Thursday, March 09, 2006

Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood MP: "The Koran Encourages Terrorism"

Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood MP: "The Koran Encourages Terrorism; "Bin Laden, Al-Zawahiri and Al-Zarqawi are Not Terrorists in the Sense Accepted by Some"

I am shocked to read this interview. This man is an Egyptian member of Parliament from the "banned" Muslim brotherhood. Who elected this man to represent Egyptians?

He is saying so many weird and extremely dangerous stuff. He is simply confirming that terrorism and Islam are made for each other. These people are dragging Egypt behind the sun where we won't be heard of or listened to. I am must be in a nightmare, I need someone to wake me up now! Being a Muslim myself, this is so scary to me.

The name is Ragab Hilal Hamida. MP for the Muslim Brotherhood.

The following are excerpts from the interview by MEMRI: "Terrorism' is Not a Curse When Given its True Meaning" ... "It is [Our] Duty to Repel any Enemy of the Islamic and Arab Countries, Using 'Terrorism' Rather Than Using Violence"

Question: "Does it make sense to you that a Muslim should claim that the Koran incites to terrorism?!"
Hamida: "I said these things in an [Egyptian] parliament session dealing with the Inter-Arab Agreement on Combating Terrorism. I noticed that the report of the [Parliamentary] Committee for Defense and National Security and the Egyptian Foreign Ministry were inaccurate when [they] dealt with terrorism, since [they] dealt with it in general [terms]. I specifically wanted to explain that [the term] 'terrorism' is not a curse when given its true meaning. [When interpreted accurately,] it means opposing occupation as it exists in Palestine, Afghanistan and Iraq!...

Question: "Do you think that this is the [appropriate] time to repeat such provocative statements, when we are trying to improve the image of Islam in the West and to refute the accusation that [Islam] is a religion of terrorism, as [some] are claiming?"
Hamida: "Islam does not need improvement of its image... But there are some ignorant Muslims who do not understand the tenets of their faith... It is [our] duty to repel any enemy of the Islamic and Arab countries, using 'terrorism' rather than using violence. We need an accurate definition of [the term] 'terrorism' in the negative climate in which we live - a climate that makes no distinction between a criminal and one who is prepared to sacrifice his life or a terrorist. In defining [this term], we must not be influenced by American pressures, but consider the issues in the light of shari'a. They should not tell us to fight terrorism and to fight it as they command us to. The Americans are the ones who perpetrate violence in the Arab countries!..." Full interview...

16 Comments:

At 6:56 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Ashamed

 
At 8:39 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

It is [our] duty to repel any enemy of the Islamic and Arab countries, using 'terrorism' rather than using violence.

I´m astonished!!!



Being a Muslim myself, this is so scary to me.

I think it´s scary, not even being a muslim...

Thank you for your posts and information. It helps understanding the situation for lots of people. Keep up the good work!

 
At 3:29 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

unfortunately, these people succeeded to give this idea to the poor & illetrate people in their "disctricts", mosques, etc. That's how their violence spreads out so quickly.

 
At 3:47 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Bloody unbelievable!! This man is beyond re-education. As for the people who voted him in office, really do not know how they could do so.

Egyptian in Germany

 
At 5:04 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

don't be surprised FFE, believe it or not this man used to stand and sell sausage at a corner on the street near Tahrir square (his samll store is still there)and more ironic he speeches every friday in a mosque too using unbearable microphones!!!

 
At 5:20 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

This news item is a disgrace.

for starters, ragab hilal hemida is not a muslim brotherhood MP.
He was a member of alghad, then he was among the top 3 defactors ( along with morsy alsheikh and moussa moussa) who left the party right after the presidential elections and claimed to be the "real" Ghad and issued a paper similar to that of nour's faction papers later.
before that he was a member of alahrar party. in general he is a shady politican with very bad reputation as an opportunistic backstabber who specializes in "freezing" parties and not above suspicious deals. I remmeber many people were disappointed in nour's decision in getting him into his party in the first place, but nour was determined to gather as many supporters as he can. ragab did his part later.

Don't take my word for it. google him.

 
At 10:09 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

mohamed,
never the less if he's a memeber of MB or not, he's in the house of parlament for heaven's sake?!

Lilly

 
At 8:14 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

am not sure here,i know wat he said is fucked up,but isn't this democracy,last time i heard there were white nazis in the american congress or watevar

 
At 10:03 PM, Blogger Freedom For Egyptians said...

All that I know that it is disgrace that such a person be in the Egyptian parliament. He speaks on our behalf, I still cannot believe it!

 
At 9:28 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

"He speaks on our behalf"___He speaks only on behalf of the people in his own district, where he was elected. Most parliaments include a few extremists or weirdos who somehow get elected, particularly in poorer districts.___He seems to agree with some US Christians about the Quran and terrorism.

 
At 6:42 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Sadly, guys like him are a side-effect of free elections.

 
At 5:22 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

yes it's true, every parlament in a world has its own extremist clowns, but the diference is how powerful they really are in everyday life...that's why this man is dangerous...

Lilly

 
At 5:25 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

http://arabist.net/archives/2006/03/13/memri-puts-its-foot-in-it/

 
At 3:58 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Although very badly said, I can see where the MB MP comes from. The best that can be said about this interview is "Lost in translation".

While understanding that the interview might have been originally in English, we need to remember that knowing how to use English syntax and vocabulary doesn't mean that the 'talk' originates from the same thought processes. It's a cultural 'thing'. Just like the way Bush's use of 'Crusade' was negatively perceived by people in the Moslem world, and just like a specific meaning of 'Jihad' is being promoted in the west as the sole meaning of the word.

I'm beginning to see a pattern of cultural-misunderstanding everywhere.

I haven't seen the interview, but I can easily see that what he meant by "Using 'Terrorism' Rather Than Using Violence" is very similar to what was called during the cold war "nuclear deterrence" which was the public euphemism for "Mutual assured destruction (MAD)"; and noting that the use of 'deterrence' in that context was new.

What the guy meant is that "by inducing fear and terror in the hearts of potential enemies, hopefully with the least possible casualties resulting from physical violence, maybe we can deter our enemy and keep them at a safe distance, and prevent them from interfering with our business".

Sounds like valid military ideology to me (compare with total destruction).

The reference to Koran is related to the use of the phrase ترهبون به عدوكم, which is used in a context similar to what I just explained above.

Finally, we needn't succumb to the definition of "Terrorism" imposed by the USA, which is clearly coined to serve their purpose (for example by encompassing liberation movements). A term like "War of terrorism" is actually void of meaning when analysed carefully.

Do I need to state that I am not pro-violence and that I am anti-Islamism? Well I'll do just in case.

 
At 4:47 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Not that it should make any difference to the horrific aspect of what he has said.but RHHemmeda is by no means an MB-never was..i find it just amazing how ME gho..it is just amazing how Memri is so sloopy ..not the first time..never trusted them..and never trusted RHemeeda at him...a scum

 
At 2:32 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Not suprised, but I am dissapointed. Please Egypt, kick these terrorists out.

 

Post a Comment

<< Home