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“When
you get a progressive figure who is moving that religion in the
correct direction you engage and you develop it,” said
Livingstone (Al-Jazeera).
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Additional
Reporting By Hany Bishr, IOL Correspondent
LONDON,
January 11 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – London Mayor Ken
Livingstone Tuesday, January 11, called on British media to apologize
for sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi over the hostile campaign that sought to
blemish his reputation during his visit to London in July.
Speaking
at a press conference, Livingstone further urged those who took for
granted false reports circulated by the Israeli intelligence services
Mossad to admit that they were plainly wrong, Al-Jazeera satellite
channel said.
He
further revealed that he would submit a report to the Press Complaint
Commission to keep it posted on the problems of the British media, which
often promulgate stereotypes about Islam and its respected leaders.
“When
you get a progressive figure who is moving that religion in the correct
direction you engage and you develop it,” the BBC News Online quoted
Livingstone as saying.
He
said engaging with Al-Qaradawi would help enhance relations between the
West and Islam.
“Here
is the force that we need to engage with if we are to actually get a
dialogue between the west and the Muslim world.”
Mossad
Hands
Livingstone
further revealed at his press conference that the campaign against
Qaradawi was driven by the Washington-based Middle East Media Research
Institute (MEMRI), who is led by a former Israeli intelligence officer,
Al-Jazeera added.
He
urged the institute to offer an apology for Al-Qaradawi, criticizing it
for depending on unauthentic reports released by the Mossad.
The
Mayor said that the institute was exploited by Mossad and the extremist
right-wing in Britain to propagate untrue allegations about Islam and Muslim figures.
Dossiers
The
reason behind Livingstone’s press conference was to respond to a
dossier he and other London Assembly members have received, entitled “Mayor
Livingstone and Sheikh Qaradawi” on
November 9, 2004.
The
dossier condemns the Mayor for standing at the same platform with
Al-Qaradawi. It repeated what have been said in British media June 2004
as well as some reports from MEMRI. The dossier was signed by some
figures, none of them is Muslim.
In
addition, four Sikh organizations-Khals Human Rights, the National
Council of Gurdwaras, the Sikh Federation and the Sikh Secretariat- have
explained that no evidence has been produced by the authors to back up
their original allegations that Al- Qaradawi backs forced conversions to
Islam and have, therefore, distanced themselves from the dossier,
according to IOL correspondent.
In
response, Livingstone issued a counter report during his press
conference, entitled “Why
the Mayor of London
will maintain dialogue with all of London’s faiths and communities-A reply to the dossier against Sheikh Yusuf
Al-Qaradawi,” a
copy of which was obtained by IOL. The report is some 50 pages,
including appendix of some of the press coverage of Al-Qaradawi’s
visit to London in June 2004.
Word
for word, the Mayor of London refutes the allegations of
“Mayor Livingstone and Sheikh Qaradawi” report. Using
many references; academic books, websites, newspapers and reports, the
Livingstone report sheds light on the various stages of Al-Qaradawi’s
life and activities. IslamOnline.net figures high as an important source
in the report.
Livingstone
has frequently said that a better understanding of Islam and of Muslims
would show that the “differences are nowhere near as great as some
would like to suggest.”
In
July, Livingstone apologized
for Qaradawi on behalf of the British people, inviting him back to
the United Kingdom.
“On
behalf of the people of London, I want to apologize to the Sheikh for the outbreak of xenophobia and
hysteria in some sections of the tabloid press which demonstrated an
underlying ignorance of Islam,” Livingstone had said.
British
Muslims had expressed disappointment at the campaign launched by the
“Zionist” lobby in the UK ahead of Qaradawi’s visit.
The
July visit turned into a political storm when MP Louise Ellman, a member
of the Labour Friends of Israel group, urged then Home Secretary David
Blunkett to deny the renowned scholar a visa.
The
Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) concluded that there was no legal ground
to prosecute prominent Al-Qaradawi during his London visit.
Prominent
Scholar
Egyptian-born
Qaradawi is well known throughout the Middle East
where many consider him as the champion of moderation in the Muslim
world.
He
lives in the Gulf state of Qatar and is a regular guest on Arab TV screens. He is also a trustee of the
Oxford University Center for Islamic Studies and three of his daughters completed doctorates at
British universities.
Qaradawi
is also the head of the Dublin-based International Association of Muslim
Scholars (IAMS).
Many
were the times that sheikh Qaradawi had made clear that bombings
targeting civilians were strictly forbidden in Islam, hitting out at the
“heinous” Bali bombings and the terrorist 9/11/2001 attacks in the United States.
“Islam
not only prohibits attacking non-Muslims who do not launch attacks
against Muslims, but it also urges Muslims to treat those non-Muslims
with due respect and kindness, especially non-Muslims who live alongside
Muslims within the Muslim territories,” he had said.
But
Qaradawi angers the United States
and Israel
over sanctioning Palestinian resistance operations as a war against
Israeli occupation, in addition to ruling that fighting the US
occupation in Iraq is a religious duty.
Qaradawi
further calls for distinguishing between the Israeli occupation and the
Jews themselves.
“We
do not fight Israelis because they are Jews, but because they took our
land, killed our children and profaned our holy places,” the venerable
sheikh had said.
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