Ubiquitous
10/8/2014 8:00:00 PM
SEAN HANNITY, HOST: My next guest, Anjem Choudary, made headlines last
week after being arrested on terror charges in London. The
controversial Muslim cleric has advocated for Britain to become an
Islamic state and follow Sharia law. He is also suspected of
radicalizing hundreds and is believed to have ties to ISIS, including
links to the man who is suspected of beheading James Foley.
Joining us now in his first interview, U.S. interview, after being
released from jail is London imam Anjem Choudary is with us. All right,
rather than argue -- you've been on the show twice before -- how about
I ask you a question. I'll give you 20 seconds uninterrupted to answer.
Is that fair?
ANJEM CHOUDARY, LONDON IMAM: OK.
HANNITY: OK? First question I have is -- you refused to kill (sic) the
beheading of innocent people, James Foley, the other individuals that
were beheaded by ISIS. My question to you is very simple. Why would you
hold innocent people responsible -- regardless of what you think the
reasoning is behind it, why would you hold them responsible for
something they themselves did not do?
CHOUDARY: Well, I think that the information that we receive, sadly, is
very biased. If you look at what the people are saying who are holding
these hostages, they are willing to exchange them. They are talking
about the fact that there's no stability and security in Muslim
countries because of the U.S. and British foreign policy. So I think if
you look at the whole picture, you will find, in fact, there's another
story. And until we hear that story, I'm afraid that...
(CROSSTALK)
HANNITY: One guy was an aid worker that went to Syria to help innocent
children. I hardly think he was a guy that deserved to have his head
chopped off because you believe in a caliphate.
CHOUDARY: Well, you know, as I say, I don't take my news from FOX News
or the BBC. If you look at the people on the ground, I think you'll
find that they have a completely different story. The Christians and
the Jews are living quite peacefully, in fact, in the Islamic State at
the current time.
HANNITY: Let me ask you this question. Would you desire yourself --
would you ever want to join ISIS and fight with them, considering you
think their cause is so noble?
CHOUDARY: Well, you know, Sean, ISIS don't exist anymore. As you know,
The Islamic State is made up of many organizations and bodies. In fact,
millions of citizens are living there under the Sharia. Of course, I
would love to live under the Sharia. I've said that to you before. I
would love to bring up my children under the Sharia. And in fact, my
passport was, in fact, taken on Friday. So obviously, it makes it
difficult for me to travel now.
HANNITY: Do you believe that suicide bombers get 72 virgins in heaven
if they kill innocent men, women and children?
CHOUDARY: You know, nobody will kill innocent men, women and children.
In the battlefield, as you know, people kill each other. I think it
was...
HANNITY: I'm talking about suicide bombers.
CHOUDARY: ... your own (INAUDIBLE) and Tommy Franks...
(CROSSTALK)
HANNITY: ... suicide bombers that go into open marketplaces and blow
themselves up, and there are people there that are nonpolitical that
get killed. Do you believe when they go to heaven that Allah gives them
72 virgins?
CHOUDARY: This is just not the reality. You know, if you look, for
example, at the marketplaces which you bombed in Afghanistan and
Pakistan, usually, you find this Blackwater, you know, some American
company, the ISI Pakistan who are killing innocent people and then
blaming the Taliban. There's nothing called suicide in Islam. There's
something called using your body sometimes in the battlefield, you
know, against the enemy. You know, if you just kill yourself because
you're depressed...
(CROSSTALK)
HANNITY: I know, but I'm asking a specific question. Do you believe
after they kill people that they go into the arms of Allah and that
Allah gives them 72 virgins?
CHOUDARY: Well, You know, I believe that if someone sacrifices his life
for the sake of Allah, you know, and he does something which is allowed
Islamically, then obviously, this man is shaheeb (ph). And you know,
the Prophet Mohammed (INAUDIBLE) promised much more than 72 virgins in
the hereafter. He will have everything that he wants. I think that, you
know, you underestimate what Allah can give you in the hereafter.
HANNITY: Do you want to see a worldwide caliphate? In other words, do
you want the entire world to either convert to Islam, or that they
would be viewed as infidels and should be killed?
CHOUDARY: No, that's not true, Sean. You know, the reality is that
we've had the sharia before, and now we have it again. The non-Muslims
can live quite peacefully together with the Muslims side by side, as
you saw in Spain for over 800 years. They can pay the jizzia (ph) and
in return, their life and wealth (ph) will be protected, but they don't
pay the zikkat (ph), by all accounts, which is much more. You know,
they can have their own places of worship, and they can do their own
rituals.
You know, in many respects -- in fact, in all respects, it's much
better than the system we have today in America and in Britain.
HANNITY: Why are you on welfare? You get $25,000 a year the equivalent
of welfare?
CHOUDARY: You know...
HANNITY: Why don't you work?
CHOUDARY: ... don't believe everything you read in the British media.
HANNITY: Is that not true? Do you get...
CHOUDARY: I do something, in fact, for a living. I do something for a
living. I'm not on job seekers' allowance.
HANNITY: Do you get welfare?
CHOUDARY: Everybody in Britain gets a child benefit...
HANNITY: Do you get welfare?
CHOUDARY: I beg your pardon?
HANNITY: Do you get any type of government assistance?
CHOUDARY: You know, everybody gets (INAUDIBLE) for their children. But
it's irrelevant. You know, when was someone who receive, let's say, for
the sake of argument, welfare not allowed to have his voice heard? Are
we saying that everyone now who's on the poverty line in America
shouldn't speak? You've got already over 40 percent of the people in
America who are on the poverty line, who need welfare benefits. So if
you want to speak about the politics...
(CROSSTALK)
HANNITY: I'm listening to you, and you make -- you make -- you dismiss
that James Foley and these three other people that were beheaded on
this brutal video -- you deny that that is terrorism. But yet you say
people should be proud of the word terrorism, quote, "proud to be
called terrorists," and that, quote, "you urge followers to rise up."
You talk about suicide bombers, and you suggest that, well, you know,
it's all part of this war.
What is the war? What do you want -- what is it that you -- you seem to
support ISIS. You seem to support terrorism. You seem to ask other
people to raise up arms, that you yourself have been obviously
unwilling to do. What is it that you're looking for?
CHOUDARY: You know, Sean, you mention many things. I don't think we
have the time to discuss all of them. But you know...
HANNITY: What do you want?
CHOUDARY: ... I think that there are two camps in the world -- I beg
your pardon?
HANNITY: In other words, you want -- you say you should be proud to be
a terrorist. You should be proud to join ISIS...
CHOUDARY: No, I never said that. I never said that.
HANNITY: You never condemned...
CHOUDARY: I never said that. Come on, Sean.
(CROSSTALK)
CHOUDARY: You know very well I never said join ISIS...
HANNITY: I read the quotes.
CHOUDARY: I never said...
HANNITY: You said -- you urged your cronies to be...
(CROSSTALK)
HANNITY: I'll tell you when you said it -- proud to be called
terrorists, and you sneered on a trip abroad funded by benefits when
you -- when you took a recent trip.
CHOUDARY: You know -- you know, Sean, if terrorism is standing up for
Islam and saying that the people have a right to defend themselves,
then obviously, you know, we're quite happy to be labeled.
--
So to recap:
Iraq is imploding
Russia is expanding
The US is being invaded
Vets are dying
IRS is lying
And Obama is fundraising & golfing