London-Based Muslim Scholar Azzam Tamimi: "The Europeans are Wretched People"

The following are excerpts from a TV debate with Azzam Tamimi, director of the Institute of Islamic Political Thought, and with Swiss MP Oskar Freysinge, on the Swiss ban on building minarets. The debate aired on Al-Jazeera TV on December 8, 2009.

From 1980 to 1985, Dr. Al-Tamimi worked as a media monitor and news analyst at the U.S. government's Foreign Broadcast Information Service, and from 1990 to 1991, he directed the Parliamentary Office of the Islamic Movement in Jordan.

Al-Tamimi headed the Liberty for the Muslim World Institute in London, from 1992-1999 and was also a researcher for The Center for the Study of Democracy at Westminster University. Since 1999, Dr. Al-Tamimi has headed The Institute of Islamic Political Thought in London. He is the author of several books, including Hamas: A History From Within.

Al-Tamimi describes himself as a "sympathizer and supporter" of Hamas. "I know some of the senior figures in Hamas," he said. "Some were my friends, my classmates..." According to The Guardian, he has advised Hamas on media strategy. Palestinian political scientist Muhammad Muslih defines Al-Tamimi, in a study on Hamas's foreign policy, as "a Hamas member."

According to a Times Online blog, he has said in a BBC interview that he was prepared to go to Israel and carry out a suicide bombing, and has praised suicide bombers as martyrs.

Al-Tamimi is frequently invited to lecture by Muslim communities in South Africa, the U.S., and Britain, where he resides. He also writes opinion pieces in The Guardian.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• islam
• switzerland
• swiss
• europe
• azzam
• tamimi
• al
• jazeera
• oskar
• freysinge
• minarets

[samie117]

This man is completely nonsensical.

[oqpiedter]

Unfortunately, when it comes to measuring ones popularity in the Arab world, sense is not really a requirement

[kgshahid2]

The only thing islam has EVER saved are the corrupt mullahs!

[frednoname1]

So this guy is saying that a neonazi wants to save jews???

And that they want democracy EXCEPT when it goes against them??

These guys are nuts.

[giaco99]

I was never so proud of beeing swiss after I heard that al-qaida-terrorist-guy...

[baristha]

@MrAugustus88 Muslims (purists) won't stop until and unless they take every square inch of land UNDER ISLAMIC HEGEMONY and subjugate, oppress every adherent of any other religion...That's qur'an chapter 8 verse 39..

"And fight them until there is no more Fitnah (disbelief and polytheism: i.e. worshipping others besides Allah) and the religion (worship) will all be for Allah Alone. But if they cease (worshipping others besides Allah), then indeed, Allah is Seeing of what they do."

[britishbrainz]

@baristha Why are you so nasty to Muslims? This man was and is wrong. But he does not represent muslims, just like YOU do not represent Christians or Jews or atheists or other! You represent: yourself [as do every individual].

[MrAugustus88]

What is this Arab monkey talking about. The Arab fashists have take Syria from the Greeks and the Arameans, Lebanon from the Phoenicians, Palestine from the Jews and Greeks, Jordan from the Greeks and Jews, Egypt from the Egyptians and Greeks, Iraq from the Assyrians, Libya from the Berbers Greeks and Phoenicians, Tunisia from the Phoenicians, Algeria- Morocco from the Berbers and Persia from the Persians. They are still provoking they have whiped out entire races.