[ Islam Is Peace ]

Sheikh Yousuf Al-Qaradhawi: I address my first message to the aggressor Jews, those arrogant plunderers, who act arrogantly toward the servants of Allah in the land of Allah.

In the past, the Jews spread corruption in the land twice, and Allah punished them both times, by setting as masters upon them people who tormented them, humiliated them, and made them bow their heads. This is what they did in history, and it is well known that Allah set as master upon them the king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, who took them into captivity. He destroyed their homes, razed their temples, and burned their Torah, and took them into captivity in Babylon for seventy years. Then they repeated their deeds, so He set the Romans as masters upon them.

The Jews have lived as dhimmis in our land for a long time, and no Muslim violated the covenant with them. They were free, and were among the richest people of the nation. It reached the point that the Muslims envied them. They were close to the sultans, the kings, and the rulers of those times. Despite this, they were not faithful to the [covenant]. When they were banished from Europe, they found no compassionate bosom, no cave to shelter them, except for the lands of Islam. It was the Ottoman Empire, the Mameluke state, and the Islamic countries that received them with open arms, gave them shelter and protection, but when [the Jews] gained influence, they turned their backs on them, and we have become their victims.

This is one of the peculiarities of our times. The nation upon which abasement and humiliation was inflicted, and which drew the wrath of Allah – the people most covetous of life – we have become their victims. The cowards have grown bold in their attitude towards us, the weak and humiliated have grown strong in their dealings with us. The small birds in our land have turned into eagles, and the sheep have turned into wolves that devour us. What has befallen our nation?!

But Allah lies in wait for them, and He will not forsake this nation. He will not allow these people to continue to spread corruption in the land. We wait for the revenge of Allah to descend upon them, and, Allah willing, it will be by our own hands: "Fight them, Allah will torment them by your hands, and bring them to disgrace, and will assist you against them, and will heal the hearts of the believers, and you will still the anger of your hearts." This is my message to the treacherous Jews, who have never adhered to what is right, or been true to their promises, who violate each time the promises them make to you.

My second message is addressed to the West, which collaborates with Zionism, and especially to America, which acts like a god on Earth. Nobody asks America about the things it does, and nobody holds it accountable for the things it says, because it is like a god in this world. It is America that supports Israel, whether right or wrong.

We say to the West, and especially to America, that Allah will not let you support falsehood. He will not let you support inequity against justice.

The USSR collapsed before their eyes. The USSR possessed military power, including a nuclear arsenal, but nevertheless, it collapsed. According to the law of Allah, they should collapse as well, unless they pull themselves together and stand by what is just. My message to the Muslim rulers in general, and to the Arab rulers in particular, is that they should be God-fearing with regard to their nation. The peoples have spoken, but the rulers have closed their ears, as if they cannot hear, and have covered their eyes as if they cannot see.

This nation is a great nation, but its problem lies with its rulers and its leaders, who are completely detached from the nation. If this goes on, these rulers will not be able to remain [in power], because they derive their legitimacy from the masses of their peoples, and if the peoples, these masses, leave them, they will lose all legitimacy. These rulers are desperate, powerless, and incapable of doing anything. They couldn't even convene a summit. Is that so difficult?!

Oh rulers, this is a disgrace on your part. I do not want to say that this is prohibited, because many of you do not care about what is permitted or prohibited. But I say that it is a disgrace on your part to do nothing but watch while your brothers are being destroyed, slaughtered and tormented. This is extremely strange.

Are these [Arab rulers] the descendents of Abu 'Ubayda, Khaled ibn Al-Walid, Tareq ibn Ziyad, and all our nation's conquerors throughout the ages?! This is my message to our rulers: They should heed their peoples when they make their decisions, or else history will sweep them up with its broom.

Even though Gaza has no gateway except for Egypt, Israel is surrounded by several Arab states. Lebanon and Syria, Jordon, and Saudi Arabia are all neighbors of Israel, and whoever wanted to set out [on Jihad] from these countries could have done so, if the gateways were opened. But it is as if we have become the protectors of Israel.

Here in Qatar, we have a branch of Marks and Spencer, which regularly dedicates its Saturday revenue to Israel. We have a Starbucks, which serves coffee. They used to hand a sign on the doors of their shops: "We benefit our most important partner, which is Israel, we help in the education of students in Israel, we help build up the Israeli defense arsenal," and so on. People go and drink their expensive coffee. Instead of paying 2 riyals for a cup of coffee, they pay 20 riyals. This Starbucks is Zionist. Why do we not teach the nation to make do with its own products, when possible, even if they are of lesser quality? This is the only way the nation will rise. My brothers, put the boycott against the nation's enemies into action. Every riyal you pay turns into a bullet in the heart of your brothers in Gaza and in other Islamic countries.

Oh Allah, take your enemies, the enemies of Islam. Oh Allah, take the Jews, the treacherous aggressors. Oh Allah, take this profligate, cunning, arrogant band of people. Oh Allah, they have spread much tyranny and corruption in the land. Pour Your wrath upon them, oh our God. Lie in wait for them. Oh Allah, You annihilated the people of Thamoud at the hand of a tyrant, and You annihilated the people of 'Aad with a fierce, icy gale. Oh Allah, You annihilated the people Thamoud at the hand of a tyrant, You annihilated the people of 'Aad with a fierce, icy gale, and You destroyed the Pharaoh and his soldiers – oh Allah, take this oppressive, tyrannical band of people. Oh Allah, take this oppressive, Jewish, Zionist band of people. Oh Allah, do not spare a single one of them. Oh Allah, count their numbers, and kill them, down to the very last one.