Prominent Islamic scholar Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi praised the recently deceased Pope Shenouda III on Monday, saying that he adopted several admirable positions in supporting the Palestinian right to nationhood.
Qaradawi, the head of the International Union of Muslim Scholars, said in a telegram of condolences he sent to the Coptic Orthodox Church that he greatly respected Pope Shenouda III for insisting that Copts refrain from visiting Jerusalem under Israeli occupation.
The sheikh went on to say that Shenouda was an Egyptian national figure, writer, poet and preacher.
“We share the grief with our Coptic brothers and we wish them success in their new life. We hope they will cooperate with their Muslim Egyptian brothers to build a free, democratic and faithful Egypt,” Qaradawi said.
“We hope Muslims and Christians will establish a new life based on the pillars of unity, love, tolerance, peace, and cooperation for righteousness and piety, upholding rights and keeping patience,” he said.
Qaradawi is an Egyptian sheikh based in Qatar currently on a visit to his home country.
On Thursday, he severely criticized Iran and militant Lebanese group Hizbullah.
“The whole region has to confront Iran and Hizbullah, given their support for Bashar al-Assad against the Syrian uprising,” the sheikh told a public conference organized at Egypt’s Journalists Syndicate in support for the popular uprising against the Syrian president, which erupted in March 2011.
