The last post for 2007 seems fitting a holiday message from global Muslim Brotherhood leader Sheikh Youssef Qaradawi, who according to his news portal Islam Online has instructed Muslims on how to greet Jews and Christians:
Muslims are expected to be friendly towards Christian and Jewish minorities in their countries, reciprocating any goodwill and festival greetings, and treating them on equal terms as citizens, prominent scholar Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi has said. “Greeting Christians and Jews in their festive days is permissible if they are at good terms with Muslims, particularly those close like relatives, neighbors, work or education colleagues,” Qaradawi, the president of the International Union for Muslim Scholars (IUMS), wrote in an article published on his website. Qaradawi said the Noble Qur’an encourages Muslims to greet others quite affably. “Allah Almighty says: “When you are greeted with a greeting, greet in return with what is better than it, or at least return it equally…) (An-Nisa’ 4: 86)
Qaradawi also added that since Muslim scholars have agreed that “Christians living in Muslim countries should enjoy citizenship rights”, the greeting Ahl Adh-Dhimmah (referring to the second-class status of non-Muslims) should be dropped in favor of “citizens.” Qaradawi did not specify a greeting for Christians and Jews not “at good terms with Muslims” or precisely who those persons might be.