Recently, MEMRI TV released a clip of a speech by Sheikh Safwat Higazi that aired on Hamas' Al-Aqsa TV on December 31,2008,in which he said: "Being killed... is what we desire and hope for. It is martyrdom, by Allah... I wish I could stand among the youth of the Al-Qassam Brigades, passing them one of their missiles, wiping from their faces the dust of a missile that was launched, or crying 'Allah Akbar' along with them... Dispatch those sons of apes and pigs to the Hellfire, on the wings of the Qassam rockets... Jihad is our path... The [Jews]... deserve to be killed. They deserve to die. Destroy... everything over there" (to view this clip, visit http://www.memri.org/legacy/clip/1972).
According to the Lebanese Daily Star, Safwat Higazi is founder and secretary-general of Dar Al-Ansar for Islamic Affairs,[1] and in January 2008 headed a 21-vehicle relief convoy bound for Gaza with medical and food supplies and blankets but was stopped by Egyptian police.[2] On December 24, 2008, he issued a fatwa that anyone who denies the Sunna is an infidel and crazy, and must be killed.[3]
On January 4, 2009, Sheikh Higazi responded to MEMRI's releases, on Al-Nas TV (to view this clip, visit http://www.memri.org/legacy/clip/1983).
To view the MEMRI TV page for Sheikh Safwat Higazi, visit http://www.memritv.org/content/en/all_clips/0/0/0/0/456/index.htm
TO VIEW THESE CLIP AND OTHERS YOU MUST LOG IN/REGISTER FOR MEMRI TV, AT http://www.memri.org/content/en/member_registr_tv.htm. REGISTRATION IS FREE OF CHARGE.
"MEMRI... Has Accused Several Prominent Muslim Clerics And Sheikhs... Of Incitement... Yes, I Am An Antisemite"
Safwat Higazi: "An Israeli-American organization monitoring Arab media, called MEMRI – or rather, this is its acronym – has accused several prominent Muslim clerics and sheikhs from Arab TV channels, including Dr. Sallah Sultan and Sheikh Safwat Higazi, of incitement to the killing of the Jews and to hatred of the U.S.
[...]
"This is a great honor for us. Yes, I am an antisemite. Yes, I hate Zionism. Yes, Judgment Day will not come until we fight the Jews. These are the words of our Prophet, like it or not."[...]
"Yes, We Hate Them... If Our Rulers Let Us, We Would Catch You in the Street... [And] Devour You With Our Teeth"
"Yes, we are enemies of these people. We are enemies of all those who plunder our land and our rights, and we are enemies of the American government, and of whoever helps our enemies in the killing of our brothers. We are enemies of whoever helps our enemies – America and all the others.
"Yes, we hate them. Yes, we are hostile to them. By Allah, only our rulers prevent us from getting to you. By Allah, if they let us, we would devour you completely, and we would bite you with our teeth. We would not wait for weapons, for RPGs, or for bullets. If our rulers let us, we would catch you in the street, and we would devour you with our teeth.
"Yes, we are your enemies, and we will continue to be your enemies, until the day Jesus son of Mary descends, fighting you and calling to join Islam, the religion of the Prophet Muhammad."
Endnotes:
[1] http://www.traveltodayarabia.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=2743; http://viviansalama.wordpress.com/category/daily-star-egypt/
[2] Al-Masri-Al Yawm (Egypt), January 27, 2008, http://www.almasry-alyoum.com/article2.aspx?ArticleID=91472.
[3] Ahl Al-Quran International Quranic Center, http://www.ahl-alquran.com/English/show_article.php?main_id=4642.
