July 21, 2005

Palestinian clerics preach hate of the US and Israel — can we really make peace with them?

Hatred of the US and other Western Christian countries is a common theme in the Islamic world and especially among Palestinian clergy, some of whom, like imam Ibrahim Madiras, are actually employed by the Palestinian Authority. Verbal attacks against the US and racist hate speech are frighteningly commonplace. It’s often difficult for those of us who live in an open democracy to understand how deep and pervasive this hatred is, so we tend to discount it. After all, we think, everyone wants peace, everyone is fundamentally reasonable, and therefore we should be able to come to an agreement. But what if the radical Islamists flatly do not want peace with Christians and Jews? What if they are not reasonable . . . and in fact are unalterably irrational and racist?

We at FLAME have monitored Islamist rhetoric (and the actions that back it up) for years. I can tell you that vicious hatred of Western nations and Jews is a part of the social and religious fabric of Islamic culture in many parts of the world, especially among the Palestinians. Below, we offer a selection of excerpts from Palestinian clergy that give you a small taste of this hatred, including one that was delivered just following the subway and bus bombings in London. If you’d like to see and hear video clips of these rants (providing you have Windows Media Player installed on your computer), you can click on the "Play Video" links. They are truly scary. These links are provided through Palestinian Media Watch, an excellent organization that monitors speech in the territories (www.pmw.org.il).

All of this raises the question of how Western nations can possibly make peace with fanatical, murderous Islamic radicals. While this is an important question for Americans, it is a life-and-death question for Israel. When Osama bin Laden says he wants to destroy the US, we are concerned perhaps, but few of us actually feel our lives are threatened. But when Palestinian clerics and Hamas operatives spew their hatred, Israelis know that these enemies have the wherewithal to wreak havoc and death immediately---and they do so almost daily. How can average Palestinians be expected to embrace peace with Israel when their religious leaders, quoting from the Koran, call Jews “apes and pigs?” How can Israel be expected to form peace with such a people, most of whom cry for their death and destruction.

Best regards,

Jim Sinkinson
Director, FLAME

The day after the London bombings, a Palestinian Authority imam prays for extermination of Infidels:

"Annihilate the Infidels and the Polytheists, Your [God's] enemies and the enemies of the religion. God, disperse their gathering and break up their unity, and turn on them the evil adversities. God, count them and kill them to the last one, and don't leave even one."

Ibrahim Madiras, Friday sermon
Palestinian Authority Television, July 8, 2005

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"Praise [Allah] who united America, Britain and Spain, reaching a decision against our people in Iraq. This is the Infidel's way, oh, Muslims. The United Nations, to our regret, has become a "House of Assembly" because that is where the Infidels meet."

Yusuf Abu Sneina, Friday Sermon Al-Aqsa mosque
Palestinian Authority Television, Feb. 28, 2003

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"The infidel countries under the leadership of the US made up an excuse and justification to wage their dirty war against Islam and the Moslems and against the Islamic movements worldwide.

Concerning evil Britain, which directly brought about this corrupt entity on Palestinian land, Britain forgot that it is the height of terror and the height of hatred against Islam and Moslems."

Palestinian Authority Radio, Dec. 28, 2001

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PA religious leaders have regularly prayed for the destruction of the USA, Britain, and Israel. This one was just weeks before the 9-11 terrorist attacks.

Oh, Allah, defend al Aqsa mosque from any evil. Oh, Allah, destroy the occupation and its supporters and collaborators. Oh, Allah, destroy America and its supporters and collaborators. Oh Allah, destroy Britain and its supporters and collaborators.

The Palestinian Authority Mufti, Ikrima Sabri
Palestinian Authority Radio, Aug. 24, 2001

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. . . You'll find that Jews are behind every conflict on Earth. The suffering of nations—the Jews are behind it! Ask Britain! What did it do to the Jews at the beginning of the sixth century? What did they do to the Jews? They persecuted them, tortured them, and prevented them from entering for more than 300 years. . . . Ask France! They tortured them, persecuted them and burned their Talmud, for the conflicts that they [i.e. Jews] tried to ignite in France in the period of Louis XIX. Ask Portugal what it did to the Jews! Ask Czarist Russia—who invited the Jews and they plotted to murder the Czar! And he massacred them repeatedly. Don't ask Germany what it did to the Jews, since the Jews are the ones who provoked Nazism to fight the entire world.

On the day the Jews provoked—through the Zionist movement—the nations of the world to fight Germany economically, and to boycott German goods, on the day that they incited Russia, Britain, France and Italy, the anger of the Germans toward the Jews increased significantly, and what happened—happened at that time so that [Holocaust] Remembrance Day is commemorated by the Jews to this day.

For they are doing something worse than was done to them in the Nazi war. Possibly some of them were killed, possibly some of them were burned, but they're exaggerating [the Holocaust] in order to win over world media, and world sympathy.

The worst criminal acts in history were perpetrated upon the Jews, but they are not worse than those perpetrated upon the inhabitants of Palestine. What was done to the Jews is a crime, but isn't what they are doing in Palestine a crime...?

The Jews did not have a national home on this earth because they are liars! They lie when claiming that part of their faith is the establishment of a national home in Palestine. They were never interested in and never considered the establishment of a national home in Palestine itself. They were interested in a national home in any place at all, any place at all . . . Britain is the one that promised them the establishment of a national home on the land of Palestine. Why? Because Britain was upset by the Jewish presence in Britain, and wanted to be relieved of them, so it promised to establish a national home in Palestine...

Allah is the one who says that the Jews have the character of cowards; they fear Muslims more then they fear Allah...

The Palestinian nation is the strongest on earth. Look at all the civilizations! Look at all the states! Look at all the civilizations and forces and empires.

Where did Great Britain disappear? Where did the Czar's Russia disappear? Where did France, that almost ruled the world, disappear? Where did Nazi Germany, which massacred millions and ruled the earth, disappear? Where did all those forces disappear? In Allah's will, He will get rid of the USA like he got rid of them. He caused Russia to disappear within a day, and He is the one Who can remove the USA and bring it down, and so He shall do it, in Allah's will...

We [Muslims] have ruled the world [in the past] and a day will come, by Allah, and we shall rule the world [again]. The day will come and we shall rule America The day will come and we shall rule Britain, we shall rule the entire world, except the Jews. The Jews will not live under our rule agreeably permanently, since they have been treacherous in nature throughout history. A day will come when all shall rest from the Jews, even the tree and the stone, which have suffered from them. Listen to your Beloved [Muhammad], who tells you about the most dire end of the Jews. The tree and the stone want the Muslim to bring every Jew to his end.

We [Muslims] have ruled the world and a day will come, by Allah, and we shall rule the world [again]. The day will come and we shall rule America. The day will come and we shall rule Britain."

Ibrahim Madiras
Palestinian Authority Television, May 13, 2005.

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