In a shocking video-taped CNN exclusive, the Grand Sheikh of Al Azhar, Sheikh Ahmed El-Tayyeb, hailed by many Sunni Muslims as the highest authority in Sunni Islamic thought, made some eyebrow-raising declarations.
- He referred to Jerusalem as “100 percent Arab” under Israeli occupation;
- He stated that “no religion” will support the declaration of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel;
- He said that decisions such as this one will nurture terrorism, and:
- Because of this decision, the East and the West “will drown in seas of blood.”
El-Tayyeb has essentially issued a jihadi call to violence. The message of jihadis throughout history is “give in to my demands or I will kill you.” They have also mastered the propaganda war, casting themselves as the victims as they attack infidels, and then blaming the victims for provoking them.
Some sobering facts about El-Tayyeb:
- He has justified anti-Semitism on Qur’anic grounds;
- He called for the Islamic State murderers of the Jordanian pilot to be crucified or have their hands and feet amputated on opposite sides (as per the penalty in Qur’an 5:33 for those who make war against Allah and his messenger or spread “mischief” in the land);
- He broke off “dialogue” with the Vatican after Pope Benedict XVI dared to criticize the jihad massacre of 21 Christians in Alexandria on New Year’s Eve 2011.
- Al-Azhar was also revealed to be offering free copies of a book that called for the slaughter of Christians and other Infidels.
Yet despite this disturbing behavior, Pope Francis was warm toward el Tayyeb, who in turn thanked the Pope for his “defense of Islam” following a meeting arranged last summer by the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue and the al-Azhar Center for Dialogue.
Like el Tayyeb in his justification of jihad violence, Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas stated in early December that Trump’s decision “will nourish fanaticism and violence.” But then came news about the real reason for Abbas’ rage: the Saudis leaked that it was Trump’s peace plan that enraged Abbas to the point of ending negotiations as long as Trump is president.
The PA, Hamas and Fatah do not recognize Israel’s right to exist, while Israel’s sovereignty and control over East Jerusalem (which it captured in the Arab initiated 1967 war) is not recognized by any Islamic State. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation views Jerusalem as the Palestinian capital.
“Imam: Decision like Jerusalem feeds terrorism”, CNN, January 22, 2018:
President Donald Trump’s decision to move the US Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem was “rash and uncalculated” and represented “aggression towards people, countries, cultures and civilizations,” one of Sunni Islam’s highest authorities told CNN.