MEMRI has produced two video compilations of some of the extremist statements of Youssef Qaradawi. The first collection contains Qaradawi’s statements about Europe and the US as well as about Israel and Jews. Some of these statements have been discussed in previous posts including Qaradawi stating:
- Islam will conquer Europe through peaceful means.
- Hitler was divine punishment for the misdeeds of the Jews and that the Holocaust was exaggerated.
- He desires to end his life in the service of Jihad by visiting Israel and throwing a bomb, becoming a “martyr” in the process
- Calling for the death of all Jews.
- Calling for the collapse of the US if it doesn’t end its “unjust ways.”
The second collection contains various statements by Qaradawi on social issues such as discussing the killing of homosexuals and stating that beating is “suitable” for some wives.
Youssef Qaradawi is often referred to here as the most important leader of the global Muslim Brotherhood, an acknowledgement of his role as the de facto spiritual leader of the movement. In 2004, Qaradawi turned down the offer to lead the Egyptian Brotherhood after the death of the Supreme Guide. Based in Qatar, Sheikh Qaradawi has reportedly amassed substantial wealth through his role as Shari’ah adviser to many important Islamic banks and funds. He is also considered to be the “spiritual guide” for Hamas and his fatwas in support of suicide bombings against Israeli citizens were instrumental in the development of the phenomenon. Qaradawi has written that all Jews and all Muslims will fight each other in a final battle in which Muslims will emerge victorious.
Recent posts have discussed the awarding of a Fulbright award to Qaradawi’s daughter as well as the role of Qaradawi in Qatar’s Education City which was recently visited by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The MEMRI report on Education City noted that the advisory committee of the Faculty of Islamic Studies at Education City is chaired by Qaradawi and also includes Dr. Sherman Jackson, a US professor with many ties to the US Muslim Brotherhood including serving as a former member of the Fiqh Council of North America, a part of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA). A previous post also discussed the likelihood that Qaradawi is a board member of the International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT), an important part of the US Muslim Brotherhood.