Syrian Mufti threatens West - but says it nicely

From Gulf News:

The influential Grand Mufti of Syria, Shaikh Ahmad Hassoun, was quoted as saying on Monday that President Bashar Al Assad may return to practising ophthalmology after he implements promised reforms.

"There is no such thing as president for life," the cleric, a close confidant of the president, told the German magazine Der Spiegel.

Al Assad is a UK-trained ophthalmologist. He left the profession to assume the presidency following the death of his father Hafez Al Assad in 2000.

Why, he sounds so moderate!

But then...

The Grand Mufti also warned against NATO intervention in Syria saying it "could lead to disaster and suicide bombings in western countries".

Hmmm. And who would be responsible for such a terror spree?

For that, we must go back an entire month:

Syria's top Sunni Muslim cleric has warned Western countries against military intervention, threatening to retaliate with suicide bombings in the United States and Europe if his country comes under attack.

Grand Mufti Ahmad Badreddin Hassoun gave a speech and told the U.S. and Europe that "we will prepare suicide bombers who are already in your countries if you bomb Syria or Lebanon."

The state-appointed cleric and loyalist of Syria's embattled President Bashar al-Assad spoke to a delegation of Lebanese women who came to offer their condolences for his son's death earlier this month at the hands of unknown gunmen.

To the Western media, he uses a passive voice ("could lead to...") but to Muslim women he makes it clear who would make the decision to fight with terrorism ("we will prepare suicide bombers....")

If I didn't know that Islam was the religion of peace, I would have thought that this Grand Mufti was threatening the West with terrorism against innocent civilians.

Notice also that Hassoun clearly considers Lebanon to be just a part of Syria.