What Do You Think?

[Allegracrown]

I heard a person talking about the UMN is going to be the New United Nations and that all nations will be answering to them soon. I am assuming it has something to do with Islam since the person talking about it was Muslim.

Apparently I have been living deep in a cave under a rock somewhere cause I don’t know anything about a UMN group. Does anyone here know anything about the group?

[jerrys1960]

The UMN is a group that seeks to restore the Caliphate or one religious/political leadership for all Islamic nations. Actually they seek to merge all current and future Islamic nations into one nation. Think one world government under an Islamic oppressive totalities dictatorship. A dictatorship with the attitude of, do what we tell you to do, think what we tell you to think, or else you will suffer the consequences (for example torture and death.)

Obviously the UMN believes that Quran and the hadaths are the only law needed for the entire world and that the entire world should be submissive to Islam. Probably the best current example of what life would be like under that type of government would be Saudi Arabia. Think of all the freedoms, equality and justice non-Muslims have in that country. Or even a better the supreme example of how Muslims are to live and treat others the ultimate example of Islamic tolerance and peace for non-muslims is the city of Mecca. (our non-muslim “filth” is not even allowed to get within a few kilometers of the city. Being inside the city can get a non-muslim or a Muslim of questionable allegiance to Islam and allah killed.)

The United Muslim Nations (UMN) Intl Org pages say their headquarters are located in the Jerusalem mosque Palestine.


One of their websites is located at http://thetruereligion.wordpress.com
There are notices that the pages will be moving in the near future.
However until the pages do move there are a lot of reference pages and information presented by the group.


An interesting statement of the groups attitude I found.

http://thetruereligion.wordpress.com/tag/muslims/

=quote=

We reject the idea of [personal ijtihad/ the right to personal opinion] , as the means to the understanding of the Qur’an can not change with time, the facts are: what has happened in the past is found in our present and will exist in our future as well, up until Judgement Day [the prophet said the Jihad (struggle) will continue till Judgement Day [Surah 29:1-13; Surah 9:123-127 among others confirms this]. Also you can not make a Fatwa without observing Jihadul Nafs so that you may be certain of your ruling.

=end quote=

So apparently people are not capable of reading, interpreting, understanding or making their own choices of how to apply the Quran to their personal lives.

[jerrys1960]

The group also claims to have a substantial militant support group (a few of the groups that are either under the UMN leadership or very sympathetic to the UMN’s cause and ideas). If their claim is true or even partially true about the following groups (as well as others that may not listed) that support and execute their fatwas, this list totally shoots down the notion that only a few crazy extremists perform Islamic terrorism.

If you visit the web page there are links to the websites of many of these groups.
Also note that the various organizations are listed by the UMN under MILITARY FORCES. There is apparently a small difference of opinion about how peaceful some of these groups really are. Perhaps they are really “wolves in sheep’s clothing” as the saying goes.

This information copied from:
http://thetruereligion.wordpress.com/2009/01/15/the-united-muslim-nations-umn-international-%C2%AE/


UMN INTL MILITARY FORCES

United Muslim Association of Hong Kong
European Muslim Union
Muslim Leaders of Tomorrow
Islamic Supreme Council of Canada
International Institute for Muslim Unity
Organisation of The Islamic Conference
Africa Muslim Agency
World Islamic Economic Forum
Liga Islamica si Culturala din Romania
The United Muslim Students Organization
Russia Islaam
Khilafa
Islamic Organization of Latin America
Korea Muslim Federation
The World Uyghur Congress
The Egyptian Brotherhood
The Syrian Brotherhood
The Jordanian Brotherhood
The Islamic Action Front
The Iraqi Islamic Party
Hamas
Hasan al-Turabi
Kurdish Islamic Union
Muslim American Society
Islamic Resistance in Lebanon

Hizbullah
Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO)
Islamic Organization of North America
Islah Movement Somalia
Qadiriya Somalia

[jerrys1960]

They also make claims that they have mole/sleeper agents in several intelligence agencies around the world. I suspect it is an exaggeration to create ghost hunts by agencies but at the same time how difficult would it really be to get someone that speaks several of the middle eastern languages into information gathering and translation departments?


Copied from:
http://thetruereligion.wordpress.com/2009/06/24/umn-intl-armed-forces/

United Intelligence Agency (UIA) a branch of The United Muslim Nations (UMN) International:


Briefly we introduce you to our International Intelligence Agency; there are no links or sites for the UIA as they operate on a higher form of electronic communication which is untraceable. They are quite clever I must add; most of our agents are housed within other intelligence agencies as well. Their aims are to provide us with information faster then anyone else can, they scan the globe for terrorist activities which are condemned by the UMN, they keep an eye out on all of us and work towards the safety and security of all mankind both Muslim and Non-Muslim. Most Intelligence Agencies are part of the UIA in secret. Yes you can say we sound like the NWO “New World Order” because we are something like that and we wont deny it either. The UIA houses highly qualified Intelligence Agents, they are equipped with the best science has to offer in hi-tech devices for the purpose of our safety and security, should any of them be detected the devices they carry automatically shuts down and goes into self-destructive mode so that no one may have entry to their systems, all their equipment has tracking devices installed in them so that the UIA may at all times be aware of the circumstances their agents may find themselves in. That’s about enough information I can share with you. In addition to all this we the UMN are not linked to any government(s) our government is the Shariah of Islaam and our service is for the Kingdom of Islaam which is solely for the pleasure of our King the Almighty Allah, The Lord of the Worlds, Most High, Most Holy, Most Merciful.

[jerrys1960]

copied from:
http://thetruereligion.wordpress.com/2010/08/16/umn-intl-global-islamic-government-the-empire/



UMN Intl: Global Islamic Government [The Empire]

In the Name of Allah Most Gracious Most Merciful,

The Global Islamic Government [Empire] is run by the Shariah [Divine Laws] of Allah through a Khalifah [Head of State] or Representative of Allah’s Law.

The Khalifah is one who exercises the authority delegated to him by his principal, and does so in the capacity of his deputy and agent. This term has been used in the Quran with reference to man: ‘Just think when your Lord said to the angels: Lo! I am about to place a Khalifah [Nabi Adam Alaihi Salaam] on earth…’ (Quran Surah 2:30). At certain places in the Holy Qur’an, Khulafa (pl.) also means (a) people with power to mobilize all that is on earth (Quran Surah 27:62); (b) successors or inheritors who will inherit the earth and succeed one after another (Surah 24:55; Surah 38:26). In the political history of Islam, Khalifa became the title of the successors of the Prophet Mohammed Sallallahu Alaihi Wa’salaam, notably the first Rightly-Guided Caliphs known as al-Khulafa al-Rashidun (11-35 A.H., 632-655 C.E.).

The Islamic Government Functions are seen to by the Ulama [Islamic Scholars]

[jerrys1960]

This seems to sum up their view of democracy.

copied from:
http://thetruereligion.wordpress.com/2009/04/21/democracy-vs-our-religion/

Firstly to all Muslims around the world the United Muslim Nations (UMN) makes a stern Fatwa condemning the Democratic System: The Holy Quran states with clarity and emphasis “Those who do not govern according to that (Shariah) revealed by Allah, verily, are the Kafiroon (Non-Believers).” Al-Quran “Then, We (Allah) have established you on a Shariah with regard to (your affairs)”. Therefore follow it. And do not follow the desires of those who do not know (what they are doing).”

-

On the same page they also take issue with the fact that each person gets a vote and that each vote counts the same regardless of religion, sex, race or anything else.

===
Think, o Muslim, as is pointed out; In a democracy:
The vote of the atheist is the same as the one who believes in Allah.
he vote of the gay is the same as the decent married man…
===


Then later on the page:


To the Non-Muslim Governments and Organizations your Democratic System is flawed and is not considered by us an international law, all the flaws of your Democratic System will be revealed and challenged by our panel of international Muslim Jurist. Should you wish to take up such a challenge you are honored with a period of two years to do research and compile facts (if ever possible).

The United Muslim Nation openly declare that we are ready to challenge you with Shariah at any point in time as we have compiled all evidence to support every possible point for debate, we are that sure and assured can you provide the same? We highly doubt it because we know you do not have the slightest bit of weight in that which you would possibly bring forth. We will provide you with our evidence from spiritual, scientific and psychological sources; additionally we might even surprise you with a strong backing from outside the Muslim World.



Al-Quran: “Make not the Non-Muslims your friends (leaders, Ulama, Decision makers, helpers/ aid); they are but friends of such to each other”



Ya Muslimeen contemplate on the matter and you will realize that if they knew any better they would have been Muslim. Ya Muslimeen think who among them have ever truly offered you true peace and freedom.



Oh Mumineen make it known to the Non-Muslims warn them and make it known to them that they should abstain from entanglement in the affairs of Muslims and Islaam.



We highlight the following facts:

1) You (Non-Muslims) do not represent Islaam or our Muslim communities.

2) You have not been mandated (requested) to speak on behalf of its people.

3) We the Muslims (male and female) are satisfied with the Shariah of the Holy Quran, and do not need your interference.

4) We (Muslims) do not want any part of your Democratic System or Legislations. We are opposed to it and reject it.

5) Abandon all your attempts to impose on us your laws which are in conflict with our Shariah.

6) We the Muslims request you (Non-Muslims and your organizations and governments) to Immediately stop with your oppressive ways and attempts to impose your laws on us, you are crossing all bounds are we will not be pushed by you, we have the right to practice our religion and our laws.

We want our family values and our beautiful way of life for ourselves, it is our right so do not abuse us or we will stand up and make you respect us.



Recognize our resistance or you will be made to recognize it.

Our Nation is One, our Jihad (Struggle) is One



1) Jihadul Nafs (Struggle against our inner desires for worldly pleasures)

2) Jihadul Dawah (Missionary Struggles)

3) Jihad for Peace (Struggle for World Peace)

4) Jihad on the battle field (Physical defense of our Religion only if threatened)



Remember the story of Firoun (Pharaoh) “the Tyrant oppressor” and Musa Alaihi’Salaam who freed our brothers the Israelites with the help of Allah.



To you (Non-Muslim) Allah’s Power and Might is with us as we have with us His Divine Assistance “Ark of the Covenant (Testimony)” and our Imaan is what made us an unbeatable nation therefore Fear Allah as He should be feared.



There’s none worthy of Worship but Allah and Mohammed is His final Messenger.



Oh Muslimeen let this be a reminder for you…

Allah says in the Holy Quran with clarity and emphasis:

“Those who do not govern according to that Shariah revealed by Allah, verily, they are the kaafiroon.”

“Then, We have established you on a Shariah with regard to your affairs, Therefore follow it. And do not follow the desires of those who do not know.”

“Verily, the earth belongs to Allah only. He bestows its sovereignty to whomever He wishes among His servants. And the ultimate victory is for the Muttaqeen.”


= = = =

[jerrys1960]

http://thetruereligion.wordpress.com/2009/04/21/democracy-vs-our-religion/


At War With Islam? Defining this:

Being at war with Islaam is defined in any of the following:


1) Oppressing Muslims and Non-Muslims anywhere in the world.

2) Muslim Policy is Shariah Law being against Shariah is being against Islaam because the Shariah (Divine Laws) of Allah is Islaam in full.

3) Promoting or forcing any law other then Shariah on Muslims e.g. Western Democratic System is against Islaam

4) A clear statement against Muslims and Islaam is a statement of War

[jerrys1960]

The last part that I placed in bold and underlined sums up what this group is or thinks it is.

By being the highest authority of interpreting Islamic law it makes them the people in charge of all Muslims.

copied from:
http://thetruereligion.wordpress.com/2010/08/16/umn-intl-global-islamic-government-the-empire/


Issuing of Fatwa

A fatwa (Arabic: فتوى‎; plural fatawa Arabic: فتاوى‎), in the Deen faith of Islaam is a religious ruling/ opinion concerning Shariah (Islamic law) issued by the Ulama (Islamic scholars).

General Fatwa are pronounced by distinguished scholars of Haqq (Truth) to provide guidance to other Muslim scholars, judges and citizens on how subtle points of Islamic law should be understood, interpreted or applied. There are strict rules on who is eligible to issue a valid fatwa and who could not, as well as on the conditions the fatwa must satisfy to be valid.

According to the usul al-fiqh (principles of jurisprudence), the fatwa must meet the following conditions in order to be valid:

1. The fatwa is in line with relevant legal proofs, deduced from Qur’anic verses and supportive ahadith-e-haqq; provided the hadith was not later abrogated by Nabi Mohammed Sallallahu Alaihi Wa’salaam.
2. It is issued by a person (or a board) having due knowledge and sincerity of heart;
3. It is free from individual opportunism, and not depending on Baatil secularist political servitude;
4. It is adequate with the needs of the Ummah [Muslim World]

The UMN Intl Ulama-e-Haqq provides general binding Fatwa on social religious and political matters in the Muslim World, the UMN Intl “Acknowledged as the leading spiritual authority for the Muslim World”, also stand ” as supreme authority.” It becomes a Fard for the Qadi’s in Dar al Islam to make the General Fatwa part of the legal system.

[jerrys1960]

It appears that Youssef al-Qaradawi is the founder or one of the founders of United Muslim Nations based on information found on the following pages.

http://www.nowtheendbegins.com/blog/?p=2064
http://www.prophecynewswatch.com/2011/February16/1661.html
http://patriotupdate.com/3177/muslim-brotherhood-cleric-united-muslim-nations

It also appears from the pages that Qaradawi would have no problems with committing, ordering or asking for mass genocide of groups of people, in this case starting with the eradication of all Jews everywhere.


The group may not get much media attention however from web searches the movement seems to be gaining momentum.

In my opinion they seem to have a very undesirable agenda.

They also seem to have enough support by various groups we should probably pay a lot closer attention to them as well as their associates.

[troach]

A bit more information for you.

copied from:
http://www.prophecynewswatch.com/2011/February16/1661.html

"United Muslim Nations" - Many Muslims Seek Return of the Caliphate

http://www.spiegel.de/


He is a hypermarket of dogma, dispensing advice on subjects ranging from mother's milk to suicide bombing. But few have as much influence on Sunni Muslims as the Muslim televangelist Youssef al-Qaradawi. He says what the Muslim Brotherhood in Egpyt thinks -- and he provides clues to how they might act.

This man is a word machine, a one-man talk show that leaves no subject unexamined. Youssef al-Qaradawi has to talk: about former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, about mothers' milk banks, and about the right of Palestinian women to blow themselves up.


He is a driven man. There are so many decisions to be made in this godforsaken modern age, and yet there is only one mufti, only one Islamic scholar like Qaradawi, who knew the Koran by heart by the time he was 10, only one man who can help the faithful understand the world.

Qaradawi is the father figure of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood, the country's best-organized opposition group. The Brotherhood is sure to play a part in deciding what path Egypt will now take.

The Islamist group asked Qaradawi to be their leader in 2002, but he turned them down. Such a position would have been too limiting. He has a different mission. He feels compelled to talk.

The Al-Jazeera television network has been broadcasting Qaradawi's program "Shariah and Life" every Sunday for the past 15 years. Some 60 million Muslims watch him as he talks imploringly about the genocide in Gaza or the unique dangers of female masturbation.

'Every Last One of Them'

Qaradawi advocates establishing a "United Muslim Nations" as a contemporary form of the caliphate and the only alternative to the hegemony of the West. He hates Israel and would love to take up arms himself. In one of his sermons, he asked God "to kill the Jewish Zionists, every last one of them."

In January 2009, he said: "Throughout history, Allah has imposed upon the Jews people who would punish them for their corruption. The last punishment was carried out by Adolf Hitler."

Will this man encourage his brothers in Cairo to uphold the peace treaty with Israel, should the Muslim Brotherhood become part of a government now that Mubarak has resigned?

The 84-year-old is the president of the International Association of Muslim Scholars and the European Council for Fatwa and Research. He has written more than 120 books and penned countless doctrines, which he distributes internationally via his website IslamOnline.net.

He is a blend of pope and service hotline, a spiritual "Dear Abby" for all instances of doubt in Muslim life.

Should a mothers' milk bank be established? Especially since the Koran forbids marriage between two people who were nursed by the same woman? "Yes," says Qaradawi, pointing out that the Koran's prohibition of incest applies only to the mother's breast, not its contents.

Hypermarket of Dogmas

He talks about everything, which makes him exhibit A for anyone seeking to demonize Islam. A justification for every stupidity can be found in Qaradawi's words, as long as one searches long enough. On the other hand, Muslims refer to the search for the appropriate dogma as "fatwa shopping." To them, Qaradawi is a hypermarket of dogmas.

During a visit to London, then Mayor Ken Livingstone asked the sheikh how he felt about the rights of homosexuals. "He told me that he was against attacks on homosexuals," Livingstone recalls. But the mufti isn't opposed to 100 lashes for gays and lesbians if that is the punishment imposed by a Sharia judge, at least according to statements he has made on his program.

It is the responsibility of any scholar to lead the faithful, and only the scholar can interpret the scriptures correctly. This is Qaradawi's mission.

He attended Al-Azhar University in Cairo, where he met Hassan al-Banna, the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood. Banna offered an Islamic alternative to the alleged ills of modern life: corruption and gambling, insolent women and provocative writings, alcohol and the neglect of the poorest members of society. In a word: godlessness.

Former Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser imprisoned the sheikh three times because of his Islamist activities. In 1961, Qaradawi went into exile in Qatar, where he still lives today. With the protection of the Emir of Qatar, Qaradawi was able to build his fatwa empire, a realm of schools and various forms of media. "We too are modern," he said in a SPIEGEL interview, "and we too benefit from the great inventions of the West, from the revolution of the information age."

Equal Rights

The title of a study recently published about Qaradawi in Denmark refers to him as the first "global mufti." Qaradawi specialist Jakob Skovgaard-Petersen believes that the TV imam was behind the protests following the publication of cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad in a Danish newspaper -- unrest which led to the Danish embassy in Beirut being set on fire. The sheikh has been barred from entering the United States since 1999.

The imam has also developed a reputation for himself as a moderate. Many see him as a symbol of an enlightened Islam. When speaking to the Western media, in particular, Qaradawi likes to point to Muslims' tolerance of non-Muslims and condemns the attacks of al-Qaida.

He also speaks out against the systematic castigation of wives. He calls the practice unwise, saying: "Blows are not effective with every woman, but they are helpful with some." In other cases, the sheikh insists on equal rights. For example, he says, a woman does not have to ask her husband's permission to blow herself up in an Israeli café.

Compared with this guardian of the faith, Pope Benedict XVI is positively enlightened.

Otherwise, however, the two elderly men have a few things in common. Qaradawi and the pope were born within the same six months from each other, both in rural areas, one in Lower Egypt and the other in Upper Bavaria. Both feel that the Western world is godforsaken. Both have written enough to fill an entire theological library. And both are determined not to be what they are perceived to be: stern teachers. Qaradawi says that he merely wants to offer "alleviation" in a world of confusion. Benedict XVI says more or less the same thing.

Both Devout and Modern

But many feel that the TV imam is more dangerous than those like the Taliban who teach the Koran to the letter. Qaradawi does not demand anything impossible from his contemporaries. Instead, he stresses that his followers can be devout and modern at the same time.

Critics see Qaradawi's caution as nothing but a ruse. In the German blog "Die Achse des Guten" ("The Axis of Good"), Christoph Spielberger writes about the "Islamic principle of Taqiyya, or misrepresentation to achieve a higher goal." According to Islamic tradition, concealing one's faith is permissible, but only in the face of a massive threat.

The TV imam's followers in Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood share his intangibility. For some, they are the dyed-in-the-wool Islamists, while others see them as champions of democracy on the Nile.

"There is no question that true democracy must gain the upper hand," Mohammed Mursi, a Muslim Brotherhood spokesman, wrote recently. "The Brotherhood adheres to its roots in Islamic thought. It refuses to accept any attempt to impose any ideological line on the Egyptian people."

This sounds good. But as an underground organization, the Muslim Brothers had no opportunity to try out their religious principles on everyday political life, and on tolerance and the balance of interests. They experienced the meaning of human rights firsthand during the years of repression. It changed them.

"Caution is the watchword," writes Islamic scholar Tariq Ramadan, referring to the tactics of the Muslim Brotherhood. According to Ramadan, its leaders know that "now is not the time to expose itself."

Now everyone wants to know who the Muslim Brothers really are. The question is as pointless as asking whether Yusuf al-Qaradawi is moderate or not. He is both himself and the opposite of himself, depending on one's perspective -- and the circumstances.

But what is acceptable in quantum physics can be extremely dangerous in the business of politics.

[troach]

This is profile of Qaradawi is a little out of date but I think it gives a good idea of his ideology and plans for everyones future if he gets his way.



copied from:
http://www.investigativeproject.org/profile/167



Yusuf al-Qaradawi
last Updated July 9, 2008

Yusuf al-Qaradawi is an Egyptian Islamic scholar associated with the Muslim Brotherhood. He is known for his militant religious rulings and political commentary in support of acts of terrorism and repression of women. He is currently the host of Al Jazeera's most popular show, "Shariah and Life," and, largely because of this, has become a very influential force among Muslims worldwide. Al-Qaradawi also serves as chairman of the board of trustees at the Islamic American University, a subsidiary of the Muslim American Society.[1]

Al-Qaradawi's fatwas, or religious edicts, have been numerous and far-reaching. Topics that have been influenced by al-Qaradawi's religious interpretation range from "justified" killings, to familial affairs and domestic conflict. Additionally, al-Qaradawi has made a number of public speaking appearances, both in the U.S. and abroad, where he has further expounded his often contentious doctrine.

In 1995, at a conference held by the Muslim Arab Youth Association (MAYA) in Toledo, Ohio, al-Qaradawi said, "Our brothers in Hamas, in Palestine, the Islamic resistance, the Islamic Jihad, after all the rest have given up and despaired, the movement of the Jihad brings us back to our faith."[2]

At that same conference, he declared what he saw as the fate and goals of his faith:

What remains, then, is to conquer Rome. The second part of the omen. "The city of Hiraq [once emperor of Constantinople] will be conquered first", so what remains is to conquer Rome.' This means that Islam will come back to Europe for the third time, after it was expelled from it twice… Conquest through Da'wa [proselytizing], that is what we hope for. We will conquer Europe, we will conquer America! Not through sword but through Da'wa.

…

But the balance of power will change, and this is what is told in the Hadith of Ibn-Omar and the Hadith of Abu-Hurairah: "You shall continue to fight the Jews and they will fight you, until the Muslims will kill them. And the Jew will hide behind the stone and the tree, and the stone and the tree will say: ‘Oh servant of Allah, Oh Muslim, this is a Jew behind me. Come and kill him!' The resurrection will not come before this happens." This is a text from the good omens in which we believe."[3]

In January 1998, the Associated Press quoted al-Qaradawi as writing, "There should be no dialogue with these people [Israelis] except with swords."[4] And in April 2001, commenting on suicide bombings, he said, "They are not suicide operations…These are heroic martyrdom operations."[5]

In the June 2002 Fatwa section of The American Muslim, a publication of the Muslim American Society, al-Qaradawi was asked "Prophet Muhammed said that nations will haunt against us. Can we say that this is happening right now?" He responded, "The emergence of the Islamic awakening has breathed in the Muslim nation a sense of confidence and hope in the future. Such movement is worthy of leading the Muslim nation to utter victory once there are leaders who are rightly guided by Almighty Allah and filled with wisdom."[6]

In 2004, in response to a question regarding the permissibility of female suicide bombers, al-Qaradawi encouraged such acts, stating, "The martyr operations is [sic] the greatest of all sorts of Jihad in the Cause of Allah."[7]

Al-Qaradawi issued a fatwa stating that Muslims killed fighting American forces in Iraq are martyrs. "Those killed fighting the American forces are martyrs given their good intentions since they consider these invading troops an enemy within their territories but without their will,"[8] Qaradawi also stated, "Although they are seen by some as being wrong, those defending against attempts to control Islamic countries have the intention of Jihad and bear a spirit of the defense of their homeland."[9]

Criticizing religious rulings against suicide bombings, al-Qaradawi stated, "I am astonished that some sheikhs deliver fatwas that betray the mujahideen, instead of supporting them and urging them to sacrifice and martyrdom."[10] Regarding one of these fatwas issued by the imam of Mecca's Grand Mosque, al-Qaradawi said, "It is unfortunate to hear that the grand imam has said it was not permissible to kill civilians in any country or state, even in Israel."[11]

Interestingly, his positions are criticized in some circles as being insufficiently extreme. While he has spoken out in support of suicide bombings – his condemnation of the 9/11 attacks, his lack of support for offensive jihads, and his refusal to condemn singing and movies have earned him the ire of some. For instance, in reaction to an al-Qaradawi fatwa that stated Muslims are allowed to sell pork and alcohol, the editors of the website of the Italian Muslim Assembly posted a letter under the heading, "A Warning for the Ummah against the Heretic Yusuf al-Qaradawi."[12] The letter read, "Dr. Qaradawi is today the public enemy N° 1 for Ahlu-s-Sunnah wa-l-Jama'ah [Families of the Sunnis and the Community]."[13]

Among al-Qaradawi's other so-called "moderate" beliefs criticized, is the stance that Islam supports democracy and the right to vote.[14] However, this assertion should not be confused with a tacit acceptance of secularism, the separation of Church and State, or minority rights. To understand al-Qaradawi's true intentions regarding the political order, one must look to another IslamOnline posting from April 1, 2002, where he outlines a world united under the rule of Islam:

…the patch of the Muslim state will expand to cover the whole earth and that the strength of this state will grow and become obvious to all. This also denotes good news for the long-cherished hope of revival of Muslims unity and rebirth of Islamic Caliphate.[15]

Very much connected to his views on the Caliphate is al-Qaradawi's harsh treatment of those who apostatize from Islam. This "apostate," said al-Qaradawi in a June 2002 fatwa, "is no more than a traitor to his religion and his people and thus deserves killing." [16] While al-Qaradawi does admit that Muslim jurists "differ regarding the punishment [of apostates]," it is readily apparent that he includes himself among "[t]he majority of them [that] go for killing; meaning that an apostate is to be sentenced to death."[17]

Al-Qaradawi has also chimed in about inter-gender interaction, domestic order, and Jews. For instance, in his 1984 book, The Lawful and the Prohibited in Islam, al-Qaradawi promotes a misogynistic stance on the rights of women:

Because of his natural ability and his responsibility for providing for his family, the man is the head of the house and of the family. He is entitled to the obedience and cooperation of his wife, and accordingly it is not permissible for her to rebel against his authority, causing disruption. Without a captain the ship of the household will flounder and sink.[18]

If this was where al-Qaradawi's views ended, then his views on women, while excessively traditional, would not stand out. However, al-Qaradawi goes on to support domestic violence, female genital mutilation (a.k.a. female circumcision) – a practice deemed to bring about "universally unacceptable harm" by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations (UN).[19]

On his Al-Jazeera program in a discussion regarding spousal abuse, al-Qaradawi said that hitting one's wife is the last resort, and continued, "There is a woman who cannot agree to being beaten, and sees this as humiliation, while some women enjoy the beating and for them, only beating to cause them sorrow is suitable…"[20]

On female circumcision, al-Qaradawi has said that, while not obligatory under the laws of Islam, "whoever finds it serving the interest of his daughters should do it, and I personally support this under the current circumstances in the modern world."[21]



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
foot notes
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[1] "Departments – University," Muslim American Society Website, http://www.masnet.org/university.asp (Accessed August 17, 2007).

[2] Yousef al-Qaradawi, MAYA Conference, 1995, Toledo, Ohio.

[3] Ibid.

[4] "Leading Muslim Cleric Under Fire for Meeting Israeli Chief Rabbi," AP Worldstream, January 7, 1998, quoting a January 6, 1998, article by Qaradawi in the Arab newspaper Al-Shaab.

[5] Al Raya, April 2001, quoted in Michael Slackman, "Islamic Debate Surrounds Mideast Suicide Bombers," The Los Angeles Times, May 27, 2001.

[6] Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, "Fatwa: Questions Concerning Palestine," American Muslim, June 2002, 36-37.

[7] Yusuf al-Qaradawi, "Palestinian Women Carrying Out Martyr Operations," IslamOnline.net, http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?pagename=IslamOnline-English-Ask_Scholar/FatwaE/FatwaE&cid=1119503545134 (Accessed August 17, 2007).

[8] Nur Eddin Al-Uwaydidi, "Those Who Die Fighting U.S. Occupation Forces Are Martyrs: Qaradawi," IslamOnline.net, http://www.islamonline.net/english/news/2003-01/28/article08.shtml January 27, January 27, 2003 (Accessed August 17, 2007).

[9] Ibid.

[10] Haim Malka, "Must Innocents Die? The Islamic Debate Over Suicide Attacks," Middle East Quarterly, Spring 2003.

[11] Ibid.

[12] "A Warning for the Ummah against the Heretic Yusuf al-Qaradawi," Italian Muslim Assembly, November 7, 1999, http://www.amislam.com/qaradawi.htm (Accessed August 17, 2007).

[13] Ibid.

[14] Hamdy Al-Husseini and Abdullah Farag, "IAMS delegation to visit Darfur," IslamOnline.net, http://www.islamonline.net/English/News/2004-09/01/article02.shtml (Accessed August 23, 2007).

[15] For Muslims to Regain Lost Glory, IslamOnline.net, http://www.islamonline.net/fatwa/english/FatwaDisplay.asp?hFatwaID=64602 (Accessed August 23, 2007).

[16] "Donating Organs to non-Muslims," Fatwa Bank, IslamOnline.net, http://web.archive.org/web/20031004013624/http:/www.islamonline.net/fatwa/english/FatwaDisplay.asp?hFatwaID=49276 (Accessed August 23, 2007).

[17] Yusuf al-Qaradawi, Source of the Punishment for Apostasy, IslamOnline.net, http://web.archive.org/web/20041011004537/http:/islamonline.net/fatwaapplication/english/display.asp?hFatwaID=102152 (Accessed August 23, 2007).

[18] Yusuf al-Qaradawi, The Lawful and the Prohibited in Islam, (Kuwait: International Islamic Federation of Student Organization, 1984) p. 205-06, translated at MEMRI, http://memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=archives&Area=sr&ID=SR2704#_edn4 (Accessed August 23, 2007).

[19] "Female Genital mutilation – A joint WHO/UNICEF/UNFPA statement," World Health Organization, http://www.who.int/reproductive-health/publications/fgm/fgm_statement.html (Accessed August 23, 2007).

[20] Steven Stalinsky and Y. Yehoshua, "Muslim Clerics on the Religious Rulings Regarding Wife-Beating," MEMRI, Special Report #27, March 22, 2004 http://memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=archives&Area=sr&ID=SR2704 (Accessed August 23, 2007).

[21] "Islamic Ruling on Female Circumcision," Fatwa Bank, IslamOnline.net, http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?pagename=IslamOnline-English-Ask_Scholar/FatwaE/FatwaE&cid=1119503543886 (Accessed August 23, 2007).