After Youssef Qaradawi — whom Western academics portray as a “moderate” — commands Egyptian Muslims to vote only for Islamic parties and avoid non-Muslims, he hypocritically asserts his support for “every person of the Syrian people, including the Alawites, the Druze, and the Christians.”
“Don’t Vote for Those Who Don’t Accept Allah as their God, Islam as Their Religion and Mohamed as Their Prophet”- Qaradawi, by Coptic Solidarity, November 20:
Prominent Islamic advocate Youssef El Qaradawi averred that voting is a “religious obligation” and urged Egyptians not to vote for secularists or non-Muslims. Qaradawi stated that the Egyptian Military Council has no right to impose its constitutional document, and acclaimed the Islamic forces in Friday”s demonstration in Cairo. Qaradawi also resumed his denunciation of both the Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh and Syria’s Bashar El Assad, dubbing his family “the monster’s family.”
In his Friday address from Qatar, his country of residence, Qaradawi said: “Egypt’s revolution is at the threshold of the elections which is the most essential stage and the purpose of the revolution”. Qaradawi said that people are confident that, unlike its precedents, these elections won’t be rigged; accordingly, he believes that there will be a massive turnout.
Qaradawi considered voting “a religious obligation” and “a mundane prerequisite.” He urged Egyptians to look for the parties that adhere to piety and “eschew infidelity and the forbidden.”
Qaradawi, the spiritual leader of the Muslim Brotherhood around the world, drawing an analogy between casting votes in elections and the provisions of giving testimony in Islam, said: “vouch for those who acclaim piety, truth, and Islam; don’t vouch for a secularist, an agnostic, or those who don’t accept Allah as their God, Islam as their religion and Mohamed as their prophet.”
Qaradawi also commented on the Friday demonstrations entitled “The Millionary of the One Demand” and organized by the Islamic forces in Egypt to denounce the Military Council’s proposed document of constitutional principles. He said: “In Egypt today, they gathered millions in Tahrir Square to stress their objection to the imposition of any documents intended to counteract the constitution”.
He added: “drafting supra-constitutional principles is not acceptable; neither the Military Council nor anybody else is above the nation.” He demanded the ruling Military Council to hasten the presidential elections to appease the people.
Regionally, Qaradawi claimed that Israel is taking advantage of the Arab and Islamic states’ preoccupation with internal affairs to effect changes in Jerusalem. He said: “Israel wants to take advantage of our distraction, but we will never forget al-Quds and al-Aqsa mosque, which is in danger.”
With regards to Yemen, Qaradawi reiterated his call for President Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down, saying: “Millions of Yemenis spend their nights on the streets, what more does Saleh want? Does he want them to pray for his death? They are praying for his death and we are praying with them”¦ they don’t want you man”¦ you should go!”
With regards to Syria, Qaradawi said that when Syria conceded the Arab initiative he expected that it would withdraw its army and thugs, free prisoners, and allow inspectors into the country, but it didn’t. He added: “The Syrian regime does not care about the Arab League or the United Nations. They continue to kill the people while the Arab League is giving them more and more time.”
He added: “We support the people, how can I take sides with the family of this Assad (lion) or monster. I stand with every person of the Syrian people, including the Alawites, the Druze, and the Christians.” He greeted the Syrian Opposition National Council and its leader Borhan Ghalioun, telling Saleh and Assad to “await their destiny.”