Libyan Leader Qadhafi: Western Conditions on Aid Are Degrading. We Have no Problem with AIDS. Capitalist Companies Make AIDS Look Terrible

Following are excerpts from an interview with Libyan leader Mu'ammar Al-Qadhafi, which was aired by Al-Jazeera TV on July 4, 2005.

Mu'ammar Al-Qadhafi: There is an attempt, or at least cries or calls, to provide aid to Africa. We are grateful to these people. But they link it to degrading conditions... We don't want your degradation, we don't want your aid. If you give someone charity, give it wholeheartedly. Is it conceivable that when a beggar in the street asks you for charity, you ask him: What's your religion? If he answers: "I am a Buddhist," would you say: "No, you must become a Muslim before I give you a cent"? What is it to you? If he's in need, give him a cent and go on your way. You must wear the same clothes as mine." You ask: "In which direction do you pray?" He says: "to the west," and you say: "No, you must pray to the east." "How many wives do you have?" He says: "I have four." You say: "I won't give you charity unless you divorce three, and keep only one." We don't want this charity. This is what's going on now. They interfere in everything. You have homosexuality. You have circumcision for (both) male and female. You have "forbidden to commit adultery." I cannot say these things in Arabic because they are shameful.

In order to ease, cancel, or reschedule our debts, we take a hundred curses. We deserve this because we accumulated debts.

They terrorize us with AIDS and with its aid. This AIDS was not discovered here in the 80's. It's been here for centuries. This virus has existed for centuries, and we've been living with it. It is being exploited. The capitalist companies trade in the sick Africans. They make this disease look terrible. They trade in this disease. We have population growth, not a problem of AIDS or anything. We have a population growth of 3 percent. No matter what AIDS has caused – we have no problem. In the past we numbered 250 million, and now 700 million. Tomorrow we will be one billion. Forget about AIDS, we don't care about it. People die everyday – those with AIDS and those without it. Other people die of cancer, of Mad Cow disease, or SARS.