Italian media is reporting that the International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS), headed by Global Muslim Brotherhood leader Youssef Qaradawi, has announced that is is ready to resume dialog with the Vatican following the election of a new pope. According to an ANSA report:
(ANSAmed) – DOHA, MARCH 20 – The Muslim world is ready to resume dialogue with the Vatican after the election of Pope Francis, said the International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS). The union is led by Yusuf Al Qaradawi, who had previously broken off all relations with Pope Ratzinger due to the latter’s position on Islam. Many believe Al-Qaradawi is the Muslim Brotherhood’s spiritual leader. Expelled from Egypt five years ago under former President Hosni Mubarak, he now lives in Qatar and has had a major influence on Al Jazeera’s editorial line, with a regular programme on the satellite television channel. The statement says that ”the Union would like to announce that the suspension of communications with the pope has ended. The decision to interrupt relations with the previous pope was due to the position he had taken on Islam. We would now like to turn over a new leaf with the new pope”. ”We will work together for an integrated system of moral values and we will remain united to fight injustice, corruption and violations of human dignity in the world”. The union also sent its best wishes to the new pope, saying it hoped he would contribute to re-establishing peace and security in the areas of the Middle East marked by violence and oppression. ”We will remain united in defending the legitimate rights of the Palestinian and Syrian populations,” the statement said.
A post from September 2012 reported on the apology demanded from the Pope by the IUMS which said that the Pope should apologize “just as he apologized to the Jews.”
The IUMS was launched on July 11, 2004 in conjunction with a visit by Global Muslim Brotherhood leader Youssef Qaradawi to London for a meeting of the European Council for Fatwa and Research. Many prominent individuals tied to the Global Muslim Brotherhood and/or Hamas are or have been associated with the IUMS including:
- Rachid Ghannouchi (leader of the Tunisian Muslim Brotherhood)
- Ismail Haniyeh (Hamas Prime Minister in Gaza)
- Safwat Hegazi (close to the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood )
- Isam al-Bashir (Sudanese Muslim Brotherhood leader)
- Jamal Badawi (U.S. Muslim Brotherhood leader)
- Mohammad Sawalha (U.K. Muslim Brotherhood/Hamas)
- Basheer Nafi (Palestinian Islamic Jihad leader, formerly associated with the International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT)
- Isaq Farhan (Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood)
- Dr. Salah Sultan (former U.S. Muslim Brotherhood, notorious antisemite)