Thursday, February 28, 2013

Islamist cleric approves rape of women in Tahrir Sq.

Al-Arabiya
Raping women in Tahrir NOT ‘red line’: Egyptian preacher Abu Islam

Feb. 07, 2013


An Egyptian Salafi preacher said raping and sexually harassing women protesters in Cairo’s Tahrir Square is justified, calling them “crusaders” who “have no shame, no fear and not even feminism.”

In an online video posted Wednesday, Ahmad Mahmoud Abdullah, known as “Abu Islam” and owner of the private television channel of “al-Ummah,” said these women are no red line.

“They tell you women are a red line. They tell you that naked women -- who are going to Tahrir Square because they want to be raped -- are a red line! And they ask Mursi and the Brotherhood to leave power!,” he said.
Abu Islam added that these women activists are going to Tahrir Square not to protest but to be sexually abused because they had wanted to be raped.

“They have no shame, no fear and not even feminism. Practice your feminism, sheikha! It is a legitimate right for you to be a woman,” he said.

“And by the way, 90 percent of them are crusaders and the remaining 10 percent are widows who have no one to control them. You see women talking like monsters,” he added.

Muslims and Muslimix

Abu Islam further described these female political activists as “devils.”

“You see a woman with this fuzzy hair! A devil! Devils called women. Learn from Muslim women, learn and be Muslims. There are Muslims and Muslimix.”

Abu Islam was apparently referring to liberal Muslims as “Muslimix.”

Several rights groups had recently condemned the sexual harassment and rape which 25 female protesters were subjected to in Tahrir Square during protests held to mark the second anniversary of the revolution that ousted Hosni Mubarak and brought in an Islamist government.

Meanwhile, on the social networking website Twitter, several users received Abu Islam’s statements with fury.

One wrote: “Abu Islam [says] most of those raped are crusaders and the rest are widows; [statements] of a psychopath.” Another tweep wrote: “When will you Egyptians kill Abu Islam? We do not need more [idiots.]”

Another twitter user said: “There are no insults that can describe (these statements.)”

The preacher, whose remarks sparked a controversy, has previously been accused of the defamation of religion. The Public Prosecution has received several notifications accusing him of defaming Christianity through statements he had made to the “Tahrir” newspaper.

He and his son also previously tore and burnt a bible in front of the U.S. Embassy in Egypt during last year’s protest against a U.S.-made film mocking Islam’s founder.

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