Cairo scholars urge ‘jihad’

Islamic scholars at Cairo’s Al-Azhar University have declared a US attack on Iraq would threaten all Arabs and Muslims and urged a &#14...

Islamic scholars at Cairo’s Al-Azhar University have declared a US attack on Iraq would threaten all Arabs and Muslims and urged a ‘‘jihad’’ to defend their interests. The statement, published in Egyptian newspapers Monday, said the US troop buildup in the Persian Gulf is part of a ‘‘new crusade,’’ a highly emotive word in an Arab world where memories of the medieval crusades still frame relations with the West.

‘‘According to Islamic law, if the enemy steps on Muslims’ land, jihad becomes a duty for every male and female Muslim,’’ said the statement by the Academy.

‘‘The meaning of jihad means a lot of things, not just fighting,’’ said Abbas Ahmed, a spokesman for Al-Azhar in Cairo. But he added that any attack on Iraq would ‘‘be a strike on Islam.’’ The statement seemed to reverberate across the Arab world given Al Azhar’s prestige as a source of spiritual guidance and Egypt’s role as a tight US ally.

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In a sermon last week, Sheik Yusuf al-Qaradawi urged Muslims to be prepared to fight ‘‘if the Iraqis fail to drive them (the US forces) out.’’ The Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan, which has participated in elections through its political arm, the Islamic Action Front, called on the government last week to expel US troops.

That call was echoed in the statement today by the Al-Azhar scholars. ‘‘Our Arab and Islamic nation, and even our faith, are a main target for these military build-ups,’’ it said. ‘‘The demand now is to stop the violence, to stop the war,’’ said Tariq Bishri, a leading Islamic intellectual in Cairo.

‘‘But if the violence begins, nobody can tell how it will end. We will see and the US will see.’’ The statement was signed by the Academy’s secretary-general, Sayyed Wafa Abu Aggour. But Nabil Osman, an Egyptian government spokesman said it did not carry the same weight it would have if issued by the grand imam of Al-Azhar, Sheik Mohammed Sayyid Tantawi.

‘‘This is not the highest authority in Al-Azhar. The highest authority is the sheik himself,’’ Osman said in an interview. (LATWP)