Al-Qaradawi calls for unity in support of Palestine

The prominent scholar and president of the International Union of Muslim Scholars, Dr Yousef al-Qaradawi, has called on Muslim and Arab nations to organize their ranks and unify their response to confront their common enemy.

From al-Azhar’s pulpit during today’s Friday sermon, al-Qaradawi said that it was up to the Arabs and Muslims to, “prove to the entire world that they are a single nation capable of confronting any aggressor against its peoples.”

Al-Qaradawi pointed out that the Arab revolutions have reaffirmed the right of Arab nations to self-determination, defence of their interests, and repulsion of oppression. He praised the January 25 Revolution in Egypt which, “taught the world how a revolution in support of justice ought to be, such that all segments of the Egyptian people have managed to overcome injustice and oppression and begin a new era of freedom and democracy.”

After the Friday prayer, a huge rally set out from al-Azhar in the direction of Tahrir Square to take part in solidarity activities with Gaza. The events were called for by a number of political parties. The demonstrators and participants demanded unification of the Arab ranks as a means of confronting the Israeli aggression. Similarly, it was demanded that diplomatic relations with Tel Aviv be severed and that Israeli ambassadors be expelled from Arab capitals.

In the city of Suez, hundreds of members of the Muslim Brotherhood and the Freedom and Justice Party demonstrated following the Friday prayers. They voiced condemnation of what is happening in the Gaza Strip while praising the steps taken by President Morsi. These include the withdrawal of the Egyptian ambassador to Tel Aviv and the visit made by Egyptian Prime Minister, Dr Hisham Kandil, on Friday morning.