Doha, Iumsonline.net – January 7th, 2007

Palestinians should only point guns at the occupation

Dr. Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, head of the IUMS  (International Union for Muslim Scholars) stressed the illegality of in-house fighting between Palestinians, calling upon brothers in Fath and Hamas to stop the Palestinian bloodshed.

"What is happening? How can a Palestinian kill his Palestinian brother? What are you killing each other for? For authority? For government? What authority? What government?" exclaimed Dr. Yusuf Al-Qaradawi in his sermon last Friday, at `Umar Ibn Al-Khattab Mosque in Doha.

"Do you think you have authority, possess sovereignty, or self-rule? Your enemy is the one who controls your lives. He imprisons, releases, and besieges anyone he likes," he added.

Al-Qaradawi also warned against the danger of internal conflict on the Palestinian cause, saying, "Dissension is a disaster at any rate, but in the case of our brothers the Palestinians, it is even more disastrous… Distress is supposed to divide people, and we are experiencing one distress after another."

Addressing Fath and Hamas, Al-Qaradawi said, "I call upon all of you! I implore you in the Name of Allah to stop the bloodshed! It is unlawful! Unlawful! It is unlawful to shed Palestinian blood with Palestinian guns! All weapons must be pointed at the enemy who neither keeps promises with you nor respects your sanctities."

Somalia – Land of Affliction

The prominent scholar, Al-Qaradawi, began his speech stating that the real celebration will be on the day when the nation is united, when the land of Islam is freed, and when Aqsa mosque is liberated. Then, he outlighted the features of rejoicing that have disappeared for several years, saying that the true celebration is when the nation becomes independent."

After that, the head of the IUMS spoke about the latest developments in Somalia believing that, "…this country is worn out by war, war traders, and the advocates of strife. For so many years, there has been neither safety nor security in this country. Then, when some honest men, the men of the Islamic courts, found their country in this condition, they took over and people accepted them willingly."

Then, Al-Qaradawi commended the stability which Somalia witnessed under the rule of the Islamic courts, saying, "Security was established in each village or town they entered: crimes decreased and the people were safe."

Furthermore, Al-Qaradawi criticized Ethiopian military intervention in Somalia and accused the United States of being behind it, saying, "Immediately, the United States took action, employing all its cunningness, double-dealing, and intelligence. So it moved those whom it was able to move; it prompted the Ethiopian crusader army to invade Somalia with its tanks, planes, and armored vehicles. But Somalians are poor: they have limited quantity and quality of weapons. That was why they could not face that army."

Darfur: The Land of the Qur'an

As regards Sudan, Al-Qaradawi said, "The forces that waylay Arabs and Muslims cannot live without working to wreak havoc on Muslims… For many years, Sudan lived in the tragedy of its south, and has been sacrificing many martyrs, and great wealth and equipment, which have seriously affected its economy and the condition of its people. When the problem was solved at last, they began looking for something else, so that Sudan would never be peaceful. So they instigated the Darfur issue, and wanted to intervene to worsen the problem, not to solve it."

"Darfur is the land of the Qur'an, the reciters of Qur'an, and the teachers of Qur'an. They are the ones who taught Chad and other neighboring countries the Qur'an. How can the reciter and teacher of Qur'an be a non-Arab? An Arab-African conflict was stirred up. How can the African who memorizes the Qur'an be a non-Arab?" he added.

He then cited the hadith reported by Ibn `Asakir and other narrators which states, "Being an Arab is not by having an Arab mother or father, but rather by speaking Arabic." Thus, whoever speaks Arabic is an Arab. He added, "I said this to the people of Darfur when I visited them in El-Fasher, and explained, "You are Arabs. In Egypt, we are Africans. What makes us Arabs? We learned Arabic. Anyone who learns Arabic is an Arab, regardless of his race. Race is unimportant in Islam." He added that the enemies of Islam want continuous warfare in Sudan, and the Sudanese people refused external forces to enter because they suspected that such forces might lead to more evil and conflict. So they said they wanted African forces.

Iraq: A Horrifying Condition

Next, Dr. Al-Qaradawi spoke about Iraq in 2006, expressing his horror at what is happening there and considering it 'beyond description.'

"No one can describe what is really happening there such as killing according to identity and displacing people from their homes in Basra and Baghdad. From what is happening in Iraq and the available detailed information, one feels that Iraq is about to experience a serious disaster: it is on the verge of a ferocious civil sectarian war, which is exactly what we have previously warned against from this very pulpit," he added.

Referring to the IUMS's stance regarding the situation in Iraq, Al-Qaradawi said that the IUMS issued a statement ten days ago warning against the consequences of the alarming conditions and afflictions taking place in Iraq that are beyond comprehension.

"People of power must intervene… The Arab League must intervene. The Organization of Islamic Conference must intervene, as must the United Nations. The least that the latter could do is to send fact-finding committees. Are these facts? If they are, then the issue is truly serious. It means that there is a contrived war to annihilate the Sunnis. Immediate actions must be taken to prevent this," he added.

In a strong closure to the issue, Dr. Al-Qaradawi said, "We have frequently implored the great Shiite scholars and religious authorities to which people listen. These authorities are responsible; they must not remain apathetic."

"We call upon Tehran; we call upon Iran; we call upon the greatest scholars there; we call upon the Supreme Leader Khomeini to break the silence and speak, or else people will accuse them of being connivers, exporters, or financers of these conflicts," he warned.

He further said, "Actions must be taken to stop what is happening in Iraq. The situation portends a grave danger that can divide the entire nation. At times silence is not wise. We will speak frankly, and if we do so, there is serious danger."

An Abominable Execution

Regarding the execution of the ex-president, Saddam Hussein, on the day of `Eid Al-Adha, Al-Qaradawi described it as "an abominable act", stressing that this denial is according to Islam and that he does not believe in the infallibility of rulers, but he calls for  ‘the rulers' to be tried by their people, not by occupiers."

Then, he added that the door of repentance is open and no one can claim that Allah has closed it. Allah says, "Say: My slaves who have been prodigal to their own hurt! Despair not of the mercy of Allah, Who forgiveth all sins. Lo! He is the Forgiving, the Merciful." (Az-Zumar: 53) He explained that all sins can be forgiven, even disbelief and associating others in worship with Allah. However, repentance does not disclaim people's rights. He explained this saying, "If Allah knows that one of His servants has honestly repented from the depths of his heart, will He refuse him? No! He will accept that person and make his antagonists pleased with him in any way Allah pleases."

In addition, Al-Qaradawi denounced what some people did to give this execution a sectarian image and considered it a situation that confirms the sectarian tendency. "We deemed our brothers, the Shiites, far removed from this situation and deemed they would not provoke their brothers, the Sunnis, and even those who do not like Saddam. This is bitterness and spite even at the time of death!" he said.

Al-Qaradawi saw that we are living the American and the Zionist era, substantiating that by mentioning how Israel is controlling our lives and our countries: killing and destroying as it pleases. According to him, the United States also appears to be controlling our destinies: ordering whom it pleases and issuing its commands in our countries as if we are again colonized. The United States has become deified, especially in our countries; it is neither questioned about its actions nor is it accountable for what it says.

A Point of Truth

Dr. Al-Qaradawi also talked about the profit and loss account of the nation in 2006. He said, "The debit account is heavy, while the credit account is light. We incur loss after loss. However, there is one thing that needs to be mentioned: the victory of the resistance in Iraq over American arrogance and deification.”

"They have aborted American intrigues. They have turned the poisoned arrows back to their own chests. The United States thought that entering Iraq would be like a walk in the park, but the Iraqis met them with bullets, not with roses. The Americans found determination from the honorable Arab Muslim Iraqi people to stand in the face of American deification. The Iraqis did not give them a chance to rest. In spite of the enormous amount of hi-tech weapons on land, sea, and air, the Americans have not been able to conquer the Iraqi people. The Iraqis have conquered the Americans, just like the Afghans who have not surrendered to American tyranny," he continued.