Wafa Sultan, the Arab Martin Luther King

The silence of moderate Arabs since 9/11 has been deafening, and has continued as terrorist groups murder indiscriminantly in Iraq since that country's first free, post-Saddaam elections.

Now, a new, powerful, secular voice exists to lead Muslims out of the hopeless situation that their theocratic leaders have put them in.

Listen to Syrian-American doctor Wafa Sultan's impassioned debate on Al-Jazeera TV in Qatar Feb. 2006.  She makes points that are simply too powerful to ignore, and certainly too powerful for extremist Islam (bin Laden, Hezbollah, etc) to refute.

Listen to this woman of unbelievable power and you cannot help but instantly understand who's right and who's wrong in the Middle East.  Listen to her and one cannot but realize that the Islamic world must stand up to its corrupt leaders, its nihilist religious leaders and establish a system of governance that serves the people and not the clerics outdated, unsuccessful visions of sharia law.

Comments

[boro]

So she's powerful because she slanders Islam ? She is just full of venom towards Islam and muslims.

[irresolute]

That's just a highly selective clip of the whole interview to make it look like she kicked ass. Here's the whole transcript:

http://aqoul.com/images/wafa_sultan.pdf

In reality, the whole discussion was 50:50.

[LibyanMohamed]

The secular Dr. pretends to know what she's talking about but she's an ignorant buffoon. The Muslims will win, and she and her progeny will lose.

[m]

what is secularism? well its just another creed with white deity instead of traditinal one supreme deity. Muslim takes their lessons from quran and love s to quote the verses from the holy Quran, while secularist style their life in accordance with the wish of their white masters, and they love to quote the teachings of living or long dead white intellects. these non white secularist comes in usually to standard form, either in the shape of liberal capitalsit or communist.

[Gemma]

I am sure that Sultan would defend your right to your opinion, while you would kill her for hers. Anyway, about the "white masters" crap, in Chad and the Sudan, are the light skinned Arabs who murder black Muslims because THEY ARE BLACK the "white masters" to whom you are refering? You are either blind or very poorly informed.

[Godamned]

The modern Crusade and Jihad have begun and will never end. The radicals of the two sides are doomed for endless revenges and drag the world down to dark age. Christ and Allah bless you all in hell.

[Michael Kilpatrick]

Seen her, hear her, she is an agent for the Jewish State ask anyone where she lives if this is true, or not. She has no vision for any of her reports, and besides that she's a loser, trying to gain national attention she can't even hold down any jobs.

[Covent G]

Michael Kilpatrick,

It's wonderful to see the obligatory conspiracy theorist surface. Like every other comment I read above, you throw verbal stones at her but are unable to actually argue with the valid points she makes.

A grown man who must resort to name-calling instead of dealing with this woman only makes her case stronger, and yours - whatever it is - weaker.

Thanks to whoever's put this video up, I was glad I had a chance to see it.

[shamim]

the last posted person micheal has claime that these replies are conspiracy theorist surface,i think you all are same and anti islamist.here i have a question to you and also to whom is agree with you that you all and your goverments had claimed for wmd in iraq (a lie which has taken thousand's of life),where is that?
if it was not there then are you ready to die for them?

[Zog]

I am neither Christian or Jew. I am a civilized modern man who has lived and worked in three medieval Islamic hell-holes. As a result of what I saw there, I am unabashedly anti-Islamist. Bless Wafa
Sultan for risking her life by speaking out against ignorance and barbarism.

[Taha Baharoon]

The fact that "the biased anti-Islamic West" derives pleasure in Wafa's presentation is in itself a clear proof that she is playing to the gallery and therefore one cannot take her seriously. It is quite obvious that she strives to get into the good books of her Western masters and finds assaulting Islam as a short cut to achieve her aims.

The Greater Middle East or the New Middle East or the Fascist islam or whatever other name the West decides to call this region the fact is, it will remain well entrenched to its Islamic roots and those Western bred Arabs liberals, like Wafa Sultan, can do little to change this fact.

The so called American democracy in Iraq or Afghanistan and, more recently, in Lebanon have done little to convince people of the region that Westerners mean well, or have anything worthwhile to offer, when they advocate democracy for us.

We are the best people sent to mankind though the Westerners with their current " Gay Marriage" civilisation cannot comprehend this fact because of the awful social status they have put themselves into now. They have to free themselves first!

[Luthpa]

Taha,

Like many before you, you have taken the route of attacking the messenger rather than rationally arguing her message. I challenge you to argue with what she has to say, not who she says it to. For reference, though, remember that this is an interview she did on AlJazeera, not CNN.

As for your second point, I do not argue that Islam will continue to be the cultural basis for the Middle East. What I will argue forcefully, however, is whether or not militant, expansionist and fascist interpretations of Islam like those of Osama Bin Laden, Hezbollah, Iranian clerics should be supported by the Islamic majority.

If the moderate Muslim majority cannot be convinced of their need to reject the radicalized leaders of the terrorist organizations and governments in their midst, then either they are rejecting the peaceful truth in Islam, or no peace exists in Islam from the beginning.

Third, you are blind to overlook the fact that it is Muslim theocratic leaders who have failed their populations. Do not try to compare the progress made by Middle Eastern states when they *were* in tighter, more positive relationships with the west, to the saddening situation ever since 1979 and the Shah's overthrow. Muslim clerics and their radical, cynical, fascist interpretations of Islam are the root cause of problems there.

Again, I challenge you to explain to me how citizens of the Middle East could be any worse off than they are now, under their current leadership. The fact is that the Middle East must change.

Taha - I will destroy your baseless claim of Muslim superiority in a few easy steps; what me do it and again: I challenge you to argue my points with reason and not merely the childish name-calling of the powerless.

1) "We are the best people sent to mankind" - this is a statement hardly supported by fact. You currently have the least tolerance for non-Islamic viewpoints of any major culture; while you did at one point reach a high point in culture, that high point coincided with an Islamic liberalism that your society and extremist leaders currently despise.

Moreover, you cannot live peacefully either amongst yourselves or with your Jewish neighbors. Europe lives peacefully with its neighbords, America lives peacefully with its neighbors, but Muslim societies (Iran, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Somalia, etc) cannot be peaceful even to save their lives. That, my friend, is not the sign of being God's chosen, preferred people - it is a sign of ignorance.

2) While I too am against gay marriage, I would ask you to consider which society is better: one that educates its citizens fully and then allows them to make their own decisions as adults, or one that assumes its citizens are forever children and must therefore be told by corrupt clerics what they can and cannot do. You know the answer to this question in your heart.

My friend, Western societies - most notably America - have millions of Muslim believers in their midst and whose rights we respect fully. What society is better - the one that respects all humankind's right to religious freedom, or one whose leaders can only keep their power by not allowing religious freedom. The truth is, the true nature of God is unknowable, hence the existence of hundreds of different religions worldwide, of which Islam is but one. You know this to be true.

Taha, I have by now utterly destroyed your feeble attempts at detracting from Wafa Sultan's powerful message. I urge you to spend less time blindly defending the status quo in the Middle East, and more time thinking about your own enlightenment.

[Guest]

Babbling whore!!!

[The TRUTH HURTS]

Give this courageous lady buckets of admiration and respect for saying what the so called "moderate muslims" are afraid to say or do. I would suggest that the automaton islamists who are posting here should start by admiting and accepting their complicity and support in all the atrocities that are being commited all over the world by their Islamic bretheren. Rule #1 If it doesn't say Allahu Akba umpteen times a day and it's not of the Islamic faith KILL IT......MORONS. Just look at Iraq, Sudan, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Somalia, Iran. The list goes on and on. Name one place on planet earth where muslims are the predominant people and hold power (that has got anything to offer other than misery and the threat of death to it's masses).
Can anyone give an example of a muslim country that practices tolerance of other faiths, or freedom of thought and expression, (I THINK NOT). So, before all the muslim spokespersons and their apologist western supporters start whingeing and shouting "racist" or going on one of their now familiar choreographed and contrived "outrage riots" where they attack and/or burn a few western embassies and flags, shout "death to the west" and no doubt kill a few people "as is the (tolerant and peaceful) muslim way".
Perhaps they should start to practice the very things that they are so fond of demanding from the peoples of other (non muslim) countries. If the west was to adopt the same attitude and lack of tolerance and respect toward muslims as they do towards the western world, then muslims would be extinct by now. A fact they would do well to contemplate. Mecca and Medina are only a push button away from annihilation (as is the human race). One more
thing!! A question to all the devout practitioners of "Islam" If Allah is so great and all powerful, surely he can do his own dirty work and not rely on mere mortal morons to kill and maime innocent people but then thats just one of the many questions that the clerics, mullah's, immams and scholars don't want ordinary muslims to ask of them (but there isn't a muslim out there who has got the Balls to ask, IS THERE?). Asking questions is forbidden isn't it, you thick, sick idiots?
IT'S A CASE OF THE CORRUPT LEADING THE BLIND AND IGNORANT into oblivion and they go willingly like sheep.

[Tony Joanisse]

Occasionally, Arab moderates make a difference. When Israelis like Ariel Sharon still wanted to annex the West Bank, a West Bank Arab, Suleiman Nusselbey, demanded that Israel annex the West Bank, pointing out that the Arabs in a united Israel would soon outnumber the Jews; only a few Israeli extremists want to annex the West Bank today. But we don't often hear of people like Suleiman Nusselbey because they don't belong to Hamas or Fatah and encourage others to blow themselves up.

[Iqbal Massih]

Compared to the Christians of medieval Europe, the Muslims of the Ottoman Empire and Moorish Spain were far more tolerant of Christians and Jews. While the Muslims didn't give Christians and Jews equal rights with Muslims, they let them practise their religions without interferance. Muslims were even tolerant of the Hindus in India under the Mughal dynasty, for the most part, though Hinduism is a polytheistic faith. However, Hindus today remember the intolerance of one Mughal emperor, Aurangzeb, who persecuted the Hindus, not the tolerance of the Mughals that came before him. The Islamic fundamentalists, needless to say, make other religionists see Islam as a very intolerant faith, though Islam was actually the first in the world to practise religious tolerance. Sometimes, God's worst enemies are those who call themselves his friends.

[The Truth]

The plain truth Iqbal IS:
All religions have their beginings based on fear of the unknown and violence.What you say is true in parts. BUT, the fact is, whereas other beliefs evolved and shed their stupidity and ignorance (well mostly), muslims did not. They are still held prisoner (under threat of death) to a belief system that belongs to the fifth century. I'm afraid it would seem that most muslims are afraid to confront or acknowledge the evil within their own "societies". When muslims stop playing at being the victim all the while and start contributing something worthwhile to the world (as they once did), instead of dealing out death and destruction to anyone who appears to hold a differing point of view than they do, the human race will be a lot richer for it.
Anyway, Iqbal, although these troubles go back long before you or I where born, I think you will find that a lot of the radical Islamic crap that is doing the rounds in modern society is a direct result of a man called Amin Al-Husseini (don't know if I spelt it right). A Turk who was smitten by Adolph Hitler and his "blame and kill all Jews mentality". He even created a Muslim Nazi force to fight along side the waffen ss. Even the ss troops were taken aback by the sadistic brutality of these muslim fighters (seems nothing has changed there). You only have to look at the way these morons march and salute to see that they haven't shaken off their Nazi mentality. Warriors don't go around butchering and blowing up innocent civilians (COWARDS DO). We need more gutsy muslims who are prepared to stand tall and do whats right (CONDEMN THESE ACTS OF BARBARITY). It would seem that it is the women of the muslim world who are showing the greatest courage while the men are scared and self serving.

[dale]

islam is the will of Allah and it cannot be changed by the humans on earth
if she doesnt like islam she is free to adopt what suit sher but no modifications possible she an arab and comments like this ?????
But as long as she needs the corrupt leader of the arab world to change even the corrupt leaders will not deny it , further why only arab corrupt leaders it can be west east
bush blair or any one for the sake of argument. So nothing special about it let her study quraan and present her thesis on basis of it if she wills to act. Her way of living without veil is itself anti islamic she does not know the basic dress code of islam for her how come she can comment on islam and modern islam strange .
such hypocritesare teh ones who destroyed islam in the past even now and in future may Allah protect us

[qintara]

its not new,,, alot of such ppl appeared in history n still appearig who attack islam, most of them are the puppets of these capitalist communists lobby. may Allah save us from these Fitnas n make us the ones who work for re establishment of that state which will b the power of muslims,,,,lets work for khilafah as its the only way of Government ie Shariah. then no one will dare to say such things abt Allah Sharia.

[mujahid]

it is a bad way to achieve popularity.

[The Truth]

(lets work for khilafah as its the only way of Government ie Shariah. THEN NO ONE WILL DARE TO SAY SUCH THINGS ABT Allah Sharia).
qintara......
Judging by these responses (MORE INTIMIDATION AND VEILED THREATS) it seems the case has been
proven against Theocracy or should that be Idiocracy. What are these people so afraid of that they would want us all to live in fear and terror? They are the one's who are AFRAID and being manipulated by the corrupt mullahs, immams and clerics. AFRAID of change. AFRAID to question. AFRAID to grow up and take responsibility for their own actions. They blindly follow a set of (rules of convenience) that lets them off the hook for all their murderous acts. If they think allah the moon god will give them 72 virgins because they kill innocent people then all they prove is how gullible and stupid they are. Where are all these virgins coming from? After all most of the women are in hell aren't they? The west is far from perfect BUT I would rather live here than in a country ruled by religious butchers and their brainwashed followers.

[The Truth]

"ISLAM" the fastest growing, "FORCED" upon people, "RELIGION" in the world.
I used to be one of you MORONS but I came to my senses. You should try it sometime....

[The Truth]

Go here and read this.......
http://trustmuslimsyoumustbekidding.b...

[Moderation]

I do not understand why everybody is attacking everybody else on account of what another man or woman have said or done, be it a ruler of a country, a so called "modern thinker", or anybody else. I have read Dr. WS transcript, and it is clear that she seeks attention by attacking Islam, as many others are doing nowadays. Please feel free to Attack Muslims, through their actions. They are not sacred (as nobody else is) however give yourself time before speaking about Islam the religion.

Islam is not a religion that is forced upon people. In fact, Quran clearly states the freedom of religion. Go ahead and read about it before you attack it. The whole objective of Islam is to allow complete freedom, in religion as well as in everything else, and in the same time protect societies from social, financial and ideological dictatorship. Just examine middle east history, where wars were conducted to grant people the freedom of faith. Do not Judge Islam as a faith and a religion by the actions of so called Islamists. read about it yourself and give it a thought.

And for your who claim that Islam is a religion of violence, look at what is happening in Gaza and in Lebanon nowadays, and say to yourself "if this was my home, or this dead child my son or daughetr brother or sister, how would I feel?".
Next question is "if I see the guys who do this to my home and my family, what will be my reaction?"

Then please ask yourself another question. If you were from the middle east, would you feel in any way that there is Justice for you from the west? Why isn't anybody interfering? Are hymans equal? or is a non-Muslim's blood more precious than a Muslim's?

[CarlosIdelone]

I find this group of comments very sad, very polarized. To me, both sides are responsible for this mess, that we are in: however I hold the West more responsible, since we are the more materialistically powerful, and therefore if humane, have a responsibility to protect the rights of those, who are weaker. I think the leaders (read as politicians, clerics, the media, big business) on both sides are mad and will send their own citizens to die for their whims and greed the same as all power-mad (Hitler, Stalin) dictators always have. The West has most of the world's resources, much through the usurping of those of less militarily powerful coutries. The leaders can afford to give a longer leash to their citizens. However, as resources dwindle world-wide. they will not hesitate to cut off their own poorer citizens, if it impinges on their self-aggrandizement. The politicians and rich business class have always done that in the "land of freedom" and Bush and his backers are on that path to-day. If the Muslims are religious sheep, we are consumer sheep, who haven't protested too vigorously, about our governments plundering others to give us cheaper bananas, oil, tea, coffee, etc.,etc. So ,who are morally bankrupt? Who are sheep? I think, that we are all the same basically. Religion isn't the real reason, that Muslims are blowing themselves up. They are blowing themselves up, because we continue to steal from them and treat them as second class human beings and this is often the only way they have to fight back, to die with some pride rather than live as slaves. Maybe that's not the healthiest response, but its certainly understandable and why do we expect them to act more virtuously than ourselves? If we were benevolent and fair with those outside our culture do you think they would still blow themselves up in our ice cream parlours?