CAIRO, Egypt (AP) – In an audio tape posted on the internet, Al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden said that Muslims across the world “must take action” to help the estimated 2.4 million Burmese affected by the tragic cyclone and subsequent flooding in Myanmar which left 125,000 people dead.
 |
“Although our holy Jihad against Jews and infidels (may their stomachs roast in hell) is important,” said Bin Laden, “even more important is the human tragedy in Burma. The Western nations natter and dither while innocents die because the Great Satan is indifferent to the fate of non-Christians. As Muslims, however, we do not have the luxury of indifference. Allah is a God of mercy and compassion. As his followers, we are compelled to be the instruments of that compassion.”
“Many Muslim nations,” continued Bin Laden, “are awash in oil wealth. In the name of Allah the all-giving and all-loving, we are obligated to use that wealth to the benefit of Allah’s neediest children, no matter where they are, and even though they do not share our beliefs. There is a time for the sword, but there is also a time for the hand of mercy and charity to lift up those in their hour of greatest desperation. The decadent West has failed, and it is up to the world’s Muslims to lift up the lamp of Islamic generosity to give hope to those who are now hopeless.”
Surprisingly, the terrorist leader and most wanted man in the world has vowed to risk his own life to personally bring aid to the decimated areas of Burma. “Although I am not a prophet with the greatness of Mohammed (peace be upon him), I am still a man,” said Al Qaeda’s #1, “and my fellow man is crying in sorrow. I, myself, will lead an aid mission into Burma as a visible missionary of succor to this devastated nation, though it may mean having to dodge sniper fire like other emissaries of peace have done before me.”
“I can only hope,” concluded Bin Laden, “that the rest of the world will follow the Muslim example, set aside their petty squabbles, and do the right thing to save innocent lives.”
I thank you for your efforts in reporting this news, Frank. You’re truly a wonder, what with the job, blogging, Hellbender, and meeting the needs of that fine gun-toting T-shirt babe. If this keeps up, I may become a regular here.
But do we really know that this is Osama talking? I mean, the words and sentiment are obviously his, but there’s something not quite right about it. I can’t put my finger on it, but it has something to do with his impassioned plea to help non-Muslims without using any C-4 or firing Kalashnikovs into the air. Maybe you left that part out?
Surprised the NY times didn’t link to this. It fits the “narrative” to perfectly!
Oh, bless his moose lamb heart this time.
It’s stories like these that make me ashamed to be a Christian. All those people suffering in the world and we do NOTHING. Makes me want to convert to “The Religion Of Peace”, so I can help too.
Wow, you think this will be as effective a method of converting people to Islam as blowing them up with C4? I mean if someone blows up my family with C4 I respect them a lot more, then if they show up and help save me from starvation.
Corsair, don’t despair. I know all you hear about on the news is that Christians are blowing up abortion clinics at an alarming rate (almost one this century). And of course, the psychological violence against abortion continues unabated.
But really, you can probably find a way to help the needy right in your own church, if you ask around. You may have to take a radical step to find out about your church’s mission work, like wait for your pastor’s sermon on Sunday.
Ahhh -but will he be able to dodge sniper fire as well as our Hillary dodges sniper fire!
Maybe he’s tired of living in a cave in northern Pakistan and he wants a vacation in the tropics. How long will it take for area 51 to set up their tsunami generator again? (The US gets blamed for everything anyway so we might as well start taking credit for it).
Seriously, Harvey, very well writen. I thought it was true at first but then I caught that reference to sniper fire. Very subtle!
Can you link to any source?
Because I dont recall reading in any news about him talking of Burma.
As a Burmese, I don’t know whether to laugh or cry when I read this fake bit of news! My people are really suffering out there, and with the obdurate and unfeeling generals keeping out journalists, both local and foreign, out of the worst-affected areas, the world can only imagine the horrors of children, women and old people staring starvation with their vacant faces. Local donors do try and reach the most needy. But with fuel prices sky-rocketing, and scarcity of boats (the roads are pretty impassable in the best of times anyway), the aid is really trickling in; maybe a fourth of the cyclone victims haven’t got the first morsel of foreign aid or local aid (the junta is hauling off the foreign aid to their military bases or to their grand “capital” upcountry. Maybe this Bin Laden story acts as comic relief, though I’m sure the Muslims of the world have sympathy to our storm victims. If this “news story” jolt the conscience of the world, our generals’ most importantly, maybe the writer hasn’t written it in vain.
Perhaps a visit to Myanmar would be good for him. I can see it now — the white turban atop a pile of Burmese python $hit.
Mr. BinLadin, you are batter than U Than Shwe, Myanmar’s(Burma) Head.