A senior leader in the Qatar-based International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS) has condemned Iran’s recent strikes on several Middle Eastern countries while simultaneously urging Muslims to unite against Israel and what he described as a broader “Zionist-American project” in the region.
In an interview with the Qatari daily Al Sharq on March 7, Ali al Qaradghi, the chairman of the IUMS, denounced Iran’s repeated attacks on Muslim Gulf countries. However, he added that the appropriate response for the Muslim world was not escalation against Tehran but rather to “stand up to the expansionist Zionist project through a strong Islamic alliance.”
In a separate X post, Qaradaghi similarly warned that Muslims “must act according to our knowledge that the Zionist project is clear—on the tongues of its leaders—that the intent is not Iran alone, but the entire Middle East, a new expansion and occupation in the 21st century.”
The International Union of Muslim Scholars is a global network of Sunni clerics that is headquartered in Qatar and broadly aligned with the Muslim Brotherhood. Founded in 2004 and reportedly supported by the Qatari royal family, it has long served as a transnational clerical platform promoting Islamist political activism.
Qaradaghi’s remarks followed an official statement by the IUMS on March 3 addressing evolving regional developments. The statement began by emphasizing “the arrogance of the Zionist-American project” and warning against “‘American Zionist exaltation’ seeking to impose hegemony.” The IUMS then condemned Iran’s retaliatory strikes against Gulf countries, Jordan, and Iraq, and called for de-escalation and dialogue between Muslim-majority states. Finally, the IUMS urged Muslims to unify politically and strategically against what it described as “the Zionist project,” framing Israel as the primary threat facing the Islamic world.
From its founding until 2018, the IUMS was chaired by Yusuf al Qaradawi, the late Egyptian-born cleric and de facto spiritual guide of the Muslim Brotherhood, who hosted a long-running talk show on Al Jazeera.
Qaradawi used his position at the IUMS and his global media platform to promote Islamist political thought and armed resistance against Israel and the West. In a 2004 BBC interview, he famously endorsed Palestinian suicide bombings against Israelis, calling them “evidence of God’s justice.” Qaradawi also argued that Israeli civilians, including women, could be legitimate targets because they serve in the Israeli military.
The late cleric likewise legitimized attacks on American personnel during the Iraq War, declaring that the kidnapping and murder of American “civilians and soldiers” was permissible under Islamic law.
Under the subsequent leadership of Qaradaghi, the IUMS has continued to promote militant opposition to Israel. The group issued a fatwa in March 2025 calling for “armed jihad” against Israel. An IUMS publication posted in June 2025 mentioned a conference that the organization hosted during which Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel was referred to as “a flood of pride and sacrifice.”
During the 12-day Israel-Iran war in June 2025, the IUMS strongly condemned Israeli strikes on Iran. Qaradaghi described the attacks as “blatant Zionist aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran,” adding that it was “impossible to remain silent in the face of this injustice.” He further called for financial pressure against Israel and encouraged “action by young people and human rights activists.”
The group’s latest statements suggest that the IUMS is attempting to navigate escalating regional tensions while maintaining its longstanding ideological priorities.
The March 3 statement highlights the group’s enduring Islamist orientation. Although it criticized Iranian strikes on neighboring Muslim states, the IUMS continues to frame Israel as the primary adversary of the Muslim world and to promote pan-Islamic mobilization against it. The organization has repeatedly endorsed armed resistance and praised attacks carried out by Hamas, reinforcing its role as a clerical platform advancing Islamist political and militant objectives.
Mariam Wahba is a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), where Natalie Ecanow is a senior research analyst. Follow Mariam on X @themariamwahba. Follow Natalie on X @NatalieEcanow. Follow FDD on X @FDD.
Tags: Iran, Iranian strikes on Arab states, IUMS, us
