Al-Qaida chief declares 'holy war' on US, Israel over anti-Islam film

Report By: Nina Rai

Cairo, Oct. 13, 2012

In a move sure to goad passions among Islamic fundamentalists, the leader of al-Qaida has called on Muslims to wage a “holy war” against the United States and Israel over an anti-Islam video, which subsequently triggered mayhem world wide.

Ayman al-Zawahiri extolled as "honest and zealous" the aggressors who stormed the American embassy in Cairo and its consulate in Benghazi last month, purportedly over a video that ridiculed the Muslim’s revered Prophet Mohammad.

The US ambassador to Libya, Christopher Stevens, 52, and three other embassy staff died in the Sept. 11 attack on the US Consulate at Benghazi. The private and amateurish video “Innocence of Muslims” was made by an Egyptian-born US Coptic activist.

Al-Zawahri said the film made in California denigrating Prophet Mohammad indicates that Washington was waging a Zionist war against Muslims. He called for more protests around US embassies worldwide in an audio recording released by al-Qaida’s media branch As-Sahab.

In a message posted also on militant website Mujahedin al-Ansar and other Islamic websites, al-Zawahri called for “free and distinguished zealots” of Islam who stormed the consulate and protested outside other US embassies to “continue their opposition to American crusader Zionist aggression against Islam and Muslims.”

The Egyptian-born preacher claimed Washington “permitted the film in the name of personal freedom and freedom of expression, but this freedom did not prevent them from torturing Muslim prisoners,” imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Al -Zawahiri, who became the al-Qaida chief after the death of Osama bin Laden last year, also condemned President Barack Obama and his Democratic party for pledging at their pre-election convention to recognize Jerusalem as the Israeli capital.

The Islamic theologian said this pledge as also Obama’s prayers at Jerusalem’s Western Wall made during a 2008 visit, indicated that Muslims were facing a “crusader Zionist war” led by America.

Opinion: By all accounts this call for waging a “holy war” by Al-Zawahri looks to be an al-Qaida attempt to leverage from the outraged sentiments of Muslims over the anti-prophet film and utilize it to promote their agenda of leashing violence and hatred against US and Israel, their two arch enemies. The anti-Islam film is like a "gift horse" for the al-Qaida to fuel fundamentalist hatred and unleash their unbridled rage towards Washington and Tel Aviv over the death of al-Qaida’s late chief Osama bin Laden.

One can understand the genuine hurt sentiments of Muslims worldwide due to the anti-prophet film, and the issue is slowly dying down as well. However, the community as a whole needs to be on the alert not to allow the now dying embers of hurt sentiments over the film to be rekindled and usurped by the Islamic fundamentalists like al-Qaida, whose only agenda is to unleash terror, violence and mayhem in the pursuit of its mindless goals.

Source: Breaking News.Ie / Haaretz

Also check other political reports:

Al-Qaida in Yemen offers bounty for US Ambassador Gerald Feierstein

US strongly condemns killing of Najia Siddiqi, Afghan women’s affairs director

China to deploy submarine-launched nukes within 2 years: US draft report

UN says Syrian video killings ‘very likely’ constitutes a war crime

‘Burqa Brigade’ to hit western targets, Zawahiri exhorts kidnap of Westerners

‘SEAL Team Six' documentary aired to bolster Obama’s re-election bid?

Republican apologizes for statement: Pregnancies from rape 'God intended to happen'

Chilling new account of Ambassador Stevens’ final hours – Could it have been averted?

Jon Hubbard, Arkansas legislator claims slavery 'blessing in disguise' for blacks

Coptic Christian activist claimed he was misled on anti-Islam film. Was he really?

Anti-Islam film actress claims death threats, sues YouTube.

Obama adverts to calm anti-Islam film outrage, as fresh protests rocks Muslim nations

Violence erupts in Sydney over anti-Islam film also engulfs London (Video)