ISLAMIC PERSONALITY OF YEAR - "TERMINATE THE JEWS!"

Sheikh seeking to 'terminate' Jews honored
Awarded 'Islamic Personality of the Year' at international event (WorldNetDaily)

A Muslim cleric who has prayed to "terminate" the Jews was awarded Islamic Personality of the Year at a ceremony in which he called Islam a religion of "harmony and kindness" that rejects terrorism.

As WorldNetDaily reported, Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al Sudais - the veteran Quran reader and imam of the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia - prayed to Allah in 2003 in front of 2 million followers to "terminate" the Jews, who he called "the scum of humanity, the rats of the world, prophet killers ... pigs and monkeys."

But he was honored Sunday during the closing ceremony of the Dubai International Holy Quran Award, an annual event in the United Arab Emirates capital during Ramadan aimed at promoting Islam's main text.

According to the event's website, the Islamic Personality of the Year "must have an honorable history in serving Islam and Muslims."

In his remarks upon receiving the award, the sheikh said, "The message of Islam and Muslims is modesty, fairness, security, stability, sympathy, harmony and kindness."

In his April 2003 address in Mecca, however, Al-Sudais urged Arabs and Muslims to abandon peace initiatives with Israel - comments carried worldwide by Reuters and the Associated Press.

While some media at the time suggested his racist characterization of Jews was a singular occurrence, Al-Sudais has described Jews variously as "evil," a "continuum of deceit," "tyrannical" and "treacherous," WND reported.

Last December, Al-Sudais was listed as a "specially invited guest" of an Islamic conference in Florida. Following media exposure, however, his name disappeared from conference materials.