Qaradawi Beats Drums Of War Against Israel in Friday Sermon

During his Friday sermon in the Qatari capital of Doha on April 27, radical Muslim Brotherhood cleric Sheikh Yusuf Al Qaradawi denied Israel’s right to exist and called on Arabs and Muslims to fight the Israelis.

“Israel thinks it’s settled on the land. And we say, by God, you Israelis shall never settle on our land. You will remain strangers, you will remain immigrants,” Qaradawi said. “They must…they must return to their countries, we believe in that, they cannot settle here….The Israelis will definitely disappear and get out of this country, and we are waiting for this day, we must prepare ourselves, and prepare our youth. We shall not surrender.”

After saying that the Palestinians “cannot fight alone” because “the Israelis have weapons enough to fight the entire Arabs,” he asked, “Why the Arabs are not fighting?...We call upon all to unite, to tell the Palestinians we are with you, the least to do is to say to the Palestinians we are behind you”

Qaradawi also expressed regret that while Muslims fail to support their Palestinian brothers, Jews from around the world strongly support Israel with money and weapons, and in politics and the media. “The Jews in the entire world, all of them, with the exception of a small group, support Israel.”

Qaradawi ended his sermon, which was broadcast live on Qatar’s official television station, by praying that God destroys the Israelis and enables the Palestinians to achieve victory “over the enemies of God and [the Palestinian’s] enemies.”

Dubai Police to Issue Arrest Warrant for Radical Qatar-based Cleric

The chief of police in Dubai announced plans to issue an arrest warrant for the radical Muslim Brotherhood cleric Sheikh Yusuf Al Qaradawi. The decision comes in response to Qaradawi’s recent criticisms of the rulers of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

In his March 4^th television program, “Shariah and Life,” Qaradawi said that UAE leaders shouldn’t treat their citizens like “slaves” and described the leadership as “…not Gods. They are humans with money.” He also criticized the UAE’s position on the uprising in Syria and accused the authorities of deporting Syrians who oppose the regime of President Bashar Al Assad.

Qaradawi, who lives in Qatar, is banned from visiting the UAE but that didn’t seem to deter him. He specifically said: “If I can’t go to Emirates, then I can talk to them from this platform.”

The UAE is a Gulf state and a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) which also includes Qatar. Qaradawi’s statements seemed to violate what political observers describe as a “Sheiks’ agreement” not to criticize GCC member states.

Hamas Leader Haniyah Joins Emerging Network of Islamists

 Hamas leader Ismail Haniyah became an official member of the International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS) on February 5, accelerating Hamas’ ambitions to gain support and publically align itself with emerging Islamist movement in the region. 

IUMS Membership Certificate to
"President of the Palestinian Government"
Ismail Haniyah   

The Qatar-based IUMS, which is chaired by radical cleric Sheik Yusuf al-Qaradawi, describes itself as a “pan-Muslim body,” working on “safeguarding the Muslim identity and bridging the gap between the peoples and their rulers in the Islamic countries.”  

Haniyah membership was announced during a ceremony held at the IUMS headquarters in Doha. At the ceremony, Haniyah received a certificate describing him as the “President of the Palestinian government” and confirming his membership in in the organization. Other Islamist leaders in the Arab world, who adhere to the Islamist ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood, joined the IUMS as well. 

Qaradawi’s support for Hamas is well established. In 2009, he reportedly allocated $21 million to Hamas to buy apartments and plots of land in Jerusalem to “build charitable institutions to broaden its base in the city,” according to the Israel Security Agency Shin Bet. Qaradawi, who has demonstrated consistent support of terrorist groups that seek to undermine a peaceful resolution of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, previously transferred tens of millions of dollars to Hamas directly through the Saudi-based Union of Good, an umbrella organization of over 50 charities worldwide.

During a session of an IUMS conference in Cairo on February 1, Dr. Salah Sultan described the recent civil unrest and church bombings in Egypt as the “acts of Jews.”