Chosing between America and Al Qaeda

A former Islamic scholar interviewed on Saudi-controlled satellite television station, Al-Arabiya, explains why he's on the American side.

The scholar, Abd Al-Hamid Al-Ansari, is a former dean of Islamic Law at Qatar University.

Here are excerpts from his interview, via Memri, the Middle East media translation service:

Interviewer: "The American invasion of Iraq - isn't it a provocation to Arab mentality?"

Abd Al-Hamid Al-Ansari: "That's true. But there have always been international conflicts. Besides, it is not only the Muslims who are subject to these so-called injustices. Since America is a superpower, it intervenes in the affairs of all the other countries, and all the peoples suffer because of this. But the question is how to respond. Should I respond by sending my children to commit suicide and blow themselves up? Let's say we accept that a certain person is anti-American - what are the civilians, children and women in Algeria to blame? Are they Americans? I ask you, who are most of the victims of suicide operations and terrorism - the Muslims or the non-Muslims? They are Muslims. The number of people killed by Muslims carrying out suicide operations is far greater than those killed by the Americans or the Israelis.". . .

Interviewer: "You believe that the American presence in Iraq is legitimate..."

Abd Al-Hamid Al-Ansari: "It is legitimate and legal, because of the Security Council resolution, and the consent of all the countries in the region."

Interviewer: "You don’t consider it occupation?"

Abd Al-Hamid Al-Ansari: "No, I don’t consider it to be occupation now, because it is not in the interests of the Gulf countries or of the Iraqis for the Americans to leave now. In addition, when can you call it occupation? When it runs counter to the will of the people. If 10 million Iraqis elected the current government, it is a legitimate government, whether you support it or not. This legitimate government invited the Americans, and it renews this invitation every year. The American presence in Iraq is exactly like the American presence in the Gulf countries. I wrote an article about it, and I say so here too. Iraq needs the American presence for its stability and defense more than we, in the Gulf, need the American bases to protect our interests.". . .

Interviewer: "In your opinion, collaborating with America is better than with bin Laden?"

Abd Al-Hamid Al-Ansari: "Of course, if it serves the interests of my country. Am I supposed to be a collaborator with backward people?"

Interviewer: "Why do you consider them primitive? Do you associate this with religion?"

Abd Al-Hamid Al-Ansari: "No, it is because they are the enemies of life. Anybody who is the enemy of life is backward, because he pushes my son to blow himself up."

"...We want to make our youth love human beings as human beings, before they love them for being Muslim or non-Muslim, Shi'ite or Sunni."

". . .We need to focus on the beautiful aspects of life and society. Not everything in life is tragic. You should make people love life. I would like the religious scholars, through their religious discourse, to make our youth love life, and not death." . . .

Indeed.