Controversial preacher with 'star status'

By Magdi Abdelhadi
BBC Arab Affairs Analyst

The arrival in Britain of the Islamic preacher, Yusuf
Al-Qaradawi,to take part in a conference has sparked a row
because of his controversial views on suicide bombings.

Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi achieved a star status with the
emergence of the Qatari satellite channel, Al-Jazeera,
several years ago.

Thanks to his weekly appearance on the religious phone-in
programme Al-Shariaa wa Al-Haya (Islamic Law and Life) he
has become a household name for many Arabic-speaking Muslim
communities.

He is an articulate preacher and a good communicator.

The subtext of the programme, and indeed that of Sheikh
Al-Qaradawi's responses to all the issues raised throughout
the broadcast,is that Islam has an answer to all of life's
problems.

That is essentially the ideology of Islamist movements
across the region.

Through his (Allah) infinite wisdom he has given the weak a
weapon the strong do not have and and that is their ability
to turn their bodies into bombs as Palestinians do

Sheikh Al-Qaradawi


 Al-Qaradawi interview

According to an Arabic language website dedicated to Sheikh
Al-Qaradawi he was born in a small village in the Nile
Delta in 1926.

He studied Islamic theology at the Al-Azhar university in
Cairo, from where he graduated in 1953.

Twenty years later he was awarded a PhD for his thesis on
how Zakat (Islamic alms) can contribute to solving social
problems.

Muslim Brotherhood

He has written extensively on Islam and is regarded as a
respected scholar.

His website describes him as the most prominent voice of
moderation in Islam (wasatiyya), building bridges between
traditionalists and modernisers.

It is his involvement with the outlawed Egyptian Muslim
Brotherhood that has landed him in trouble.

The group, founded in the 1920s, is one of the largest and
most influential Islamist organisations in the region.

It has a history of violence, but now says it is committed
to peaceful means to create an Islamic state.

Sheikh Al-Qaradawi has been jailed several times in Egypt.

But he has lived and worked in the Gulf State Qatar since
1963 where he now heads an Islamic research centre.

Suicide bombings

It is particularly his views on suicide bombings that has
courted controversy, but mainly in the West.

He has distanced himself from suicide attacks in the West
but he has consistently defended Palestinian suicide
attacks against Israelis.

Recently he told Al-Jazeera that he was not alone in
believing that suicide bombings in Palestinian territories
were a legitimate form of self defence for people who have
no aircraft or tanks.

He said hundreds of other Islamic scholars are of the same
opinion. In this respect, he is very much in tune with what
the vast majority of people in the Arab world believe.

Defending suicide bombings that target Israeli civilians
Sheikh A-Qaradawi told the BBC programme Newsnight that "an
Israeli woman is not like women in our societies, because
she is a soldier.

"I consider this type of martyrdom operation as an evidence
of God's justice.

"Allah Almighty is just; through his infinite wisdom he has
given the weak a weapon the strong do not have and and that
is their ability to turn their bodies into bombs as
Palestinians do".

Despite his popularity, Sheikh Al-Qaradawi is not without
his critics in the Arab world.

Some see his regular preaching on Al-Jazeera as an
uncritical regurgitation of Islamic dogma out of touch with
the modern world.

Al-Qaradawi transcript

Does Islam justify suicide bombings in Israel?
Dr Yusef al-Qaradawi:
It is not suicide, it is martyrdom in the name of God
Islamic theologians and jurisprudents have debated this
issue, referring to it as a form of Jihad under the title
of 'jeopardising the life of the mujaheed' (fighter). It is
allowed to jeopardise your soul and cross the path of the
enemy and be killed, if this act of jeopardy affects the
enemy, even if it only generates fear in their hearts,
shaking their morale, making them fear Muslims. If it does
not effect the enemy then it is not allowed.

What about innocent women and children who are the victims?


Dr al-Qaradawi:
Israeli women are not like women in our society because
Israeli women are militarised. Secondly I consider this
type of martyrdom operation as an indication of the justice
of Allah Almighty. Allah is just - through his infinite
wisdom he has given the weak what the strong do not possess
and that is the ability to turn their bodies into bombs
like the Palestinians do.

Are suicide bombings justified in Iraq?

Dr al-Qaradawi:
If the Iraqis can confront the enemy, there's no need for
these acts of martyrdom. If they don't have the means, acts
of martyrdom are allowed. I didn't say that the Iraqis
cannot - it depends on their need.

PM quizzed over cleric's UK entry

The cleric's supporters regard him as a moderating voice
Tony Blair is under pressure to ban from Britain a
controversial Muslim cleric due to speak at several events.

Egyptian-born Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi has been accused of
making anti-Semitic remarks and supporting suicide bombers.


Tory leader Michael Howard demanded to know why the cleric
had not been refused entry to the UK, but Mr Blair said any
exclusion must be lawful.

In an exclusive interview for BBC 2's Newsnight, Dr
Al-Qarawadi claimed Islam justified suicide bombings.


However, the Muslim Council of Britain, which has accused
sections of the media of conducting a "character
assassination" campaign against Dr Al-Qaradawi, said its
view was that suicide attacks were not allowed by Islam.

During Prime Minister's Questions, Mr Howard asked whether
Mr Blair agreed that someone who "backs child suicide
bombings and is banned from the US because of his alleged
terrorist links" should be allowed into the country.

Lawful exclusion

Mr Blair said Home Secretary David Blunkett had "already
indicated we will keep this under very strict review", but
said there were rules that had to be applied.

"We have to be sure that if someone is excluded from this
country, they are excluded in a way that is lawful."  Home
secretary's powers
The home secretary can stop people entering the UK if he
believes there is a threat to national security
If he thinks their presence could threaten public order or
result in harm to UK citizens he can also prevent entry
He cannot exclude people from the UK simply because of
their views
Information from the police and intelligence services is
used to make such decisions

In the interview with Newsnight, Mr Al-Qaradawi claims
suicide bombings were "martyrdom in the name of God".

He said: "It is allowed to jeopardise your soul and cross
the path of the enemy and be killed, if this act of
jeopardy affects the enemy, even if it only generates fear
in their hearts, shaking their morale, making them fear
Muslims.

"If it does not affect the enemy then it is not allowed."

Bombs

On the killing of women and children in Israel, he says:
"Israeli women are not like women in our society because
Israeli women are militarised."

He says Allah has "given the weak what the strong do not
possess and that is the ability to turn their bodies into
bombs like the Palestinians do".

Mr Al-Qaradawi was guest speaker at the European Council of
Fatwa and Research in London's City Hall, hosted by Mayor
of London, Ken Livingstone.

He told the audience Palestinian suicide bombings were the
last resort for an oppressed people.

  Any act of violence which makes innocent people a victim
is not allowed

Mufti Barkatullah
Islamic Cultural Centre
He said "martyrdom operations" are weapons to which the
weak resort and that if the Palestinians had access to
tanks they would use them instead.

Iqbal Sacranie, secretary general of the Muslim Council of
Britain, said his organisation could not comment on the
interpretation of Islam by Muslims around the world.

However, he added: "Our view is very clear. We are guided
by Islamic scholars and it is very clear that British
Muslims are not allowed to carry out suicide bombings."

Mufti Barkatullah, from the Islamic Cultural Centre in
north London and a respected thinker among British Muslims,
said Islam was very clear in its denunciation of killing
innocent people.

"Any act of violence which makes innocent people a victim
is not allowed. This position has always been - and it
always will be," he said.


The Commons row came just hours after Home Office minister
Fiona Mactaggart withdrew her support of a Muslim women's
conference next week because Mr Al-Qaradawi is guest of
honour.


  He has been a consistent opponent of the extremism
espoused by al-Qaeda

Inayat Bunglawala
Muslim Council of Britain

But the Muslim Association of Britain, which is hosting Dr
Al-Qaradawi, regards him as a moderating voice.

Inayat Bunglawala, a spokesman for the Muslim Council of
Britain, echoed this view.

He said: "Dr Al-Qaradawi is deeply respected by millions of
Muslims around the world.

"He has been a consistent opponent of the extremism
espoused by al-Qaeda and similar groups, and has regularly
denounced the killing of innocent people in the 11
September attacks."

The Muslim Association of Britain website said Dr
Al-Qaradawi would be in London for a week-long visit during
which he would take part in a number of functions.

He is expected to preach at the Regents Park mosque in
north London.

Dr Al-Qaradawi has been banned from the US since 1999.

The row came as the Home Secretary David Blunkett said he
wanted to make inciting religious hatred, including against
Muslims, a criminal offence as soon as possible.

He said it was needed to stop people being abused or
targeted purely because of their faith.


courtesy of the BBC Newsnight Programme of 7/7/04.





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