Qaradawi lashes out at Arab unwillingness to fight Israel

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim

In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

Qaradawi lashes out at Arab unwillingness to fight Israel

Qaradawi calls for jihad against Israel

Leading Islamist preacher peace that Arab leaders are calling for in Mideast is in fact capitulation.



CAIRO - Prominent Islamist preacher Sheikh Yusef al-Qaradawi has called for a holy war against Israel, an Egyptian newspaper reported Wednesday.



"Muslims must carry out jihad to liberate all the land of Islam. Palestine does not belong only to the Palestinians but to all Muslims," Qaradawi was quoted as saying by the Al-Masri Al-Yom independent daily.



The Egyptian-born cleric, best known for his regular appearances on the Qatari satellite channel, Al-Jazeera, said that the Islamic world "needs men like those of Hezbollah: in Egypt, Iraq, Jordan and everywhere".



"There isn't even an Arab willingness to fight Israel," he complained at a seminar at the University of Cairo, adding: "The peace that the Arab leaders are calling for is in fact a capitulation."



Qaradawi, who now lives in Qatar and has close links to the opposition Muslim Brotherhood, said that Islamic law, or sharia, dictated "if a land of Islam is occupied, the entire population must resist and start jihad."



The 78-year-old achieved star status with his appearances on Al-Jazeera's weekly religious affairs programme "Al-Shariaa wa Al-Haya" (Islamic Law and Life) and has consistently defended Palestinian suicide attacks against Israel.



MiddleEast Online

The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa'sallam said:

"The Muslim is a unique Ummah among the whole of mankind:

Their Land is ONE, their War is ONE, their Peace is ONE,

Their Honour is ONE and their Trust is ONE."

[Ahmad]