(Middle East Eye) Hamza Yusuf, a prominent Muslim scholar based in the United States, is facing a deluge of criticism after publicly endorsing the United Arab Emirates’ decision to normalise ties with Israel — a move which has in large part been condemned by Muslim religious leaders.
Yusuf, once dubbed “the most influential Muslim scholar in the western world,” endorsed normalisation in a statement released by the Forum for Promoting Peace in Muslim Societies (FPPMS), an organisation led by his Saudi-based teacher, Abdullah bin Bayyah, on Thursday.
The statement, which begins by heaping praise on Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed and the country’s foreign minister, Abdullah bin Zayed, says normalisation “stopped Israel from extending its sovereignty over Palestinian lands,” and was a means to “promote peace and stability across the world.”
(Text updated)
