Muammar Gaddafi calls for jihad on Swiss after ban on building minarets

[curiousman]

From The Times
February 26, 2010
Muammar Gaddafi calls for jihad on Swiss after ban on building minarets
Roger Boyes

Muammar Gaddafi has appealed for jihad against Switzerland, long regarded as one of the most peaceful nations in the world.

The Libyan leader’s call for a holy war was, he said, a response to a Swiss referendum in November to ban the construction of minarets on mosques.

It is the low point in a relationship that has been deteriorating since 2008 when Colonel Gaddafi’s son Hannibal was briefly detained in Geneva after allegedly beating his servants.

“Any Muslim in any part of the world who works with Switzerland is an apostate, is against (the Prophet) Muhammad, God and the Koran,” Colonel Gaddafi said at a rally broadcast on television.

He made the speech to mark the Prophet’s birthday, ensuring that many Arabs would take the call seriously.

It was not clear how he wanted Muslims to target Switzerland. “The masses of Muslims must go to all airports in the Islamic world and prevent any Swiss plane landing, to all harbours and prevent any Swiss ships docking,” he said, apparently unaware that Switzerland does not have a merchant navy, or coast.

He has been attempting to demonstrate to the West that he is not at the helm of a rogue state, that it has no nuclear ambitions or contacts with terrorism. He criticised al-Qaeda during his address, calling it a “a psychological disease”. He added: “There is a big difference between terrorism and jihad.”

He made clear that Switzerland, “an infidel, obscene state which is destroying mosques”, was at the very least an ideological enemy.

When Hannibal Gaddafi and his wife were held by Swiss police, the Libyan authorities cut oil supplies to Switzerland, withdrew several billion dollars from Swiss banks and held two Swiss businessmen. One was allowed to leave this week, but the second, Max Göldi, is in prison.

Some members of the EU, notably Italy, complained that the Swiss have been exploiting the goodwill of the EU, even though they are not members. Berne submitted a list of 188 Libyans it says should be denied entry to the Schengen zone, including Colonel Gaddafi and his sons.

Colonel Gaddafi responded by blocking entry to Schengen citizens.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle7042017.ece

[Beorn]

If ever a reaction was needed to confirm to the Swiss the correct actions were took; this would be it.

[Matritensis]

Somebody show a Ronald Reagan mask to that asshole,please.

[Peachy Carnahan]

The Swiss should respond by freezing all the money in Libyan accounts there.

[Anthropos]

Somebody show a Ronald Reagan mask to that asshole,please.

Asshole to asshole you mean? How cute!

[Wulfhere]

"It was not clear how he wanted Muslims to target Switzerland. “The masses of Muslims must go to all airports in the Islamic world and prevent any Swiss plane landing, to all harbours and prevent any Swiss ships docking,” he said, apparently unaware that Switzerland does not have a merchant navy, or coast."

Seems like the Times is wrong. Switzerland does indeed have a merchant navy that gains access to the high seas via the Rhine and Rotterdam. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merchan...of_Switzerland

[Anthropos]

"It was not clear how he wanted Muslims to target Switzerland. “The masses of Muslims must go to all airports in the Islamic world and prevent any Swiss plane landing, to all harbours and prevent any Swiss ships docking,” he said, apparently unaware that Switzerland does not have a merchant navy, or coast."

Seems like the Times is wrong. Switzerland does indeed have a merchant navy that gains access to the high seas via the Rhine and Rotterdam. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merchan...of_Switzerland

That was exactly my thought, actually. They just wrote that either out of ignorance or deliberately to make Kadaffi seem stupid, what he is not.

[Wulfhere]

That was exactly my thought, actually. They just wrote that either out of ignorance or deliberately to make Kadaffi seem stupid, what he is not.

Indeed. He is many things, but not stupid. It is a mistake to underestimate people like that.

[Matritensis]

Asshole to asshole you mean? How cute!

Reagan an asshole? he was the most articulate and sympathetic president of the USA in the last 40 years at least!

[Anthropos]

Reagan an asshole? he was the most articulate and sympathetic president of the USA in the last 40 years at least!

Kadaffi did not cause anywhere near as much damage to the world as Reagan did, as far as I am aware.