Muslim and Jewish fundamentalists hail 'Katrina' as God's punishment of the US
Dubai (AsiaNews/Agencies) - "Katrina, a soldier sent by God to fight on our side . . . the soldier Katrina joins us to fight against America," read one Islamite website. This view is not isolated, hurricane Katrina, which ravaged New Orleans, has in fact raised a storm of enthusiasm among Islamist bloggers and Ultra Orthodox Jews.
For some Muslim bloggers, the hurricane was God's punishment. "In spite of being a superpower and of its technological development, America was unable to cope with the power of the Almighty," one of them said.
Another said: "Allahu Akbar (God is greatest). Soldiers of God: Hurricane Katrina demolishes America. Don't think that God doesn't care about the injustices of tyrants."
Internet sites published dozens of photos showing crumbled buildings, overturned cars, flooded streets, devastated oil refineries, residents wading through muck and water and US flags ripped to shreds. The pictures should "serve as a lesson," another blogger wrote.
Outside the blogosphere, such opinions have found a niche in more mainstream media. A Kuwaiti Arabic-language newspaper published similar comments by Mohammed Yussef al-Mlaifi, director of the Kuwaiti Ministry of Endowment's Research Centre.
For al-Mlaifi, it "is almost certain that this is a wind of torment and evil that Allah has sent to this American empire."
In a sarcastic note, al-Mlaifi noted "[b]ut how strange it is that after all the tremendous American achievements for the sake of humanity, these mighty winds come and evilly rip (America's) cities to shreds? Have the storms joined the Al-Qaeda terrorist organization?"
Citing a passage from the Qu'ran, he added: "The disaster will keep striking the unbelievers for what they have done, or it will strike areas close to their territory, until the promise of Allah comes to pass, for, verily, Allah will not fail in His promise."
For other bloggers, hurricane Katrina is but Allah's punishment for the destructions wrought by the US army in Afghanistan and in Iraq which backs "the Zionist cause".
In Israel, some rabbis have also taken up the vengeful God theme. For some rabbis, Katrina is divine punishment against US President George W. Bush for having supported Israeli Prime Minister in the latter's decision to force Israeli settlers out of Gaza.
Shas Party spiritual leader and Former Chief Sephardic Rabbi Ovadia Yosef added his voice in is weekly sermon, when he said: "We had 15,000 people expelled here, and there 150,000 (were expelled)."
"He (Bush) perpetrated the expulsion. Now everyone is mad at him this is his punishment for what he did to Gush Katif, and everyone else who did as he told them, their time will come, too," the rabbi said.
Moreover, for Ovadia, New Orleans was also flooded because of its residents' lax moral standards and "lack of Torah study".
Although he did not say what God had in store for Ariel Sharon, he did say that "God does not short-change anyone."
By contrast, only one Islamic blogger spoke out in defence of the victims, saying he was "exasperated at the rejoicing over the misfortunes of Americans."
"Certainly, the leaders of the United States have oppressed many peoples, but the citizen... is in no way guilty."
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02/09/2005
29/08/2005
