Sunday, July 30, 2006

Hezbollah: an ideology of hatred

Hezbollah openly and aggressively preaches hatred towards all Jews, and it is publicly committed to the destruction of Israel and all Jews in Israel. Parallel to this hatred, most Middle Eastern countries promote hatred towards Jews and Israel in their schools, media, and from their mosques, while suppressing positive images of Jews and Israel.

By contrast, Israel has been hailed, even by the UN, for its educational system that promotes respect and equality for all people. The same is true of its legal and political systems. For any moral country, open incitement of hate and incitement of acts of racial/religious violence must be deemed criminal. The disproportions between Israel and the rest of the Middle East in this regard are so extreme that there is simply no scale to measure it.

Hezbollah's ideology of hatred is based on the deep-seated hatred embedded in Islam for Judaism (and all other religions, for that matter). Since 2001 I have been compiling news reports from high profile media, primarily AP and Reuters, documenting hatred in the Muslim world. I have over 45 pages of direct quotes from Muslims of all stripes, expressing their unrestrained and unself-conscious bigotry towards Jews, Christians, and America. Consider these few examples:

10/28/05: by Ali Akbar Dareini, AP, “Iran Leader Reiterates Anti-Israel Stance
Tehran, Iran -Iran's ultraconservative president joined more than a million demonstrators who flooded the streets of the capital and other major cities Friday to back his call for the destruction of the Jewish state. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad stood fast behind his assertion that Israel should be wiped off the map and repeated the call during the nationwide protests Friday, the Muslim day of prayer.
7/13/04: no author cited, AP, “Ayatollah: U.S. Supports Iraq Insurgency”
Tehran, Iran - Iran's supreme leader on Tuesday accused U.S. and Israeli agents, not Muslims, of responsibility for the wave of beheadings and kidnappings in Iraq, the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported.
11/9/04, Simon Wiesenthal Center, “Holland must Act Now to Stop Extremism”
The brutal killing last week of Dutch film director Theo van Gogh who was stabbed to death in Amsterdam while cycling to work shocked the world. Moreover, a five-page letter pinned to Van Gogh's body with a knife included antisemitic rhetoric reminiscent of Nazi propaganda and threats against Amsterdam's Jewish Mayor Job Cohen and other Jewish personalities.
12/6/02: by Alaa Shahine, AP, “Saudi Minister: Jews Behind 9/11 Attacks
Dubai, United Arab Emirates - The Saudi police minister has claimed Jews were behind the Sept. 11 attacks because they have benefited from subsequent criticism of Islam and Arabs, according to media reports. Interior Minister Prince Nayef made the remarks in the Arabic-language Kuwaiti daily Assyasah last month.
7/21/06: Reuters, no by-line, “Security men block big Cairo protest against Israel”
Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohammed Mahdi Akef told Reuters: "Today we are supporting the Palestinian, Lebanese and Iraqi resistance and every resistance against Zionist, American and European arrogance.” “Al-Azhar's message to the world is Death to the Zionist entity" read one of the large banners strung across an archway in the marble courtyard of the mosque. "Nasrallah, our friend, hit and destroy Tel Aviv," the protesters chanted.
5/25/06: By Andrew Hammond, Reuters, “Saudi textbooks still preach hatred: report
Schoolbooks say that "Christians and Jews are the enemies of the believers" and that students should not "befriend," "respect" or "show loyalty to" non-believers, the report said, citing Arabic passages.
12/22/05: by Salah Nasrawi, AP, “Egypt Opposition Leader Denies Holocaust
Cairo, Egypt - The leader of Egypt's main Islamic opposition group said Thursday the Holocaust was a "myth," and he slammed Western governments for criticizing disclaimers of the Jewish genocide. The comments by Muslim Brotherhood chief Mohammed Mahdi Akef [were] made on the heels of his group's strong showing in Egyptian parliamentary elections.
5/13/05: Palestinian Authority TV:
“The day will come when we will rule the United States, the day will come when we will rule Britain, we will rule the whole world [and all will live in peace and comfort under our rule] except the Jews. The Jews will not live in peace and comfort under our rule. Treachery will keep being their nature throughout history. The day will come when the whole world will rid itself of the Jews.”

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