Qaradawi Makes It Official- He’s Still In Qatar

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Gulf media is reporting that Global Muslim Brotherhood leader Youssef Qaradawi had denied that he has been expelled from Qatar. According to a report by The Peninsula:

Youssef Qaradawi
Youssef Qaradawi

July 23, 2013 Doha: Noted Islamic scholar Dr Yousuf Al Qaradawi (pictured) has denied that he has been expelled from Qatar, and said some media reports suggesting this are false and malicious.

Pooh-poohing reports in sections of the media, he said he had returned to Qatar even while they were still busy spreading propaganda against him in order to show that he had strong ties with the country and its people.

At Al Jazeera’s weekly call-in programme ‘Shariah and Life’ last Sunday, a viewer asked him why he had left Egypt on the eve of the ‘military intervention’, on June 30.

In reply, he said: ‘As some sections of the media began spreading propaganda against me that I had been expelled from Qatar, I came back here to show that those reports were false’.

The cleric said that he was not trying to escape from Egypt (after the military intervention).

He also criticised the military intervention in Egypt, calling it ‘illegal’ as the army did not have the constitutional right to take action against Mohammed Mursi.

Addressing Abdul-Fatah El Sisi, the head of Egyptian armed forces, from the platform of his popular TV show, he thundered, asking: ‘Who made you the general commander of the military? Who made you the minister of defence? It’s the same president you have removed who elevated you. You swore to obey him and you went against your word, which is haram in Islam.’

On July 6, Al Qaradawi had issued a fatwa urging all Egyptian Muslims to support Mursi and uphold the Egyptian constitution. He had also called on Sisi to withdraw from Egyptian politics and preserve law and order and democracy in the country.

Dr Qaradaw’s recent interview has provoked many in the United Arab Emirates, especially on social networking sites, where many are using the ‘Qaradawi threatening Emirates’ hashtag on Twitter.

Earlier this month, the GMBDW had reported that the new ruler of Qatar has given Qaradawi a warm welcome, casting doubt on the rumors of his expulsion. One day earlier, we had reported that Qaradawi had issued a fatwa (religious ruling) condemning the deposing of Mohamed Morsi as President and calling on Egyptians to support Dr. Morsi.

Youssef Qaradawi is the most important leader of the Global Muslim Brotherhood and is the de facto spiritual leader of the movement. He is also considered to be the “spiritual guide” for Hamas and his fatwas in support of suicide bombings against Israeli citizens were utilized by Hamas to justify their operations.  In 2004, Qaradawi turned down the offer to head he Egyptian Brotherhood after the death of the Supreme Guide. He is based in Qatar and has said the Qatari Emir has protected from being designated as a terrorist by the U.S. He has also reportedly amassed substantial wealth by serving as the Shari’ah adviser to many important Islamic banks and funds. Qaradawi is the head of the Union of Good (UOG), a worldwide coalition of charities helping to raise funds for Hamas and is the leader of the European Council for Fatwa and Research (ECFR), the theological body of the European Muslim Brotherhood.

Qaradawi has made frequent extremist statements including:

  • Predicting that Islam will conquer Europe through peaceful means.
  • Calling Hitler a divine punishment for the “misdeeds of the Jews” and that the Holocaust was exaggerated.
  • Saying that he wants to end his life “in the service of Jihad” by visiting Israel and throwing a bomb, becoming a “martyr” in the process.
  • Calling for the death of all Jews.
  • Calling for attacks on US troops and civilians in Iraq along with Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Hizbullah.
  • Calling for the collapse of the US if it doesn’t end its “unjust ways.”
MEMRI has produced two video compilations of Qaradawi’s extremist statements. The first collection contains Qaradawi’s statements about Europe and the US as well as about Israel and Jews. The second collection contains various statements by Qaradawi on social issues such as discussing the killing of homosexuals and stating that beating is “suitable” for some wives.
Qaradawi been banned from entering the US since 1999 and UK since 2008. Last year, authorities also refused him entry into France.
For  a more extensive profile of Youssef Qaradawi, go here.

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