Danish Imam Abu Laban knew about planned Martyr operation
BREAKING NEWS
This just in. One down. One being tackled as we speak. Imam Abu Laban of pig-eared fame apparently knew about a planned “Martyr action” on February 21st. Quoting from my transcript of previously unreleased footage from Mohammed Sifaoui, the journalist who broke the news of Imam Ahmed Akkari’s death threats against Naser Khader. Imam Abu Laban is speaking of a man who plans to execute a martyr operation in connection with the Battle of Khartoon:
{He’s doing everything to get contacts.}
{He’s contacted Amr Moussa and he means to wreak absolute havoc.}
{He wants to join the fray and turn it into a Martyr operation right now.}
Screenshot of Imam Abu Laban before entering the car where he spoke the words that already now spell the doom of his career as a spokesman for Moslems and a citizen of Denmark.
Danish Politicians are shocked.
Marianne Jelved of the Social Liberals:
I find it very unpleasant. Very unpleasant indeed. And I think that Abu Laban, if he wishes to remain in Denmark, ought to consider the rules here.
Helge Adam Møller of the Conservatives:
With 99 percent certainty it’s an act of terrorism to which we are referring. Because a martyr operation is to blow oneself and innocents sky high. Whether it’s in Denmark or someplace else, it’s equally serious. It’s innocents who are killed. He apparently knows something about that. If he hasn’t himself gone to the police, he incurs a colossal responsibility and he is in direct breach of Danish law.
[…]
With 99 percent certainty it’s an act of terrorism to which we are referring. Because a martyr operation is to blow oneself and innocents sky high. Whether it’s in Denmark or someplace else, it’s equally serious. It’s innocents who are killed. He apparently knows something about that. If he hasn’t himself gone to the police, he incurs a colossal responsibility and he is in direct breach of Danish law.
Pia Kjærsgaard of the Danish People’s Party:
I have come to think that all of these more or less festering persons from the Islamic Faith Community should be interrogated, all of them, by the police naturally, and that this matter must be thoroughly investigated because it sounds very scary. And that isn’t something we as politicians should let pass by. Therefore I will talk to the Justice Minister and inquire as to the reaction to this and get her to step in.
Direct link to News footage which is transcribed and translated below. Link to article that describes the news clip.
Note: I plan to post updates below this and just push the transcript lower and lower.
UPDATE 1 MARCH 25 00:52 CET
Photographs of Abu Laban:
Abu Laban at home
Abu Laban preaching. Subtitles say: “These people I call rats in holes.” From this article. The ‘rats’ are Naser Khader and Ayaan Hirsi Ali.
Abu Laban looking smug at a press conference
Abu Laban captured by Mohammed Sifaoui’s hidden camera at home
Abu Laban preaching again. Pointy fingers.
UPDATE 2 MARCH 25 01:07 CET
Gateway Pundit reminds me of his dossier on Abu Laban. Excerpts:
Entertained the “Blind Sheikh” behind the first World Trade Center attacks Praised Osama Bin Laden after 9-11 Attacks Preached he “Shed no tears” after 9-11 Attacks Accused of giving Political support to Osama bin Laden’s network Accused of giving Financial support to Osama bin Laden’s network Joined with 225 Islamic Radicals to form Global Jihadist Group in 2003 Said that Theo van Gogh - “Had it coming!” Called on his flock to Give Their Lives to Global Jihad for Palestinians Met with Sheikh Qaradawi in Saudi Arabia who has legalized the murder of American soldiers in Iraq
UPDATE 3 MARCH 25 01:42 CET
Killgore Trout remarks at LGF that he’s still a little unclear about what the quote means. Mohammed Sifaoui explains (from the transcript):
{I didn’t use that piece in my documentary because we assesed -}
{- that we didn’t have enough details to know of whom he was talking -}
{- and whether the operation was to take place in Denmark or somewhere else.}
{But I am convinced that he was speaking of someone -}
{- who was ready to execute a suicide operation.}
Amr Moussa is the Chairman of the Arab League.
—————–
Transcript of DR news programme where Abu Laban talks about his terror ties.
Everything in [] is to describe the general environment of the transcript.
Everything in {} mean I’m translating from the subtitles. Each pair of {}s is a full translation of each subtitle.
[In news studio]
NEWS ANCHOR: Good evening, this is the late TV-Avisen, which will also take a look at this evening’s EU meeting in Brussels.
First, new accusations by the French TV journalist who infiltrated the Danish Imam environment. One of hisrecordings with a hidden camera reveals that Imam Abu Laban speaks of a person who, quoting: “Wants to wreak absolute havoc and conduct a Martyr-operation.” Danish Police plans to question Imam Abu Laban about that as soon as he return from a conference of Imams in Bahrain.[cut to recording of Danish Imams. Imam Abu Laban in picture.]
MALE VOICE: Tuesday, February 21st this year. The Muhammed cartoons crisis is raging. Imam Abu Laban is on his way to a friend’s car outside Abu Laban’s mosque in Copenhagen’s North-West quarter. In the car is a French camera-man and Abu Laban knows that the camera-man doesn’t speak arabic. With a hidden camera, the camera-man records the two mens’ conversation.[camera entering car. people speaking in unknown language, presumable Arabic.]
MALE VOICE: Suddenly Abu Laban starts speaking, with a lowered voice, of a man who has contacted the president of the Arab League, Amr Moussa.
ABU LABAN:
{He’s doing everything to get contacts.}
{He’s contacted Amr Moussa and he means to wreak absolute havoc.}
{He wants to join the fray and turn it into a Martyr operation right now.}[Picture cuts to Abu Laban’s office. Picture of Mohammed Sifaoui in lower right corner. He’s speaking to DR’s TV-Avisen by phone from Paris]
[Text in yellow box says: “Mohammed Sifaoui
TV-Journalist, Paris] Mohammed Sifaoui:
{He says, quoting:}
{”He wants to blow everything up. He wants to commit a Martyr assassination.”}
{To be exact: a Martyr-operation. I.e. a suicide operation.}[Picture changes to Abu Laban preaching in a mosque]
[Picture changes to archive footage of Mohammed Sifaoui]
MALE VOICE: The journalist Mohammed Sifaoui for four days followed the doings of a number of Danish Imams with a camera man and used his hidden footage for a documentary.
[Picture changes to hidden footage of Ahmed Akkari in a car with Hlayhel.]
MALE VOICE: The piece with Abu Laban wasn’t used for the documentary.
[Text in yellow box says: “Mohammed Sifaoui <line break> TV-Journalist, Paris]
Mohammed Sifaoui:
{I didn’t use that piece in my documentary because we assesed -}
{- that we didn’t have enough details to know of whom he was talking -}
{- and whether the operation was to take place in Denmark or somewhere else.}[Picture cuts to archive footage of recently ended conference in Bahrain]
Mohammed Sifaoui:
{But I am convinced that he was speaking of someone -}
{- who was ready to execute a suicide operation.}[Picture cuts to Abu Laban leaving his office.]
MALE VOICE: According to the French journalist it isn’t possible that this is jest.
Mohammed Sifaoui:
{No, no, no. This is very definitely not a jest, because this is a very serious situation.}[Picture cuts to Abu Laban in car. Back of front seat in view.]
MALE VOICE: Let’s take a look at the piece again.
Abu Laban:
{He’s doing everything to get contacts.}
{He’s contacted Amr Moussa and he means to wreak absolute havoc.}
{He wants to join the fray and turn it into a Martyr operation right now.}[Picture cuts to DR’s TV-Avisen cutting room]
Kristian Sloth: We would have liked to ask Abu Laban who the person who want to wreak absolute havoc and conduct a martyr operation is, but he has told us, from Bahrain, that he doesn’t wish to speak to us.
[Picture cuts to still image of of Copenhagen’s Police Departments’ central station.]
MALE VOICE: Chief Inspector Per Larsen of the Copenhagen police department says in a statement tonight: “The information from the new recordings made with a hidden camera will cause Abu Laban to be taken in for questioning.
[Picture cuts to Abu Laban preaching in a mosque]
MALE VOICE: Abu Laban will return from Bahrain in the forenoon tomorrow.
[cuts to news studio]
NEWS ANCHOR: Danish politicians are shocked and Pia Kjærsgaard now demands that Justice Minister Lene Espersen take action.
[Picture cuts to hidden footage of Abu Laban]
Claus Letort: Politicians at Christiansborg, to say the least, do not like the new recordings of the Imam Abu Laban, who lives in Denmark.
[cuts to Christiansborg (Danish Parliament building)]
Marianne Jelved (Social Liberals): I find it very unpleasant. Very unpleasant indeed. And I think that Abu Laban, if he wishes to remain in Denmark, ought to consider the rules here.
[Picture cuts to place in front of Christiansborg]
Helge Adam Møller (Conservatives): He is a man, a man like Akkari, a man who cannot be trusted. A man who speaks with a forked tongue.
[Picture cuts to Abu Laban in car. Back of front seat in view.]
MALE VOICE: It’s these words said by Abu Laban, recorded with a hidden camera, that cause the politicians to be shaken.
Abu Laban:
{He’s doing everything to get contacts.}
{He’s contacted Amr Moussa and he means to wreak absolute havoc.}
{He wants to join the fray and turn it into a Martyr operation right now.}MALE VOICE: Even though we do not know of whom Abu Laban is speaking and where the martyr operation is supposed to happen, the politicians do not like the sound of things.
[Picture cuts to place in front of Christiansborg]
Helge Adam Møller (Conservatives): With 99 percent certainty it’s an act of terrorism to which we are referring. Because a martyr operation is to blow oneself and innocents sky high. Whether it’s in Denmark or someplace else, it’s equally serious. It’s innocents who are killed. He apparently knows something about that. If he hasn’t himself gone to the police, he incurs a colossal responsibility and he is in direct breach of Danish law.
[Picture cuts to Christiansborg]
MALE VOICE: One can’t discern the context of this and one can’t discern of whom he is talking and so on. So we have to take care not to over-react, don’t we?
Marianne Jelved (Social Liberals): That’s true. But nevertheless, there is wording here that clearly indicates we’re talking of martyrs, i.e. a suicide bomber of some kind. If Abu Laban knows something of that, I think it’s the Police Intelligence Service, it’s the Danish Police that needs to take action. Quickly.
[Picture cuts to Abu Laban speaking to Mohammed Sifaoui]
MALE VOICE: Abu Laban has told TV-Avisen that he doesn’t wish to comment on the matter.
[Cuts to Pia Kjærsgaard’s home]
Pia Kjærsgaard (Danish People’s Party): I have come to think that all of these more or less festering persons from the Islamic Faith Community should be interrogated, all of them, by the police naturally, and that this matter must be thoroughly investigated because it sounds very scary. And that isn’t something we as politicians should let pass by. Therefore I will talk to the Justice Minister and inquire as to the reaction to this and get her to step in.
Leading Danish Imam Apparently Complicit in Suicide Bombing:
This is the imam who was involved in publicizing the Danish cartoons in Muslim countries:
Trackback by The Volokh Conspiracy — March 24, 2006 @ 11:14 pm
Those are breaking news!!
Good coverage!! Let us see if the hypocrisy decreases… They should, and will (I guess), be brought to justice.
Comment by sugiero — March 25, 2006 @ 12:23 am
Oh, they will be. They will be. The conservatives AND the Danish People’s Party are jerking at the bit to get at them right now.
Holger Danske will rise and smite our enemies.
So the fairy tale goes, anyway.
Agora
Comment by Administrator — March 25, 2006 @ 12:35 am
doesn’t this implicate amr moussa and the oic/arab league as cohorts in terror!?!??!?!!?!?!?
Comment by reliapundit — March 25, 2006 @ 1:55 am
Wow! With connections to everything and everyone as these imams do, particularly Abu Laban, it makes me wonder why anyone would question whether Saddam Hussein also had links to Middle Eastern ‘hard men’ and did business with them. Of course he would have. Everthing and everyone is connected in the Islamist community; all for one and one for all against the infidels (that’s you and me). It is criminally naive or stupid to overlook the possibility that Saddam or any other Islamic man, regardless of his piety or vaunted ’secularism’ which it seems to me comes and goes with Muslims as they find it convenient, so overlooking connections is faulty logic.
Comment by foreign devil — March 25, 2006 @ 2:32 am
An addition to Jim Hoft’s dossier on Abu Laban:
Laban was one of the guest presenters at a Jihadist meeting in Modina, Italy that was part of a radical Islamist conference held one year before September 11, 2001. One of Abu Laban’s fellow presenters was Shaykh Mohamed Fizazi who, as imam of Hamburg’s Al Quds mosque, played a significant role in radicalizing 9-11 hijacker/pilots Mohamed Atta, Ziad Jarrah and Marwan Al-Shehhi and who is now serving 30 years in a Morrocan prison for helping plot the May, 2003 Casablanca bombings.
Comment by Robert Stevens — March 25, 2006 @ 4:23 am
I think when there is no fear of repurcussion, that some with no remorse *will* injure others for their own gain. A strong state will see that justice is done, a weak state will not.
Comment by Orbit Rain — March 25, 2006 @ 5:27 am
Abu Laban is also the guy who commenteds on the 9/11 terror attacks: “I cry dry tears”. And asked what he thought of the Algerians islamic terrorists who were slitting the throat of forign workers: “Well.. You know, perhaps the foreigners are spreading diseases in Algeria, just like the Jews are spreading AIDS in Egypt.”
Comment by Rune — March 25, 2006 @ 8:18 am
Danish Imam Abu Laban was in on terrorist ‘Martyr operation’
Agora breaks the news to us, and thankfully translates from Danish, so us English speakers can benefit. Thanks Agora!! I think the noose is tightening around Abu Laban’s grimy neck. He is the one who is reposponsible for the whole cartoon furore,…
Trackback by The Nordish Portal — March 25, 2006 @ 8:43 am
Check Abu Laban’s son!
When the journalist asked whether the son was involved in terrorist activities, Abu Laban said no in a body language manner that indicates he was lying. No joke.
Comment by Luke — March 25, 2006 @ 8:58 am
Luke: I have one word for you: ‘Taqiyya’
http://media.putfile.com/Taqiyya78
Comment by foreign devil — March 25, 2006 @ 9:08 am
Comment by timbuktu — March 25, 2006 @ 12:42 pm
Update from DR News
(translation)
Abu Laban Denies Knowledge of Terror Plans
The Danish imam Abu Laban denies any knowledge of a person planning a terrorist attack on Denmark
- I work day and night to keep Denmark safe from terror, Abu Laban stated (this) Saturday, upon his return to Denmark from a conference in Bahrain where he has participated along with other Danish imams, among them Ahmed Akkari.
Return from Conference
The imams were received in Copenhagen Airport by a crowd of journalists who wanted to ask questions about statements delivered by the imams, which have surfaced in the media while they were away.
In a conversation on the 21st of February recorded by means of a hidden camera, Abu Laban says among other things about a man that “He is willing to go into this and make it a martyr action now.”
This has been interpreted to mean that the man Abu Laban is referring to is ready to commit a suicide bombing.
Is to be interrogated by the police
Laban’s recorded comment has caused the police to want a questioning of the imam in near future, but Abu Laban himself dismissed any knowledge of a suicide plan when asked by journalists in the airport.
He promised nevertheless that he would meet up with the journalists and see the footage which was shot by a French TV-journalist who has for some time worked on infiltrating the group of Danish Imams.
Until Abu Laban had seen this footage he did not want to comment on the case.
Imam Ahmed Akkari has also been brought to centre stage attention on account of statements he made in a documentary. These have been interpreted as death threats toward the social liberal member of the Danish parliament Naser Khader. Akkari is going to write Naser Khader a letter upon his return, and is also willing to meet with the MP
Comment by eudaimonia — March 25, 2006 @ 1:09 pm
As of now in the UK, at least as far as I can tell, there is a total blanket ban on this story.
This pretty much goes for other aspects of the muhammad cartoons that cast the danish immams in a bad light such as the fake cartoons (with the exception of the Telegraph).
The question has to be WHY?
Comment by Labrat — March 25, 2006 @ 1:11 pm
Well that blanket won’t work very well with information travelling faster than the lying imams here on the internet. Thumbs up to the blogosphere and Agora!
BTW The Danish press (Jyllands-posten) also has it that PET (the Danish Police Intelligence Service) thanks the Danish imams (Abu Laban not included) for having actively co-worked with PET on avoiding violent episodes in Denmark by .” preaching law and order and sending a message of non-violence – democratic means only – to the Muslim society” (in Denmark)
Comment by eudaimonia — March 25, 2006 @ 2:40 pm
Let us review the facts of the case. The Danish Imams protested to the JP paper, to no avail. The Imams brought the matter to the notice of the PM, to no avail. Eleevn ambassadors of Muslim countries tried to meet with the PM, who refused. The Imams tried to bring the matter to the court, same result.
What would you expect the Imams to do?
I think they were justified in bringing the matter to the notice of Muslim countries.
And if the dossier included the other drawings sent to the Imams as email, what is wrong with that? They did not say that the extra drawings were published in JP. They said it shows the atmosphere in Denmark.
About the remarks by Abu Laban and Akkari: Let the police investigate. If there is wrongdoing, try them in the court, and punish them. If there isn’t, then they go free.
Why are you trying them outide of a court of law?
Comment by timbuktu — March 25, 2006 @ 3:04 pm
“And if the dossier included the other drawings sent to the Imams as email, what is wrong with that? They did not say that the extra drawings were published in JP. They said it shows the atmosphere in Denmark.”
Sorry? The old associated press photos from a French Pig squealing contest objectively demonstrates the political climate in Denmark? I beg to differ.
Comment by eudaimonia — March 25, 2006 @ 3:26 pm
Hmm…about trying them outside a court of law: I think it’s increasingly important to name and state your opinion about bullet proof rotten apples of the Muslim community at this point because ALL Muslims are not like this and the sooner we say out loud that THIS we don’t tolerate and THESE people we do not applaud, we can turn to the Danish People’s Party and say: the rotten apples are not accepted we see it, we deal with it AND lots of Danish Muslim people are peaceful intelligent citizens just like Naser Khader, leave them be. That ought to create a nicer atmosphere in Denmark.
I think.
Comment by eudaimonia — March 25, 2006 @ 3:42 pm
to timbuktu
If the courts say, nay, this ain’t no case, then the Muslims should stop or move out of the country. They blamed and boycotted the most open country I know of (I am not Danish)
They wanted to impose their view. Did not work. Now they resort to terrorism.
Comment by Luke — March 25, 2006 @ 4:42 pm
Check out this interview with Abu Laban… Is this man lying? ….Does the pope have a funny hat?
“Abu Laban interviewes af Trine Sick (TV-Avise… (04:46)”
on
http://www.dr.dk/nyheder/
- and it’s even in English.
Comment by Eudaimonia — March 25, 2006 @ 6:04 pm
timbuktu: “They did not say that the extra drawings were published in JP.”
They have shown them on the BBC, SBS and al-Jazeera - claiming they were from Jyllands-Posten.
Here is a picture of Abu Bashar presenting the pig-snout at the conference in Cairo: http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4159/384/1600/live.jpg
You can see the video at NeanderNews and Michelle Malkin.
timbuktu: “They said it shows the atmosphere in Denmark.””
Did they also explain why they won’t show the original letters / emails, where they received the fake cartoons?
Did they explain why they won’t let the press talk to those who allegedly received the fake cartoons?
Comment by Martin — March 26, 2006 @ 10:12 am
eudaimonia: you raise a good point, but it is valid if the Imams took it from the French paper, and not when it was sent to them in email from within Denmark.
and I am sorry but you have decended into name-calling and judgement before he facts have been presented. A court of law is where guilty or not guilty is pronounced. Otherwise we would all be judging those in disagreement with us as guilty and howling to throw them out.
Comment by timbuktu — March 26, 2006 @ 10:44 am
Hmm..Timbuktu: I don’t think we should throw them out. Try them by all means in a court of law, and if they go free let them please please become nicer people who don’t incite terrorists into bombing innocent people, because that is REALLY Truly bad! And not just on an academic level.
Why is it that I get the sense that to be “nice” you have to whine for the bad guys? Reminds me overwhelmingly of the Stockholm syndrome… We have to bloody take responsibility for what kind of society we want, everything is not equally good or fair. And nihilism is neither good nor fair. If we don’t fight for values like freedom (which our society still embodies) everything else won’t matter - “There’ll be no Shire to return to” as my favourite Catholic would have
put it.
Comment by Eudaimonia — March 26, 2006 @ 1:21 pm
Just how popular is Abu Laban among Danish Muslims?
Comment by pst314 — March 26, 2006 @ 5:09 pm
TIP to Agora:
Did you see this article by nobel prize winner of literature? It´s a good read.
http://sugiero.blogspot.com/2006/03/nobel-prize-for-literature-wole.html
Comment by sugiero — March 27, 2006 @ 10:37 am
Cartoon Jihad Cleric Dies, AP Prints Obituary
Little Green Footballs
The Associated Press issues a fawning, highly misleading obituary for the Danish Islamic supremacist who kicked off the Cartoon Jihad by touring the Middle East and inciting violence: Controversial Danish imam Abu Laban dies. (H…
Trackback by Blog-o-Fascists — February 2, 2007 @ 10:30 pm