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Islamic Rule Benefits Christians and Jews: Hamas Mickey Mouse Creator

by Itamar Marcus and Barbara Crook

The force behind Hamas TV's controversial Mickey Mouse clone said today that his children's television program will continue to promote worldwide Islamic supremacy, for everyone's benefit, including Christians and Jews.

In a long interview on Hamas TV, Hazim Al-Sha'arawi, Deputy Director of Al-Aqsa TV and one of the creators of the Hamas children's TV show Tomorrow's Pioneers, said that using the program to promote Islamic rule over other religions is actually promoting "justice, goodness and world love."

Al-Aqsa TV and the Palestinian Authority have been under fire since PMW reported last week that Tomorrow's Pioneers was using a character named Farfur, a knockoff of Disney's Mickey Mouse character, to convey messages about Islamic supremacy as well as hatred of Jews, Israel and the U.S. Despite public statements by PA Minister of Information Mustafa Barghouti that the show would be taken off the air until it could be reviewed and revised, a new episode of the program - featuring Al-Sha'arawi as one of the hosts - ran Friday.

Al-Sha'arawi said in yesterday's interview that he wants to raise Palestinian children so that they can achieve "Islam's natural place" of world rule - in essence saying that although the Christians and Jews do not understand this yet, Islamic world rule is really best for them as well.

From interview of Hazem Al-Sha'arawi, Deputy Director of Al-Aqsa [Hamas] TV:

"What is being asked, so that the Americans and Zionists will be satisfied with you, is to follow their lead ... We [on this program] have a message, and we understood from the beginning that it is a difficult path... But we were sure that we had to go this way, because this [young] generation needs someone to direct it ...and this generation is the most worthy of the position of leadership...

Let's ask history: ...which time period was good to all communities? The Jews lived in the time of Islam [under Islamic rule] and were happy. The Christians lived in the time of Islam [under Islamic rule] and were happy. Look at the history, the prophet [Muhammad]... ordered the army: 'Do not kill a monk in his prayer room.' Even the Caliph Umar Bin Al-Khattab, [Islamic conqueror of Jerusalem in 638] when he came into the Al-Aqsa Mosque, he secured the churches and the prayer rooms.

Therefore, when we talk [on the program] about the mission of the restoration of Islam to its natural place [of world rule], we [are] calling for justice, and for goodness, and for world love... so that the Christians will live in peace, and that even the Jews will live in peace and security."

Palestinian Media Watch