In his latest video, Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi stated that his previous fatwa allowing Palestinians to carry out istishhadiyya (operations involving suicide bombers) is no longer relevant under current circumstances. This is because the Palestinians now have effective military capabilities, such as rockets that can penetrate deep into Israeli territory. Therefore, the use of suicide bombers is forbidden for them in the current situation.
Sheikh al-Qaradawi made this statement in response to a series of provocations by Egypt’s Sisi regime television as part of a campaign to discredit and demonize the pro-Islamist opposition. He clarified that Egyptian propagandists have compiled various of his past fatwas and statements, taken out of context, to portray him as an advocate of terrorism in the context of civil war.
The Sheikh said, «A TV channel supporting the regime used isolated parts of my speech about acts of self-sacrifice (referring to Palestine) and created the impression that I was talking about the current situation in Egypt.