Muammar al-Qadhafi Unplugged
Muammar al-Qadhafi has always been enigmatic and unpredictable. I do not mean to suggest that he's finally seen the proverbial light. Perhaps he's primarily determined to hold onto power for himself and his son and fears the jihadists himself. But an article in Aljazeera for 28 August 2006 is not what you might expect from the Libyan leader. Here's a sample.
Al-Qadhafi, leader of one of the Arab world's most secular governments, has also criticised Islamic leaders. "These days there are a lot of a dubious speeches and propaganda ... which some naive people believe in ... but we can counter them with the Holy Koran and with science. "These speeches will soon be prominent in Ramadan ... When I switch on the TV and see a bearded man, and naive people calling him to ask for religious advice, I feel pity for him ... Now this is like Europe in the Middle Ages, selling indulgences."
