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March 9, 2012 Special Dispatch No. 4558

Egyptian Cleric Sheikh Masoud Anwar Criticizes Arab Billionaires for 'Foolishness and Vanity' While Their Brothers Are Dying of Hunger in Somalia and Palestine

March 9, 2012
Africa, Egypt, Palestinians, Somalia | Special Dispatch No. 4558

Following are excerpts from a religious program featuring Egyptian cleric Sheikh Masoud Anwar, which aired on Al-Rahma TV on February 20, 2012.


Masoud Anwar: "Why did America invade [Somalia]? The people of Somalia had almost united. It is an Arab [sic] and Islamic country, and they all are Sunnis there. Why would it bother America if Somalia is ruled by Islamic law? Why did it invade? In order to thwart the efforts of the Islamists to establish an Islamic state ruled by the laws of the Koran and the Sunna. That is what former U.S. deputy secretary of state Herman Cohen declared. This Cohen said the presence of U.S. forces in Somalia is a message to the entire region: Nobody should even think of ruling in accordance with the Islamic law. It is a message to all the people of the region. […]

"The richest billionaire in the world is an Arab, and so is the second and the third [sic]… Are we poor, man? A short while ago, I read that an Arab prince traveled to England and donated five million pounds sterling to the local zoo. Work out how many millions of Egyptian pounds that comes to. How can you compare your brothers in Somalia to animals in England? What will you say to your Lord? Where is your shame? Where is your shame in the face of Allah? Did our Lord not say that the believers are brothers? Did the Prophet Muhammad not say: 'A Muslim is the brother of Muslims'? Your brother is dying. Your brother is all skin and bones, your brother's children are dying, yet [you] go and donate money to the zoo in England? What will you say to God in your defense?

"I also heard about an Arab billionaire – a Palestinian, I'm sad to say – who bought the wreckage of the car of Diana – Diana, who died along with Dodi Fayed… He bought the wreckage of Diana's car for five million dollars. Pieces of a car wreck… You see what foolishness and vanity, at a time when his brothers are dying of hunger in the land of Palestine." […]

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