Nizar Rayyan of Hamas on God's Hatred of Jews
02 Jan 2009 01:12 pm

Nizzar Rayyan, the Hamas leader who was killed, along with two of his wives and several of his children, in an Israeli bombing raid earlier this week, was one of the more bellicose Hamas leaders I have known. I saw him last in Gaza two years ago, at a mosque in the Jabalya Refugee Camp, where I spent quite a lot of time (my book Prisoners explains why).

He was one of the more Islamically-learned Hamas leaders I've met (Sheikh Ahmed Yassin was learned as well, I think, but he was very hard to understand; Abdel Aziz Rantisi, who was the least pleasant of all the Hamas leaders I've known, was not very learned at all). In particular, Rayyan was interested in the hadith, the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad, with a special interest in hadith that painted Jews in a negative light. Rayyan and I discussed the writing of Ibn Taymiyya, the Muslim scholar who lived seven hundred years ago, and who is the intellectual forefather of Sunni radicalism today (it was Ibn Taymiyya who elevated jihad to a kind-of sixth pillar of Islam). Like Ibn Taymiyya, Rayyan was preoccupied with Muslim apostasy. He never quite said so, but I could sense that he thought of Abu Mazen and the other leaders of the Palestinian Authority as traitors not only to the cause of Palestine, but to Islam itself. "You cannot be loyal to Allah and to the CIA at the same time," he said of his P.A. enemies.

There are things I didn't know about Rayyan, such as that he had four wives - a fact that tells you something about the culture of Hamas - but I knew that he was sincere in his devotion to the cause of Israel's annhilation. The question I wrestle with constantly is whether Hamas is truly, theologically implacable. That is to say, whether the organization can remain true to its understanding of Islamic law and God's word and yet enter into a long-term non-aggression treaty with Israel. I tend to think not, though I've noticed over the years a certain plasticity of belief among some Hamas ideologues. Also, this is the Middle East, so anything is possible.

There was no flexibility with Rayyan. This is what he said when I asked him if he could envision a 50-year hudna (or cease-fire) with Israel: "The only reason to have a hudna is to prepare yourself for the final battle. We don't need 50 years to prepare ourselves for the final battle with Israel." There is no chance, he said, that true Islam would ever allow a Jewish state to survive in the Muslim Middle East. "Israel is an impossibility. It is an offense against God."

I asked him if he believed, as some Hamas theologians do (and certainly as many Hezbollah leaders do) that Jews are the "sons of pigs and apes." He gave me an interesting answer that reflects a myopic reading of the Koran. "Allah changed disobedient Jews into apes and pigs, it is true, but he specifically said these apes and pigs did not have the ability to reproduce. So it is not literally true that Jews today are descended from pigs and apes, but it is true that some of the ancestors of Jews were transformed into pigs and apes, and it is true that Allah continually makes the Jews pay for their crimes in many different ways. They are a cursed people."

What are our crimes? I asked Rayyan. "You are murderers of the prophets and you have closed your ears to the Messenger of Allah," he said. "Jews tried to kill the Prophet, peace be unto him. All throughout history, you have stood in opposition to the word of God."

@DavidDylan: « on: Today at 05:51:11 AM »
Let me respond to your enboldened portions. These are two places I believe merit any discussion.

Nizar Rayyan of Hamas on God's Hatred of Jews
02 Jan 2009 01:12 pm

Nizzar Rayyan, the Hamas leader who was killed, along with two of his wives and several of his children, in an Israeli bombing raid earlier this week, was one of the more bellicose Hamas leaders I have known. I saw him last in Gaza two years ago, at a mosque in the Jabalya Refugee Camp, where I spent quite a lot of time (my book Prisoners explains why).

He was one of the more Islamically-learned Hamas leaders I've met (Sheikh Ahmed Yassin was learned as well, I think, but he was very hard to understand; Abdel Aziz Rantisi, who was the least pleasant of all the Hamas leaders I've known, was not very learned at all). In particular, Rayyan was interested in the hadith, the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad, with a special interest in hadith that painted Jews in a negative light. Rayyan and I discussed the writing of Ibn Taymiyya, the Muslim scholar who lived seven hundred years ago, and who is the intellectual forefather of Sunni radicalism today (it was Ibn Taymiyya who elevated jihad to a kind-of sixth pillar of Islam). Like Ibn Taymiyya, Rayyan was preoccupied with Muslim apostasy. He never quite said so, but I could sense that he thought of Abu Mazen and the other leaders of the Palestinian Authority as traitors not only to the cause of Palestine, but to Islam itself. "You cannot be loyal to Allah and to the CIA at the same time," he said of his P.A. enemies.

There are things I didn't know about Rayyan, such as that he had four wives - a fact that tells you something about the culture of Hamas - but I knew that he was sincere in his devotion to the cause of Israel's annhilation. The question I wrestle with constantly is whether Hamas is truly, theologically implacable. That is to say, whether the organization can remain true to its understanding of Islamic law and God's word and yet enter into a long-term non-aggression treaty with Israel. I tend to think not, though I've noticed over the years a certain plasticity of belief among some Hamas ideologues. Also, this is the Middle East, so anything is possible.

There was no flexibility with Rayyan. This is what he said when I asked him if he could envision a 50-year hudna (or cease-fire) with Israel: "The only reason to have a hudna is to prepare yourself for the final battle. We don't need 50 years to prepare ourselves for the final battle with Israel." There is no chance, he said, that true Islam would ever allow a Jewish state to survive in the Muslim Middle East. "Israel is an impossibility. It is an offense against God."

I asked him if he believed, as some Hamas theologians do (and certainly as many Hezbollah leaders do) that Jews are the "sons of pigs and apes." He gave me an interesting answer that reflects a myopic reading of the Koran. "Allah changed disobedient Jews into apes and pigs, it is true, but he specifically said these apes and pigs did not have the ability to reproduce. So it is not literally true that Jews today are descended from pigs and apes, but it is true that some of the ancestors of Jews were transformed into pigs and apes, and it is true that Allah continually makes the Jews pay for their crimes in many different ways. They are a cursed people."

This belief is not borne from any place, except that it is from the Word of Allah. From one of the villages of the Jews, a group of fishermen who were rebellious against the commandment of Allah concerning the process of fishing against the back drop of the observance of sabbath, were turned to Pigs and Apes. You do know that the Jewish community in Palestine at that time was well beyond this single village. If you dont then, you must have known just nothing about mankind.

After this event, the Children of Israel had other prophets and messengers. Jesus, John and Zachariah were famous prophets after the event of some becoming Pigs and Apes. But wait, was not angry with the Children of Israel in the time of Moses, because they made idols, thereby killing a good portion of them? There were other times that God was angry, like when somebody touched the ark, or came near the tabernacle.

And during the time of your human god, David. Didn't your human god cursed them, too? Now, in true presentation of the Islamic position, of whom Allah cursed. They are the disbelievers. In the same Qur'an, Allah cursed the disbelievers and evil doers among the Arabs. Surah Lahab is a complete condemnation of a paternal Uncle of the Prophet (AS), Abi Lahab and his wife.

Abu Jahl was also an Uncle of the prophet (AS). This man Abi Jahl was predicted to die and go to hell. he died on the spot promised him. Now whats your complain about turning a group of evil doers to Pigs and Apes?

Was this the first time an evil person or persons would be turned to animal? What about Nebuchadnezzar? Now have you heard of anyone good and full of piety to God that was turned to animal or met with injustice by God? Didn't Pharaoh died in the flood? Are the Egyptians or Coptic race of people angry because of this? Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeze, man.

What are our crimes? I asked Rayyan. "You are murderers of the prophets and you have closed your ears to the Messenger of Allah," he said. "Jews tried to kill the Prophet, peace be unto him. All throughout history, you have stood in opposition to the word of God."

The writer is a Jew. I wonder if this writer is neutral in this respect? It as if someone will think that I will be happy and fair and balanced if I found a person wanting to beat down my aged mother, even though she was at fault. I at least will lean towards her because of emotional connection. This writer in all honesty should be viewed from that same facade. The reason is the use of "our" in his question. And the answer of Rayyan is not the complete reason the palestinians have. If it is, they would be raising the flag of Islam and not that of nationalistic palestine!

[Quote]
I asked him if he believed, as some Hamas theologians do (and certainly as many Hezbollah leaders do) that Jews are the "sons of pigs and apes." He gave me an interesting answer that reflects a myopic reading of the Koran. "Allah changed disobedient Jews into apes and pigs, it is true, but he specifically said these apes and pigs did not have the ability to reproduce. So it is not literally true that Jews today are descended from pigs and apes, but it is true that some of the ancestors of Jews were transformed into pigs and apes, and it is true that Allah continually makes the Jews pay for their crimes in many different ways. They are a cursed people."
[/quote]




This belief is not borne from any place, except that it is from the Word of Allah. From one of the villages of the Jews, a group of fishermen who were rebellious against the commandment of Allah concerning the process of fishing against the back drop of the observance of sabbath, were turned to Pigs and Apes. You do know that the Jewish community in Palestine at that time was well beyond this single village. If you don't then, you must have known just nothing about mankind.

After this event, the Children of Israel had other prophets and messengers. Jesus, John and Zachariah were famous prophets after the event of some becoming Pigs and Apes. But wait, was not angry with the Children of Israel in the time of Moses, because they made idols, thereby killing a good portion of them? There were other times that God was angry, like when somebody touched the ark, or came near the tabernacle.

And during the time of your human god, David. Didn't your human god cursed them, too? Now, in true presentation of the Islamic position, of whom Allah cursed. They are the disbelievers. In the same Qur'an, Allah cursed the disbelievers and evil doers among the Arabs. Surah Lahab is a complete condemnation of a paternal Uncle of the Prophet (AS), Abi Lahab and his wife.

Abu Jahl was also an Uncle of the prophet (AS). This man Abi Jahl was predicted to die and go to hell. he died on the spot promised him. Now whats your complain about turning a group of evil doers to Pigs and Apes?

Was this the first time an evil person or persons would be turned to animal? What about Nebuchadnezzar? Now have you heard of anyone good and full of piety to God that was turned to animal or met with injustice by God? Didn't Pharaoh died in the flood? Are the Egyptians or Coptic race of people angry because of this? Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeze, man.




[Quote]
What are our crimes? I asked Rayyan. "You are murderers of the prophets and you have closed your ears to the Messenger of Allah," he said. "Jews tried to kill the Prophet, peace be unto him. All throughout history, you have stood in opposition to the word of God."
[/quote]





The writer is a Jew. I wonder if this writer is neutral in this respect? It as if someone will think that I will be happy and fair and balanced if I found a person wanting to beat down my aged mother, even though she was at fault. I at least will lean towards her because of emotional connection. This writer in all honesty should be viewed from that same facade. The reason is the use of "our" in his question. And the answer of Rayyan is not the complete reason the palestinians have. If it is, they would be raising the flag of Islam and not that of nationalistic palestine!

olabowale:

The writer is a Jew. I wonder if this writer is neutral in this respect? It as if someone will think that I will be happy and fair and balanced if I found a person wanting to beat down my aged mother, even though she was at fault. I at least will lean towards her because of emotional connection. This writer in all honesty should be viewed from that same facade. The reason is the use of "our" in his question. And the answer of Rayyan is not the complete reason the palestinians have. If it is, they would be raising the flag of Islam and not that of nationalistic palestine!

so because he's a jew the interview with Rayyan is all lies?

Save your blithering wingbat.