More on the controversial Al-Qaradhawi at MEMRI where they excerpt from an article by Dr. Shaker Al-Nabulsi, a Jordanian intellectual residing in the US, who’s written a critique of Al-Qaradhawi’s claim that “democracy is in the essence of Islam.”
Sheikh Yousef Al-Qaradhawi is the highest religious authority of the Muslim Brotherhood, and the spiritual leader of most of the religious movements that have become bloodthirsty terror organizations. He is religious and financial advisor to over 20 financial companies operating according to Islamic financial tenets, which are known to have destroyed the businesses of most small investors in Egypt. It was he who came up with the idea of establishing the Al-Jazeera cable channel and he who has been the spiritual leader and senior religious advisor of this channel.
What Al-Nabulsi makes clear is that Al-Qaradhawi is a smooth political operator, who knows which buttons to push when it comes to pleasing an audience of Western liberals. Islam and democracy? Sure, no problem, “true democracy is in the spirit of Islam”. Mmm, sounds good. But look a little closer and it’s not quite so pleasant:
In his speech, Sheikh Al-Qaradhawi said: ‘Some say democracy is an imported innovation. Any innovation is a deviation from the path of righteousness, and any such deviation will lead to Hell. I [Al-Qaradhawi] say, No! The essence of democracy is not imported. The essence of democracy is the Shura, the religious council, the obligation to promote virtue and eliminate vice. It is freedom of expression and criticism.’
and:
Referring to Western democracy, Al-Qaradhawi said in his speech: ‘There are those who maintain that democracy is the rule of the people, but we want the rule of Allah.
The essence of democracy is the Shura? Well, it’s not quite my definition of democracy. Freedom of expression and criticism? Certainly: under Shura the world will be entirely free of any dissenting expression or criticism. Just redefine democracy to mean the rule of Allah and, hey, no problem: of course Islam and democracy go together. This is pure religious totalitarianism of the most terrifying kind; the sort of fundamentalist beliefs that should make any liberal shudder; that, in fact, liberalism arose in defiance of in the first place. But then Al-Qaradhawi comes out with something like this:
We want real democracies based on transparency, human rights, and freedom of expression and opposition. We want the Muslim countries to be truly free of the rule of despots and oppressors…
and many on the left go weak at the knees. Hey, here’s a leading muslim who talks about human rights and freedom of expression, and hates Bush.
On his visit here:
Supported by Ken Livingstone, the Mayor of London, the Egyptian-born Dr al-Qaradawi told an audience at City Hall: “People whose land is occupied have the right to resist the invaders. People have the right to use in their resistance all weapons and tools in their capability approved by the rule of Islam.
“Martyrdom operations are the weapons to which the weak resort in order to offset the balance. They have been driven into a no-option situation; they have no other means of resisting and liberating their land.”
He took only three questions after the conference, breaking off after being pressed for his views on suicide bombers. Mr Livingstone refused to condemn the cleric and criticised the British media for its “Islamaphobic outcry” over his guest.
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