Maybe Sheikh al-Awda was the source for Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarch Gregory III. In any case, it is disturbing to see this fantastical claim gaining increasing currency, although it isn’t really surprising given three well-established tendencies: the inability of Islamic supremacists to acknowledge any responsibility for any wrongdoing, their fanatical Jew-hatred, and their ongoing attempts to portray themselves as victims. “Sheikh al-Awda: ‘The Terrorists Work in the Service of Israel and the Zionist Movement,'” from Translating Jihad, December 30:
This is from Saudi Sheikh Salman al-Awda, a prominent member of the International Union for Muslim Scholars run by Yusuf al-Qaradawi (see the original Arabic here):
Sheikh al-Awda: The Terrorists Work in the Service of Israel and the Zionist Movement
Riyadh – Sheikh Salman al-Awda warned against severe terrorist acts, bombings, and bloodshed, as well as against the groups that carry out these actions and hide behind Islam, carrying the banner of jihad. He said: “These are tools in the hands of the Zionists, Israelis, Europeans, and Orientals, with the goal of damaging Islam.” […]