A Gulf newspaper has reported on comment made by a well-known Iranian Shia scholar critical of Youssef Qaradawi, one of the most important leaders of the global Muslim Brotherhood and a colleague of his. According to the report:
AN Iranian scholar Ayatollah Mohamed Ali Taskhiri has criticised the Doha-based scholar Sheikh Yousuf al-Qaradawi for his anti-Shia statements in which he said that the Shias sought to dominate the Sunni-majority countries. “I feel regret over his statement. I think that he was affected by some extremist who provided him with false information. The word he used for preaching the Shia school of thought is the same world that is usually used for those preaching for Christianity,” Taskhiri said in a statement. Ayatollah Mohamed Ali Taskhiri, who is the vice president of the International Union for Muslim Scholars (IUMS), said he was surprised by Qaradawi statement saying that this is in breach of the charter of the IUMS which founded and chaired by Qaradawi. “Sheikh Qaradawi is not taking the right step towards the unity of the Muslims. It is not also in tune with the goals of the International union of Muslim scholar. He himself has exerted much effort to spread moderation among Muslims which was stated in the charter of the union,” he added. “I was surprised to find him warning against a Shia threat overrunning the Sunni Muslims by spending a huge amount of money to convert them to the Shia school of thought. Such imaginary threat is only in the mind of colonisers and extremist groups,” he maintained. He also urged Qaradawi to take a moderate line and stop such accusations saying that Muslim scholars should be more united in spreading awareness on the dangers of the cultural invasion against Muslims. Qaradawi, in an interview to the Egyptian newspaper Al Masry Al Yawm, warned against a Shia invasion sweeping the Sunni countries.
Taskhiri also heads the The World Forum for Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought based in Tehran and U.S. Muslim Brotherhood figure Taha Alwani is known to have been a member. An earlier post discussed the 21st Annual Islamic Unity Conference sponsored by the Forum. Another post discussed Qaradawi’s support for the Iranian nuclear program.