‘Moderate’ Mohamed Morsi calls Jews apes and pigs
SO. Why does Egypt’s leader Mohamed Morsi not like Israel? The Guardian called him”the acceptable face of moderate Islamism“, “a famously boring speaker who reduces Egyptian journalists to teeth-gnashing frustration as he rarely says anything remotely quotable.”
Well, he’s answered their prayers:
Twice:
I see Mohamed Morsi, poster boy for the Arab Spring, has now fallen back on the old defense that these touchy over-sensitive Jews have to learn to distinguish between anti-Semitism and legitimate and thoughtful criticism of Israeli policies. Presidential spokesman Yasser Ali now says that Mr. Morsi’s remarks that Jews are “bloodsuckers” and “descendants of apes and pigs” and that Egyptian children must be “breastfed hatred” for them were ”taken out of context.”
Sure. And that was in September 2010. But how did the BBC report on it?
The BBC says:
In the clip from Palestinian broadcaster Al-Quds TV, Mr Morsi referred to Jewish settlers as “occupiers of Palestine” and “warmongers
Only, he never used the word “settler”. He never referred to any settlers. Is the BBC saying that all Jews in Israel are settlers? Is the BBC isn agreement with Hamas? As he asks:
…we must ask why the BBC is trying to tone down Morsi’s support of terrorism in the whole of Israel by pretending that his statements encouraging violence ‘only’ refer to the use of terror against a specific group of people. Did the BBC perhaps consider that Morsi’s words would go down a little less badly with its audiences if they were framed as relating to “Jewish settlers” whom – according to the bien pensants of certain circles in the West – it has become perfectly acceptable to demonise, dehumanize and stereotype?
Tim Marshall nails it on Sky News:
Describing Jews as sons of pigs and monkeys is commonplace throughout the Middle East, it is routinely repeated on the street, in mosques, in TV debates, in cartoons, and in newspaper articles. The belief is based on three different verses in the Koran – 7:166, 2:65, and 5:60.
Some open-minded Muslims argue that the verses should be seen in historical context and that they refer to the problems between Jews and the new religion of Muhammad at the time of writing. Many others view them as literal and applicable for all time.
For the Egyptian President to use the phrase in a live TV interview in the 21st century suggests he takes the latter view. Core beliefs such as those he has espoused for decades are not normally reversed by a year in power although this cannot be definitively ruled out.
In Europe, when Europeans say things such as expressed above, we recognise them as ‘Fascistic’. When expressed by people in some other parts of the globe we appear frightened to call things what they are.
Call Morsi what he is – a racist. Or what the Guardian calls a”moderate”…
Posted: 20th, January 2013 | In: Politicians Comments (5) | TrackBack | Permalink
