In the latest in a long series of bad news for Global Muslim Brotherhood leader Youssef Qaradawi, Egyptian media is reporting that his International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS) is being expelled from an international Islamic council. According to an Ahram Online report, the IUMS and ten other unidentified groups are being dropped from the Council because they mix preaching with politics, and support terrorist groups:
International Islamic Council for Da`wa and Relief
The International Islamic Council on Tuesday expelled a group led by Egyptian cleric Youssef Al-Qaradawi, a sympathiser of the banned Muslim Brotherhood, after Interpol issued a warrant for his arrest. The council, whose main aim is to promote the message of Islam and charity work, said Qaradawi’s International Union of Muslim Scholars, and ten other groups, were dropped because they mix preaching with politics, and support terrorist groups.
An Interpol arrest warrant was issued for the Qatari-based cleric on Friday, upon Egypt’s request, as he is being tried in absentia for charges of ‘agreement, incitement and assistance to commit intentional murder, helping prisoners to escape, arson, vandalism and theft.’
Al-Qaradawi denied the charges on his Facebook page.
‘I did not kill, and I have never incited to murder to justify Interpol putting me on their wanted list,’ Al-Qaradawi said.
Oil-rich Qatar, whose ties with Egypt nose-dived following Morsi’s ouster, offered sanctuary to a number of Brotherhood leaders who fled a harsh state crackdown by the post-Morsi authorities.
The Council referred to in the above report is likely the Cairo-based International Islamic Council for Da’wa and Relief, (IICDR), an umbrella group for 86 Islamic organizations, many of which had known for being associated with the global Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas fundraising, or support for Al Qaeda. The Egyptian state news service announced last Thursday that Al Azhar Grand Imam Ahmed El-Tayyeb had opened a two day conference of the IICDR which further increases the likelihood that this is the organization referred to in ther above report. The IICDR website does not as of yet show any changes to its list of affiliated organizations, but we will continue to monitor for any future changes.
Whatever the basis for the Egyptian charges, Youssef Qaradawi is considered to be the “spiritual guide” for Hamas and his fatwas in support of suicide bombings against Israeli citizens were utilized by Hamas to justify their operations. He is also known to have called for attacks on US troops and civilians in Iraq. Last week, the GMBDW reported that Qaradawi had denied the charges against him writing “‘I did not kill and I never incited to murder.”
The GMBDW was the first Western media to report on the INTERPOL Red Notice issued for Qaradawi.
