On Islam has reported that the International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS), headed by Global Muslim Brotherhood leader Youssef Qaradawi has called on Egypt’s Muslims and Copts (Egyptian Christians) to “join hands to abort plots aiming to undermine the country’s national unity. According to the report:
CAIRO – Following deadly sectarian clashes earlier this week, the International Unity for Muslim Scholars (IUMS) has called on Egypt’s Muslims and Copts to join hands to abort plots aiming to undermine the country’s national unity. ‘The IUMS urges our brothers in Egypt, Muslims and Copts, and all political trends to keep vigilant about schemes being hatched against the revolution by sparking sedition and problems that undermine the revolution,’ the Dublin-based body said in a statement obtained by OnIslam.net on Wednesday, May 11. At least twelve people were killed and over 200 injured late Saturday in deadly clashes between Muslims and Christian Copts in the Cairo suburb of Imbaba. The clashes erupted after rumor that a female Muslim convert was being held inside a church in the area. Another church in the same area was on fire and had been severely damaged. ‘The IUMS condemns every act that leads to sectarian strife,’ the Muslim body said.
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Scholars called on Egypt’s Muslims and Copts to exert more efforts to boost religious harmony and national unity. ‘The IUMS urges all Egyptians to enhance national unity by all means and thwart all plots that aim to undermine the revolution,’ the statement said. The IUMS said that Muslims and Copts showed the world Egypt’s real civilized face during the anti-Mubarak revolution. ‘Such incidents don’t reflect the real caliber of the Egyptian people who showed the whole world Egypt’s great civilization and values during the revolution.’
Western media described the attackers as “a mix of Imbaba residents and hardline Salafi fundamentalists.”
A previous post reported that Qaradawi had joined other elements of the global Brotherhood in suggesting that “foreign hands” could be behind a recent bomb attack on an Egyptian Coptic church. Another post discussed statements by the Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood suggesting that Israel might be behind the bomb attack on the Copts.
Qaradawi, a virulent anti-Semite 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. A recent post has discussed a video compilation of Qaradawi’s extremist statements.
Previous posts have discussed Qaradawi’s charges that Israel is trying to destroy the Al-Aqsa Mosque.