Barbara Olson, Guest Blogger
Alqaeda has targeted a Quranic teacher and activist for assassination. Al Qaeda's Online Voice published web pages to encourage the death of Dr. Ahmed Subhy Mansour, calling him an "infidel whose blood is halal (lawful and permitted in Islam) to shed."
Dr. Mansour, former Assistant Professor of Quranic law at Al-Ishar University in Cairo, lost his position amidst extremist accusations of "apostasy" and was jailed and tortured.
Eventually released, he began to write and lecture and to teach the "democracy, tolerance, freedom and justice" of the Quran, and, continuing his teachings, even after a like-minded colleague was assassinated in the wave of attacks and arrests of human rights Quranists took place.
Later, when once again, Quranists were arrested, including another of Dr. Mansour's colleagues, he fled, with his family, to the United States, where he continues his peaceful teachings of the Quran.
"Their accusations of blasphemy," says Dr. Mansour, "Their advocacy for our slaughter, all means of oppression, . . . did not say our march . . . it increased our supporters . . . and magnified their intellectual shallowness."
Alqaeda continues their threats against Dr. Mansour. "This coward," claims Alqaeda, "lives in the U.S. trying to exploit and tear Islam apart."
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