Sheikh Yousef Al-Qaradhawi Calls for Jihad of Self-Sacrifice and for Rejecting the Political Process

"We Must Revive What... Hassan Al-Bana Called 'the Death Industry'"

During a May 19-20, 2010 visit to Mauritania, Sheikh Al-Qaradhawi called upon Muslims to sacrifice themselves in order to achieve their rights: "We must revive what the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan Al-Bana, called 'the death industry' in his article from the 1940s. The ummah today is in need of self-sacrifice for the sake of [achieving] rights, and thus victory will be attained."[1] He added that pressure should be exerted to liberate Palestine and that "the inertia that has harmed everyone can change if the ummah finds the men who excel at dying for the sake of Allah."[2]

In a Friday sermon on the occasion of the 62^nd anniversary of the Nakba, Al-Qaradhawi called for jihad in order to return Palestine to the Palestinians: "The right of the Muslims to Palestine and [other lands] will be [realized] only by force. We can only realize our rights through resistance... We must stand beside our brothers, the mujahideen. I call [on the Muslims] to set forth on jihad, and on all the factions to fight the enemy together as one. There is no room for division and disagreement; we must work together, especially since the war [now] encompasses all levels – military, political, economic, cultural, and religious."[3] Al-Qaradhawi stressed that he himself was praying to Allah to "help him fight the Zionists and cause loss of life among them, and that he be hit by a bullet that will separate his head from his body." He stressed that "the best death a Muslim can hope for is not death in bed, but as a shahid on the battlefield for the sake of Allah."[4]

The Palestinians Wage Jihad With Both with Their Money and Their Blood, So We Must at Least Help with Money

Al-Qaradhawi also expressed his support for other forms of jihad as a means of aiding the Palestinians: "Since the mujahideen among the Palestinian people wage jihad with their money and their blood in order to protect the Muslims' holy places and in support of the faith of Allah, we must at least wage jihad with money, each according to his ability, to help our brothers in defending our land and holy places. We must support Jerusalem and defend the Al-Aqsa Mosque as much as we can, through our blood, money, hearts, speech, and prayers, and by boycotting the enemy's goods... The Muslim ummah is one body – if one of our limbs is in pain, the entire body suffers."[5]

"The Arab Leaders... Do Nothing, and Wait for Israel To Hand Them a Palestinian State [on a Silver Platter ]"

Al-Qaradhawi condemned the Arab and Muslim leaders who avoid fighting Israel and cling instead to the peace process, despite its unsatisfactory results. In one of his Friday sermons, he said: "The [Al-Aqsa] Mosque and everything around it is in danger, and the ummah is doing nothing. Its leaders, whom Allah entrusted with the responsibility of defending land and honor, do nothing, and wait for Israel to hand them a Palestinian state [on a silver platter]... O people! Countries do not receive charity from their enemies, especially from the Jews! Would they give you charity? Is it conceivable that they would give [you] a gift for free?... If you do not set forth on jihad and do not resist, you will never get your [Palestinian] state. What was taken by the sword can only be retrieved by the sword... The leaders must say: We will support the resistance as long as Israel continues to steal, usurp land and build settlements... I also call upon the Arab and Muslim peoples to stand up to the thieves. The Zionists are not satisfied because they wish [to establish] Greater Israel, step by step."[6]

In his Friday sermon on the occasion of Nakba Day, Al-Qaradhawi said that the establishment of the State of Israel was made possible by the Muslims' failures: "At this time of year, we mark the anniversary of a painful [event], namely the establishment of the Zionist entity called Israel. Tomorrow, May 15, marks Israel's 62^nd [anniversary]. This is a painful memory which no Muslim or Arab must forget... The establishment of Israel was possible because Muslims forsook [the battle]..."[7]

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Negotiations are Futile; The Zionist Entity Must Be Eliminated

During his visit to Mauritania, Al-Qaradhawi criticized the Arab states for clinging to the Arab peace process "despite all the harm [done by] the Zionists to the Palestinians and the Al-Aqsa Mosque." He condemned the Arab leaders for renewing the "futile [negotiations] with the Zionists," which after almost 20 years have failed "to restore the land, to defend [Arab] honor, and to save the holy places."[8] Al-Qaradhawi also claimed that "in the 1940s, the Arab armies served a significant role in delaying the occupation of Palestine, but it was the political decision [of the Arab leadership] that handed Palestine over to the Zionists on a platter of treachery." He said that "it would be better for the ummah if the clerics were its leaders."[9]

Al-Qaradhawi also criticized the indirect negotiations between the Palestinians and Israel, claiming they would achieve nothing: "[The Arab leaders] decided to conduct indirect negotiations, and received a slap [in the face] from Netanyahu... I call upon them to stand as men alongside the Palestinian people and the residents of the West Bank and Gaza. [The Arab leaders] have held back the residents of the [West] Bank from resistance."[10]

In another Friday sermon, Al-Qaradhawi said that Israel must be eliminated, as it was founded on lies: "Despite all of the international schemes and pressure, [nothing] has matched the achievements of the noble resistance. The Arabs tried with all their might to stop the establishment of this thieving entity. Seven Arab armies leapt the fray at that time. Some of [their soldiers] were killed or captured... They almost won, but [then] they agreed to a cease-fire, which was a lifeline for the Jews... who defeated the Arabs [when] they gave in at the end of the road... For years we have described Israel as deceitful... This deceitful [country] attacked on all fronts, while we merely denounced [it]. We have denouncements while they have iron and fire.

"In '67, which I call the second Nakba, they took what was left of Palestine. Since then, we have not recovered a single part [of it], except for Sinai, on terms that limit Egypt's freedom of movement in its own land. Afterward, some of the Arab countries, unfortunately, began signing agreements and establishing ties, publicly and covertly, with the Zionist occupation, leaving Palestine alone in the fray... There was a consensus among Arabs that Israel was a false entity, and that [an entity] established upon on false foundations is itself false. It must be eliminated, as it was founded on the basis of thievery... The Arabs agreed there was a need to implement this, but afterward they demanded only that the aggression of '67 be undone, as if this aggression had negated the aggression of '48. [This was tantamount] to forfeiting our original land. [But] even this did not happen, and Israel did not return to the '67 borders, while we continue exhausting ourselves with [futile] negotiations...

"We used to say: We will resist and set forth on jihad, and what was taken by the sword will not be returned with a pen and negotiations. We made concessions by way of peace and went to Oslo, where it was agreed to defer [the discussions on] all the central issues, such as Jerusalem, the refugees, and the borders. What did they negotiate and what were they celebrating?... Sadly, there is a group among us still chasing the illusion of peace. What [have we gained] from this prolonged negotiation process that has failed over and over, each time under a different name: direct or indirect [negotiations], the two-state solution, the Road Map, and other meaningless names?..."[11]

In a Friday sermon on June 4, 2010, Al-Qaradhawi said that Allah would "eliminate the Zionist enemy's country just as He eliminated all the tyrants on Earth, because [the Zionists] have acted tyrannically and corruptly."[12]

Praise for Turkey and Mauritania following Gaza Flotilla

Following the events of the May 2010 Gaza flotilla, in which nine Turkish activists were killed, Al-Qaradhawi praised Turkey for its contribution: "All the shahids are from among our Turkish brothers – scions of Muhammad the Conqueror and his mighty brothers." He also thanked the other participants in the flotilla: the Europeans, the Americans, the Arabs, and the Asians, but especially the Turks, adding that "another flotilla will avenge the deaths" of the Turkish activists."[13]

Al-Qaradhawi praised the president of Mauritania for severing ties with Israel in protest of the flotilla events, and said that it was this act that had enabled him to visit the country: "Today I am happy to visit his honor the president, Muhammad Ould 'Abd Al-Aziz... For many years I have wanted to visit this country, but there was an obstacle which prevented me from doing so, namely the Zionist enemy's embassy, whose flag waved above this Arab Islamic city [i.e. Nouakchott]. But the president, may Allah protect him, insisted on purging the land of this impurity, despite great pressure from the East and the West, and on restoring Mauritania as a true Islamic and Arabic land."[14]