Ali Muhyiddin al-Qaradaghi, the Secretary-General of the World Union of Muslim Scholars, stated that the Islamic world is divided into three on the issue of Palestine.
Speaking to an AA correspondent at the World Union of Muslim Scholars' headquarters in Doha, Qatar, al-Qaradaghi commented on the first anniversary of Israel's ongoing genocide in the Gaza Strip.
He expressed that the world, instead of stopping the genocide in Gaza, has stood by as a spectator, emphasizing that the West, especially the United States, has supported Israel's genocidal actions.
Al-Qaradaghi pointed out that the U.S. has given unconditional support to Israel under the pretext of its "right to self-defense."
He also stressed that the Islamic world has not acted in unity on the Palestinian issue, saying, "Unfortunately, the Islamic world has been divided into three during this process.
The first group has remained silent as if these massacres never happened, and as if the attacks never began or continued. The second group not only remained silent but also supported Israel in various fields, both commercially and politically.
The third group, which includes a very small number of countries such as Türkiye, Qatar, Malaysia, Algeria, and Kuwait, stood against Israel and supported the Palestinians. However, this was not enough to stop Israel. The genocides, deaths, and destruction continued."
Al-Qaradaghi highlighted that a full year has passed since Israel's genocide in the Gaza Strip and noted that Gaza continues to suffer daily with at least 50-100 martyrs and injured. He stated, "The Zionists are occupying our lands and homes. This year, we witnessed truly horrific massacres. Mosques, hospitals, schools, and universities were destroyed. The infrastructure was completely obliterated. Neither history nor humanity has ever witnessed such destruction and genocide before."
Labeling this year as the "year of sorrow," al-Qaradaghi remarked that Israel's attacks were not limited to Gaza but also extended to the West Bank and Lebanon. He also noted that Israel increased its pressure on the Al-Aqsa Mosque. He lamented that, despite all this, the Muslim world was unable to unite, saying, "More than 50 Islamic countries couldn't do anything. They couldn't stop the tears of the oppressed, nor could they stop Israel."
Recalling Türkiye's historical and moral responsibility regarding Palestine, al-Qaradaghi emphasized that Türkiye has done everything in its power to stop Israel, stating, "Unfortunately, the lack of unity among Muslims on the Palestinian issue has left Türkiye isolated in this matter. As the World Union of Muslim Scholars, we appreciate Türkiye's stance and thank the Turkish government, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and the Turkish people for their moral and historical position. Türkiye's stance is, in fact, an extension of Sultan Abdulhamid's firm refusal to surrender even a speck of Palestinian land."
Al-Qaradaghi explained that Muslim countries could have taken many steps in response to the ongoing genocide, saying, "A significant portion of Islamic countries could have imposed an oil and gas embargo. Just as Saudi Arabia's King Faisal bin Abdulaziz did in 1973, an oil and gas embargo could have been imposed. This would have been highly effective. Therefore, the most effective method would have been for Arab and Islamic countries to impose an oil and gas embargo. Because the West, which is at war with Russia, would be forced to seek a solution to overcome this crisis, as it does not want to remain dependent on Russia, the other major producer. Unfortunately, this has not happened yet."
He added that another step could be to sever relations with Israel, highlighting that countries like Türkiye could end their economic ties. Al-Qaradaghi recalled that many fatwas and statements had been issued emphasizing the necessity of supporting Gaza and mentioned their proposal for an international conference, saying, "One important suggestion we presented through Turkish officials to President Erdoğan, and also to the Malaysian president, was to organize a summit with all world leaders who oppose the genocide in Gaza."
Al-Qaradaghi also stressed the need to prepare ships carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Calling on the leaders and people of Muslim countries to take action, al-Qaradaghi concluded his remarks by saying: "I call upon all Muslims on behalf of Gaza. I appeal to the responsible leaders of Islamic countries and all Muslim leaders to exert every effort to stop this oppression. Each leader is responsible within their capacity, and they are religiously obliged to take these steps. It is incumbent upon Muslim peoples not only to organize protests and marches but also to provide all kinds of material, economic, and humanitarian support to our brothers. The patience and resistance of the people of Gaza, who are defending their land and rights, have no equal in history. Defending Gaza, the West Bank, and all Islamic lands is a legal duty and an obligation for everyone."
