In January 2010, Abbas was said to have confronted rising Palestinian
unrest throughout the West Bank. The PA chairman ordered all mosque preachers to
condemn the Qatar-based cleric Yusef Al Qaradawi after the latter called
Abbas a traitor who deserves to be executed.
The sources said Abbas ordered through the Islamic Affairs Ministry that
all PA-financed clerics use their sermons on Jan. 15 to attack Qaradawi. The
order said those refusing to attack the Egyptian cleric, with a widely
viewed weekly television program, would be fired.
The anti-Qaradawi sermons, however, sparked opposition throughout the
West Bank. In the Jamal Abdul Nasser mosque in Ramallah, regarded as the
least Islamic city in the West Bank, hundreds of congregants shouted down
the imam as he criticized Qaradawi.
The sources said hundreds of PA anti-riot police were summoned and
stormed the mosque. Dozens of congregants were injured or arrested in the
melee.
Abbas ordered the booed Ramallah cleric to return to Jamal Abdul Nasser
mosque for Friday prayers on Jan. 29. There was no incident amid the heavy
police presence at the mosque.
The sources said Fatah has opposed the anti-Qaradawi campaign. They said
Fatah leaders urged clerics in such cities as Hebron and Nablus to ignore
Abbas directives.
"The security forces have become very unpopular and Fatah does not want
to become part of this," the source said. "The situation has become
volatile."
The PA campaign also included the hanging of posters through the West
Bank that show Qaradawi with Jewish clerics. Qaradawi has invited rabbis,
mostly critics of Israel, to India and Qatar as part of his interfaith
efforts.
"I am not bothered about the malicious propaganda launched by the PA."
Qaradawi said.
