MEMRI: More Jew-hatred on Saudi TV

Saudi Iqra TV aired a Jordanian-produced series titled "Stories from Before the Verses Came Down" during February 2005. The series was a dramatization of numerous teachings about the Prophet Muhammad in Al-Madina, including some accounts about the Jews of that time.

The dramatic scenes presented in the series included: the Muslim tradition of the Jews' distortion of their own Torah so as to make it seem that Muhammad could not be the true Prophet; Jews voicing their hatred for Muhammad while vowing to destroy Islam and to kill all Jews who follow it; Jews using black magic to curse Muhammad; and a scene in which Jewish leaders explain how following Muhammad would drastically reduce their tax revenues from the common folk.

Scene: The Jewish leaders – bewigged, bearded, in long brown robes with oversized gold Stars of David dangling from chains around their necks – discuss how to ensure that Muhammad will not be recognized by the Jews as a prophet, drawing Ibn Salul, considered in Islam to be a leader of "the hypocrites," into their scheming. (To view this clip, visit http: //memritv.org/Search.asp?ACT=S9&P1=685 ) The following are excerpts:

Ka'b [Jewish leader]: Huyay, and you too Shas, do as much as you can to [alter] the Torah. Change the characteristics of the awaited Prophet, and make him as different as possible from Arab traits.

Shas [Jewish leader]: Maybe we should say… We'll say that he… What shall we say, Huyay?

Huyay [Jewish leader]: We will say that he has blue eyes.

Shas: Yes, that's it. [Also, say that he is] a tall man.

Ibn Salul: By God! You Jews altered the Torah in a matter of seconds.

Shas: Ibn Salul, if you want to keep your throne, take it easy. Cooperate with us, and don't bother your mind with such things.

Ibn Salul: Yes, he is indeed a tall man.

Scene: At the behest of the Jews, the Arab sorcerer Labid casts spells against Muhammad. The Jews laugh gleefully as Labid works his magic. (To view this clip, visit http: //memritv.org/Search.asp?ACT=S9&P1=686 ) The following are excerpts:

Huyay: Get on with it, Ibn Al-A'sam. We've got what you asked for.

Kinana: Here is the comb with Muhammad's lock of hair. We kept it safe. This box contains the statue [made of dough] in the shape of Muhammad.

Labid: Well done. Well done, Jews. Now you've fallen into our hands, Muhammad. Now that you are in the hands of the Jews, we shall see whether there's a god protecting you.

Kinana: What are you going to do, holy man?

Labid: What will I do? You will see what I'll do. Muhammad will regret the day his mother gave birth to him.

Huyay: Can a Muslim fall into the hands of Jews and survive?!

Kinana: You don't have to teach us who we are, uncle.

Labid: This is what I have in store for him. These are eleven needles. This needle goes into his heart.

Huyay: Ouch! You hurt me in the heart!

Labid: This one goes in his right eye. This one goes into his left eye. This one goes into his liver. And this one goes into his leg. Kinana, bring me the comb and the lock of hair. We should thread each hair through a needle and then tie them in a knot with this string here. Now we have eleven knots.

Kinana: Could you explain what you did, so we can understand?

Labid: I've appointed a demon to protect each knot. I have gathered them from all corners of the earth […]

Scene: The Jewish leaders reaffirm that they will never follow Muhammad, and explain to Ibn Salam, a former Jewish convert to Islam, that although they know that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, they will not accept him because if they do they will lose the revenues they collect from their people – and offer Ibn Salam a bigger cut for his silence. (To view this clip, visit http: //memritv.org/Search.asp?ACT=S9&P1=687 ) The following are excerpts:

Kinana: No matter what signs this Muhammad brings us from his god, we will not follow him.

Ka'b: I swear by the Torah that if Moses son of Amram had brought him here, and said to us: "Follow Muhammad," I would have rejected Moses himself.

Old Jew: Then it is settled, Jews. We will not follow Muhammad.

Shas: How did you get us into this mess, Ibn Salam?

Ibn Salam: Shame on you. Your character as pigs is showing.

Old Jew: Ibn Salam, we know he is indeed the messenger of Allah, but if we believe him this quickly, we will lose the respect of our people, and we will lose the money we collect from them.

Shas: This means that the common people will stop paying us our share of the gold and silver, and we will become poor.

Old Jew: We will lose our status as leaders of the Jews.