25 November, 2005: QATAR Friday Sermon

Doha Qatar Television Service in Arabic, official television station of the State of Qatar, carries at 0958 GMT a live sermon from Umar Bin-al-Khattab mosque in Doha.

Shaykh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, Egyptian cleric based in Qatar, delivers the first sermon, which he devotes to battles fought by the prophet, mainly the "Battle of Al-Ahzab" or 'Battle of the Trench" in the siege of Medina, stressing to young Muslims that the prophet's life "was one of continuous jihad. The 10 years he spent in Medina were bloody jihad and fighting against the fronts of non-belief, infidelity, Judaism, and others." Al-Qaradawi dwells long on the details of the "Battle of Al-Ahzab" and says in the end he will continue speaking on the subject in next Friday's sermon.

In the second sermon, Al-Qaradawi says: "Muslim brethren, we and the world still live in the echo of the letter that was published in a London newspaper from British Prime Minister Tony Blair to his ally, US President George Bush. This letter contains a warning to Bush not to carry out his threat to bomb Al-Jazirah TV Channel and its offices to get rid of it and its evils that disturbed him.

"Actually, I can hardly believe what I heard. To this Bush, who declared a universal war to save the world from dictatorship and establish life of freedom and democracy in which every one can express opinion; to this Bush I say: Mr. Bush, how has Al-Jazirah disturbed you? This is the channel of the opinion and the other opinion. Has it disturbed you because people express their opinions in full freedom? Where is the democracy you call for? Where is the freedom you claim to be fighting for and spending tens, and in fact hundreds of billions to achieve it in the world?

"It has transpired to be a mere claim. The concern for freedom and democracy and fighting for the sake of human rights and for everyone to express his opinion has transpired to be a lie. It is not the truth. What makes us believe what was rumored and published is that the United States has precedents. It bombed Al-Jazirah bureau in Kabul and Al-Jazirah bureau in Baghdad, killing its correspondent, brother Ayyub, may his soul rest in peace.

"Therefore, it is not unlikely for the United States to do this. We wonder. Aren't the people of Qatar or rulers of Qatar your friends? Don't you have a base in Qatar? How can you attack a country in which you have a military base? Do these people think with enlightened or darkened minds or follow their whims?"

He adds: "The advantage of Al-Jazirah TV Channel is that it allows different opinions to be aired and debated. Prior to Al-Jazirah, there was one dominant opinion. The people did not hear the other opinion; the opposition opinion. But in Al-Jazirah we now hear conflicting opinions in more than one program. This is a great advantage to be counted for Qatar and Qatari Government. It is a plus point in its scale before God and the people that it reveals what people try to hide and what rulers try to hide and do not want to appear to mankind.

"Thus, we see many complaining about Al-Jazirah Channel because it reveals their cards and exposes their secrecy and affairs. They don't like Al-Jazirah and they reproach Qatar for Al-Jazirah. This is what they complain about and use against the people of Qatar. They see Al-Jazirah as one of Qatar's sins and evils. But, we say that it is to the contrary."

He adds: "What they complain about Qatar is what we praise Qatar and Al-Jazirah for. We want freedom. This is the freedom that the United States claims to be fighting for. The United States wants the freedom that serves it. It does not want freedom for the sake of freedom, that is, absolute freedom. It wants freedom that serves its aims, interests, and designs. Otherwise, it will fight us. This is not fair at all. This is not justice at all. This is not moral values at all. A person must respect the truth whether it is for him or against him."

Al-Qaradawi concludes with a prayer to God to support mujahidin in Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Chechnya. He prays: "O God, deal with the enemies of Islam. O God, deal with the one who plots against Muslims." He also prays: "O God, deal with the one who harbors evil for Muslims. O God, deal with the usurper, aggressor, and treacherous Jews and their allies. O God, turn against them and spare us their evil."