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The Walrus and the Carpenter

The Walrus and the Carpenter

  • Posted by Maryam Namazie
  • On February 14, 2012
  • 22 Comments
  • Hamza Kashgari

Hassan Radwan just sent me a link to the video clip of the Saudi Sheikh Nasser Al Omar crying whilst relating the ‘offence’ that Hamza Kashgari has committed by tweeting about Mohammad, Islam’s prophet. As is expected, the Sheikh quickly gathers his emotions and calls for Hamza’s death.

The sheikh’s crocodile tears remind me of the Islamic mourning ceremonies I have been to in Iran where the mullah cries during his sermon. He seems inconsolable but then quickly stops ‘crying’, and starts eating and gossiping as if nothing has happened.

All in a day’s work.

Or as Hassan puts it:

I don’t why but he reminds me of the Walrus in Lewis Carroll’s poem “The Walrus and the Carpenter” who cried tears of pity for the Oysters while greedily eating as many as he could.

It would be funny if it wasn’t a matter of life of death… See the Sheikh’s fine acting qualities for yourself:

By the way, don’t forget to support the campaign to free Hamza; please sign the petition.

Join Free Hamza Facebook Page.

 

22 Comments

Jeff McMahon
I must be a very naive Australian. Is this bloke for real?! Do people like him actually exist in this world?! How does one's mind become so corrupted? (And I though George Dubbya was screwed up!)
Sigmund
There is quite a good exposition to the background of the current events here (I'm not sure of the original source but it's currently circulating on various facebook groups) https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1o8V8G9jUjdy2qaWO3oqHbIOc2-699qXStwXlcojMuI8&pli=1
Rafiq Mahmood
Here is an excellent report: Why a Saudi blogger faces a possible death sentence for three tweets.
Steersman
The sheikh’s crocodile tears remind me ... Of the morals, compassion and behaviour of a bunch of reptiles? Of which he seems a prime example. Sheikh, thy name is insincerity.
evilDoug
I think the old fraud is doing it for personal gain. I strongly suspect he things Allah will hear his boohooing and deem him to be extra pious and deserving of a better bit of real estate in heaven. And of course killing someone who has insulted god or mo will get him the upgrade package with a better class of virgin.
    Rafiq Mahmood
    More experienced ones?
      evilDoug
      Oooh, Rafiq you rascal! I feel rather guilty laughing so hard about a comment in a thread on such a serious matter.
peicurmudgeon
He is crying because he fears Allah's retribution if they don't act on Hamza's apostasy.
    Hassan Radwan
    True! It's vital to kill someone to appease Allah so he doesn't get pissed and kill everyone! We must appease angry sky daddy!
NC
Yikes. The alligator tears dissolve into glee as he starts calling for retribution.
theophontes, Hexanitroisowurtzitanverwendendes_Bärtierchen
I have just seen a news report on France24 on this. Let us hope that more news outlets pick up on the story of Hamza.
Blondin
"I weep for you." the walrus said, "I deeply sympathize." With sobs and tears he sorted out those of the largest size Holding his pocket handkerchief before his streaming eyes. (Just in case anyone wasn't familiar with the poem.)
asif hameed
its really sad how this man is behaving , i am sure he never had any chance to read some other books on religion, the biggest and the most dangerous part of an organized religion is that it just want to dominate people and controll their lives.
    Hassan Radwan
    This man is called a "Scholar", but as Richard Dawkins pointed out at our rally on Saturday: "A true scholar studies more than one book!"
F
The Saud answer to Glen Beck?
    Bill
    Only if he's funny when his co-host/buddy is in the room (Beck's bipolar thing creeps me out.). I'd compare him to Tammy Fae but in all reports she was actually nice.
Mriana
They seem like fake tears to me. I don't believe he's really crying, but rather trying to put on a poor show.
Hassan Radwan
This is much bigger than what Hamza did. That's why the clerics and govt are making such a fuss. The internet has been like an atomic bomb in Arab society - especially ultra conservative Saudi Arabia. Many... many... young people have been exposed to ideas and challenges they cannot ignore. The Saudi Authorities want to stem the tide - but they are only making it worse. More and more people are beginning to think and reason and ask questions that were never allowed to be asked before.
    Rafiq Mahmood
    Yes. And they are complete idiots. The more they try to repress, the more people will want to know. I could never really understand this. Why make such a fuss? If instead someone had said, "Oh he's only a foolish young man who thinks he's a poet. Leave him alone and ignore him," then they wouldn't have brought the focus on their foolishness. It was the same thing with the Danish cartoons. Are they deliberately trying to make themselves look like idiots?
Rafiq Mahmood
There is hope in this. It shows the desperation, and I don't mean the desperate emotion – there is no emotion in these people at all. Hamza's tweets actually are dangerous. They are poetic and they make people think about who Muhammad was. They make people examine their beliefs in their own terms, perfectly legitimately. They remind people that Muhammad was a rebel against the established authority which exercised control over their beliefs. They remind people that Muhammad insisted he was a human being like them. He also had weaknesses and faults and admitted them. If people are allowed to think about what Hamza said – and that it was all actually based on the Hadith – then the state's entire legitimacy crumbles. They are desperate because they know that the Islamists are knocking at the door and want to do away with the House of Saud. Even though Hamza is a liberal and activist, his message, by challenging the establishment opens the gates to everyone. By prosecuting and persecuting Hamza they are fulfilling a dual role: they can pose as being the true defenders of Islam and try to wean potential Islamist revolutionaries back into the fold and they can attempt to overwhelm the emotional psyche of the nation so that the actual message of Hamza is lost. But the very transparent desperation of this Meccawood sheikh surely fools no-one. When they see this young people will think. They will not be taken in. Hopefully, as in Iran, they will get so sick of the religious cloak that the state hides under and the oppression that comes with it that they will throw the whole thing off. It just needs to reach a tipping point. We are beginning to see that tipping point coming in Indonesia where villagers blockaded a local airport refusing members of the FPI (Islamic Defenders Front) from landing and setting up a branch there. There is a great feeling of exhilaration in the country that the thugs can be defeated. Every week more and more atheist and secularist facebook pages are opening in Indonesia. These are exciting times. Keep up the pressure.
Bernard Hurley
It's easy to dismiss people like this Sheikh as crazy but he obviously knows exactly what the is doing. But I find it really hard to understand why people behave like this. There are lots of evil things I would never do but I can understand the feelings and emotions behind them, but this is completely beyond my comprehension.

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Maryam Namazie