By Sana Abdallah
AMMAN -- A leading Muslim Arab cleric has raised a political and religious storm across the region by speaking out audaciously on a subject that many Islamic scholars refuse to discuss because of political considerations - the "Shiite invasion" of Muslim societies.
Prominent Egyptian-born scholar, Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, told Egypt's independent Al-Masry al-Youm daily on Sept. 10 there existed Shiite "attempts to invade the Sunni community with their money and cadres trained to do missionary work in the Sunni world."
Qaradawi's bold words unleashed days of counter-attacks among religious, political and sectarian leaders over the very foundations that have underlined the Sunni-Shiite politico-religious schism dating back centuries. The seeds of such strife, however, were revived in the aftermath of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq that toppled Saddam Hussein's secular regime, leading to sectarian strife.
Qaradawi charged the Shiites with spreading their belief in predominantly Sunni countries, from Indonesia to Algeria, and said "they practice the tradition of takia [concealing their intentions] and do not reveal what they believe in." And he described them as "mubtadi'oun" (heretics).
The Iranian state media quickly labeled Qaradawi a "spokesman for international Freemasonry and Jewish rabbis." Read more ...
AMMAN -- A leading Muslim Arab cleric has raised a political and religious storm across the region by speaking out audaciously on a subject that many Islamic scholars refuse to discuss because of political considerations - the "Shiite invasion" of Muslim societies.
Prominent Egyptian-born scholar, Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, told Egypt's independent Al-Masry al-Youm daily on Sept. 10 there existed Shiite "attempts to invade the Sunni community with their money and cadres trained to do missionary work in the Sunni world."
Qaradawi's bold words unleashed days of counter-attacks among religious, political and sectarian leaders over the very foundations that have underlined the Sunni-Shiite politico-religious schism dating back centuries. The seeds of such strife, however, were revived in the aftermath of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq that toppled Saddam Hussein's secular regime, leading to sectarian strife.
Qaradawi charged the Shiites with spreading their belief in predominantly Sunni countries, from Indonesia to Algeria, and said "they practice the tradition of takia [concealing their intentions] and do not reveal what they believe in." And he described them as "mubtadi'oun" (heretics).
The Iranian state media quickly labeled Qaradawi a "spokesman for international Freemasonry and Jewish rabbis." Read more ...
Source: Middle East Times
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