Arab West Report Egyptian press summaries and media research for dialogue

Fatwa-making is a very serious task at the time religion has such an uncompetitive influence on human beings. Recently, Sheikh Youssef Al-Qaradawi was harshly criticized for fawas that were incorrectly attributed to him. In the coming interview, Sheikh Al-Qaradawi answers questions about the fiqh [jurisprudence] of war.



Q: How could you call for releasing the two French hostages, at the time the French government is adopting a negative attitude towards the issue of the Muslim veil, provided that you are the head of the World Union of Muslim scholars?



A: I met with the French Foreign Minister during his visit to Cairo and for about one hour we spoke about the two French hostages. I explained to the French Minister that the ban on the Islamic veil in France should not be used as a pretext for violent action against the French. The abduction of the two French journalists is unlawful according to Shari'a, common sense and public conventions. France takes clear-cut stances in support of Islamic causes, particularly its opposition to the war on Iraq. France refused to send a single soldier to Iraq and the two French journalists went to Iraq to report and about the war. We encourage non-Americans to cover news about the war because America seeks to monopolize the coverage of the war news, and the work of those two French reporters and other non-American reporters break American monopoly of media.



That is why I called, and still call for, the release of the two French reporters.



Q: how was the fatwa allowing the killing of American civilians attributed to you?



A: After delivering a lecture about plurality [in Islam] at the Journalists' Syndicate [in Cairo], I was asked about the lawfulness of killing American occupation soldiers and American civilians and the mutilation of their dead bodies. I answered that fighting American invaders is an obligation. I am against the invasion of any country by Jews, Americans or Britons. That is why I say that the resistance to the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza and the American occupation of Iraq is an obligation. All divine laws, man-made laws, international conventions allow people to defend their homelands against invaders.



The point that was subject to disagreement is whether there are [American] civilians in Iraq or not. As far as I know, during the rule of Saddam Hussein, There was not a single American in Iraq. The American armed forces invaded Iraq along with other Americans who help these forces in carrying out their mission. I regard those as invaders who should be resisted. The dispute is over the question whether there are really civil Americans in Iraq or not. In case there are American civilians in Iraq who are not involved in the war, killing them is unlawful. War in Islam has an ethical code and Islam does not approve the idea that the end justifies the means.