Annals of Islamist chutzpah

Today’s New York Times features an astounding interview with Egypt’s Islamist President Mohamed Morsi. Morsi is the man from the Muslim Brotherhood. Don’t tell President Obama, but these people are dedicated enemies of the United States.

Morsi gave the interview to the Times in anticipation of his appearance in New York at the United Nations this week. You really have to read the interview to believe it. It could hardly be more offensive to the United States or the average American. Morsi advises us that we are to get with the Brotherhood program and be happy to pay for the privilege:

He said it was up to Washington to repair relations with the Arab world and to revitalize the alliance with Egypt, long a cornerstone of regional stability.

If Washington is asking Egypt to honor its treaty with Israel, he said, Washington should also live up to its own Camp David commitment to Palestinian self-rule. He said the United States must respect the Arab world’s history and culture, even when that conflicts with Western values.

And he dismissed criticism from the White House that he did not move fast enough to condemn protesters who recently climbed over the United States Embassy wall and burned the American flag in anger over a video that mocked the Prophet Muhammad.

“We took our time” in responding to avoid an explosive backlash, he said, but then dealt “decisively” with the small, violent element among the demonstrators.

“We can never condone this kind of violence, but we need to deal with the situation wisely,” he said, noting that the embassy employees were never in danger.

So no biggie that the embassy walls were breached and our flag burned.

I love this:

“If you want to judge the performance of the Egyptian people by the standards of German or Chinese or American culture, then there is no room for judgment,” he said. “When the Egyptians decide something, probably it is not appropriate for the U.S. When the Americans decide something, this, of course, is not appropriate for Egypt.”

We just want to judge the performance of the Egyptian people by civilized standard, buddy. And you have fallen short.

The great thing about Morsi is how up front he is. It’s hard to paper this message over with diplomatic blather:

“I grew up with the Muslim Brotherhood,” he said. “I learned my principles in the Muslim Brotherhood. I learned how to love my country with the Muslim Brotherhood. I learned politics with the Brotherhood. I was a leader of the Muslim Brotherhood.”

In case you missed it, the Brotherhood slogan helps you get a bead on the Brotherhood: “Allah is our objective; the Quran is our law, the Prophet is our leader; Jihad is our way; and death for the sake of Allah is the highest of our aspirations.” Got it.

Over at Commentary, Jonathan Tobin comments capably on Morsi’s remarks, but this is one interview that speaks loudly for itself to anyone with ears to hear.

Notice: All comments are subject to moderation. Our comments are intended to be a forum for civil discourse bearing on the subject under discussion. Commenters who stray beyond the bounds of civility or employ what we deem gratuitous vulgarity in a comment — including, but not limited to, “s***,” “f***,” “a*******,” or one of their many variants — will be banned without further notice in the sole discretion of the site moderator.

Responses