Doha-based Egyptian scholar Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi says if it is proven that acting Palestinian Authority Chief Mahmoud Abbas instigated the Israeli war against Gaza, he must be stoned. "During the debate raised over the Goldstone UN report which accused Israel of war crimes against Gaza, there were reports that Abbas encouraged Israel to launch its offensive against Gaza," Qaradawi said as he delivered a Friday sermon at Doha's Omar bin al-Khattab mosque.
"There also were reports that he stalled a vote on the report by the UN Human Rights Council," said the Egyptian scholar, who is a Qatari citizen, as well.
"The Arab League should investigate the matter, and if it is proven that Abbas instigated the Israeli war against Gaza, he deserves to be publicly stoned in Mecca because this would be a betrayal on his part," he added.
However, Qaradawi pointed out that he was not issuing a religious ruling (fatwa), but simply calling on the Arab league, the Organization of the Islamic Conference, and certain other unbiased parties to conduct a probe.
"I did not issue a fatwa. I am not a judge or investigator," he stated, rejecting a contrary claim made by the acting Palestinian Authority Chief.
Abbas accused Qaradawi of issuing such a fatwa, while speaking to members of the Qatari media during a visit he paid to the Persian Gulf littoral state last week.