporting,
    but also to find stories away from the main agenda. It is important to note that although
    the Governors’ review is concentrating on our coverage of Israel and the Palestinians, his
    role is wider - to explore and explain wider developments in the many countries of the
    Middle East.
    Similarly, Tarik Kafala has been appointed as Middle East editor of BBC News Online in
    order to add extra authority to our website."

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