MEMRI: Friday Sermon on PA TV: Hope for overthrow of Turkish government,
Modern Turkey's founder Jew disguised as Muslim, call for Suicide Bombings

[IMRA: While most coverage of this sermon has focused on the call for
suicide bombings, the defamation of Kamal Ataturk, founder of modern Turkey,
and hopes expressed for the replacement of the Turkish democracy with an
Islamic Caliphate make this sermon particularly significant due to its
potential impact on Turkish attitudes towards the Palestinians.]

Special Dispatch
June 12, 2001
No. 228

Friday Sermon on PA TV: Calling for Suicide Bombings

Every Friday, the PA television broadcasts a live sermon
from one of the Gaza mosques. On June 8, 2001, a week after
the Tel-Aviv suicide bombing and a few days following
Arafat's declaration regarding the cease-fire, a sermon by
Sheik Ibrahim Madhi was broadcast from the Sheik 'Ijlin
Mosque. In his sermon, Sheik Madhi preached for 'martyrdom
operations' and for the destruction of Israel, the United
States, and Britain. Following are excerpts from the sermon:

"...I tell you, Oh beloved, that ever since Kamal Ataturk
[founder of modern Turkey], this Jew who disguised himself
as a Muslim - and there may still be in the Arab nation
Jews who disguise themselves as Muslims... ever since he
announced the end of the Islamic Caliphate in Istanbul - as
some contemporary religious sages assert - the era
preceding the end [of days] has began - the era of the
military rule, the era of revolutionary rule. Allah
willing, we are at the end of this era and Allah willing,
the Caliphate will return, in accordance with the prophecy,
and I pray that we will be among its soldiers..."

"Allah is almighty. Had He wanted - He would have beaten
them. But He tests you in suffering. We must prepare the
ground for the army of Allah that is coming according to
the [divine] predetermination. We must prepare a foothold
for them. Allah willing, this unjust state will be erased -
Israel will be erased; this unjust state, the United
States, will be erased; this unjust state, Britain, will be
erased - they who caused this people's Nakbah [the 1948
'catastrophe']..."

"Oh beloved, we must be certain that victory will come.
Shame and remorse on whoever refrained from raids [against
the enemy] or refrained from preaching to himself [to
raid]; shame and remorse on whoever refrained from raising
his children on Jihad; shame and remorse on whoever hated
his Muslim brother while loving one of the infidels; shame
and remorse on whoever hid behind excuses that have no
basis with Allah..."

"Blessings to whoever waged Jihad for the sake of Allah;
blessings to whoever raided for the sake of Allah;
blessings to whoever put a belt of explosives on his body
or on his sons' and plunged into the midst of the Jews,
crying "Allahu Akbar, praise to Allah, There is no God but
Allah and Muhammad is His messenger."'

"Just as the building collapsed over the Jews in their
sinful dancing floor [referring to the collapse of a
wedding hall in Jerusalem] - I pray to Allah that this
oppressive Knesset will collapse over the heads of the
Jews."

"Allah, forgive us our sins,
Allah, show us a black day for the Jews, like the day of
'Aad and Thamud (1)
Allah, turn them into pillage for us
Allah, we strive for martyrdom for your sake...
Allah, we strive for your mercy and your paradise..."(2)

Endnotes:
(1) Two pre-Islamic Arab tribes that refused to convert
to Islam, and were punished by annihilation.
(2) "Palestine Television" [PA], June 8, 2001.

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The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) is an
independent, non-profit organization that translates and
analyzes the media of the Middle East. Copies of articles
and documents cited, as well as background information, are
available on request.

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