Jewish-Muslim Unity… in Kuwait’s Al-Watan! March 11, 2008
It’s about damn time. Baruch Hashem and AlhamduliLl-h for Abdallah Al-Hadlaq.
Writing for the Kuwaiti Al-Watan newspaper, Mr. Al-Hadlaq wrote a scathing opinion piece (Arabic) condemning the “terrorism” of Hamas and Hezbollah in last week’s massacre at Yeshivat Merkaz HaRav in Jerusalem. Mr. Al-Hadlaq, among other things, calls the attack “a barbaric murder of eight children who were engaged in religious study” and says that the “odious and inhuman terror attack exemplifies the extremist and inhuman path of the terror organizations Hamas and Hizbullah.”
Indeed, as the Jerusalem Post notes:
The writer goes on to assert that “the terror attack must prompt the free world to comprehend the magnitude of terrorism and its threats and to realize that a clear and unequivocal stance must be assumed against it. There can be no negotiations with terrorism that indiscriminately aims itself at students, women and babies without any consideration for the means and the targets.”
Contrasting the terror attack with the IDF’s operations in the Gaza Strip, the writer explains that “there is no link between a murderous terrorist act and the inadvertent killing of civilians in response to the firing of rockets by Hamas.”
The piece presented a stark contrast to the main current in the Arab press, which presented almost sweeping praise for the “heroic operation.”
The Google-translated version (which I’m sure does not do the original Arabic piece justice) shows Mr. Al-Hadlaq referring numerous times to Hamas as a terrorist organization, and speaking of the incident as ” الهجوم الارهابي /al’hajoum al’irhabi” — the terrorist attack carried out by the “evil Alliance” of Hamas and Hezbollah.
(On the other hand, here’s a contrasting opinion on Hamas from a local chapter of an American organization.)
Scathing criticism of Hamas — هجمات الارهابي (hajmaat al’irhabi), the terrorist organization — and calling terrorism for what it is — in defense of murdered innocent Jews engaged in the service of G-d. At least one person is standing up for human life — indiscriminately — in the face of a pro-Hamas media deluge.
A brilliant display of unity. Well done, Mr. Al-Hadlaq, and well done, Al-Watan. Kudos. May the anti-terrorist voices only multiply exponentially throughout the Arabic-speaking world, and the world as a whole.
[…] calling the attackers “terrorist” and the products of an “evil alliance”. Abdallah Al-Hadlaq calls the attack a “barbaric murder” and writes in his article that one can not negotiate “with […]
It is a good move. Did you read this? Seems a rabbi is calling for attacks on Arabs in Israel:
“A group of rightist rabbis on Wednesday called on Jews to avenge their enemies ‘measure for measure,’ a day after news reports circulated of an allegedt yeshiva plot to strike a senior Arab official in retaliation for the terror attack at the Mercaz Harav Yeshiva last week. ”
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/963518.html
Shalom/salaam to you Y-Love,
I like your blog and the perspective it gives of spirituality, Judaism, music and interfaith relations, but I have to question the link you gave to Joe Kaufmans group, CAIRwatch, he is an extreme Islamophobe.
http://mtakbar.wordpress.com/2007/09/26/joe-kaufman-don-quixote-meets-meir-kahane/
I condemn the murder of innocent civilians whether murdered in a Yeshiva, or in Gaza City. I must ask though aren’t these students some of the same ones who settle on Palestinian land, or places like Hebron where they spew hate and their own terror?
Peace,
MT
Wow Yitz. I’d really love to know how you decide which stories to cover.
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1205420694344&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull
You certainly discriminate!
Adam — first of all, I had no idea that this was your MO, refusal to see validity in anything I’m saying.
I didn’t see that article — if I did I surely would have covered it, or at least mentioned it somewhere. In fact, now having googled some names in it, it seems that this is a whole new can of worms so thank you and a hat-tip for turning me on to these UK people. (Al-Quds al-Arabi doesn’t shock me, do you have any idea how much hate can be found in Arabic-language media against Jews?)
Next time, please try to be classy about this — as you are on a few of my friends lists — and tell me this privately. Dissing me on my blog benefits no one.
As Kuwait isn’t exactly known as a bastion of free-flowing contrarian media is it possible that the writer’s opinion piece might have had more to do with the conservative regime’s antipathy to Hezbollah and Hamas as radical counterforces in the region that undermine the traditional power centres in the Gulf, and challenge state hegemony. I have to say there isn’t much contextual reading of the arab media in your blogs, and you don’t have altogether too subtle a grasp of the political culture of the region.
I’m all for Jewish-Muslim unity, but you shouldn’t just jump on the first op-ed in the first newspaper you find that happens to dovetail with your own position.
I once met a guy who looked like a good
rapper/ I heard the guy spit and i thought how can it get crapper/ this guy aint real/ him i don’t feel/ time to open up this kid like a wrapper/
don’t come down these endz/ to london town/ where we call it merc not benz/ y-love you tried bare to make friends/ don’t come with your fake leftist trends/ whether your black or jewish depends/ on where manhattan begins and brooklyn ends.
ya tryin to make things good in the world and i appreciate/ its ya own conscience not the situation your tryin to alleviate/ next time/ go to Palestine witha reaal debate/ its bait that you play with hate and twist the date to try and recreate the island of Zion before the Neo-Con state.
Yitz/don’t front/ I know what you really want/ please excuse my language but its time to be blunt.
Day One. Rejected by the Nation/ showed you hesitation/ when you bopped their location/ after blatant subjugation/ self-enslaving media masturbation/
Day Two. Rejected by the Panthers/ America dont want you blood and they won’t give you answers/ why would they want a clown/ when they already have dancers./ Went running to the rabbi who dressed you in biblical pampers/ the closest you been to the hamptons is welfare basket hampers.
Day Three… to be continued. Youtube Y-Love diss
Interesting post. I thought it was great to see your point-of-view on this news piece even if some people couldn’t handle it.
I once met a guy who looked like a good
rapper/ I heard the guy spit and i thought how can it get crapper/ this guy aint real/ him i donâÂÂt feel/ time to open up this kid like a wrapper/
donâÂÂt come down these endz/ to london town/ where we call it merc not benz/ y-love you tried bare to make friends/ donâÂÂt come with your fake leftist trends/ whether your black or jewish depends/ on where manhattan begins and brooklyn ends.
ya tryin to make things good in the world and i appreciate/ its ya own conscience not the situation your tryin to alleviate/ next time/ go to Palestine witha reaal debate/ its bait that you play with hate and twist the date to try and recreate the island of Zion before the Neo-Con state.
Yitz/donâÂÂt front/ I know what you really want/ please excuse my language but its time to be blunt.
Day One. Rejected by the Nation/ showed you hesitation/ when you bopped their location/ after blatant subjugation/ self-enslaving media masturbation/
Day Two. Rejected by the Panthers/ America dont want you blood and they wonâÂÂt give you answers/ why would they want a clown/ when they already have dancers./ Went running to the rabbi who dressed you in biblical pampers/ the closest you been to the hamptons is welfare basket hampers