Friends,

There comes a time when a community needs to wake up and take responsibility. This clip from Al-Rahma TV in Egypt shows a cleric encouraging a child to hate Jews.

How can we Muslims accept this hatred that is being churned out in our name and our faith? This is not about denouncing Israel for its continued occupation of Palestinian Territories; this is about hate--pure and simple.

Here is a translation of what the little boy has been made to memorize and recite proudly on the Egyptian television network, Al-Rahma TV on March 6, 2009:

Child: “Oh Allah, completely, destroy and shatter the Jews. Oh Allah, torment them with a disease that has no cure or remedy. Send a thunderbolt down upon them from Heaven. Oh Allah, torment them with every kind of torment. Oh Allah, send upon them flocks of ababil birds1 that will pelt them with stones of baked clay, and turn them into straw that has been eaten. Oh Allah, turn their women into widows – just like Muslim women were widowed. Allah, turn their children into orphans – just like Muslim children were orphaned. Oh Allah, bless the efforts of the mujahideen. Oh Allah, bring victory upon us soon. Amen, amen. Peace and blessings upon you.”

Cleric-TV host: “Well done. Well done. I let him end the program on purpose. Of course, he memorized this, and the understanding will come, Allah willing. But this is one stage in becoming a future preacher.”

To see the actual clip from Al-Rahma TV, click here.

Tarek Fatah