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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ISTANBUL 001227 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/05/2016 
TAGS: KISL PREL TU ZR
SUBJECT: QARADAWI'S THINLY VEILED STATEMENT 
 
ISTANBUL 00001227  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
Classified By: CONSUL GENERAL DEBORAH K. JONES FOR REASONS 1.4 B, D 
 
¶1. (C) Summary: Speaking in Istanbul to the "Muslims in 
Europe:  Challenges and Opportunities" conference, renowned 
Muslim scholar Yousef al-Qaradawi stressed the importance of 
living together as good neighbors but underscored the 
obligation of Muslims to adhere to their "holy obligations," 
no matter where they might live, to include the wearing of 
the headscarf for women.  Governments, he asserted, should 
honor this fundamental religious obligation and right. 
Representatives of the jointly-sponsoring United Kingdom's 
diplomatic mission to Turkey were somewhat chagrined by what 
some conference organizers characterized as a rather 
gratuitous offering, in light of Turkey's current domestic 
sensitivities.  End summary. 
 
¶2. (U) We were invited to attend as "observer" the 
UK-sponsored "Muslims in Europe" conference which took place 
in Istanbul over the weekend of July 1-2.  Turnout was 
impressive with prominent Muslim thinkers Tariq Ramadan and 
Shaikhs Abdullah bin Bayya, Yousef al Qaradawi and Hamza 
Yusuf headlining the list of speakers, and participants from 
throughout Europe.  Tariq Ramadan's opening remarks on the 
importance of living in harmony with one's indigenous 
European neighbors were widely lauded by conference 
participants.  Following lunch, Mauritanian-born Shaikh 
Abdullah bin Bayya, author of the best-selling "Ejaz 
al-Quran", or "Miracles of the Quran" and instructor at 
Jeddah's King Abd al-Aziz University, and Egyptian-born, 
Qatar-based Shaikh Yousef al-Qaradawi addressed the theme of 
living as Muslims within European society. 
 
¶3. (U) Distinguishing between "Europeans" and "Muslims," bin 
Bayya compared Istanbul and its mix of cultures to Muslim 
Spain and noted that modern society appeared to enjoy 
diversity except as it pertained to human beings and their 
beliefs.  Here he quoted from a famous Arabic text: "I am 
comfortable with the howling of the wolf, but when I hear 
humans cry I want to run away."   The religious instructor 
exhorted Muslims to live convivially with others, as people 
living on one ship together must coordinate and respect the 
activities of both those on deck and those in the hull; to 
respect human rights; and to honor human responsibilities. 
One can live in the midst of secular society, he said, but 
must fill it with virtue through taking the initiative in 
carrying out virtuous acts vis-a-vis one's neighbors; Muslim 
communities should live according to "a constitution of 
virtue, character and honor." 
 
¶4. (U) Again alluding to Islam's historic tradition of 
accepting various cultures, bin Bayya observed that 
"inspiration is pluralistic" by its very nature.  He decried 
those who have employed terrorism in the name of Islam, 
declaring they had played the role of Satan in Europe, and 
called on Muslims instead to play the role of angels.  "We 
need to remove the mangy sick sheep from the flock for our 
children's sake," he continued, "and beautify the face of 
Islam (through the European media and otherwise)."   Noting 
that the Muslim world was rife with conflict, bin Bayya said 
"we are incapacitated and confused" but asked rhetorically 
"how should we express our anger in a way that does not harm 
our countries or culture?"  He ended with a quote attributed 
to the Prophet Mohammed: "If you're angry sit down; if you're 
sitting down, lie down," and called on Muslims to engage in 
civil disobedience rather than violence to accomplish their 
goals, while noting that this moderate approach in no way 
absolved the Europeans, "who must allow Muslims to live in 
peace and in accordance with their faith." 
 
¶5. (U) Qaradawi, also speaking in Arabic, first appealed to 
his listeners to remember the suffering of their "brothers 
and sisters" in Palestine.  "We have an obligation, he 
continued, "to hear their cries and appeal (to God and those 
in authority) to remove their difficulties from them." 
Noting he'd originally agreed to address the conference 
thinking it would be a dialog between Muslims and 
non-Muslims, Qaradawi said speaking Muslim to Muslim would 
help them work together to increase understanding of their 
faith.  Calling on Muslims to move beyond the conflicts of 
the past with Europe, even as Europeans had overcome their 
internal cultural conflicts and turned a new page with the EU 
and European reunification, the religious shaikh said it was 
time to move beyond the Crusades.  The Prophet Mohammed had 
exhorted us to live as brothers, he noted, and  the world had 
now become "one," with the Commonwealth countries bringing 
new people into the European mix.  God through his wisdom and 
grace made us different, even within the Muslim community, he 
 
ISTANBUL 00001227  002 OF 002 
 
 
continued; this is the will of God, we can't escape it and 
it's needed. 
 
¶6. (U) In the context of tolerance, and taking an apparent 
slap at extremists, Qaradawi stressed several points:  being 
held accountable for belief will take place in the next 
life--the reckoning is left to God;  Islam honors the human 
being because he is God's creation; the Prophet Mohammed had 
stood at the funeral of a Jewish friend and when questioned 
replied "Is he not a soul?"  Here, Qaradawi admonished his 
audience not to allow their hatred for someone or something 
to allow them to attempt to administer their own brand of 
justice:  "Only mercy is required of you."  Nonetheless, he 
exhorted Muslims everywhere to "be firm in preserving our 
faith and our belief," to include not serving alcohol, "even 
to non-Muslims."  Moreover, he added, the hijab is 
obligatory; God has obligated women to cover their heads.  He 
asserted that "all Islamic scholars agree" that hijab is not 
merely a symbol of faith, but an act of obedience to God. 
 
¶7. (U) In closing, Qaradawi quoted from Koran that "the Lord 
is lord of east and west."  The Prophet's move from Mecca to 
Medina, he said, was proof that Muslims should not be 
restricted to one place.  "Be good neighbors(with the 
Europeans)," he urged, "as long as you keep your religious 
commitments. Your most important relationship is between you 
and the Lord God."  Returning to the theme of conflict 
between the West and the Muslim world, Qaradawi said somewhat 
elliptically, "the wrongs between Muslims and the rest are 
generally reciprocated," if one looks closely, one will find 
the proximate cause.  Avoiding any mention by name of the 
United States, he called on "western governments" to speak up 
against injustices in Iraq and Palestine, accusing them of 
standing quietly by rather than engaging and "practicing 
justice."  If the West were to tell Israel to stop "this 
great injustice against human beings," he said, it would 
happen.  He ended by saying "we (i.e. Islam) hate the word 
'warfare'; the Prophet three times urged others to change the 
names of their sons from 'Jihad' to other names." 
 
¶8. (C) Comment: Qaradawi, in particular, used this 
opportunity to criticize both would-be terrorists who would 
take things into their own hands to mete out their version of 
"justice" as well as Western governments he believes are 
doing too little to ensure justice.  His reference to the 
obligation of women in Islam to cover their heads was seen by 
a number of conference organizers and attendees (a number of 
them uncovered Muslim women) as gratuitous; organizers told 
us they were further distressed to have Tariq Ramadan, known 
for his moderation, concur with this view.  End Comment. 
JONES