Muslim Cleric Tears Bible At Protest Outside the US Embassy in Cairo
Posted GMT 9-14-2012 1:42:49 By Mary Abdelmassih
During the demonstration which was held in front of the American Embassy in Cairo on Tuesday, 9/11, a Muslim cleric named Abu Islam tore and burned the Holy Bible in front of thousands of Muslims. His action was met with applause and anti-Christian cheers from the demonstrators. Before leaving the demonstration and getting into his car, he told the crowds "next time I will urinate on it."
The video above shows the Muslim cleric tearing the Bible. The video says:
0.02 "(T)he overwhelming Book, the Book of Truth and Peace. The place for these words and this book is over the heads because it is the real inspiration..." (He places the Koran on his head) voices chanting Allahu Akbar.
0.30 He Says: "Message to the Egyptian Christians. Out of respect and politeness to the Egyptian Christians we will not do the same like what they did to our God's book; we will be generous towards you today and say we will respect you 'momentarily.' We will respect this book which is in the Arabic language."
0:54 Demonstrators' chants "Coming, Coming O Islam"
1.09 Abu Islam holds another Bible and says: "This is the book the dog Terry believes in, as well as those dogs with him, the Egyptian Christians in America."
1.19 Abu Islam: "Today I can only TEAR IT APART." He starts tearing the Bible and throwing the leaves towards the mob, amid chants of "Allahu Akbar" and "Khaybar, Khaybar, O Jews, the army of Mohammad is coming."
2.06 Abu Islam saying: "To all the cross-worshipers around the world, we will not keep quiet. Today, we tore it."
2.13 A man in blue beside him burns the Bible, raising it for everyone to see.
Abu Islam: "Salamu Aleycom" (Peace be with you) and leaves, with mob chanting "Khaybar, Khaybar, O Jews, the army of Mohammad is coming." "Governing, governing, O Koran." "Coming, Coming O Islam."
Dr. Mustafa Maraghy, professor of law and Islamic law at Cairo University, filed a complaint with the Attorney General against the cleric, whose real name is Ahmed Abdullah. The complaint cited Abdullah, who is the owner of the TV channel the Islamic Nation, for contempt of religion, disturbing public security and peace.
Dr Maraghy, who is the chairman of the Coptic Coalition, said that tearing and burning the Holy Bible, which all Christians in the world believe in, is a "villainous and barbaric act." He added that it is not permitted at all to defame religions. "The same hurt feelings we felt by the film which insulted the prophet is the same that we felt by this criminal act," he said.
He vowed that the Coptic Coalition will not ignore such "ignorant people" but will prosecute them. The Maspero Coptic Youth Union has called on President Morsy to intervene immediately to put an end to any efforts which would kindle the fire of sedition between Muslims and Copts.
Another complaint was also filed this morning against Abu Islam by Karam Gabriel, lawyer with the Copts of Egypt Coalition, for his recent burning of the Holy Bible as well as his previous insults to Christianity through his books and through his Islamic Nation TV Channel.
The Coalition, which has among its members Muslims and Copts, has issued an official statement condemning the film insulting the Prophet of Islam. Magdy Saber, spokesman for the Union, condemned Abu Islam's tearing and burning of the Bible in front of the Copts who were present before the US Embassy, where they had gone in support of their Muslim brothers regarding to prophet's film.
Saber demanded from officials to take the necessary measures to prevent sedition among the Egyptians. "If we condemn the film-makers of the prophet film who live outside Egypt," he said, "we should also condemn this disgraceful act in Egypt, stressing the need to punish Abu Islam for his irresponsible actions."
In an interview today with The Mohit newspaper, Abu Islam denied burning the Bible, he said "I tore it apart and threw it to the demonstrators to step on it with their shoes." He added, "Next time I will make my grandson urinate on it, as the saying goes, an eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth and the starter is at fault."
Commenting on the fact that the film producers do not represent all Copts and the masses of the American people and therefore their holy book should not be insulted in response, Abu Islam said "if someone one did something, everyone bears the guilt and bears the outcome. Did not all Muslims bear the pain of what Osama bin Laden did? Did not all Muslims bear the pain of Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman being described as a terrorist? Let them taste from the cup the Islamic world had to drink."
"Until now we have not heard any condemnation from any Muslim organization or Al-Azhar," said Coptic activist Mark Ebeid, "as our church did concerning the Prophet film. We have hope that the Church will say something about our Holy Book."
