Global Muslim Brotherhood leader Youssef Qaradawi has denied an earlier media report that he was backing former Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood leader Abdel-Moneim Abul-Futuh’s candidacy for Egyptian President. According to another OnIslam report:
CAIRO – Prominent Muslim scholar Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi has denied media reports about his support for senior Muslim Brotherhood leader Abdel-Moneim Abul-Futuh’s bid to run for Egypt’s presidency. “I would like to make clear that I did not engage in any media or intellectual activity for the past month and half after I had an illness that had isolated me from the whole world,” Qaradawi said in a statement on his official website. “My doctors…had told me to keep a distance from politics and its troubles…until I recovered.” Last week, Egyptian newspapers cited a report from the Qatari newspaper Al-Arab that Qaradawi is backing Abul-Futuh’s bid to become Egypt’s president.The report came after Abul-Futuh said that he has consulted the prominent Muslim scholar on his presidential bid. The report also claimed that Qaradawi believes the chances of prominent scholar Mohamed Salim Al-Awa to become a president were slim. But the president of the International Union for Muslim Scholars (IUMS) denied the report. “A few days ago, some journalists came and heard some words from me about the issue, which were not directed to the press,” Qaradawi said. I was surprised to find out that the journalist published the words as if they were a political opinion from Qaradawi.” The prominent scholar said that he had not uttered any words that commit him to a certain position. “As far as I remember, when Abul-Futuh visited me, he was aiming to inquire after my health,” Qaradawi said. At the time, Qaradawi said, no other Muslim candidate has unveiled plans to run for presidency. “That’s why we supported Abul-Futuh at that time,” Qaradawi explained. “And when Awa unveiled his bid after that, I said they should coordinate their positions, given that they – in addition to Dr Hazem Salah Abu Ismail – are Muslim candidates.” The renowned scholar said he has no favorite candidate in Egypt’s presidential elections. “Each (Muslim) candidate has his merits and strengths,” Qaradwai said……”The issue is not up to Qaradawi but to the voters who will cast their ballot to choose (their favorite candidate),” the prominent scholar said.”
A previous post reported that according to local experts, Mohamed Selim al-Awa is actually the “undeclared nominee” of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood for the presidency of the country.
Mohamed Selim al-Awa is actually a close associate of Youssef Qaradawi who is a director of the International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS), launched on July 11, 2004 in conjunction with a visit by Qaradawi to London for a meeting of the European Council for Fatwa and Research. The IUMS board of directors is comprised of many leaders of the global Brotherhood and is headed by Qaradawi. Al-Awa served as IUMS Secretary-General from 2004-2010. A previous post discussed an interview with Al-Awa in which he accused Egyptian Coptic churches of storing weapons in their monasteries to be used against Muslims.
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.