Speaking at an event organized by an Indian Islamist party Rachid Ghannoushi (Aka Rachid Ghannouchi), often associated with the Muslim Brotherhood, has called on the Muslim world to adopt the “Charter of Madinah”, also known as the Constitution of Medina. According to the report of an Indian Muslim source:
Time has come for the Muslim world, prepared by Prophet Muhammad 1400 years ago, in its entirety, said Tunisian Islamic scholar Sheikh Rashid Ghannoushi in New Delhi yesterday. Addressing a program organized by Jamaat-e-Islami Hind on 27th February, Sheikh Ghannoushi, who is the leader of the Islamic Movement of Tunisia, said the charter was relevant today to face the challenges confronting Muslims across the globe. He said after migrating to Madinah, the Prophet prepared the charter in which equal rights and duties were assigned to all citizens of the Islamic State of Madinah — polytheists, Jews, Christians and Muslims. Jews, however, were expelled later from the state because they had violated the charter. He said a movement could succeed only when it accepted multiplicity of religions, cultures and civilizations. For Muslim minorities, who constitute one third of the entire Muslim Ummah, there are only three ways open: first that they adopt the ideology of division of state into Muslim and non-Muslim population; second, surrender themselves before the majority, and third, participate with non-Muslims. Of these three options, the last one will help Muslims to enjoy their rights, said Sheikh Ghannoushi. The other two options may push them to confrontation with the world or undignified life, said he who is living in London in exile.
Ghannouchi is the leader in-exile of the Tunisian Islamist movement known as Nahada (aka Ennahda, Al Nahda) and can best be described as an independent Islamist power center who is tied to the global Muslim Brotherhood by his membership in the European Council for Fatwa and Research led by Brotherhood leader Youssef Qaradawi. He is also one of the founding members of the World Assembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY), a Saudi organization closely linked to the Muslim Brotherhood and dedicated to the propagation of “Wahabist” Islam throughout the world. Ghannouchi is know for his thinking on the issue of Islam and citizenship rights. The Medina charter is often cited by Brotherhod figures as an example of the democratic nature of Islam. It is not clear whether or not the reference to Jews in the statement was said in an anti-Semitic context.