Following speculation that the mother of Islamist Egyptian presidential candidate Sheikh Hazem Salah Abu Ismail held U.S. citizenship, and his denials, Egypt's electoral commission this week confirmed that the mother, Nawwal Abd Al-Aziz Nur, had become a U.S. citizen in October 2006. Since Egypt's constitution prohibits candidates whose parents hold dual nationality, Ismail could be disqualified from the race.[1] According to The New York Times, Ismail's denunciations of American power had helped make him a leading candidate in the presidential race.[2]
In July 2004, MEMRI TV translated an interview on the Saudi-based Iqraa TV with Ismail and his mother, who were identified as preaching and teaching Islam in the U.S. The mother noted that she had come to the country due to "family circumstances" and had taught at universities and other places. At one point in the interview, the host said to Hazem Salah Abu Ismail, "As far as I know, you also go to America to preach da'wa to Islam." Hazem said, "I live in Egypt, I never lived elsewhere, but by traveling to make da'wa I learn about the situation of the Muslims and non-Muslims abroad." At another point, he said that he went to the U.S. for visits.
In the interview, the two focused on the aftermath of 9/11 in the U.S., with the mother claiming that Islam had increased there following the attacks – which said had never even been investigated. In contrast, the son claimed that 9/11 was "fabricated from the outset as part of the global groundwork for the distortion of Islam's image."
The following are excerpts from the interview (to view this MEMRI TV clip, visit http://www.memri.org/legacy/clip/0/0/0/0/0/97/168); following that are links to more MEMRI TV clips of Ismail.
Nawwal Nur: "The Number of Muslims [In the U.S.] Has Risen" Following 9/11
Host: "I would like to ask you about the image of Islam and Muslims in the U.S. following the events of 9/11. Was this image completely distorted?"
Nawwal Nur: "No, not at all, praise Allah. The number of Muslims over there has risen, and people know more about Islam. Initially, they were very surprised to hear that there is a religion such as this, and then they began reading about it more and more. Islamic culture increased in this period. I do not believe that–"
"It Has Not Even Been Proven That Muslims Committed [9/11]... There Hasn't Even Been an Investigation"
Host: "Did this horrible event, condemned by all the Muslims in the world, not change the image of Islam in the U.S.?"
Nawwal Nur: "No, not at all, it has not even been proven that Muslims committed it. There hasn't even been an investigation, there is nothing. They are confused about what happened. That is why they started to learn about Islam. Is it really possible that Islam would instigate such a thing? No, impossible. That is why more people converted to Islam."
Host: "Even if we were to claim that some Muslims committed such a thing and we would accept this hypothetically, then the responsibility for this lies squarely on those who committed it, not on Islam."
Nawwal Nur: "True. The U.S. is full of terrorism and gangs, and it has violence, murder and perversions. Is Christianity responsible for all this?
Host: "No, of course not."
Nawwal Nur: "Not at all, I mean, these are individual cases."
Host: "Even if one Muslim made a mistake, it's his responsibility and not Islam's, not Islam's.
"Sir, do you agree with your mother's description?"
Abu Ismail: I "Believe These Events [9/11] Were Fabricated From the Outset As Part Of the Global Groundwork For the Distortion Of Islam's Image"
Abu Isma'il: "No... Sir, there is a difference between presenting the real issue and presenting the issue fabricated by the media."
Host: "All right!"
Abu Isma'il: "I am one of those who believe these events were fabricated from the outset as part of the global groundwork for the distortion of Islam's image. I mean, this is part of a comprehensive global plan that includes a media aspect. Even before these events took place there was preparation for them."
"There is a fabricated plan, or a fabricated image of Islam. They say, 'Come and we will show you Islam, which is such and such.' They do not see that if they blame the Muslims for bringing down two buildings in the U.S. on 9/11, so how many buildings did they bring down in Palestine, Afghanistan, or Iraq? What is the number of buildings the U.S. itself brought down in these countries?
"At the same time, the amazing thing is the shock in the U.S., producing national fundamentalism."
A U.S. Paper Wrote, "We Are Not Going To Tell You If It Has Been Proved Whether Muslims Carried Out the Events Of 9/11"; "The Authorities There Don't Want To Conduct An Investigation"
"Later, I was surprised by a certain question, and the truth is I didn't make an effort to find it but read it in one of the newspapers published in the U.S. It said, 'We are not going to tell you if it has been proved whether Muslims carried out the events of 9/11 or not. We will tell you why the American authorities insist on not conducting an investigation into who caused these events.' The authorities there don't want to conduct an investigation."
Other MEMRI TV Clips of Sheikh Hazem Salah Abu Isma'il
MEMRI TV Clip No. 3253 – Egyptian Presidential Candidate Hazem Sallah Abu Ismail: If We Prevented Ships from Passing Through the Gulf of Aqaba, "The Jews Would Suffocate and Die," The Internet – November 11, 2011, http://www.memri.org/legacy/clip/3253
MEMRI TV Clip No. 3214 – Egyptian Presidential Candidate Sheik Hazem Abu Ismail: Field Marshal Tantawi and Chief-of-Staff Sami Anan Should Get On an Airplane and Leave Immediately, Al-Mihwar TV (Egypt) – November 21, 2011, http://www.memri.org/legacy/clip/3214
MEMRI TV Clip No. 3147 – Egyptian Cleric and Presidential Candidate Hazem Abu Ismail: "I Am an Enemy Of the Camp David Accord and the Peace Agreement,"
CBC TV (Egypt) – September 12, 2011, http://www.memri.org/legacy/clip/3147
MEMRI TV Clip No. 098 – Egyptian Cleric Hazem Abu Ismail Calls to Boycott PEPSI: Its Name Stands for "Pay Every Penny to Save Israel," Al-Nas TV (Egypt) – February 16, 2009, http://www.memri.org/legacy/clip/2098
MEMRI TV Clip No. 1865 – Egyptian Cleric Hazem Abu Ismail in Favor of Chopping Off Hands of Thieves: In 100 Years of Islamic Rule, There Were Only Four Cases of Theft,
Al-Risala TV (Kuwait) – September 3, 2008, http://www.memri.org/legacy/clip/1865
