Al-Qaradawi Refuses Dialogue with Jews, Announces He Has "Cut Off the Pope"
From WikiIslam, the online resource on Islam
On Yusuf al-Qaradawi's "Shari'a and Life" program on al-Jazeera (November 28, 2010), he fielded a question from a Muslim woman about dialogue with other religions. He says that he has participated in various Islamic-Christian dialogues in Qatar, until the Qataris announced that they would be inviting Jews to the next conference. After this, al-Qaradawi announced that he would never attend any of these conferences while Jews were there, due to the situation in Israel and cites a verse from the Qur'an (29:46) to justify his position. He also says that he refuses to sit down with the Pope until the Pope recants his "hostile" statements against Islam.
'Uthman 'Uthman: Welcome back, our esteemed viewers, to this week's episode of "Shari'a and Life," where we are answering your questions and inquiries, as always with our revered shaykh, Dr. Yusuf al-Qaradawi. Sir, let's begin with Sister 'A'isha al-Mohannadi, who asked about dialogue with other religions--do you think it is futile to speak with those who occupy our land and spread corruption within it?
Yusuf al-Qaradawi: I have participated in a dialogue sponsored by Qatar various times. The first time I participated in it, I was in the hospital having an operation done, a few days before the Iraq war. A statement was taken from me while I was on my hospital bed, which they broadcast in the opening session (of the dialogue). The second time I also delivered a speech in the opening (of the dialogue). His Highness the Emir Shaykh Hamad bin Khalifa, may God preserve him, was at the top of this opening session. The third time I attended it Shaykh 'Abdallah bin Khalifa was prime minister, and declared in this meeting that the next time we would invite the Jews to participate. The dialogue was initially Islamic-Christian, and we were participating in it as I had participated in various Islamic-Christian dialogues in Europe and in the East. But when they said that we would speak with the Jews, I declared that I would no longer participate in this conference, because Almighty God forbade us from that when he said: "And do not argue with the People of the Scripture except in a way that is best, except for those who commit injustice among them..." [Qur'an 29:46]. We will not sit down and speak with those who commit injustice against us, for what would we discuss with them? There is currently no injustice being perpetrated against us like that which is being perpetrated by the Jews who unlawfully seized our land and displaced its people, and have settled therein, while they continue to torture us and mock our Islamic nation, our holy sites, our people, our blood, our wealth, our rites, and our sanctity. How can we meet with the Jews on a unified platform? After that we went to Rome and talked with the Christians, including those close to the Vatican. When the Pope showed hostility (towards us) in his lecture on Islam in Germany, the World Union of Muslim Scholars stopped the dialogue with the Vatican until the Pope apologizes for what he said and changes his position. He has not done this until now, therefore we have cut off the Pope. We can talk with other religions, such as the eastern religions of Buddhism and Hinduism and others, and actually the Union [i.e. the World Union of Muslim Scholars] attended a very large conference in India, which was attended by representatives from the Union--our brother Dr. 'Ali al-Qardaghi, Shaykh 'Abd al-Rahman al-Mahmud, and Professor al-Sirafi, and various brothers from India and from other eastern countries. We met with these eastern religions, however there is no point in having dialogues with those (other) people [i.e. the Jews].
Yusuf al-Qaradawi: I have participated in a dialogue sponsored by Qatar various times. The first time I participated in it, I was in the hospital having an operation done, a few days before the Iraq war. A statement was taken from me while I was on my hospital bed, which they broadcast in the opening session (of the dialogue). The second time I also delivered a speech in the opening (of the dialogue). His Highness the Emir Shaykh Hamad bin Khalifa, may God preserve him, was at the top of this opening session. The third time I attended it Shaykh 'Abdallah bin Khalifa was prime minister, and declared in this meeting that the next time we would invite the Jews to participate. The dialogue was initially Islamic-Christian, and we were participating in it as I had participated in various Islamic-Christian dialogues in Europe and in the East. But when they said that we would speak with the Jews, I declared that I would no longer participate in this conference, because Almighty God forbade us from that when he said: "And do not argue with the People of the Scripture except in a way that is best, except for those who commit injustice among them..." [Qur'an 29:46]. We will not sit down and speak with those who commit injustice against us, for what would we discuss with them? There is currently no injustice being perpetrated against us like that which is being perpetrated by the Jews who unlawfully seized our land and displaced its people, and have settled therein, while they continue to torture us and mock our Islamic nation, our holy sites, our people, our blood, our wealth, our rites, and our sanctity. How can we meet with the Jews on a unified platform? After that we went to Rome and talked with the Christians, including those close to the Vatican. When the Pope showed hostility (towards us) in his lecture on Islam in Germany, the World Union of Muslim Scholars stopped the dialogue with the Vatican until the Pope apologizes for what he said and changes his position. He has not done this until now, therefore we have cut off the Pope. We can talk with other religions, such as the eastern religions of Buddhism and Hinduism and others, and actually the Union [i.e. the World Union of Muslim Scholars] attended a very large conference in India, which was attended by representatives from the Union--our brother Dr. 'Ali al-Qardaghi, Shaykh 'Abd al-Rahman al-Mahmud, and Professor al-Sirafi, and various brothers from India and from other eastern countries. We met with these eastern religions, however there is no point in having dialogues with those (other) people [i.e. the Jews].
Shari'a and Life
alJazeera.net, November 28, 2010
alJazeera.net, November 28, 2010
