Egyptian Shaykh: "Democracy Is a Bad, Backwards, and Retarded Idea"
In a video clip posted to YouTube (June 17, 2011) Egyptian Shaykh Sa'id 'Abd-al-'Azim explains that "democracy is a bad, backwards, and retarded idea," which he condemns for the freedoms it contains, which includes "the freedom to disbelieve in the Creator of Heaven and Earth." He also compared those who advocate democracy to the people of Sodom. This clip was taken from an interview conducted on the Islamic satellite station al-Hafez (June 4, 2011). Subtitled video followed by the transcript below:
Host: You described this beautifully in this book, saying that the people who believe in democracy are like the people of Lot, who believed in the majority. Lot's people numbered about 100,000, while the majority was only Lot and his two daughters. Wherefore the minority was better than the majority, thus everyone who believes in this democracy--(interrupted)
Shaykh 'Abd-al-'Azim: That's right. Even the freedoms--what are they? Among the freedoms inherent in the democratic system are freedom for women, freedom of ownership, freedom of homosexuality, personal freedom, freedom of conscience and expression, freedom to disbelieve in the Creator of Heaven and Earth. There's mixing (of men and women), usury--all of this is in democracy, which is why I condemn it.
