The Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood website is reporting that global Muslim Brotherhood leader Youssef Qaradawi gave a speech in front of unidentified ” top Islamic leaders and Arab ambassadors and media figures in France” at a a lunch banquet held by the Qatari ambassador to France in the embassy in Paris. According to the report, Qaradawi:
…..confirmed that the message of Islam is universal and pointed out that Islam”s cultural message is directed to all mankind. He also pointed out that Muslims don”t suffer from the complex of separating between the East and the West. Islamic belief states that both the East and the West are a part of the kingdom of God, Glory be to Him . .In a related context, Al Qaradawi called on European Muslims to effectively take part in their European societies without any extremism through a full assimilation that leads to losing the identity or isolation. He highlighted Muslim”s effective role in his general environment according to tenets of his religion and without violating any of its constants and to be also in line with laws of the other and in integration with the laws of existence.
In a some what cryptic description, the report also said that Qaradawi “excluded from his speech the resistence of the Palestinian people who call for restoring their usurped rights” but then cites a statement attributed to Qaradawi:
He sees that the Palestinians were forced to fight. “We support the resistance that seeks and defends rights of the Palestinian people”.
It is not clear if this statement was actually delivered during the speech or was add by the Brotherhood writer for political purposes. In July 2004, Qaradawi caused an international furor when was invited London City hall where he reiterated his supported of suicide bombings in Israel. Dr. Qaradawi is head of the European Council for Fatwa and Research (ECFR), the president of the International Association of Muslim Scholars, and asked but turned down the position as head of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood upon the death of the last Supreme Guide.