Pakistani scholars give “Sword of Allah” to bin Laden
posted at 11:15 am on June 21, 2007 by Bryan
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The “Sword of Allah.” The jokes I could write… But I won’t.
A LEADING group of Pakistani Islamic scholars today awarded its highest honour to al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, saying it was in reaction to Britain’s knighthood for Salman Rushdie.
Meanwhile, a Pakistani minister who caused outrage by remarking that the award given to the Satanic Verses author justified suicide attacks announced that he was set to visit Britain next month.
That’s a lot to pack into two short paragraphs. Taking the last first, is the UK dumb enough to let that guy in, knowing that he a) hates Rushdie’s knighthood enough to justify suicide bombing and b) will be in the country to “clarify” his remarks? Yeah, probably. It’s really not hard to think of a thing or two he might do while in country to put the exclamation point on his remarks, though.
The Pakistani Ulema Council, a private body that claims to be the biggest of its kind in the country with 2000 scholars, said it had given Bin Laden the title “Saifullah”, or Sword of Allah.
“We are pleased to award the title of Saifullah to Osama bin Laden after the British Government’s decision to bestow the title of ‘Sir’ on blasphemer Rushdie,” council chairman Maulana Tahir Ashrafi said.
“This is the highest title for a Muslim warrior.”
And it’s being given to a mass murderer in an entirely reactionary way. Sort of like giving Jimmy Carter the Nobel Peace Prize after screwing up Iran and thereby the rest of the Middle East to bring us the war we’re fighting now, but in the name of opposing Bush. Funny thing, though, is that in giving bin Laden the award in reaction to Rushdie’s knighthood, they’re really denigrating both the Sword of Allah and their hero by connecting them to The Satanic Verses. I bet they didn’t think of that.
The group, which says it is working for religious harmony, urged President Pervez Musharraf to call an emergency meeting of the 57-member Organisation of the Islamic Conference to press Britain to withdraw the Rushdie accolade.
Religious harmony? No, no, they actually mean religious hegemony. Must have been a translation error.
There is one small bit of good news among the Rushdie rage: Pakistan’s former PM, Benazir Bhutto, has called for the religious affairs minister to fired since he said the knighthood would justify suicide bombings. She can probably expect a fatwa against her by week’s end, but still, it’s good to hear someone in Pakistan standing up against the Islamist mob. Musharraf has been notably silent so far.
The question now, is what should the UK do next? What do you think?
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Good thing Pakistan is such a strong ally!
Citizen Duck on June 21, 2007 at 11:18 AM
Isn’t that kind of a revenge lay? You really didn’t want to do it; but you felt like you had to?
lorien1973 on June 21, 2007 at 11:21 AM
I found the sword of
Allahpundit.
Mazztek on June 21, 2007 at 11:22 AM
Give the knighthood to Bush (it might help to raise his poll numbers :)
Ropera on June 21, 2007 at 11:31 AM
They gave him the sword of allah. Hmm. Howz about we give them the “Bomb of Oppenheimer.”
Mojave Mark on June 21, 2007 at 11:36 AM
It’s amazing how many phallic shaped devices are given to men over there as rewards for things.
lorien1973 on June 21, 2007 at 11:40 AM
Can a Nobel Peace prize be in the future? Given its reputation I say, “YES.”
400lb Gorilla on June 21, 2007 at 11:55 AM
Giggles
GoodBoy on June 21, 2007 at 11:58 AM
This is a such a “dirka dirka mohammed jihad dirka dirka!” moment.
Mindcrime on June 21, 2007 at 12:02 PM
Deeply Perfect.
RushBaby on June 21, 2007 at 12:16 PM
The Religion of Peace’s highest honor is the Sword of Allah.
That says it all, doesn’t it?
fogw on June 21, 2007 at 12:17 PM
Bobby Brown must be in a panic about now. The ‘man’ now has a sword so Bobby is stocking up on 7.62.
Limerick on June 21, 2007 at 12:39 PM
Please, won’t someone think about Rage Boy? He can’t yell like that forever with all the slights inflicted upon Islam.
I read a book back in the 80’s called “The Sword Of Allah” in which some terrorist took over a giant death ray and it ended up melting the Middle East. Pretty cool book.
Krydor on June 21, 2007 at 12:46 PM
Ephesians 6: 13. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand the evil day and having done all to stand. 14. stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness. 15.and having shod your feet with your preparation of the Gospel of Peace.15. above all, taking the sheild of faith with which you will be able to quench the fiery darts of the wicked one.17. and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit, which is the Word of God:………. So can the 56% who equate Christianity and Islam as an equal threat still justify their claim. Jesus is the Prince of Peace. When we remove Him from our life we lose the essential element of love out of the world.
sonnyspats1 on June 21, 2007 at 12:49 PM
I think it’s time to consider starting up the Crusades again.
I think Islam needs to be knocked down a peg or two.
georgej on June 21, 2007 at 1:00 PM
So can the 56% who equate Christianity and Islam as an equal threat still justify their claim. Jesus is the Prince of Peace. When we remove Him from our life we lose the essential element of love out of the world.
sonnyspats1
Not sure having a pacifist as the standard bearer for western civilization is a good thing when the enemy is all about submission.
Krydor on June 21, 2007 at 1:08 PM
Heh Heh so which is it? You can’t have it both ways. If you did a little deeper you will discover that the US military is overwhelmingly Christian. How many philosophy majors are there? The point is there has to be a source of ‘love thy neighbor’ because if we ever had a literal example of what life would be like without it we do now.
sonnyspats1 on June 21, 2007 at 1:45 PM
sonnyspats1 on June 21, 2007 at 1:45 PM
How many philosophy majors are there?
I would say you could get that number by multiplying the number of Starbucks by 10, but I digress.
At any rate, it seems to me that the double standard being applied here is by Christians. You can’t, on one hand, claim to be non violent and on the other join the armed forces for the purpose of committing violence.
Not meant to be insulting, and definitely painting with a broad brush, but it looks double standard-y to me.
Krydor on June 21, 2007 at 2:53 PM
Ah yes, rational thought at its best…if someone bestows a high honor upon a novelist with opinions you don’t like, it makes perfect sense to then bestow high honor upon a murdering psycopath.
hollygolightly on June 21, 2007 at 2:58 PM
Isn’t Gandhi responsible for Pakistan?
He was the Jimmy Carter of his time.
So to win the Sword of Allah, I suspect you need to have the basic credentials of being a sexually perverted genocidal maniac for starters?
Hening on June 21, 2007 at 3:20 PM
Start with Augustine and his Just War doctrine. The US has a military history that has fallen into the Just War ideal. I’m not sure what you think being in the American military means, but it’s a little different than trying to win the “Sword of Allah”
Christians eventually got the hint after Islam slaughtered the populations of Antioch, Damascus, Carthage, Hippo, Nicea, Alexandria, Tarsus and other centers of Christian learning during their first hundred years.
Hening on June 21, 2007 at 3:38 PM
Gandhi was not a product of Hinduism/Budism per se. He was quite cosmopolitan and schooled in the West. He said that his teachings about non-violence came from Jesus Chrust not Hinduism.
Mojave Mark on June 21, 2007 at 3:40 PM
Do our beloved HA gurus or commenters have any information about it being approved to use taxpayer money at the University of Michigan to put in muslim footbaths? I heard it on FoxNews the other day, but haven’t heard anything else about this insanity. The ACLU is endorsing using taxpayer dollars to fund this religion but compares Christians giving pizza away to pedophiles luring in victims??
hollygolightly on June 21, 2007 at 3:44 PM
Krydor….. I stopped short in my previous question. It should have read-How many philosophy majors are in the US military?
sonnyspats1 on June 21, 2007 at 3:53 PM
Sounds like a hazing ritual.
jeffNWV on June 21, 2007 at 4:05 PM
I’d like to give him the precious Steel Toed Boot in the Testicles award.
Followed by the One-Way Flight to Paradise off the observation deck of the Empire State Building.
(Covered in the wonderful Tar and Feathers of Appreciation.)
profitsbeard on June 21, 2007 at 4:34 PM
Why don’t we award Bin Laden the coveted “Daisy Cutter of Allah” award? All we need is an address.
Tantor on June 21, 2007 at 5:17 PM
Hening on June 21, 2007 at 3:38 PM
I understand the concept of the just war. However, it does run counter to the essential concept of Christianity. That’s just my opinion, though.
sonnyspats1,
Yeah, I figured that. I read it that way initially, but I saw a chance to slam Starbucks and Philosophy Majors, so I went for it.
Krydor on June 21, 2007 at 5:24 PM
Where was the option to let him in to watch the UK nuke Mecca? Heck, you could even let Rushdie press the button (or me).
Tim Burton on June 21, 2007 at 5:25 PM
Isn’t the Sword of Allah referred to by Jihadist propaganda as a Nuke?
Egfrow on June 21, 2007 at 6:25 PM
Dead right Hening. Sadly Christians seem to have forgotten all about it again. I wonder how many cities will need to be annihilated before we get the hint again. About the same number?
Aylios on June 21, 2007 at 6:47 PM
Krydor… I like the two for one idea. lol They both serve a purpose in the right time and place. I just haven’t figured it out yet.
sonnyspats1 on June 21, 2007 at 7:12 PM
Pacifists?
“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.”
“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.”
Peace-loving is not the same as Peace at all costs.
naliaka on June 21, 2007 at 11:04 PM
Sword of Allah? How about the K-Bar of Mine?
major john on June 21, 2007 at 11:11 PM
I read this, and all I can hear (from the Pakis) is “Nyaa, so there!”
What a bunch of idiot children. No offense to the children out there.
tickleddragon on June 21, 2007 at 11:12 PM
considering what constites islamic scholastic achievement that’s not even the equivalent of getting a GED
Defector01 on June 22, 2007 at 2:00 AM
one word…….
Seppuku
shooter on June 22, 2007 at 11:30 AM
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