Wafa Sultan. Al-Jeezera interview

Brothers, you can believe in stones as long as you don’t throw them at me.

I was a little weary of putting up this interview with Wafa Sultan on my site. My fear was, and is, that I would seem like so many Muslim-bashers who see her words as an opportunity to praise a token Muslim who sees things their way. It’s a token mentality that bothers me, and I worry about being misinterpreted as (more on this later).
But I was moved by Sultan’s words and courage and they challenged me even more. First, she is a women. Both in the culture she was speaking to and largely in this culture, women’s views and opinions are not given the weight and credit that is due them. Dr. Sultan also challenged and thought critically about the history and culture from which she had come. If there is one thing I can learn from her it is that I must be a critical thinker as it relates to my own culture.
Many will hear her words and just point at it as a way to tout their own views even more. I say we look at her words and then check our history and see if there needs to be some harsh words spoken about our actions.

You can read a partial Transcript here.

Follow-up story in NYT.

8 thoughts on “Wafa Sultan. Al-Jeezera interview”

  1. The clip you sent took place on February 21, 2006, when Al-Jazeerah TV aired a debate between Wafa Sultan, a secular ex-Muslim Syrian-American psychologist based in Los Angeles, and two Islamic scholars, Dr. Ibrahim Al-Khouli of Al Azhar University and Dr. Ahmad Bin Muhammad, an Algerian professor of religious politics who was the host of Al-Jazeerah.

    The ‘edited’ clip you sent http://switch5.castup.net/frames/20041020_MemriTV_Popup/video_480x360.asp?ai=214&ar=1050wmv&ak=null was not from Al-Jazeerah. It’s from MEMRI TV. MEMRI is the abbreviation for Middle East Media Research Institute, a pro-Israel organization with headquarters in Washington DC and its Media Centre in Israel – “… a non-profit in Washington DC that specializes in translating and circulating mainly Arab-language materials, selected to display the Arab world in a poor light, to the advantage of Israel.” http://counterpunch.org/news03292006.html

    This may enlighten you about their organisation ……. Fake Saddam Interview Put Out By MEMRI : SF Bay Area Indymedia
    http://www.indybay.org/news/2006/03/1812222.php

    “A knowledgeable US government official has informed “Iraq News” that the ‘remarkable’ interview with Saddam Hussein, published by MEMRI TV, is almost certainly a hoax.” Read More: http://counterpunch.org/news03292006.html

    Did you not wonder if it was a debate, why was Wafa Sultan doing all the gibber-gabbering? Where are the responses from the two (2) Muslim participants in the debate? Why were they not given the opportunity to have the same air-time to respond to this woman? The way the video clip was going on-and-off so many times, isn’t it obvious to you that the debate was one-sided and had been edited! Some debate!!!

    Wafa’s statements are a flagrant distortion of the truth. When it comes to terrorism Wafa is totally wrong in sugarcoating Jewish history. She fudges her claims here because Israeli authors Avi Shlaim, Tom Segev, Ilan Pappé and Benny Morris have written comprehensive and well-researched books about Israel’s history and the major role terrorism had in it.

    Here are some links on what the Torah/Talmud says about Jesus Christ and Christians for you to read:

    1. “FACTS ARE FACTS” by Benjamin H. Freedman – http://www.iahushua.com/JQ/factsR4.html

    2. “The Talmud Unmasked” by the Rev. I. B. Pranaitis: The Secret Rabbinical Teachings Concerning Christians

    About Jesus and Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon them):

    Here is an excerpt from Part 1, Chapter 1:

    Article II No. 8 – Buried In Hell
    The book Zohar, III, (282), tells us that Jesus died like a beast and was buried in that “dirt heap…where they throw the dead bodies of dogs
    and asses, and where the sons of Esau [the Christians] and of Ismael [the Turks], also Jesus and Mahommed, uncircumcized and unclean like
    dead dogs, are buried.”

    Please read more at this link: http://www.biblebelievers.org.au/talmudx.htm

    About Christians:

    Here is an excerpt from Part 2, Chapter II:

    Article I. – Harm must be done to Christians
    A Jew is commanded to harm Christians wherever he can, both indirectly by not helping them in any way, and also directly by wrecking their
    plans and projects; neither must he save a Christian who is in danger of death.

    Article II. – Christians are to be Killed
    V. A Jew who kills a Christian commits no Sin, but offers an acceptable Sacrifice to God, In Speher Or Israel (177b) it says: “Take the life of
    the Kliphoth (see: http://www.truthtellers.org/alerts/areadlbnaibrithmasonic.html)and kill them, and you will please God the same as one who offers
    incense to Him.” And in Ialkut Simoni (245c. n. 772) it says: “Everyone who sheds the blood of the impious is as acceptable to God as he
    who offers a sacrifice to God.”

    Read more horrific Jewish teachings at this link: http://www.biblebelievers.org.au/talmud2.htm

    3. “The Truth about the Talmud” a documented exposé of Jewish Supremacist hate literature by Michael A. Hoffman II and Alan R. Critchley
    http://www.stormfront.org/jewish/talmud.html

    Wafa Sultan said: “Only the Muslims defend their beliefs by burning down churches, killing people and destroying embassies.” This is totally ridiculous accusation based on lies and prejudice. And predudice needs to be identified and censured wherever and whenever it appears. The Qur`aan repeatedly emphasises the unity of mankind and yet recognises the diversity within humanity. Dialogue that is respectful, thoughtful and tolerent of different religions and cultures is a goal worth striving for – this is the way of Islam.

    Did she conveniently forget to mention the 1994 Abraham Mosque Massacre in Hebron when 30 Muslims were massacred by Jews as they were praying during the holy month of Ramadhaan?

    No question, the behaviour of many Muslims and what is happenings in many Muslim countries are a shame but which faith community in the world does not have that kind of derailed people and that kind of incidents?

    Portraying the entire Western world “civilised” and thereby including mass-murdering liars and warmongers like Bush, Rumsfled and Cheney into the group of the “good” (because they are non-Muslim westerners) while at the same time labeling all Muslims medi-evalists or violent is dishonest and unfair hate mongering. Read “The Hebron Massacre: Another “Defining Moment” in the Middle East”
    http://www.washington-report.org/backissues/0494/9404015.htm

    After reading the above information I provided you on the Talmud, please read the Qur`aan. If you’re a truthseeker, find out for yourselves who the real terrorists are. http://www.muslimaccess.com/quraan/translations/yusufali/001.htm

  2. Abdullah, While you cite many references to illustrate that Jews throughout history are not “innocent”, you do your argument no good. Few people believe those representing the Jews, or we Christians, for that matter have been pure of heart and innocent through out history, including today. The point from the clip that you are missing and failed to refute is that TODAY Muslims continue to try to impose their religious beliefs on the world.

    Of the world’s religions, only Muslims preach and act upon that preaching to kill innocent people whose only “sin” is that they don’t believe as Muslims do. Of course, if the world didn’t exist except for Muslims, there would still be hatred and warfare. Muslims would turn on themselves — Shiites versus Sunni then once one side prevailed, the winning sect would further “cleanse” itself — extremists against moderates. You see, the way of hate-based religions is that ther must ALWAYS be an enemy. It is the only way that the religious leadership knows how to lead — by keeping the hatred focused externally, so the sheep that do their bidding never become introspective and think for themselves.

    Finally, The Israeli’s response to the Hezbollah invasion and subsequent killing and capture of their soldiers has regrettably taken the lives of hundreds of innocents in Lebanon. That is the unfortunate result of warfare between states — Hezbollah as Lebanon’s military proxy and part of the government started a war. I find the Muslim reaction to the deaths of several hundred civilians at Israel’s hands during war to be hypocritical since no such public outcry has occurred as Sunnis and Shiites in Iraq have killed many, many more innocents. Where is the outrage?

    Ooops, I forgot: each side considers the other to be heretics and it is acceptable to kill people with differing religious views. Such is the legacy of your great religious leaders.

  3. I agree wholeheartedly. I am not a religious person, But I have livedall over the Middle East as well as Malaysia and Indonesia. Many of my friends have been Muslim and they never tried to convert me to Islam.

    However, the Muslims that practice fundamentalism within a phylosophy of hate and killing are completely off track with the teachings of the Muslim faith.

    Where is the future in reverting back to a seventh century way of life.

    Where is the future in killing innocent Muslim women and children when they are at prayer.

    I would not want to stand before Allah and try and brag about how many of his children you murdered.

    I also do not see the logic that says a suicide bomber will have 72 virgins in heaven. Isn’t that sort of dragging Allah down to the level of a street pimp? Trading sexual favors for acts of murder and violence. Sounds mjch more like devil worship to me, and now much of the world is of the same opinion.

    One female sucide bomber left a video tape behind saying that she would be knocking on the doors of heaven with the skulls of her enemies. What kind of a horrible club could a person join that required that kind of gate pass.

    Iraq and the surrounding area was once called “The Cradle of Civilization.” Now days it is more accurately known asw the cradle of stupidity.

    Use this forum to explain to me and the world how the religion of Islam is the peaceful religion every Muslim says it is.

  4. Look …The world is a complex place. You have to look at things in 3-D…. For example take the fundamentalists…. like the wackos who bomb abortion clinics. Funny, nobody in the world says that Christianity is evil because some Jesus freak killed a doctor who does abortions. But Islam is evil… wtf?

  5. Here is the other side of Wafa Sultan discussion on al Jazeera — part that was missing in mermi tv and hundreds of youtube videos of that discussion

    Part1

    Part2

    Part 3

    Part4

  6. i have seen all the Full interview and realized that she is realy now what she says.
    the islam is base e off the terrors.

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