MEMRI has published a translation of comments from an interview with Global Muslim Brotherhood leader Youssef Qaradawi in which he calls for the gradual implementation of the Shariah (Islamic law) in Egypt. According to the translation:
Sunni Scholar Yousuf Al-Qaradhawi: Islamic Law Should Be Implemented Gradually in Egypt; There Should Be No Chopping Off of Hands in the First Five Years
Following are excerpts from an interview with Sunni scholar Yousuf Al-Qaradhawi, which aired on Al-Nahar TV on January 26, 2012:
Yousuf Al-Qaradhawi: I think [the shari’a]should be implemented gradually. This is a law of the shari’a and a law of nature.
[…]
We should do things gradually. We should prepare the people, teach them. People have to learn. We have to make an effort to teach people the truth about Islam.
[…]
People do not understand the shari’a properly. We have to teach people the laws of the shari’a and explain them, before anything else. I think that in the first five years, there should be no chopping off of hands. This period should be dedicated to teaching things. A transitional phase… This should be a period in which we teach people the true laws of the shari’a. when we find food for all the hungry, schools for all the pupils, hospitals for all the sick, homes for all those who want them, wives for all the bachelors – then we can discuss the punishment for theft.
[…]
All the [presidential]candidates are good, but I support the candidacy of our brother Abd Al-Mun’im Abu Al-Futuh.
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.
As discussed in a previous post, Qaradawi was recently featured prominently at the launch of a new center for Islamic studies in Qatar to be headed Ramadan and a close associate of Qaradawi. As noted in that post, the launch was co-sponsored by six U.S. universities, most of whom have a permanent relationship with the Qatar Faculty of Islamic Studies, also closely associated with Qaradawi.