Friday, January 14, 2005
London Mayor Ken Livingstone is back at it again, talking about inviting Islamist Sheik Yousef Al-Qaradhawi back to London and chastizing the press and others for smearing the kindly Sheik. Looming large in Livingstone's pantheon of villains is the indispensible MEMRI, who has assembled a page on the Sheik where you cannot only read about the Sheik, but see the video of him in his own words.
MEMRI: London Mayor Ken Livingstone's Defense of Islamist Cleric Sheikh Yousef Al-Qaradhawi:
In response to the continued criticism, Mayor Livingstone called a January 11, 2005 press conference, at which he released a report defending Sheikh Al-Qaradhawiand demanded that the British media apologize for condemning Al-Qaradhawi's visit.
In his report and during the press conference, Mayor Livingstone singled out MEMRI as the source of documents and translations which he dismisses...
...MEMRI will soon be issuing an official response, as well as additional new material on Qaradhawi.
The following is a compilation of media research material on Sheikh Al-Qaradhawi, done by MEMRI over the past few years. It includes: 1) MEMRI TV clips of Sheikh Al-Qaradhawi; 2) MEMRI Special Reports about Sheikh Al-Qaradhawi; 3) MEMRI Special Dispatches of Sheikh Al-Qaradhawi's writings and interviews...
Livingstone thus becomes of a kind with the worst elements of Middle Eastern backwardness who routinely write-off as vicious lies their own words when reported back to them - even when caught on tape. This was a typical Arafat tactic in the days before the internet - say the most vicious things in Arabic, then simply deny you said them when confronted in the Western press. In the old days it used to work - with a pliant press and well-meaning but foolish tools willing to excuse almost anything in order to avoid rendering a judgement upon "the other." It doesn't work so well anymore, and even some self-described members of the honest Left are speaking up. Harry's Place asks: "Why is a left-wing Mayor associating with a right-wing Islamist?"
Why, indeed. And why side with and even use the tactics of the worst and most dangerously backward elements confronting the world today?
