An Egyptian blogger has published an English translation of the statement issued at the conclusion of the annual meeting of the International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS) in Istanbul. The statement supports Iran’s “right to nuclear energy for peaceful purposes”:
At the conclusion of their 5th annual meeting in Istanbul, around 50 Islamic Scholars, with Dr. Youssef al-Qaradawi at their head, called on Europe and the West to take all necessary measures to prevent racist attacks against Muslims and to not create a climate of hostility and fear toward Islam. In a statement issued yesterday they condemned the position of the French government on the right of Muslim women to wear the niqab. The International Union of Muslim Clerics’ statement, signed by al-Qaradawi – following his dispute with Iran because of the spread of Shi’ism – praised the Islamic Republic of Iran’s commitment to consultative government and the rotation of power. The scholars called for a constitutional solution to the disputes to prevent the country from being torn asunder as its enemies want. They also called for maintaining a national dialogue and mutual respect, a quality for which the Islamic Republic is known. They also called for devotion to Islamic profits [TBE: We believe this is a reference to Islamic finance, but it seems out of place. However, al-Qaradawi’s original statement proceeds in the same order.], and condemned all types of threats, especially from the Zionist entity and its partisans, while supporting the Islamic Republic’s right to nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. The members of the Union also warned against any Arab nation or Palestinian faction reacting positively to the two state solution, which some of the big powers, especially the United States, are attempting to impose on the Palestinians, Arabs and Muslims. They said that this solution would liquidate the Palestinians’ and Arabs’ rights in Palestine and cancel the right of return. The scholars condemned the continuing military aggression on the Afghan people, including the deaths and destruction of homes, possessions and land at the hands of American and British forces. They also condemned the fierce attacks on unarmed civilians in East Turkistan [TBE: present-day Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region], demanding that the Chinese government cease these actions, which damage the historical and current trade and economic relationships between China and the Islamic world. They also demanded that China grant Chinese Muslims their legitimate rights.
The International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS) was launched on July 11, 2004 in conjunction with a visit by Youssef Qaradawi to London for a meeting of the European Council for Fatwa and Research. Qaradawi is perhaps the most important leader of the global Muslim Brotherhood and the IUMS board of directors is comprised of many leaders of the global Brotherhood.
Full statement in Arabic here