On Friday, 10/11/2023, a public gathering was held in Turkey in front of the Fatih Mosque, organized by the International Union of Muslim Scholars, with the aim of supporting the Palestinian cause, the defenders of Gaza, rejecting the aggressor's attacks on Gaza, and encouraging Islamic and Arab countries to take practical steps. Several Muslim scholars delivered special statements on the issue, including Prof. Dr. Ali Al-Qaradaghi, who participated as the Secretary-General of the International Union of Muslim Scholars. This is the text of Prof. Dr. Ali Al-Qaradaghi's statement:

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger sent as a mercy to all creation, and upon all his family and companions collectively.

Thereafter:

My dear brothers and sisters, I greet you with the greeting of Islam and thank you for your efforts and for traveling here for the sake of Allah and for the sake of your first Qibla and the place of the Isra and Mi'raj of the Prophet (peace be upon him). May Allah reward you.

Our hearts are aware of the events in Gaza, but yesterday my heart was much more agitated, my eyes shed tears, and my body trembled when I saw the scene of an old man placing his martyred grandchildren before him and then telling them: "Tell the Messenger of Allah that your people abandoned us."

Thousands of children have been killed, and thousands of other women and men have ascended to their Creator, complaining to Allah about the oppression of the oppressors and their disappointment from the Muslims. This war is a war of genocide waged against our people in Gaza, a war of starvation, a war of destroying everything, a racist Nazi war waged by the criminal Zionist occupiers.

What is painful is that all international laws, human values, and the rights of humans and children, have all broken before the American and Western governments, who themselves have broken before their own hypocrisy.

What is most painful of all is that most Arab and Islamic countries have not yet fulfilled their obligations, neither taking necessary action nor utilizing their heavy weapons, which are gas, oil, severing relations, and preventing the enemy from flying over their skies.

In the face of this painful situation and catastrophe, under the slogan "Supporting Gaza is a Sharia obligation and a humanitarian necessity," the International Union of Muslim Scholars called for this activity, which includes unions, scholarly organizations, and parliamentary institutions.

As it is not hidden from you that the monotheistic Muslim scholars have always stood with their primary issue with all their might and have worked through awareness and mobilization, raising awareness among the people about their duties towards their primary issue and towards the people of Gaza, as well as mobilizing the people for effective action.

Today, in this blessed demonstration, on this blessed day, and in this sacred mosque, which is a sign and symbol of victory and conquest, and in this good country with its people, president, and government, we emphasize the following points:

First: Confronting the occupiers everywhere, especially in our Qibla and holy land, is a Sharia obligation and permissible in all heavenly laws and international laws. Therefore, what the Palestinian defenders in the occupied territories have done is not terrorism in any way, rather all scholars agree that it is obligatory to expel the occupier from the land. If they cannot, then they should do something close to that. Whoever does not do all that they can bears a great sin.

Second: Supporting our brothers in Gaza by all available means and liberating them is a Sharia obligation. This support differs for governments that have armies and capabilities, just as they bear all the things that are obligations upon peoples, such as jihad with money and through media.

Third: The demands of faith, Islamic brotherhood, and a single body dictate that we stand with our people in Gaza and provide all their life necessities, despite the obstacles of the occupiers. How can a Muslim enjoy all these bounties while his brothers are deprived of water, electricity, food, and homes? So, by Allah, besides Whom there is no other god, whoever is negligent will be questioned.

Fourth: Siding with the occupying enemy for their victory and their desire to dominate Muslims falls under the shade of this verse: ﴿وَمَن يَتَوَلَّهُم مِّنكُمْ فَإِنَّهُ مِنْهُمْ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَ﴾ [Al-Ma'idah: 51]. Meaning: O you who have believed, do not take the Jews and the Christians as allies and supporters for yourselves; some of them are allies and supporters of each other. And whoever allies himself with them among you - then indeed, he is [one] of them. Indeed, Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people.

Also the verse: (يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَتَّخِذُوا عَدُوِّي وَعَدُوَّكُمْ أَوْلِيَاءَ تُلْقُونَ إِلَيْهِم بِالْمَوَدَّةِ) [Al-Mumtahanah: 1]. Meaning: (1) O you who have believed, do not take My enemy and your enemy as allies, extending to them affection...

Based on these established principles, we have gathered in this blessed field to emphasize the following points:

First: We call upon Arab leaders and Muslim leaders who will meet this week to take these measures:

• Demand clearly, openly, and strongly for an end to the attack on Gaza and the West Bank. Their demand should be accompanied by practical measures, such as cutting off oil and gas from all countries that support the occupier in its tyrannical attacks and racist war, and threatening to expand the circle of war.

• A courageous decision to support Palestine until the complete liberation of all occupied territories.

• A decision to cut off all political, economic, diplomatic, and similar relations with the tyrannical occupier, this applies to those countries that have relations with the occupier.

• A strong decision to economically boycott all Zionist products or companies that support the occupier.

• Mobilizing all efforts to prevent the displacement of the people of Gaza to any place.

• A decision to rebuild Gaza, despite the obstacles of the occupier.

Second: We demand the opening of the Rafah crossing without re-closing it, because its closure leads to starvation and death. The Sharia ruling is that whoever causes the death or harm of another person is complicit in the crime of death and siege.

Third: We call upon all media outlets to fulfill their duty in exposing the occupiers and revealing their crimes to the whole world, because this is one of the conditions for our final victory, which we are in now - and Allah knows best. Allah Almighty says: (فَإِذَا جَاءَ وَعْدُ الْآخِرَةِ لِيَسُوءُوا وُجُوهَكُمْ وَلِيَدْخُلُوا الْمَسْجِدَ كَمَا دَخَلُوهُ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ وَلِيُتَبِّرُوا مَا عَلَوْا تَتْبِيرًا) [Al-Isra: 7]. This is because they have great power and authority to terrorize people, and if they are not exposed to the world, then most of the world will support them. Thanks to Allah, this war has disgraced and blackened their faces twice, once on October 7th, and now with their crimes, which the Western world is gradually understanding and rising against. From here, we thank the effective media.

Fourth: We call upon our Islamic people to fulfill their duties, each according to their ability and authority. Among the most important things required by Sharia today are:

• Great effort and striving in charity, even advancing Zakat and giving the cost of Umrah travel as charity for Gaza.

• Demonstrations, gatherings, and partial and complete strikes to pressure decision-makers to stand with the people of Gaza.

• Organizing ships full of requested goods and protecting them in some countries until they reach our hungry relatives and people, and to break the siege on Gaza.

Fifth: The International Union of Muslim Scholars calls for an Arab-Islamic humanitarian unity among all countries supporting the Palestinian cause, and those countries that stand against the genocidal crimes in Gaza. Let one of these great Islamic countries (for example, Turkey) undertake to invite these countries to a meeting similar to the (Hilf al-Fudul - Alliance of the Virtuous). We have sent letters to most countries, and we hope that Turkey will do so.

Finally, I emphasize the importance of the continuity of this public conference, which will meet shortly to form a permanent committee and take practical steps (with the help of Allah).

Dear sirs, allow me, on my behalf and on your behalf, to thank great Turkey, with its president, government, and people, and also to thank all the countries that have supported our cause and stood with truth and justice, as well as the protesting peoples for Gaza and condemning the occupier.

And peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you.

Prof. Dr. Ali Muhiyddin Al-Qaradaghi
General Secretary of IUMS