Three-Year-Old Egyptian Basmallah: Jews Are Apes and Pigs

Interviewed in 2002 by the Saudi Iqraa TV channel, a three-year-old Egyptian girl, Basmallah, said that she did not like the Jews because they were apes and pigs. When asked what traditions she knows about the Jews, Basmallah said that she knew the story of the Jewish woman who tried to poison the Prophet Muhammad. The interviewer, Duaa Amer, introduced Basmallah as a "true Muslim" and added: "May God give us the strength to give our children the same education."

Following are excerpts from the show, broadcast on May 7, 2002.

Interviewer Duaa Amer: Our report today will be a little different, because our guest will be a girl, a Muslim girl, but a true Muslim. Allah willing, may God give us the strength to give our children the same education, so that the next generation of children will all be true Muslims who know that they are Muslims and know who their enemies are. This child will now introduce herself. She's the daughter of a sister in Islam, Hueida, and of the artist Wagdi Al-Arabi. Her name is Basmallah, and I will ask her too.

Peace be upon you.

Basmallah: Allah's mercy and blessings upon you.

Amer: What's your name?

Basmallah: Basmallah.

Amer: How old are you, Basmallah?

Basmallah: Three and a half.

Amer: Are you a Muslim?

Basmallah: Yes.

Amer: Basmallah, do you know the Jews?

Basmallah: Yes

Amer: Do you like them?

Basmallah: No.

Amer: Why don't you like them?

Basmallah: Because.

Amer: Because they are what?

Basmallah: They are apes and pigs.

Amer: Because they are apes and pigs. Who said that about them?

Basmallah: Our God.

Amer: Where did he say that about them?

Basmallah: In the Koran.

Amer: He said this about them in the Koran. That's right. Basmallah, what do the Jews do?

Basmallah: What?

Amer: What do they do?

Basmallah: The Pepsi company.

Amer: So you know about the boycott too, Basmallah?

Basmallah: Yes.

Amer: Did they love our Prophet Muhammad?

Basmallah: No.

Amer: What did the Jews do to him?

Basmallah: He killed someone...

Amer: Of course, our Prophet Muhammad was strong and could kill them. OK, do you know traditions about what the Jews did to our Prophet Muhammad? Is there a story you know?

Basmallah: Yes.

Amer: Which one?

Basmallah: The one about the Jewish woman.

Amer: What did the Jewish woman do to our Prophet Muhammad?

Basmallah: The Jewish woman?

Amer: Yes.

Basmallah: She invited the Prophet and his companions. When he asked her if she had put poison in his food, she said "yes". He asked her: "Why did you do this?" She replied: "If you are a liar, you will die, and Allah will not protect you. But if you speak the truth, Allah will protect you."

Amer: And God protected the Prophet, of course.

Basmallah: And he said to his companions: "I will kill this woman."

Amer: Of course. She put poison in his food, this Jewess.

[...]

Amer: Basmallah, Allah be praised. May our God bless her. No one could wish for a more devout girl. May God bless her and her parents. The next generation of children must be true Muslims, Allah willing. We must educate them while they are still children to be true Muslims.