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Last update - 00:00 11/10/2008
Mideast Muslims: U.S. financial crisis is divine punishment
By The Associated Press
Tags: financial crisis, U.S. 

America's opponents in the Middle East are gloating at the financial meltdown in the United States, describing it as the divinely inspired collapse of an overstretched empire.

Hardline clerics across the region as well as representatives of U.S. opponents like Hamas and al-Qaida have described the plummeting stocks and frozen credit markets in the United States as a kind of retribution for American misdeeds.


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We are witnessing the collapse of the American Empire," Ismail Haniyeh, the Hamas prime minister in the Gaza Strip, told worshippers during Friday prayers. "What's going on in America is a result of the violation of the rights of people in Palestine, Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan and Muslims around the world."

Haniyeh's comments followed those made by other regional leaders who have long had an antagonistic relationship with the U.S. and appear to be enjoying the country's troubles.

However, the financial meltdown has not left the region unscathed, with stock markets across the Middle East dropping more than 10 percent in the past week.

In an interview on Tuesday, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad described America's problems as a matter of chickens coming home to roost after years of exporting inflation and deficits to the rest of the world.

"Now the world capacity is full and these problems have returned to the U.S.," he said, adding "and finally they are oppressors, and systems based on oppression and unrighteous positions will not endure."

Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, a high level Iranian cleric, was blunter when he addressed worshippers on Oct. 3, describing the situation as God's punishment.

"We are happy that the U.S. economy is in anarchy and the anarchy is reaching Europe," said Jannati. "They are seeing the result of their own ugly doings and God is punishing them."

The Iranian government has said the financial crisis is not hurting Iran's economy. But the turmoil has helped drive the price of oil down more than 40 percent since record highs in July. The Iranian government relies on oil revenue for 80 percent of its budget.

Al-Qaida, America's arch-nemesis in the region, was one of the first to express satisfaction over the financial crisis in a half hour video message earlier in the month.
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  1.   Mideast Muslims hail financial crisis in U.S. as divine punishmen 17:07  |  Non-Muslim 11/10/08
  2.   Only a matter of time before such comments made 17:07  |  Conroy 11/10/08
  3.   There is no doubt that America has committed 17:24  |  KMS 11/10/08
  4.   And the Palestinian,Iranian etc, financial crisis? 17:26  |  David 11/10/08
  5.   Divinely Inspired Misery 17:43  |  Fish 11/10/08
  6.   The Middle East the "center of anti-Americanism and hatred." 17:43  |  Jean Van Daem 11/10/08
  7.   he who laughs last! when beggars depend on handouts 17:48  |  victor hardman 11/10/08
  8.   As an Arab, I think this is stupid... 17:50  |  Abe 11/10/08
  9.   " Palestinians gloating at the financial crisis in the U.S." 17:51  |  Rafi 11/10/08
  10.   What about the thousands who have lost...... 17:52  |  Stephen. 11/10/08
  11.   Conroy - why do you even bother 17:53  |  ChanahS 11/10/08
  12.   Conroy - Compared to Robertson 17:53  |  Mark of Lewiston 11/10/08
  13.   Poena naturalis 17:55  |  Fritz T. 11/10/08
  14.   america 18:01  |  azad 11/10/08
  15.   Who`s hurt?! 18:06  |  Afflalo, Ya`ish 11/10/08
  16.   Affects all the Arab States more so 18:14  |  Double Dutch 11/10/08
  17.   I have to laugh....considering the Gaza economy is based on 18:16  |  Lynn 11/10/08
  18.   i wonder 18:17  |  potobac 11/10/08
  19.   Mideast Muslims find delight in... 18:20  |  David Nigel Braham 11/10/08
  20.   Faces of islam 18:22  |  Johnny 11/10/08
  21.   Damn! 18:29  |  rigma 11/10/08
  22.   The saddest part... 18:31  |  bbl 11/10/08
  23.   Can`t really blame Hanyieh for this one...... 19:00  |  Swiss (Dino) 11/10/08
  24.   Divinely Inspired? I Think Not 19:11  |  Lou Medel 11/10/08
  25.   Wise Muslim leaders have spoken 19:28  |  Hans 11/10/08
  26.   Sounds like Revs. Robertson and Falwell 19:29  |  W 11/10/08
  27.   America`s So-Called Meltdown 20:21  |  Gary 11/10/08
  28.   More like WWIII 20:22  |  Cromagnon 11/10/08
  29.   W 26 - the difference is 20:27  |  ChanahS 11/10/08
  30.   when a Rabbi says this... 20:28  |  Rafael 11/10/08
  31.   #23 Swiss Dino 20:30  |  Urani Diot 11/10/08
  32.   Haniyeh, the economics expert 20:36  |  truly yours 11/10/08
  33.   tsunami as punishment? 20:37  |  SallyZ 11/10/08
  34.   No it`s not 20:41  |  H 11/10/08
  35.   This clown needs to meet John Hagee 20:41  |  Mark Lincoln 11/10/08
  36.   TO NO 5 FISH. 20:49  |  DANNY. 11/10/08
  37.   Situation in Gaza is divine punishment 20:50  |  SDHD 11/10/08
  38.   TO NO 9. 20:53  |  DANNY. 11/10/08
  39.   By the same logic 21:32  |  i 4 i 11/10/08
  40.   millions of muslims murdered by muslims 21:40  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 11/10/08
  41.   rejoice!!! the price of oil is falling 21:42  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 11/10/08
  42.   MISLEADING HEADLINE 21:43  |  newsreader 11/10/08
  43.   #3 KMS 21:46  |  Jim 11/10/08
  44.   "divine punishment" 21:48  |  divineboomerang 11/10/08
  45.   America has been giving away too much money for too long 21:48  |  Natallie Durson 11/10/08
  46.   atleast 21:59  |  sure 11/10/08
  47.   Last Place on Earth I would Want To Be 22:09  |  Ron 11/10/08
  48.   #22 bbl...the best part 22:15  |  Lynn 11/10/08
  49.   Your Ignorance is OUR Divine Punishment 22:28  |  Pieboy 11/10/08
  50.   OK: no more yearly 10 billion Euro-subsidies to Pals then 22:32  |  Alicia 11/10/08
  51.   Yuhuu Pr.Carter! Wasted your sympathy for the Pals??? 22:34  |  Alicia 11/10/08
  52.   Condi Rice: fought for the Fulbright student-visas for this? 22:36  |  Alicia 11/10/08
  53.   message to abe the arab 23:06  |  robert 11/10/08
  54.   And the collapse of Arab and World Markets as well? 23:06  |  B`Galil 11/10/08
  55.   #17 Lynn in America. Haven`t you heard... 23:13  |  Maureen Ann 11/10/08
  56.   Question is, are we prepared to stop our fancy lifestyles if ... 23:23  |  Harvey 11/10/08
  57.   To call Hamas medieval is to insult highly civilized middle ages 23:24  |  Freethinker 11/10/08
  58.   God doesn`t play the stockmarket 23:26  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 11/10/08
  59.   The Pot-bellied Hanayah is too stupid to know 23:32  |  Josephus 11/10/08
  60.   Natalie 23:41  |  Cromagnon 11/10/08
  61.   Hamas does their own people a disservice 23:48  |  Conroy 11/10/08
  62.   LET `EM GLOAT!!! 00:20  |  Ian 12/10/08
  63.   Divine providence and the great abyss 00:33  |  allang 12/10/08
  64.   Gods punishment... hmmm 00:35  |  Adrian de Klerk 12/10/08
  65.   WHAT will they say when big oil demand is over?It`s coming 00:35  |  PETER SM 12/10/08
  66.   The Money & the Mullahs 01:01  |  Michael J 12/10/08
  67.   Re Devine Punishment 01:01  |  Marty 12/10/08
  68.   Swis (Dino) 01:20  |  Brad 12/10/08
  69.   America`s Created Opponants 01:21  |  Gray 12/10/08
  70.   (Lou Mendel) The Root Cause of Crises: The Irony 01:27  |  Brad 12/10/08
  71.   #55 Maureen Ann.....I`ll bet the top 25 Saudi families 01:29  |  Lynn 12/10/08