DOHA – An influential Qatar-based cleric whose fiery sermons strained ties between Doha and its neighbors sent a conciliatory message to countries he has criticized in an apparent attempt to help end a rift between the Gulf Arab allies. Sheikh Youssef Al-Qaradawi, an Egyptian-born cleric, said all views expressed in his preaching were his own and not those of Qatar. “My personal position does not reflect the position of the Qatari government ... I do not take on an official position, but just express my personal opinion,” he said in an emailed statement on Sunday. The aging cleric used unusually placatory language about Qatar's neighbors. “I would like to say I love all the countries of the Gulf, and they all love me: Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Bahrain. I consider them one country and one house,” he said. On March 5, in an unprecedented move, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain recalled their ambassadors from Qatar, accusing Doha of failing to abide by an accord not to interfere in each other's internal affairs. Since the withdrawal of the Gulf ambassadors, Qaradawi has refrained from preaching during Friday sermons, a move seen as an attempt to calm tensions. Qaradawi said the opinions he expressed in his public statements were only delivered as a means of constructive criticism. — Reuters
