"Islamic Outrage" to Berg Beheading

[s.o.sJTB]

Thursday May 13, 05:02 AM

Hizbollah Slams Beheading of American as Un-Islamic
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon's Hizbollah guerrilla group condemned Wednesday the beheading of an American hostage by Iraqi militants as an ugly crime that flouted the tenets of Islam.

"Hizbollah condemns this horrible act that has done very great harm to Islam and Muslims by this group that claims affiliation to the religion of mercy, compassion and humane principles," the Shi'ite Muslim group said in a statement.

An Islamist Web site Tuesday carried a video clip of the execution of the man who identified himself as Nick Berg, with a statement saying a group linked to al Qaeda did it in revenge for the abuse of Iraqis by U.S. troops.

Hizbollah said Berg's killing had diverted the world's gaze from an escalating furor over the abuse of Iraqi prisoners by occupation soldiers.

"The timing of this act that overshadowed the scandal over the abuse of Iraqi prisoners in occupation forces prisons is suspect timing that aims to serve the American administration and occupation forces in Iraq and present excuses and pretexts for their inhumane practices against Iraqi detainees."

The Syrian-backed group which the United States deems "terrorist" said the executors' behavior was closer to "the Pentagon school -- the school of killing and occupation and crimes and torture and immoral practices that were exposed by the great scandal in occupation prisons."

Washington blames Hizbollah, whose attacks forced Israeli troops to withdraw from south Lebanon in 2000 after a 22-year occupation, for 1980s suicide bombings against its embassy and Marines barracks and the abduction of Westerners in Beirut.

 

[Dizel8]

They are just pissed, that they were not the ones doing it.

Hizbollah, what a joke, bunch of fundamentals looking for a quick route to their God, taking as many infidels with them as they can!

 

[s.o.sJTB]

Here's more condemnations of the Berg killing from Various Muslim organizations

Muslim Authorities Condemn Berg Killing

Muslim authorities at al-Azhar Seminary, the preeminent center of learning for Sunni Islam, vehemently condemned the brutal murder of Nick Berg by terrorists in Iraq, according to Sobhy Mujahid.

' "Islam respects the human being, dead or alive, and cutting off the American's head was an act of mutilation forbidden by Islam," [said] Ibrahim Al-Fayoumi, a member of Al-Azhar's Islamic Research Academy . . . '

Sobhi adds, ' Mahmoud Emara, another member of the Academy [said] "The mutilation even of enemies is rejected by Islam. A mistake could not justify another . . . " The scholar cited the respect Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) had paid to bodies in the battle of Badr when he ordered the burial of the dead irrespective of their religion. The Prophet urged his Companions on the day of Badr to be kind to their captives and treat them with clemency. '

These scholars are major voices of the Muslim mainstream. They should be listened to on such matters.

Even the much more radical Lebanese Shiite Hizbullah (Hezbollah), according to the Sydney Morning Herald, ' harshly criticised the beheading and questioned the timing of a "horrible" act which drove the torture of Iraqi prisoners by US-led forces from the headlines. "Hezbollah denounces this horrible act which does an immense wrong to Islam and Muslims by a group which falsely pretends to follow the precepts of the religion of pardon and essential human values," the party said in a statement. ' (Hizbullah, as Shiites, has nothing but contempt for the Sunni radical Zarqawi).

It adds, 'Ezzedine Salim, this month's chief of the Iraq Governing Council, insisted that "decapitations and mutilations are unacceptable and have nothing to do with Islam". '

Even the conservative and fundamentalist religious leaders in Iraq expressed the same sentiments.

Samir Haddad quotes Muthanna al-Dhari, secretary general of the Board of Muslim Clergy (a hardline Sunni organization that in the past has had members who stockpiled arms in mosques; it was a major mediating force at Fallujah). Al-Dhari ' strongly denounced the killing, saying it runs counter to the teachings of Islam and "does disservice to our religion and our cause." The Sunni scholar stressed this is a condemned operation whether carried out by Iraqis or non-Iraqis and whether the slain was a civilian or a military personnel. "Even if he was a military personnel he should be treated as a prisoner who, according to Shari'ah, must not be killed," he told IslamOnline.net. Deputy Head of the Islamic Party Iyaad Samarrai said the abhorrent treatment of Iraqi prisoners by U.S. soldiers should never give an excuse for treating U.S. prisoners the same way. "This is absolutely wrong," he told IOL, asserting that "Islam does prohibit the killing or the maltreatment of prisoners." Samarrai said such acts harm the interest of the Iraqi people and their cause to end the U.S.-led occupation.

We'll be hearing for years from the talking heads on US cable news about how the Muslim world failed to condemn what was done to Berg. It would be as though a set of high-ranking cardinals in the Vatican condemned something unreservedly and then people kept saying the Church remained silent.

 

[7B2]

I like to look at it in a positive way.

It sure is good muslim leaders condemned it.

 

[ms6073]

Why is it that not one of these "Islamic" groups was outraged last month when Iraqi's mutilated the burned bodies of 4 Security Contractors (all former US military SF) in the wake of the ambush that cost them their lives?


Michael

 

[chawbein]

"The timing of this act that overshadowed the scandal over the abuse of Iraqi prisoners in occupation forces prisons is suspect timing that aims to serve the American administration and occupation forces in Iraq and present excuses and pretexts for their inhumane practices against Iraqi detainees."

Here is the EXACT reason that a group that blows up busses of children is "outraged" at this beheading.

 

[s.o.sJTB]

Why is it that not one of these "Islamic" groups was outraged last month when Iraqi's mutilated the burned bodies of 4 Security Contractors (all former US military SF) in the wake of the ambush that cost them their lives?


Michael

Michael there was outrage and condemnation of the Mutilations even in Fullujah, although many thought the attack was justified, the mutilations were considered un-Islamic.
Most Islamic groups issued statements condemming the Mutilations but it just dosent make for a good news story, they may have gotten a quick blurb but the story was quickly dropped. I suspect if i didnt post the previous condemnations you probably wouldnt have seen those either.

 

[s.o.sJTB]

Re: Re: "Islamic Outrage" to Berg Beheading

[gg posted by chawbein [/i]
Here is the EXACT reason that a group that blows up busses of children is "outraged" at this beheading. [/QUOTE]

Hizbollah is fighting a Guerrilla war against Isreal in Lebbanon, they did not use suicide bombers on busses and shopping malls etc. They focused there attacks on Isreali soldiers and the military occupying southern Lebbanon and succeeded in having the Isreali withdraw from there occupation of southeren Lebbanon. I dont think they ever killed any of their hostages they took in the 80's and have never targeted school busses full of children.

 

[chawbein]

Whatever the exploits of hezbollah, they are still classified as a terrorist group and their condemnation is self-serving.

 

[blueridge71]

The timing of this act that overshadowed the scandal over the abuse of Iraqi prisoners in occupation forces prisons is suspect timing that aims to serve the American administration and occupation forces in Iraq and present excuses and pretexts for their inhumane practices against Iraqi detainees

No such luck. A little thing like a savage beheading won't distract the American liberal media from their frenzy if they think that they can bring down Bush and Rumsfeld by rehashing the prison photos.

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2004/05/13/the_images_we_see____and_those_we_dont/