Daniel Pipes
Mobile Edition
Regular Site

Iraqi MP Iyad Jamal Al-Din Video Clips - Backwards Arabs Use Israel as a Pretext - Bless America - On Terrorism - On Secularism - On Democracy
Reader comment on item: Zionism's Bleak Present

Submitted by Sofa Sogood (United States), Oct 17, 2007 at 19:26

These video clips are to be found on MemriTV.

Although for sure at this point, the thoughts expressed, and the courage of Iyad Jamal Al-Din, are shared by only a small minority in Iraq and the Middle East, it is inspiring. There are, however, obviously enough to have elected him as an MP.

Al-Jazeera Qatar, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Lebanon, Iraq got to see his appearance on TV. It's too bad our Mainstream Media isn't kind enough to play these video clips on TV for Americans and internationally. They ought to be shown often. (Selected Excerpts)

(1) IRAQI MP -- IYAD JAMAL AL-DIN

Al-Arabiya TV (Dubai) October 10, 2005

Al-Fayhaa TV (Iraq) November 30, 20052:29 Minutes

http://www.memritv.org/clip/en/979.htm

video clip and transcript

"BACKWARDS ARABS USE ISRAEL AS A PRETEXT"

How come this country (Israel) has developed a democratic regime, although it too has been at war and is surrounded by enemies, whereas the Arabs have not developed democratic regimes, using the existence of Israel as a pretext? How come Israel is not using the Arabs as a pretext for delaying its democratic development, its free economy, and its free press? Are they better, smarter, or stronger than us? We have oil, we have water, we have land, we have great minds - we have it all. Nevertheless, we have backward, tyrannical, and dictatorial regimes - and the peoples readily accept this. There is no real demand for democracy in Arab countries.

[...]

Is there really a conflict between American interests and our own interests - as individuals and as peoples? Some people whine about Iraq's natural resources and about its oil. They say that America has come to plunder Iraq's resources. I ask them: Were Iraq's resources ever yours? Did you ever benefit from these resources? We hear about this oil, but never see it. There has always been a gasoline shortage. Our countries are rich, yet our peoples are poor.

[...]

Islam has various interpretations. Some of these interpretations are completely divorced from humanity, let alone from Islam itself. The well-known ideology of accusing others of heresy is an ideology of terrorism. Who turned Al-Zarqawi into a criminal murderer? Who? He was just a little boy crawling into his mother's arms, but then, out of his love for the religion and the mosque... He began to go to the mosque, and the imam got hold of him, and turned him into what he is. He didn't emerge from his mother's womb as a murderer, or as someone who makes car bombs, and so on.

(2) IRAQI MP -- IYAD JAMAL AL-DIN

Lebanon LBC-TV September 20, 2006 2:31 Minutes

http://www.memritv.org/clip/en/1285.htm

video clip and transcript

GOD BLESS AMERICA - GLAD TO BE RID OF SADDAM AND MULLAH OMAR OF THE TALIBAN"WE ARE LIKE A BIRD BORN IN A CAGE -- AMERICA BROKE THE CAGE OPEN, BUT THE BIRD DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO FLY"

(3) IRAQI MP -- IYAD JAMAL AL-DIN ON TERRORISM

Lebanon LBC TV July 31, 2005 6:32 Minutes

http://www.memritv.org/clip/en/793.htm

video clip and transcript

[...]

I BELIEVE THAT MY FREEDOM AS A SHIITE AND AS A RELIGIOUS PERSON WILL NEVER BE COMPLETE UNLESS I PRESERVE THE FREEDOM OF THE SUNNI, THE CHRISTIAN, THE JEW, THE SABAI, AND THE YAZIDI ...

[...]

I RECOMMEND ... READ THE BOOKS OF JURISPRUDENCE ... SEE HOW AHL AL-DHIMMA ARE TREATED ... ESPECIALLY ... WHO CLAIM THAT OUR HISTORY IS A SOURCE OF PRIDE, AND THAT OTHERS WERE TREATED WITH KINDNESS AND LOVE -- ESPECIALLY CHRISTIANS AND JEWS.

We do not hold ourselves accountable. This is why America came to demand that the Arabs be accountable. We must have more self-confidence and be accountable before others hold us accountable. we must discipline ourselves before the Americans and English discipline us. We must maintain human rights, which we have neglected for 1,300 or 1,400 years, to this day - until the arrival of the Americans, the Christians, the English, the Zionists, or the Crusaders - call them what you will. They came to teach you, the followers of Muhammad, how to respect human rights.

[...]

THE ARABS MUST STOP MEDDLING IN IRAQ'S AFFAIRS, AND STOP INCITING TO HATRED, VIOLENCE AND TERRORISM. THEY SHOULD NOT CALL THESE TERRORIST ACTS "RESISTANCE." ...

TODAY DOZENS OF CHILDREN AND PEOPLE QUEING IN FRONT OF BAKERIES ARE KILLED AND WE HEAR NO CONDEMNATION FROM ANY JURISPRUDENT ... OR ANY GOVERNMENT. ... WE PRODUCE TERRORISM.

(4) IRAQI MP -- IYAD JAMAL AL-DIN ON SECULARISM

Abu Dhabi TV August 19, 2006 4:00 Minutes

http://www.memritv.org/clip/en/1248.htm

video clip and transcript

... A STATE DOES NOT HAVE A RELIGION. A STATE DOES NOT PRAY, FAST OR MAKE A PILGRIMAGE. IT IS THE INDIVIDUAL WHO PRAYS, FASTS AND MAKES A PILGRIMAGE ...

... THE GOAL OF THE PROPHETS WAS TO CREATE AN INDIVIDUAL -- NOT A NATION. ...

... FREEDOM IS A WILL WITHIN THE INDIVIDUAL, AND, UNFORTUNATELY, THIS WONDERFUL AND BEAUTIFUL INDIVIDUAL IN OUR COUNTRIES HAS BEEN DISTORTED BY THE FRAUDULENT ISLAMIC CULTURE.

(5) IRAQI MP -- IYAD JAMAL AL-DIN

Al-Jazeera TV (Qatar) December 28, 2006 3:27 Minutes

http://www.memritv.org/clip/en/1351.htm

video clip and transcript

... THIS DOLLAR HAS A SPIRITED LIFE -- IT IS DEAR, HONORABLE AND LOVABLE ... ...THE DOLLAR CANNOT THRIVE IN DICTATORIAL COUNTRIES, BUT ONLY IN DEMOCRACIES. ... IT'S INCONCEIVABLE THAT WE ENDURED THIS HUMILIATION AND TYRANNY FOR 1,400 YEARS.

...THE MOMENT SADDAM'S CLUB WAS LIFTED FROM OVER OUR HEADS, EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US WANTED TO ASSUME SADDAM'S PERSONALITY -- NOT ONLY IN IRAQ BUT IN ALL ARAB AND ISLAMIC COUNTRIES.


Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened for relevance, substance, and tone, and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome, but comments are rejected if scurrilous, off-topic, vulgar, ad hominem, or otherwise viewed as inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the Guidelines for Comments. For informational purposes, we identify countries from which comments are sent.

Submit a comment on this item

Search by Enter name or date
Search Forum Comments:

Reader comments (113) on this item

Title By Date
How far they go [229 words]J. SteinNov 3, 2009 18:31
Burg praises pseudo-historical book by Shlomo Sand [112 words]JasonNov 1, 2009 18:04
Zionism [65 words]David GueirosNov 7, 2007 15:10
Israel shares the same conundrum as the rest of the west. [584 words]HomefrontOct 22, 2007 20:54
There won't be an Islamic world government. [321 words]KateyOct 26, 2007 15:04
I would never postulate an Islamic world government [168 words]HomefrontOct 27, 2007 05:11
Maybe not. [175 words]KatteyOct 27, 2007 21:00
Let Arabs prove ancient existence in Israel. [298 words]Kattey WagarOct 22, 2007 12:53
Kattey don't bother [423 words]HomefrontOct 22, 2007 21:32
Another example of Islamic Historical revisionist nonsense [44 words]HomefrontOct 22, 2007 21:59
A Note of Thanks: Very Interesting [438 words]YnnatchkahOct 23, 2007 05:34
I agree -- Israel should fight the archaeology issue hard [132 words]Charles MartelOct 23, 2007 12:52
Religious beliefs of Muslims. [392 words]Kate WagarOct 25, 2007 18:28
Delightful news indeed [46 words]YnnatchkahOct 26, 2007 01:10
MPD [206 words]donvanOct 26, 2007 12:35
Israel's Sacrifice: Should Stop Right Away [179 words]skmillerOct 19, 2007 11:14
Duty of Christians [106 words]Phil GreendOct 18, 2007 22:40
The Islamic war on Christianity has been giong on for some time [37 words]Dr RJPOct 22, 2007 12:35
Bush's "Two State Solution" [402 words]Dr. Howard D. GarberOct 18, 2007 04:55
⇒ Iraqi MP Iyad Jamal Al-Din Video Clips - Backwards Arabs Use Israel as a Pretext - Bless America - On Terrorism - On Secularism - On Democracy [918 words]Sofa SogoodOct 17, 2007 19:26
a ray of hope - everyone should see this! [54 words]jennifer solisOct 20, 2007 15:18
Good Idea - Requested Fox to Show the Clips -- Would Columbia U Have Invited and Given Him the World Stage for Free Speech? [78 words]Sofa SogoodOct 21, 2007 10:41
I don't think so [71 words]jennifer solisOct 24, 2007 14:51
Friends that will stick closer than a brother. [346 words]Susan BrowneOct 17, 2007 12:56
Friends that will stick closer than a brother [233 words]Harvey LondonOct 18, 2007 13:27
We need your encouragement [349 words]Susan BrowneOct 19, 2007 11:19
Biblical Christianity and Israel [30 words]Clifford ishiiOct 16, 2007 20:05
israel defenceless [13 words]skydiverOct 16, 2007 14:06
Israel will survive and Israelis have all the right to live in peace [139 words]Egyptian ChristianOct 15, 2007 12:59
ONLY SOLUTION TO PALI-ISRAELI CONFLICT [106 words]Bruce SterlingOct 15, 2007 16:55
Bruce Sterling [349 words]shaynaOct 16, 2007 17:00
How the palestinians overcome their racism, cultural imperialism and religious intolerance. [87 words]Egyptian ChristianOct 18, 2007 10:53
DON'T DESPAIR [79 words]Bruce SterlingOct 15, 2007 08:35
A modest proposal [134 words]BobOct 15, 2007 02:24
"MEDIA WAR AGAINST ISRAEL: FROM INVERSION OF THE TRUTH TO INVERSION OF REALITY" [1592 words]Sofa SogoodOct 14, 2007 17:17
Don't worry about Israel, Dr Pipes ! [232 words]Anne-Marie DelcambreOct 14, 2007 13:47
Not just Israel at risk [184 words]lee baileyOct 14, 2007 11:12
Why all the fuss about Jewish nationalism ? [507 words]Anne-Marie DelcambreOct 14, 2007 06:55
Dhimmitude [162 words]yuval Brandstetter MDOct 16, 2007 01:32
Famous Oxford Union Debating Society - Hosting One-Sided "Death to Israel" Debate Starring David Irving, Holocaust Denier and Other Notorious Anti-Semites [184 words]Sofa SogoodOct 13, 2007 20:49
Zionist responsibility [114 words]Gene C. SproulOct 13, 2007 18:10
Mr. Sproul: maybe your friend should be outraged at what Palestinians have been doing. [733 words]Dr RJPOct 15, 2007 22:45
Inconvenient "truths" [392 words]Gene C. SproulOct 16, 2007 18:58
"Inconvenient lies? [739 words]Dr RJPOct 18, 2007 14:32
Mr Sproul and the inconvenient truths [328 words]HarveyOct 19, 2007 12:33
Palestinian Refugees and the "Right of Return [640 words]Gene C. SproulOct 19, 2007 18:23
Conservatives see Carter as a coo-coo, too. Want the real scoop? Read Joan Peters [405 words]Dr RJPOct 21, 2007 00:58
Harvey: we're on the same page [388 words]Dr RJPOct 22, 2007 12:31
"Jerusalem" is mentioned in the Koran....once [170 words]jennifer solisOct 27, 2007 17:33
Thank you, Jennifer. Everything you said is true, except... [141 words]Dr RJPOct 29, 2007 14:19
Thank you for the correction [140 words]jennifer solisOct 29, 2007 19:45
There were NO palestinians in Israel and they're not even "Palestinians" [60 words]marleneMar 14, 2008 04:47
A solution [206 words]Paul M. NevilleOct 13, 2007 17:44
Add to the bleaker picture - US economy. [411 words]Syed KasimOct 12, 2007 17:09
syed [251 words]shaynaOct 13, 2007 18:30
Islamic tolerance? Really? [305 words]dhimmi no moreOct 14, 2007 10:55
Can you say Entrepreneur [735 words]SSOct 16, 2007 02:19
Ayat a sayf and ayat al jzya [49 words]HarryOct 23, 2007 11:59
Only solution rule of law, minority and women rights and West to sober up [236 words]Mohamed EljahmiOct 12, 2007 14:56
Postpartum Depression [130 words]GnarlodiousOct 12, 2007 11:40
If Israelis don't wake up now, there will not be 2025 for them [72 words]BenzionOct 12, 2007 08:52
Leading Israeli intellectuals sign petition calling for negotiations with Hamas [461 words]Mladen AndrijasevicOct 12, 2007 03:24
Add to the bleaker picture - US economy. [254 words]Syed KasimOct 12, 2007 02:34
Live and let live [111 words]Syed KasimOct 12, 2007 01:56
Fight fire with fire: make "Islamic fascist" a household word. [448 words]Dr RJPOct 12, 2007 01:22
ISRAEL IS A RECOGNIZED SOVEREIGN COUNTRY!!! [415 words]jennifer solisOct 12, 2007 00:22
Alas, poor Zionism [102 words]Bob MillerOct 11, 2007 23:52
our strenghs and weaknesses [51 words]Dan, AustraliaOct 11, 2007 23:01
Zionism's Story a Wonderful Ending [359 words]InfidelOct 11, 2007 22:42
like Kosovo [352 words]obilicOct 11, 2007 21:54
obilic [468 words]shaynaOct 13, 2007 17:37
The problem of Zionism [60 words]Richard D. WittrupOct 11, 2007 19:20
Dutch lack of identity, unique Palestinian identity, and Zionism [182 words]Joe MorganOct 11, 2007 18:09
you may be surprised [498 words]Yuval Brandstetter MDOct 11, 2007 17:06
Don't be such a downer [73 words]Deborah BlumenthalOct 11, 2007 15:57
Deborah, dont just talk, do something [43 words]yuval brandstetter MDOct 12, 2007 04:43
where Israel went wrong [148 words]Irish SavantOct 11, 2007 15:26
regurgitate partisan platitudes much? [193 words]bosOct 11, 2007 19:13
I do not agree. Where Israel really went wrong- When it Returned the Sinai to Rely on Big Daddy USA [232 words]James BurkeOct 12, 2007 06:43
in re Submitted by Irish Savant (United States), Oct 11, 2007 at 15:26 [243 words]argawargaOct 12, 2007 09:35
Women who stand with Zionism [129 words]JeaneneOct 11, 2007 15:04
Jeanene [427 words]shaynaOct 13, 2007 18:01
Zionism's Bleak Present [124 words]Suren SukhtankarOct 11, 2007 14:43
Wide acclaim? [108 words]SyarikatOct 11, 2007 11:28
I'm afraid existential ennui isn't Israel's main problem [331 words]Charles MartelOct 11, 2007 11:13
Defense of Zion [463 words]M. ToveyOct 11, 2007 11:04
the tragedy of it all [476 words]jennifer solisOct 12, 2007 16:40
Who gets the blame [54 words]David W. LincolnOct 11, 2007 10:51
Israel forever [298 words]Rebecca MouldsOct 11, 2007 10:41
bless you [49 words]marleneMar 14, 2008 04:30
Israel will survive [206 words]SFC, Donald Grant CheesmanOct 11, 2007 09:43
Even more pessimism [53 words]roslyn estherOct 11, 2007 08:55
I understand how you feel [611 words]Ken BesigOct 11, 2007 08:45
Alarmed [114 words]AtillaOct 11, 2007 05:37
National Identity [97 words]Edward HalperOct 11, 2007 03:07
Zionism's Bleak Present [194 words]SharonOct 11, 2007 02:36
Our history should give you some hope! [382 words]Gershon SeifOct 11, 2007 02:22
Evolution needed? [651 words]Archimedes2Oct 11, 2007 01:37
disagree [250 words]housam jarrarOct 11, 2007 01:28
Zionism's Bleak Future [135 words]Talia ZentaraOct 11, 2007 00:52
IS THIS OUR FATE? [525 words]Geno M.Oct 11, 2007 00:31
The lights are going out all over europe tonight [1658 words]Antonia GilliganJan 26, 2008 01:00
If not now, when? [40 words]Carl SesarOct 11, 2007 00:25
If not now, when? [23 words]SHDNov 19, 2009 23:58
bleak is as bleak does [304 words]John W. McGinleyOct 10, 2007 23:12
Liberalism [51 words]YnnatchkahOct 10, 2007 22:01
Lack of knowledge [79 words]Lana FaymanOct 10, 2007 21:12
Zionism [139 words]Donald W. BalesOct 10, 2007 21:06
ZIONISM BLEAK PRESENT [471 words]JACQUES HADIDAOct 10, 2007 21:00
Not them too... [65 words]DianaOct 10, 2007 20:30
ONLY SOLUTION: GAZA TO EGYPT; PARTS OF WEST BANK LINKED TO JORDAN [164 words]G. MarcusOct 10, 2007 20:28
Agree with Marcus, but I'm afraid Arabs too smart for that [167 words]Charles MartelOct 12, 2007 12:37
It's always darkest... [80 words]LDCOct 10, 2007 20:25

Comment on this item

Name
Email Address (optional)
Title of Comments
Comments:

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened for relevance, substance, and tone, and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome, but comments are rejected if scurrilous, off-topic, vulgar, ad hominem, or otherwise viewed as inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the Guidelines for Comments. For informational purposes, we identify countries from which comments are sent.

See the 25 most recent outstanding comments.

Back to top of page