Leading Sunni Scholar Yousuf Al-Qaradhawi Refuses to Participate in Interfaith Dialogue with Jews

Following are excerpts from a Friday sermon delivered by leading Sunni scholar Yousuf Al-Qaradhawi, which aired on Qatar TV on April 26, 2013:

Yousuf Al-Qaradhawi: The [interfaith dialogue organizers] announced this year that they would invite Jews to next year’s session. So I said to them: “If you invite the Jews, I will not participate.” I will participate in a Muslim-Christian meeting, but with the Jews there should be no debate.

Allah says: “Do not debate with the People of the Book except in a way that is best, except for those among them who commit injustice.” There should be no debate whatsoever with those who have committed injustice - not in the way that is best and not in the way that is worst.

Those Jews have committed clear injustice against us. They have shed our blood, killed our children, displaced our people, seized our lands, and usurped our rights.

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I cannot be a part of a conference in which wrongdoing Jews participate. They have committed great injustice, and I cannot possibly shake hands with them. Their hands are soiled with blood. They have murderous, violent, and oppressive hands. I cannot soil my hands by shaking theirs.

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