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Al Qaradawi : East-West Integration A Fact Highlighted by Islam

Dr. Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, the head of the European Council for Fatwa and Research (ECFR), and the president of the International Association of Muslim Scholars, confirmed that the message of Islam is universal and pointed out that Islam’s cultural message is directed to all mankind. He also pointed out that Muslims don’t suffer from the complex of separating between the East and the West. Islamic belief states that both the East and the West are a part of the kingdom of God, Glory be to H

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Dr. Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, the head of the European Council for Fatwa and Research (ECFR), and the president of the International Association of Muslim Scholars, confirmed that the message of Islam is universal and pointed out that Islam"s cultural message is directed to all mankind. He also pointed out that Muslims don"t suffer from the complex of separating between the East and the West. Islamic belief states that both the East and the West are a part of the kingdom of God, Glory be to Him .
 
Al-Qaradawi said this in a speech he delivered in front of top Islamic leaders and Arab ambassadors and media figures in France, in a lunch banquet held by Qatari ambassador to France, Mohammed Jaham Al Kuwari in the embassy in Paris.
 
In this very context, Al Qaradawi rejected what poet Kiplng said that: (Oh, East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet), confirming that they can met and they have already met.
 
Al Qaradawi added that this necessary integrated meeting between the East and the West, though it was doubted in the past, is proved a fact on the ground nowadays in an age that forces all nations not to be isolated from others, people not to be isolated from other peoples, and that no religion is isolated from other religions, especially Islam that announced from the very beginning that it is a universal religion based on a message which is directed to all mankind.
 
"They pray to one God who is the god of all worlds God, a God who isn"t their god alone- as Muslims- but He is the God of all mankind, " said Al Qaradawi.
 
Accordingly, Muslims face in problem in dealing with all people whatever their beliefs or places on earth, according to the renowned Muslim scholar.
 
The problem emerges when the Muslim refuses or hesitates to deal with all people in general and he consequently commits a sin as much as his belief is concerned. This is because all humanity including its sects and beliefs, constitute- according to us as Muslims- one single big family, which is the human family", he added.
 
"Our creator is same, our God,  our origin is the same. All of us belong to one single father, Adam peace be upon him" said  Al Qaradawi citing the Hadith of the messenger of Allah Mohammed peace be upon him in the Farewell Pilgrimage : " All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over black nor a black has any superiority over white except by piety and good action ".
Some Westerners distorted the image of Islam and some Muslims distorted the image of Islam. Also, some Muslims scholars and some enthusiastic young men gave an untrue image about Islam. Thus, all of us should cooperate to correct this image and show the true image of Islam to all nations in the four corners of the globe", Al Qaradawi said.
 
Al Qaradawi excluded from his speech the resistence of the Palestinian people who call for restoring their usurped rights. He sees that the Palestinians were forced to fight. "We support the resistance that seeks and defends rights of the Palestinian people".
 
In a related context, Al Qaradawi called on European Muslims to effectively take part in their European societies without any extremism through a full assimilation that leads to losing the identity or isolation. He highlighted Muslim"s effective role in his general environment according to tenets of his religion and without violating any of its constants and to be also in line with laws of the other and in integration with the laws of existence.