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I didn't recognize Perez: Egypt's Muslim cleric
Leading Sunni Muslim cleric Muhammad Tantawi has branded the editors of an Israeli newspaper "liars" for reporting what he insists was an inadvertent handshake with Israeli President Shimon Peres, media outlets reported Sunday. Tantawi, who heads Cairo's al-Azhar University, said last week that he did not recognize the octogenarian Peres when he "passingly" shook his hand at a U.N.-sponsored religious dialogue last month. Tantawi also said he had no idea that Gaza was under a seige.
The Israeli newspaper Maariv ran details of the encounter, reporting that Tantawi had approached the Israeli Nobel Peace laureate and conversed with him. Tantawi responded furiously to the report, telling an Egyptian television anchor that the Maariv editors were "liars and sons of 60...", an abbreviation of an Arabic insult that often ends by calling a parent a dog or a prostitute, according to a transcript obtained by Egyptian newspaper al-Masri al-Yom. A senior journalist at Maariv told AFP that the report, by veteran correspondent Jackie Hugi, was carefully sourced. "The newspaper stands by the report, and I stand by what Jackie published because of his history," he said, requesting anonymity. Another Israeli daily, Haaretz, had also published a report last week saying Tantawi was the one who approached Peres, and that he clasped Peres's hand for several minutes while talking to him. Posted by: Fred 2008-12-08 |
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| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=256779 |