Major Muslim religious group calls for jihad against Israel

The International Association of Muslim Scholars, an organization founded by Yusuf al-Qaradawi as a "moderate" alternate to Muslim extremism, has called on the entire Muslim world to start a jihad "in all its forms" to "defend" the Al Aqsa mosque from presumed desecration by the Zionists.

The "in all its forms" phrasing is meant to leave no doubt that he is calling for war. The photo illustrating the story in Palestine Today, showing coffins draped with Israeli flags, shows that the message is crystal-clear.

The statement specifically calls on Jordan and Egypt to sever relations with Israel and for the Muslim world to pressure their leaders to "do something before it is too late," i.e., start a war with Israel.

Qaradawi was considered by Newsweek to be a front-runner to take over as head of Al Azhar University after the death of Sheikh Tantawi.