(IDF) Sheikh Yussuf Kardawi is considered the spiritual head of the Muslim Brotherhood across the Middle East. Aside from being an authority on Islamic law (he provided religious authority for suicide bombings, including making it legal for women), he heads various social and financial organizations that raise funds for Hamas. Kardawi cites Islamic traditions which quote the prophet Muhammad as saying that one of the signs of salvation will be the conquest of Constantinople and after that, the conquest of Rome. At this point Kardawi continues and writes: "The city of Herkel (Constantinople) was conquered in 1453 by the 23yr old Ottaman Muhammad Ibn Morad, known to us as Muhammad the conqueror. Now we need only await the conquest of Italy, and in this we hope and believe." "Islam will once again return to Europe as a conqueror and it will triumph after having been expelled from it twice. It was expelled the first time from Andalusia (Spain) and the second from the East of Europe after trying to conquer Athens (Greece)." "I believe that this time we will succeed to conquer Europe not by the sword (combat), but by the spread of Islamic ideology. The conquest of Rome is but a step in the expansion of Islam, which will include the entire world, the East and the West."
2002-12-02 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive