If one listens to the promoters of Shariah-Compliant Finance, one gets the distinct impression that it is completely innocuous, even benevolent. The “scholars” who make the decisions about shariah compliance are made to seem like wise old men who sit around and do nothing but pray for peace all day long.
The reality is somewhat different.
Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi is a case in point.
Qaradawi is one of the most prominent scholars involved in the promotion of Shariah-Compliant Finance worldwide. His list of credentials is long indeed:
• President of the European Council for Fatwa and Research in Ireland
• President of the Union of Good charity in Saudi Arabia
• Founder and President of Islamonline.com
• Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Islamic American University
• Founder and President of the International Association of Muslim Scholars
Qaradawi is also a member of the Shariah advisory boards of several financial institutions.
Because of the focus on finance, many financial people are oblivious, in denial or worse about the non-financial activities of these Shariah scholars, like Qaradawi. For instance, many folks don’t realize that Qaradawi is prohibited by law from traveling to either the United States or the United Kingdom due to his ties to terrorism. Qaradawi has also heartily endorsed Islamikaze bombings in his writings and fatwas.
Given that background, it is not surprising that he is leading a delegation of scholars around the Muslim world to put pressure on Israel for defending itself against HAMAS rocket attacks in the Gaza Strip. What is interesting however is how pathetically researched and written the AFP story linked below is about Qaradawi’s latest activity. The article states that he is traveling to Syria, Saudi Arabia and Qatar to get the leaders of those countries to cut economic and diplomatic ties with Israel. When did any of those countries ever establish economic and diplomatic ties with Israel in the first place? It is much more likely that Qaradawi, the leading proponent of Shariah-Compliant Finance, is traveling to those countries to convince them to threaten Western nations who support Israel’s right to exist with economic retribution.
Oh the irony…More at the link…
