In two recent TV interviews, Egyptian cleric Wagdi Ghneim extolled Jihad, saying: "We are a nation that excels in the production of the art of death... I will die anyway, so I should be creative to make sure my death is for the sake of Allah." Later, he said: "Brothers, we pray to Allah that we be terrorists, if terror means Jihad for the sake of Allah."
He also weighed in on the issue of women's equality, saying: "Anything you women can do, I can do better, because I am a man..." except for four things, which "even the manliest man cannot do": pregnancy and childbirth, raising and serving the children, nurturing the husband, and taking care of the home.
The two interviews aired on the Hamas Al-Aqsa TV channel on February 4 and 14, 2010.
To view this clip on MEMRI TV, visit http://www.memritv.org/clip/en/2398.htm.
For a previous clip featuring Wagdi Ghneim, visit http://www.memritv.org/clip/en/2208.htm.
Excerpts from February 4, 2010 interview:
"We Should Think How to Die for the Sake of Allah, Rather Than Be Run Over by a Car"
Wagdi Ghneim: "God did not say that there was only one way to conduct Jihad, and if you missed it – that's it. No, Jihad is a huge issue. Surat Al-'Ankaboot ends with: 'Those who strive in our [cause] – We will guide them to Our paths.' Our paths, not our path. 'Path' would have meant that there is only one. But there are 'paths.'
"What are the paths of Jihad? One is the Jihad of the soul. If you cannot get up in time for morning prayer – you are hopeless. Hopeless. How will you sacrifice your life, if you can't sacrifice a few hours of sleep? If you are asleep and snoring during morning prayer – will you sacrifice your life? That is why the accursed Zionist Jews said that so long as the number of Muslims who pray in the morning prayer is less than the number of Muslims who pray in the Friday prayer, the Zionist entity is safe.
[...]
"We are a nation that excels in the production of the art of death. Sheik Hassan Al-Bana said that we are a nation that excels... 'To excel' means that we are very good at... At what? At the production of the art of death. I will die anyway, so I should be creative to make sure my death is for the sake of Allah. We should think how to die for the sake of Allah, rather than be run over by a car on the highway.
[...]
"We are a nation that excels in the production of the art of death. That's why our enemies are terrified of us."
"Their God Is the Dollar"
"Don't our enemies say that we are a backward nation? Don't they say that our countries are not clean? That we don't have proper science? So why are they afraid of us? Why are they terrified of us? It is because we have something that they don't have: faith. They do not believe in God. Their God is the dollar.
"That's why the moment Qadhafi told them that he would withdraw the money from Switzerland... When his son was in Switzerland, he beat up his servant. The servant decided to play it tough, so he went to the police, and filed a complaint, because over there, the law, the rule of law, freedom, democracy, mulukhiya soup, and whatever...
"They caught Qadhafi's poor son and threw him into jail for two days. His father said: That's how you want it? Fine. I will withdraw my money from your banks and will stop pumping oil.
"The president of Switzerland himself went to apologize to him in Libya. People criticized him and said: 'You shouldn't have done that. You are the president of Switzerland, why are you apologizing to him?!' The president said: 'If he asked me to apologize again and again – I would.' Why? Because he touched the god they worship – the dollar." [...]
"We Pray to Allah that We Be Terrorists, If Terror Means Jihad"
"We are a Jihad-fighting nation, and we should guide all the people to this path. I am sorry to tell you that some preachers and scholars are ashamed to utter the word 'Jihad.' They do not use the word 'Jihad.' They are all afraid. They ask you not to use the word 'Jihad.' Why not? 'So that they won't say that we are terrorists.' A mujahid is called a 'terrorist' nowadays. Brothers, we pray to Allah that we be terrorists, if terror means Jihad for the sake of Allah.
[...]
"[In the West] they say: 'Ladies, Mademoiselles, and Gentlemen...' The men come at the end – that is, if they have real men over there at all. We should start with 'Gentlemen,' then 'Ladies' and finally, the unmarried women. I said this when I was lecturing in Japan in English. I said to them: 'Gentlemen and Ladies...' They said: 'What is this?!' I said to them: I know what you're thinking, but this is our religion. This is Islam. Men are the guardians of women."
[...]
Excerpts from February 14, 2010 interview:
Anything Women Can Do, Men Can Do Better
Wagdi Ghneim: "For women, Islamic law permits things that are compatible with their nature as females, as well as things that are compatible with the work they are required to do. What is the work you should do? It is the work God created you for.
Think about it. I am a man. Anything you women can do, I can do better, because I am a man, and I am stronger than you. My body is stronger.
"For example, I can put out a fire. I can climb the ladder and hold the hose, but you can't, because you are a woman. You are weak. I can work as a night guard. I have a pistol, a gun, or even a baseball bat. If I hear anyone coming, I say: 'Where are you?' But you? You're a female. You are startled if a mouse gets near you.
[...]
"Therefore, there are jobs you women cannot do – like being judges. You cannot be a judge, because your heart will not allow you to sentence someone to death. Can you sentence someone to death? As a man, I can sentence a person to death – even by hanging. But you – if a murderer brings his children to court, and he holds his newborn child in front of you... If you sentence him to death – who will raise this child? Your soul will not let you sentence him to death."
[...]
"Anything you can do I can do better, with four exceptions. Even the manliest man cannot do these four things. First, pregnancy and childbirth. Second, raising and serving the children. Third, nurturing the husband. You might be thinking that I got it wrong, but no, I said it intentionally: nurturing the husband. Four, taking care of the home. These are the four things women are good at.
"As a man, I cannot do any of these. I may help my wife a little, and sweep the floor here and there, but not all the time, because it is not natural for me. I cannot forget that once, one of my children was vomiting, and my wife or mother-in-law – I think it was my wife – she put her hands like that, and... He's my son, but by God, I could never do such a thing. Or when the child smells, I say to her: Look what he's done, change him.
"I am a man. This is not for me. These are the things you excel in. You can take the child and clean him up. That's your job, Allah be praised."
