The popular Al-Jazeera talk show, "The Opposite Direction," recently addressed the issue of whether Osama bin Laden has served thecause of Islam, or damaged it. Appearing on the program were Osama Safar, a Kuwaiti columnist who opposed bin Laden andAbdallah Bin Matruk Al-Haddal, a Saudi preacher from the Ministry of Islamic Affairs in Saudi Arabia, who supported bin Laden.
Since September 11th the policy set by the heads of the Saudi Kingdom dictates that Saudi government employees are to refrainfrom expressing support of bin Laden. However, Al-Haddal stood firmly in defense of bin Laden. In his comments he also fiercelyattacked American Jewry. Following are excerpts of Al-Haddal's statements:[1]
On Bin Laden...
"...I did not come [here] to defend bin Laden personally. Bin Laden waged an Islamic Jihad; he defended the oppressed people in Afghanistan. He expelled the Soviet Union [from Afghanistan]. The Western world focuses on Osama bin Laden and the Jihad, and ignores the Muslims' faith, their principles, and their values. Men like bin Laden will not allow the Islamic world to bow down under the infidel enemies' tyranny, under the tyranny of the U.S...."
"...There is no doubt that Osama bin Laden waged Jihad against the infidels, against the aggressor and the oppressor. America does not want Islamic principles [to exist] on the face of this planet. It does not want the full implementation of Islam's values and principles... It does not want there to be a free Islamic economy."
"...America doesn't want to have any competitors. She wants to be all alone in this world. Osama bin Laden's demands are the demands of his nation. The nation who gave rise to Osama bin Laden is a strong and great nation. It is the nation of the future. Before bin Laden, it gave rise to Salah Al-Din Al-Ayyubi [Salladin]."
"...Osama bin Laden [caused] the West to think and read a lot about Islam. Books on Islam disappeared from the market; everybody wants to read about the kind of Islam that does not accept oppression..."
"...Osama bin Laden is a Jihad warrior who implemented the principles of Islam and of faith, and then reached the pinnacle by going to fight the Jihad in Afghanistan. This is a man who gave his soul for Allah, and Allah guarded his soul until he reached a point where he became a hero like Salah Al-Din Al-Ayyubi [Salladin]."
"Like all other Muslims, bin Laden wanted to apply the Shari'a fully with its values, principles, economics, media, and education. Even in sports there should be Shar'i sport."
On American Jewry
"I don't believe that the attack on America [on September 11th] was perpetrated by bin Laden or the Muslims. I think differently. I believe it was a scheme. What is happening now is a continuation of an ancient attack. It is a continuation of the Jewish deception and the Jewish-Zionist wickedness which infiltrates the U.S.... I am surprised that the Christian U.S. allows the 'brothers of apes and pigs' [meaning the Jews] to corrupt it. [The Jews] have murdered the prophets and the messengers. [The Jews] are the most despicable people who walked the land and are the worms of the entire world. They are all evil. And why? Because they are deceiving and plotting aggressors..."
"...The Jews do not respect Jesus, the son of Mary. America should know who the Jews truly are. The Jews see Jesus as someone born from prostitution, while he is the noble prophet of Allah, and his mother, peace be upon her, is pure..."
"...Jewish fingerprints have infiltrated the U.S. Jewish evil and deception are those who attacked the U.S. [on September 11th]. Osama bin Laden fought against the opposing falsehood and oppression that is generated by the evil and deceptive Jewish-Zionism..."
"...They want to rid the world of Islam. They don't want Islam to ever have a revival. Osama bin Laden removed oppression; even Muslims came back to their belief and their religion. He did not present a distorted picture of Islam to the West. Quite the contrary; reading about Islam became more popular in the West. Westerners read on the morality of the Prophet Mohammed, his beliefs and his values. They read about Islam, not about terrorism..."
"...The American people is a people that is being led by the media and TV culture. If a wicked Jewish crook begins saying that the Muslims are oppressors, it has an influence on the Americans. The media in America is in the hands of the Jews and behind it there are the Jewish Zionists' despicable fingerprints that change reality. They have even deceived the Christians about their own religion. Did you know that the person who forged the Christian religion is a Jew?"
"The Muslims have mercy on the Christians more than they have on the Jews. Bin Laden defended the oppressed. We warn the U.S. and advise her to get rid of the Jews."
[1] Al-Jazeera TV, January 22, 2002.
