Mick Hartley

Egyptian cleric Mazen Al-Sarsawi, speaking on Nour Al-Khaleejiah TV:

That is how these lowlifes have always acted in all their wars. What did America do when it won the war in Vietnam? It dropped an atomic bomb, causing total destruction. They did not spare anyone. That is the epitome of treachery, ignobility, baseness, and contempt, not to mention what it is doing in Iraq and in Afghanistan, and what the Jews are doing in Palestine…

The infidels are all one and the same. There is a vast difference between this and the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad, even with regard to war. The war of the Muslims is better than the peace of these dogs. […]

God says that there is no coercion in Islam. One is free to be a believer or an infidel. That is the starting point, but is someone who converted to Islam allowed to change his mind? No, he is not…That is a completely different story. Someone who converted and got a taste of the perfection of Islam is not allowed to leave the fold of Islam whenever he feels like it. […]

First, we ask a person nicely to convert. If he does – it's over. When the mujahideen fight a country, they say to its people: "Covert to Islam. That's our only demand. We don't want anything else from you – we don't want your money or your country. All we want is for you to enter Paradise with us." Is there anything more lofty than this? […]

Do they kill the infidels if they refuse to convert? No, they don't. The Muslims say to them: "Let's remain friends. You pay us the jizya poll tax, and we will make sure you are safe. We could easily fight you and take over your country, so you are better off paying the jizya, and we will protect you." […]

It is said: "If they refuse to pay, seek Allah's help and fight them." You tell them to convert – they refuse. You tell them to pay the jizya – they refuse. That means they have evil intentions. Fine, we will fight them.

This was broadcast back in January. Subsequent events in Egypt suggest that such views are now more rather than less likely to gain a hearing.