A group of Muslim scholars have criticized Egypt for seeking an Interpol arrest warrant for a Qatar-based cleric who is Egyptian-born and an active supporter of the Muslim Brotherhood.
The Monday development came as the international police body earlier this month issued a Red Notice alert for Sheikh Youssef al-Qaradawi in connection with a number of alleged offences claimed by Egyptian authorities, including murder, arson, vandalism and theft.
Meanwhile, the International Union of Muslim Scholars, which Qaradawi heads, demanded in a statement the rapid removal of the Interpol arrest warrant.
"We as scientists and scholars and all Muslims were surprised at the listing of Sheikh Youssef al-Qaradawi's name in the list of Interpol's most-wanted internationally, at the request of the coup authorities in Egypt," said the statement.
It further described Qaradawi's views as "moderate" and said international judicial authorities should have been conscious about "the real criminals, who loot and steal and kill and burn their own people, and finance falsehood, and the world knows them all."
The statement was clearly referring to Egyptian president and former army chief, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who led a military coup that ousted Egypt’s first freely-elected president, Mohamed Morsi, in July 2013.
In Egypt, where the Muslim Brotherhood has been labeled as a terrorist organization, authorities have called for Qaradawi's capture and trial for the alleged offenses listed in the Interpol notice.
Qaradawi, however, has denied involvement in any of the alleged crimes.
The cleric has been harshly critical of Egypt's military-backed government.
