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May 03, 2013
Read the full report here: Sheik Yusuf al-Qaradawi: Theologian of Terror(PDF).
Sheik Yusuf al-Qaradawi, a radical Muslim Brotherhood ideologue based in Qatar, has garnered worldwide appeal through a wide network of associations and by making use of various media outlets. Through his speeches and writings, Qaradawi has demonstrated consistent support of terrorist groups that seek to undermine a peaceful resolution of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
In response to uprisings in several countries across the Middle East in early 2011, Qaradawi condemned the leaders of many of those regimes. In a February 21, 2011, interview with Al Jazeera television, Qaradawi encouraged Libyan soldiers to assassinate Libyan President Mu'ammar Qaddafi. Qaradawi also issued several fatwas in support of the Egyptian people and on February 18, 2011, spoke in Tahrir Square in Cairo. Qaradawi told Egyptian protestors, "I have hope that as God has delighted me to see a liberated Egypt, [so too will God] delight me with a conquered Al Aqsa," in Jerusalem.
Qaradawi similarly expressed his desire to see a "conquered" Jerusalem in a January 24, 2011, fatwa in which he negated Jewish attachment to Jerusalem and stated that it is the duty of Muslims to "defend" Jerusalem with "their lives, their money and all they possess, or else they will be subject to Allah's punishment."
This fatwa is part of Qaradawi's long record of inciting violence against Jews and Israel. During a sermon that aired on the Arabic satellite channel Al-Jazeera TV on January 28, 2009, Qaradawi told his audience, "I will shoot Allah's enemies, the Jews, and they will throw a bomb at me, and thus I will seal my life with martyrdom." In another sermon on January 9, 2009, Qaradawi lashed out at Jews, including calling on God to "kill them, down to the very last one."
He has also refused to dialogue with Jews. Qaradawi declined to participate in the 8th annual conference organized by the Doha International Center for Interfaith Dialogue because of the participation of Jews. In a statement released by Qaradawi's office, he reportedly said, "How can we conduct a dialogue in a time when they seize lands, shed blood, burn farms, and demolish houses? Palestine's conundrum has to be resolved first before we sit together at the same table." In 2013, Qaradawi repeated his call to boycott the 10th annual Doha interfaith conference held in Qatar for including Jews. He addressed the issue in during his April 26 Friday sermon at the Omar Bin al-Khattab Mosque in Doha. “No way I will put my hand in their hands,” Qaradawi said. He added “Their hands are soiled with blood. Their hands are the hands of killing, the hands of tyranny and the hands of injustice. I cannot contaminate my hands by putting it in their hands.”