In a program on Al-Jazeera TV, Sheikh Yousef Al-Qaradhawi accused Arab-American psychiatrist Wafa Sultan of "publicly curs[ing] Allah, His Prophet, the Koran, the history of Islam, and the Islamic nation."
The following are excerpts from the program, which aired on March 16, 2008:
To view this clip on MEMRI TV, visit: http://www.memritv.org/clip/en/1718.htm.
To view the MEMRI TV page for Sheikh Yousuf Al-Qaradhawi, visit: http://www.memritv.org/subject/en/589.htm.
To view the MEMRI TV page for Wafa Sultan, visit:http://www.memritv.org/subject/en/371.htm .
"She Said Unbearable, Ghastly Things That Made My Hair Stand On End"
Sheikh Yousuf Al-Qaradhawi: "Many brothers here and abroad - more from abroad than from here - have called to ask me about the 'Opposite Direction' [show on Al-Jazeera TV], and that woman [Wafa Sultan], who leveled accusations against Islam and the Muslims, and cursed Allah, His Prophet, the Islamic nation, the shari'a, and the Islamic faith and culture. She did not omit anything. She was insolent and stopped at nothing.
"I know that our colleague Dr. Faysal Al-Qassem apologized on the following show. I did not watch the [original] show, but I was given a recording. She said unbearable, ghastly things that made my hair stand on end. She had the audacity to publicly curse Allah, His Prophet, the Koran, the history of Islam, and the Islamic nation. She did not spare anything.
"It was all based on ignorance. If only she had some knowledge... But she doesn't have any knowledge. She doesn't know the Koran or the Sunna. When she cited a hadith to back up her statements, she used a hadith that scholars consider unreliable."
"If She Had Read The Koran, She Would Have Known That It Forbids Killing People... She Should Read The Torah And Tell Us What It Says"
"The Prophet said: 'Allah has given me sustenance under the shadow of my sword.' This hadith is unreliable. The Prophet did not get sustenance by the sword. If she had read the Koran, she would have known that it forbids killing people: 'Anyone who kills another person for any reason other than manslaughter or spreading corruption in the land - it is as if he has killed all of mankind.'
[...]
"In all the raids conducted by the Prophet Muhammad, he was the one attacked. If she knew anything about the Koran and the Sunna...
"She should read the Torah and tell us what it says. With regard to distant cities, the Torah says: 'Slay all their males by the sword.' It does not exclude elderly men or children. As for the nearby cities of Palestine, which they call the Promised Land, the Torah says: 'When you enter them, annihilate everyone, and do not leave a breathing soul.' The concept of annihilation originated in the Torah. What does that woman have to say about this? This is the Torah in which Bush and the Christian Right believe.
"This Woman Had The Audacity To Affront All That Is Sacred"
"What does that woman have to say about this? She defends the West and sanctions the killing of Muslims in Gaza and elsewhere, claiming that they deserve to be killed.
"I do not want to discuss this at length, but in my view, this woman had the audacity to affront all that is sacred - the entire Islamic nation, its past, its present, and its future. She had the audacity to affront the Prophet, the Koran, and Allah. She even said that Allah prattles in the Koran. She did not omit anything sacred.
"I Place The Blame On Al-Jazeera TV And Its Management And Board Of Directors For Allowing Such A Woman To Appear On Their Channel And Say Such Things"
"How was she allowed to appear on Al-Jazeera TV? I placed the blame on brother Faysal Al-Qassem. After all the things she said, he says: 'I thank you very much, what do you think, Tal'at [Rmeih]?' What are you thanking her for? For her infamy or unheard-of audacity? For her complex ignorance? Some people are aware of their ignorance, while others are not. This is called 'complex ignorance.' I place the blame on Al-Jazeera TV and its management and board of directors for allowing such a woman to appear on their channel and say such things."
