Prominent Islamic scholar Dr Yousuf Al Qaradawi yesterday reiterated his call for boycotting American and Israeli goods in protest against the atrocities being carried out by Israel on the innocent people of the Gaza Strip.
Addressing a huge rally at the Qatar Sports Club (QSC), the cleric said the boycott of American and Israeli goods earlier had proved effective. “We must resort to it again and should never use these goods.” He lauded Qatar for its support of the people of Gaza and said the country had been behind the move to raise the issue of Israeli aggression in the UN Security Council.
More than 15,000 people, many of them women and children, participated in the procession, which began from a mosque on Qatar University Road and ended at the QSC grounds. People were carrying placards, banners and posters with slogans in Arabic and English decrying Israel’s acts of extreme violence in Gaza. Some of the banners read ‘Stop the massacre in Gaza’ and ‘Stop Gaza’s siege’. People were also shouting slogans against Israel and singing songs in praise of the brave people of Gaza. A highlight was that Al Qaradawi delivered a Friday sermon at the mosque from where the march began and later turned up at the QSC grounds to address the rally. Due to ill health, he did not lead the Friday prayers.
The rally was organised by the QSC in association with prominent Islamic scholars who have formed a group after the Israeli attacks to garner world support for the people of Gaza. Its members also travelled overseas to meet top leaders on the issue. Also present in the march were Islamic scholar Ali Mohiuddin Al Qurradaghi, Qatar Sports Club’s General-Secretary, Abdullah Hameed, and a faculty member of Qatar University, Professor Mohamed Al Sheeb. Many people, among them non-Muslims as well, joined the march as it proceeded through the main thoroughfare to the Qatar Sports Club’s sprawling grounds.
A banner representing the Egyptian community in Qatar called Cairo to open the Rafa crossing to let aid into Gaza, close down the Israeli embassy in the Egyptian capital and stop exporting gas to Israel. A pre-recorded speech of the exiled Hamas leader, Khaled Meshaal was also played. He demanded an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. The siege, he said, was the root-cause of the crisis which was brewing in Gaza.
http://thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=Local_News&subsection=Qatar+News&month=January2009&file=Local_News2009011034452.xml
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