Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon Prophet Muhammad and his Companions.

The Secretariat- general of the International Union for Muslim Scholars received so many questions from all over the world about the statements of Dr. al- Qaradawi, head of the Union, concerning the Shiite brothers.
The Secretariat indicates that what were said by Dr. al- Qaradawi were mere answers with certain context during his lecture at the Press Syndicate in Cairo, and not the core of the lecture.

Some of the attendees or the reader of the published material misinterpreted his speech about Sufism or even the idea of Sufism itself. In 2/9/2006, in his interview with Mona al- Shatheli, on Dream TV channel, Dr. al- Qaradawi stressed his known opinions on the necessity of the nation’s unity, considering the Imami Shiites one of the Muslim sects and the Ja’fari Shiites one of the Islamic respected schools. This is his permanent stance concerning this issue.
Dr. al- Qaradawi reiteratively asserted his esteem of Hassan Nasrollah, Secretary General of Hezbollah, to name but a few, on Dream TV channel. He states that he regards Hassan Nasrollah and the intimate relation between them and that he fully backs the Islamic resistance in Lebanon as he backs it in Palestine or in any other occupied place.
When he mentioned the word "Fanaticism", he meant sticking to the Imami Shiites’ principles and opinions; and this, of course, is something right, but this word was nothing but a slip of the tongue, meaning the commended adherence to the principles wholly and in details.

When he said that he refused the Shiite attempts to have an effect on some of the Sunnis to convert to the Shiite school, he meant the irresponsible individual attempts, which spread disputes and sectarian disorder among the Muslims, for example, the attempt to call for the Shiite school in a country which is mostly resided by the Sunnis, or the attempt to call for the Sunni school in a country which is mostly resided by the Shiites.
The International Union for Muslim Scholars- which includes scholars from the entire schools, as well as having three deputy chiefs, a Sunni, a Shiite, and an Ebaddi- stresses the necessity of nipping any turmoil in the bud, the rapprochement between different Islamic schools, scholars, and advocates, and the necessity of cooperation between the Muslims on the generally agreed upon- issues and the excuse of each other on the debatable ones.
We hope this statement would settle this matter after pointing out its dimensions and reality.
May Allah grant us success and praise be to Allah, the Lord of mankind.

Secretary General
Prof. Muhammad Sulaim al- `Awa

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