Arab sermons: O God, destroy the usurper Jews, the vile Crusaders, and
infidels

FBIS Report - Friday sermons broadcast by the Arab media on 13 June 2003:
[With thanks to www.mideastweb.org/mewnews1.htm ]

YEMEN:

Sanaa Republic of Yemen Television in Arabic, official television station of
the Republic of Yemen, at 0917 GMT carries a 35-minute live sermon from the
Grand Mosque in Sanaa.

Shaykh Akram Abd-al-Razzaq al-Ruqayhi delivers the sermon. He praises God,
the messenger, and his companions and calls on Muslims to obey God and
stresses that Muslims are suffering because of their abandonment of Islamic
law. He also says that the rulers of Muslims are to blame for failing to
"protect the nation's rights, freedom, blood, and sanctities." They are to
blame, he says, for Muslims killed in Palestine and Iraq, denouncing these
rulers' "deep silence over what is going on." The imam devotes almost all
his sermon to the idea that each Muslim is responsible toward the whole
nation.

Concluding, the imam prays to God: "O God, support those supporting Islam
and disappoint those who disappoint Muslims. O God, support mujahidin
everywhere." He goes on: "O God, destroy Islam's enemies, shake the ground
under them, instill panic into their hearts, and freeze blood in their
veins."

JORDAN:

Amman Jordan Television Channel 1 in Arabic, official television station of
the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, at 0949 GMT carries a 16-minutre live
sermon from Martyr King Abdallah Mosque in Amman.

Shaykh Abd-al-Rahim Abdah delivers the sermon. He praises God, the
messenger, and his companions, stressing that Muslims throughout history
have been able to confront the enemies by applying the Koran. The imam
devotes his sermon to the need for Muslims to apply Islam as a way to
salvation.

Concluding, the imam prays to God: "O God, strengthen Islam and Muslims,
elevate justice and Islam, and disappoint infidels and criminals." He goes
on: "O God, destroy Muslims' enemies, for they are within your power."

SYRIA:

Damascus Syrian Arab Republic Radio in Arabic, official station of the
Syrian Government, at 0959 GMT carries a 26-minute live sermon from Yusuf
Rashid Mosque in Damascus.

Shaykh Yunus al-Jasim delivers the sermon. He praises God, the messenger,
and his companions. Highlighting cooperation in Islam, the imam says: "We
should consider dangers threatening Muslims, as well as the suffering of the
Palestinian people. We should also cooperate with our political leadership
as much as possible to extend every support to the Palestinian people. Our
leader President Bashar al-Asad has always urged Arabs and Muslims to
achieve solidarity, to adhere to their spiritual and religious values, and
to support our brothers in the occupied Arab territories to regain their
usurped rights and to end the occupation." The imam devotes most of his
sermon to the value of cooperation in Islam.

Concluding, the imam prays to God: "O God, help our mujahidin brothers in
Palestine score victory over the criminal Zionists. O God, have mercy on
Palestinian martyrs and Muslim martyrs. O God, support our Iraqi brothers
and have mercy on them."

IRAQ:

Iraqi broadcast media were not observed to carry any Friday sermons.

QATAR:

Doha Qatar Television Service in Arabic, official television station of the
State of Qatar, at 0849 GMT carries a 70-minute live sermon from Umar
Bin-al-Khattab Mosque in Doha.

Shaykh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, an Egyptian cleric based in Doha, delivers the
sermon. He praises God, the messenger, and his companions, thanking God for
revealing Islam to lead humanity to the right path. What has happened over
the past three months, the imam says, should teach us lessons, stressing
that the faithful learn lessons from history and the current state of
affairs. The imam says: "What governs the world is not the power of the law
but the law of power. A strong country can impose itself, dictate its will,
and ask everybody to listen and obey. This is the first lesson. The United
States and its allies decided to invade Iraq, although the whole world stood
against any such move. Even millions of people in the United States and
Europe took to the streets to protest against war in Iraq. But the United
States turned a deaf ear to them all, insisted on its position, and occupied
Iraq, ignoring the whole world. Logic depends on force, and the strong
dominates others. It is said the strong is a tyrant. If somebody is strong
and has no faith, good manners, or conscience, he does whatever he likes.
This is a Pharaohnic logic, which some parties use to tell people what to do
and what path they should follow. The US behavior amounts to deification. It
does not want anybody to ask it about anything. It asks others what to do,
and nobody can ask it. When a Belgian court decided to try an American
military commander for his war crimes in Iraq, the United States objected,
saying that nobody has the right to try any American outside the United
States. Americans can only be tried in the United States. This is the logic
of deification. We were right when we said that the United States did not
enter Iraq to dismantle weapons of mass destruction. Facts have proven that
Iraq does not possess any weapons of mass destruction. After the invasion,
Americans failed to find a single evidence that Iraq had weapons of mass
destruction."

The imam also says that the United States did not enter Iraq to dismantle
the weapons of mass destruction or to save the Iraqi people from Saddam
Husayn, because Americans had announced that they would enter Iraq even if
Saddam left. He says: "The United States has entered Iraq for other
purposes. It wants to destroy the Iraqi military force, its weapons, and its
arsenal in favor of Israel. It wants nobody in the region other than Israel
to possess such weapons. The United States has also controlled oil and is
planning to reshape the region, as Powell put it. Americans want to redraw
the map of the region and to change its school curricula, its policies, its
philosophy, and its religious education. The second lesson is that each
tyrant has an end. Saddam Husayn was one of the tyrants on this land and on
our Arab and Islamic land. We do not doubt this, and I did not praise him at
all before or after the war, God be praised, because I am against tyrant
regimes and dictators for killing people. Tyranny and injustice have cleared
the way for the Americans and British to enter the region." Warning that
tyrants will pay the price sooner of later, the imam urges the tyrannical
rulers in the Arab and Islamic world "to learn a lesson from what has
happened to Saddam Husayn."

Assailing invasion and occupation as evil and unjust, the imam says that the
third lesson is that this is not the first time Baghdad has been occupied.
Moguls, he says, occupied Baghdad, killed more than 2 million people, and
destroyed libraries. Thieves, he says, looted Baghdad's museums and
universities, stressing that "international gangs stood behind the looting
of the Iraqi artifacts." The imam also says: "This is what the United
States, the only superpower in the 21st century, has done. What is the
difference between ancient Hulago and modern Hulago? What is the difference
between Bush and the Tartar's king? Both of them have destroyed property,
annihilated people, shed blood, and violated the forbidden. They have
destroyed the Iraqi people's infrastructure and killed many people. This is
still taking place, and we do not know what will happen tomorrow. The United
States said it would enter Iraq to free the Iraqi people. The Iraqi
opposition believed it and is now blaming itself and accusing the United
States of lying. The United States is officially an occupying power under a
Security Council resolution. It is now an occupying power and not a
liberating power."

Turning to efforts to form an Iraqi government, the imam wonders why
Americans do not form "a constituency society elected by the people to draw
up a constitution and to elect representatives under the US and British
democratic election laws." He stresses that old colonialism has returned and
that the United States "has returned anew, claiming that it will not stay
for a long time. Time is something relative. The United States may stay 10,
20, or 30 years and say that this is not a long time." The imam also says:
"The fourth lesson is that the Iraqi people should close its ranks. We urge
the Iraqi people's ethnic and religious groups, including Arabs, Kurds,
Turkmen, Assyrians, Muslims, Christians, Sunnis, and Shiites to close their
ranks in the face of the current disaster. They have a mutual interest and
enemy and should wage one battle. They should forget peripheral battles and
minor differences. They should not go too far in attacking Ba'thists.
Thousands of people, who do not believe in Ba'th ideology, have joined the
Ba'th Party."

The imam then says that the fifth lesson is that "the Islamic factions in
Palestine are continuing their resistance and their intifadah," praising
their operations as "heroic" and assailing Sharon. He also praises the
Palestinian people and says "the intifadah is an evidence of the Palestinian
people's pride and heroism -- people who want to live in dignity and to die
as martyrs." The imam says: "The Palestinian people will never die in spite
of the aggression by the Zionist entity's state, called Israel, and its
strategic ally, the United States. These sides will fail to destroy the
intifadah or the resistance. The Sharm al-Shaykh and Al-Aqabah summits were
largely ceremonial and intended to celebrate Bush, the victorious
president." The United States and Israel, he says, "want the Palestinian
people to fight one another and the road map is meant to silence the
intifadah and resistance." He urges the Palestinian Authority and people "to
reject this conspiracy and refuse to kill one another." He says that the
Palestinian Authority "will lose everything if HAMAS, the Islamic Jihad,
Al-Aqsa Brigades, and the mujahidin brothers no longer exist." The imam also
urges the Palestinians to hold dialogue "while the banner of jihad is
raised," stressing that "the problem lies in the Jews' occupation of the
land of Palestine" and urging the Jews to leave the territories they
occupied in 1967 if they want to end the violence. He also condemns Israel
for trying to assassinate Abd-al-Aziz al-Rantisi, stressing that Al-Rantisi,
Al-Zahhar, or Shaykh Ahmad Yasin are not afraid of threats and urging
resistance factions "to stand firm." He says that "as long as occupation
remains in place, these factions have the right to resist."

The last lesson, the imam says, should be derived from the Riyadh and
Casablanca bombings. He says: "I condemn bombings and acts of violence
taking place in Islamic countries. Such operations were tried in various
countries but they were not of any use. Those who have carried them out,
have blamed themselves." He gave as an example the Islamic groups in Egypt,
which reviewed their policies and blamed themselves for what they had done
in Egypt, warning that foreigners living on our land should not be harmed or
killed. In order to put an end to violence, the imam says, "reform should be
introduced, justice should be established, and equal opportunities should be
provided for people."

Concluding, the imam prays to God: "O God, support our brothers in
Palestine. O God, protect them and show them the right path. O God, destroy
the usurper Jews, the vile Crusaders, and infidels. O God, destroy them
along with their supporters."

No further processing planned.

North African Friday Prayers Sermons for 13 June IAP20030613000048 FBIS
Report in Arabic 13 Jun 03 [FBIS Report] Following is a roundup of Friday
prayers sermons from Algiers, Morocco, Libya and Tunisia.

Algeria

Algiers ENTV in Arabic at 1215 GMT on 13 June starts a live relay of the
Friday prayer from Abdelkader Mosque in the eastern province of Constantine.

The sermon is about solidarity with the poor and the needy, generosity,
understanding and forgiveness. The imam says the Algerian people have
reacted admirably by extending their help to the victims of the earthquake.

Libya

Tripoli Jamahiriyah TV in Arabic at 1115 GMT begins a live relay of the
Friday prayers from Abou Sha'ala Mosque in Tripoli.

The sermon is about the "legendary" spirit of resistance of the Libyan
people and their achievements throughout history. The imam cites as examples
the victory against the Italian occupation and the realization of the Great
Man-Made River.

Morocco

Rabat RTM Television in Arabic at 1230 GMT starts a live relay of the Friday
prayer from the Casablanca Mosque.

The sermon is about how to use wealth for good causes as opposed to it being
used to try to bribe, corrupt and mislead.

Tunisia

Tunis TV Channel 7 in Arabic at 1230 GMT carries a live relay from an
unidentified mosque.

The sermon is about the Islamic duty of protecting environment.

No further processing planned.

Egyptian TV Carries Friday Prayers Sermon 13 Jun 03 IAP20030613000026 Cairo
Egyptian Satellite Channel 1 Television in Arabic 1005 GMT 13 Jun 03 [FBIS
Report] Cairo Egyptian Satellite Channel 1 Television in Arabic at 1005
carries a live relay of the Friday prayers sermon from Al-Sayidah Nafisa
mosque in Cairo.

Shaykh Nabil Sadiq delivers the sermon in which he praises God Almighty and
the prophet, and speaks about Islam's care for the youth.

He says that there are many bright portrayals of youths in the Koran like
the stories of the prophets, Ibrahim [Abraham], Musa [Moses], and Muhammad.
He relates stories about the virtues of the three prophets when they were
young and stresses that all youths should follow the examples of the
prophets.

Shaykh Sadiq adds that when Muslims stopped following the good traditions of
Islam, they lost their way but they can return to these traditions by
obeying Islamic instructions. He goes on to say that with the beginning of
the summer vacation Muslim youths should focus on boosting their Islamic
knowledge and not only on sports. Later, he says that developed countries
have achieved their strong economies with the efforts of youth but Muslim
youths should not imitate western styles blindly: "Our youth should not
imitate blindly. We take from the West or others what is useful to us and
what does not contradict the book [the Koran] or the Sunnah [sayings and
instructions of the prophet]."

He also says that parents should be keen on teaching their children and
making sure that they are well mannered. The cleric adds that Muslim youths
must start by memorizing the Koran and sayings of the prophet. Speaking
about the influence of foreign satellite channels, he says: "In these days
of the open skies and the age of open media, our duty is to protect our
sons. If we protect them with the Koran and the Sunnah, we will have no fear
for them but if we leave them with empty heads, here will be the danger."
Later on, he asserts that Egyptian youths are in a good state because they
are not forced to perform worship rituals.

Concluding his sermon, Shaykh Sadiq prays to God: "O Lord, make our youth
successful, guide them and us to the straight path, protect them and us from
all harm, and show them and us what is right to follow and what is false to
avoid. O Lord, protect beloved Egypt with all its leaders and youth. I pray
to God to always grant us the leadership and to make beloved Egypt, where
the family of the prophet resides, prosperous along with all Muslim
countries."

The sermon lasts 25 minutes and ends at 1030 GMT. No further processing is
planned. [Description of Source: Cairo Egyptian Satellite Channel 1
Television in Arabic -- government TV]

Egyptian Radio Carries Friday Prayers Sermons 13 Jun 03 IAP20030613000024
Cairo Arab Republic of Egypt Radio General Service in Arabic 1001 GMT 13 Jun
03 [FBIS Report] Cairo Arab Republic of Egypt Radio General Service in
Arabic at 1001 GMT broadcasts live Friday prayers' sermon from Al-Arab
Mosque in the Minufiyah Governorate. Dr. Muhammad Fuad Shakir, delivers the
15-minutes sermon whose theme is: "His [Prophet Muhammad] ethics were
[inspired by] the Koran."

The cleric begins the sermon by praising God Almighty and Prophet Muhammad.
He speaks about the message of Islam and compares the prophet's sayings with
the Koran explaining what they have in common.

The preacher also speaks about divine forgiveness of the sins and says that
God Almighty has extended protection to His prophet and His holy book.

Thereafter, the preacher calls on all to emulate prophet Muhammad who was
the example of mercy and who, like the holy book, guided Muslims to tell
between what is valid and what is vain.

Dr Shakir says "Islam will not acknowledge any behavior that is contrary to
sublime ethics, dealing in honesty and being friendly to others".

In his concluding prayers, the preacher says:

" O God Almighty, accept our repentance, purify our souls, guide us to say
what is right, purge our hearts, give us the kind of ethics that make us
show others what our religion is about, make us follow the sunnah [sayings
and deeds of prophet Muhammad] and do not make us follow things which were
not in the sunnah or in the holy book, give us the joy of meeting prophet
Muhammad in the afterlife, make us drink from his hand and never feel
thirsty thereafter, make our country and all Muslim countries safe and
settled, we ask Thou for prosperity for our and all Muslim countries, guard
Egypt against all terrorization, feed it from what it has planted with its
own hands, do not let it need any of Your subjects, relieve its worries and
hardships, restore security to it, make it a haven for peace and security,
bless our leaders, bring prosperity at their hands, and achieve what we have
hoped for from them".

The sermon ends at 1016 GMT. No further processing of the sermon is planned.
[Description of Source: Cairo Arab Republic of Egypt Radio General Service
in Arabic -- government radio]