On July 14, 2014, a video was posted on the Internet of a lecture at a teachers' association symposium in Kuwait by Tareq Al-Suwaidan, a popular and highly successful Kuwaiti Islamic motivational speaker and TV preacher.
A few days previously, on his Facebook page on July 10, 2014, Al-Suwaidan had posted photos of himself with Hamas political bureau head Khaled Mash'al, whom he called "my brother" and whom he said "briefed us on the latest developments," and International Union of Muslim Scholars head Sheikh Yousuf Al-Qaradhawi, whom he said "hosted us."
"Thanks to our [International Union of Muslim Scholars head] Sheikh Qaradhawi [center], who hosted us, for the invitation to Iftaar, and to my brother [Hamas political bureau head] Khaled Mash'al [left], who briefed us on the latest developments and prayed Tarawih prayer with us." (Source: Facebook.com)
Also on his Facebook page, on July 17, Al-Suwaidan posted a photo of himself delivering the lecture, and noted that it was taken "during my participation in the festival #We_Are_All_Gaza that was organized by the Kuwait Teachers Society and the Jerusalem Cultural Forum in Kuwait a few days ago."
Al-Suwaidan was formerly general manager of the Saudi channel Al-Resala TV; he was fired from his position by his boss, Saudi Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal, in August 2013, after he declared that he was a Muslim Brotherhood leader.[1]
The following is the transcript of the lecture.
To view this clip, click here.
Tareq Al-Suwaidan: "We are in a conflict over our very existence with the sons of Zion. In geography as well as in history, the state of Israel is a deviant country.
"It is destined to be eradicated in its entirety. It is not just the Palestinians and not just the resistance in Gaza – we all must feel that this battle is our battle. If we do not feel that it is our battle, we have a flaw in our understanding, because we do not understand the progression of history, of geography, and the ideological – nay, the religious – conflict between us and the Israelites. Everyone must participate in this battle, wherever they may be – from Indonesia to the Muslim minorities in the U.S. Everybody must participate.
"Three days ago, I was talking to my brother Khaled Mash'al. I met him. He said: 'We will not accept a ceasefire.' Gone are the days when we would demand a ceasefire. I find it strange that some people are demanding a ceasefire. Absolutely not. The shooting and the launching of rockets continue. 'If you should be suffering – they are suffering as you are suffering; but you have hope from Allah while they have none.'
"The firing of rockets continues. These rockets have paralyzed Israel completely. Israel is completely frozen. They all went trembling into their holes. The blood (we) sacrifice is undoubtedly precious, but the equation is: 'Our dead are in Paradise, and theirs are in the Hellfire.' We are not afraid of martyrdom. Just a short while ago, you were chanting: 'Death for the sake of Allah is our loftiest desire.' Well, the death that you desire has just come to you. We have no problem with death. We are different from the Israelites. 'You shall find them to be the people most eager to protect their lives,' while we desire death, desire martyrdom. The difference is very clear.
"In addition, the Israeli economy is completely frozen. Stores have recorded a 40% decline in their sales over the past few days, and tourism – including religious tourism – has come to a complete standstill, even though summer is their main tourist season. In addition, schools and factories are not working. They are trembling with fear that a rocket might hit their nuclear plant. Imagine if that happened… They would run to us to kiss our feet for a ceasefire, and not the other way around. We do not demand a ceasefire. Rather, we demand that the rockets continue to be launched until they bow before us.
"All the mothers of the Islamic nation – not only Palestinian mothers – should suckle their babies on the hatred of the sons of Zion. We hate them. They are our enemies. We should instill this in the souls of our children, until a new generation arises and wipes them off the face of the earth. This is what we want.
"We want all the young people who are skilled in the use of Twitter, Facebook, and other technological media to think about what we call 'electronic Jihad.' Today, the youth of the resistance hacked the Israeli Channel 10 twice. There are different types of Jihad. I hope that we do not leave this place just feeling better, having done a bit of shouting and having chanted a few slogans, in order to get some things out of our system. No, no, no. Each and every one of us, when leaving this hall, should be contemplating a plan how to wipe out Israel."
[1] For more on Al-Suwaidan, see: MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 5412, Kuwaiti Preacher And Al-Risala TV Director Tareq Al-Suwaidan Declares He's A Muslim Brotherhood Leader – And Is Fired By Boss, Saudi Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal, August 19, 2013; MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 3941, U.S.-Educated Kuwaiti Islamist Preacher Tareq Al-Suwaidan, Manager of Al-Resala TV, Calls for Armed Resistance, Electronic Jihad Against Israel, June 23, 2011; MEMRI Inquiry & Analysis No. 846, Kuwaiti Muslim Brotherhood Leader And Director Of Saudi Al-Risala TV Tareq Al-Suwaidan Tours West, Promoting Restoration Of Caliphate And New Era Of Cyber Jihad, June 14, 2012.
