“On September 13, 2001, one of the leading Muslim scholars, Yusuf al-Qardawi, issued a fatwa that condemned Al Qaeda’s ‘illegal jihad’ and expressed sorrow and empathy with the American victims: ‘Our hearts bleed because of the attacks that have targeted the World Trade Center, as well as other institutions in the United States.’ Qardawi, who has a huge Muslim audience and is widely listened to and read, wrote that the murders in New York cannot be justified on any ground, including ‘the American biased policy toward Israel on the military, political, and economic fronts.’ ”
– Fawaz A. Gerges, The Far Enemy, Page 239