Bruce G
04-06-2003, 06:50 PM
Islamic leaders ban Bush, Blair from Holy Land
Last Updated Sun, 06 Apr 2003 19:06:14
• RAMALLAH, WEST BANK - The top Islamic authority of Palestinians is calling on the world's Muslims to oppose the U.S.-led war in Iraq, and it's prohibited two western leaders from ever visiting the Holy Land again.
"All Muslim scholars in Palestine declare a fatwa (religious decree) forbidding any Muslim to participate in that aggressive war, or even to lend the voracious invaders a hand," said an assembly of clerics from the West Bank and Gaza Strip after a weekend meeting.
Since the attack to remove Saddam Hussein from power began last month, many Palestinians have labelled the military confrontation as an unholy war by Christians against Muslims. Western leaders deny the allegation, but the fatwa is expected to deepen the resolve of some Muslims in and around Israel.
U.S. President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair are now forbidden to travel to any Holy Land in the Middle East forever, according to the head of the Al-Fatwa Supreme Council, Grand Mufti Ikrima Sabri.
"The attackers, Bush and Blair, will not enter Palestine," he said in an interview in Arabic. "All Muslims must consider Bush and Blair as evil."
Sabri's group does not control any land, holy or otherwise, so the immediate practical effect of the fatwa appears limited to encouraging public denunciation of military force in Iraq.
But even non-Muslim Arabs agree with his edict, he said. Some Arab Christian leaders in Bethlehem have issued their own ban against Bush and Blair. They don't want either man to enter the Church of the Nativity – built on the site considered the birthplace of Jesus Christ.
But Bethlehem is looked after by several other Christian groups, and some of them have rejected the Church of the Nativity ban. They say Bush and Blair – who are both practising Christians – should be allowed to come, although some monks in the city agree the time for a visit may not be ideal right now.
Written by CBC News Online staff
The only reason Palestine still exits is because the U.S. has been holding Israel back from taking them out. Look at it this way- Jordan didn’t want them, Israel didn’t want them- they are the scourge of the Middle East. I say we tell Israel it is their country deal with them as you please.
Who do they think they are dealing with: The Democrats, French, or Canadians? (OH wait- they are all pretty much the same group) Believe me Bush and Blair can go anywhere they want, especially after we are done in Iraq. Under the broad definition of our war on terrorism Palestine should close its trap. When this thing is all said and done we will have forces in Israel, Iraq, Kuwait, and Afghanistan, if I were the ‘Islamic leaders’ I would keep my mouth shut!
God bless us all
American by birth, Texan with pride.
Last Updated Sun, 06 Apr 2003 19:06:14
• RAMALLAH, WEST BANK - The top Islamic authority of Palestinians is calling on the world's Muslims to oppose the U.S.-led war in Iraq, and it's prohibited two western leaders from ever visiting the Holy Land again.
"All Muslim scholars in Palestine declare a fatwa (religious decree) forbidding any Muslim to participate in that aggressive war, or even to lend the voracious invaders a hand," said an assembly of clerics from the West Bank and Gaza Strip after a weekend meeting.
Since the attack to remove Saddam Hussein from power began last month, many Palestinians have labelled the military confrontation as an unholy war by Christians against Muslims. Western leaders deny the allegation, but the fatwa is expected to deepen the resolve of some Muslims in and around Israel.
U.S. President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair are now forbidden to travel to any Holy Land in the Middle East forever, according to the head of the Al-Fatwa Supreme Council, Grand Mufti Ikrima Sabri.
"The attackers, Bush and Blair, will not enter Palestine," he said in an interview in Arabic. "All Muslims must consider Bush and Blair as evil."
Sabri's group does not control any land, holy or otherwise, so the immediate practical effect of the fatwa appears limited to encouraging public denunciation of military force in Iraq.
But even non-Muslim Arabs agree with his edict, he said. Some Arab Christian leaders in Bethlehem have issued their own ban against Bush and Blair. They don't want either man to enter the Church of the Nativity – built on the site considered the birthplace of Jesus Christ.
But Bethlehem is looked after by several other Christian groups, and some of them have rejected the Church of the Nativity ban. They say Bush and Blair – who are both practising Christians – should be allowed to come, although some monks in the city agree the time for a visit may not be ideal right now.
Written by CBC News Online staff
The only reason Palestine still exits is because the U.S. has been holding Israel back from taking them out. Look at it this way- Jordan didn’t want them, Israel didn’t want them- they are the scourge of the Middle East. I say we tell Israel it is their country deal with them as you please.
Who do they think they are dealing with: The Democrats, French, or Canadians? (OH wait- they are all pretty much the same group) Believe me Bush and Blair can go anywhere they want, especially after we are done in Iraq. Under the broad definition of our war on terrorism Palestine should close its trap. When this thing is all said and done we will have forces in Israel, Iraq, Kuwait, and Afghanistan, if I were the ‘Islamic leaders’ I would keep my mouth shut!
God bless us all
American by birth, Texan with pride.