Just came across this news.
Another take
Moderates forced out of top Islam Web site
By HADEEL AL-SHALCHI (AP) Mar 25, 2010
CAIRO The Qatari government has forced out the moderate leadership of a popular Islamic Web site and plans to reshape it into a more religiously conservative outlet, former employees of the site said Thursday.
Sheik Youssef al-Qaradawi, the widely respected cleric who co-founded IslamOnline and is known as a relative moderate, is no longer the head of al-Balagh, the company which funds the Web site, said his secretary, Youssef Aboul-Naga.
The site was thrown into turmoil two weeks ago when the owners attempted to change its approach, prompting 350 of its workers in Cairo to go on strike. Management in Doha then cut off their access to the site and have been updating it with news articles but not the diverse content IslamOnline is known for, said the former employees.
Aboul-Naga said a temporary board has been appointed and a new president will be elected in the coming weeks. He said al-Balagh gave employees in Cairo, where the site had been operated, the option to apply for jobs in Doha where the site's operation would move or to resign.
In a statement, Ibrahim al-Ansari, the new board's director said that al-Qaradawi was relieved from his duties because of the stress he faced from the "misrepresentative" media reports on what was happening at IslamOnline.
Al-Qaradawi has long served as an adviser and guide to the site and his realistic approach to the questions of Islam in the modern age set the tone for IslamOnline.
Al-Qaradawi is one of most influential voices in Sunni Islam, and has been criticized by more conservative scholars for allowing things like men and women to study together, encouraging Western Muslims to participate in their democracies, and condemning al-Qaida attacks such as Sept. 11.
Besides content on Islam, the site, which used to received of hits 350,000 hits a day, is known for covering interfaith dialogue, the arts, sciences and health. It has a fatwa section, where people can receive religious decrees on everything from banking questions to female masturbation.
Many of its contributors are American or European Muslims, and the Cairo offices even employed non-Muslims.
Fathi Abu Hatab, who has been with the company for 10 years, said repeated pressures from management to change the site's approach prompted them to go on strike.
"Our Doha correspondent wasn't allowed to cover the Doha Film Festival because it was deemed unIslamic. We were receiving complaints (from management) about our discussions on women's health, homosexuality, and films."
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hli-SzA66mUtwmFHwMZpFyIKZcngD9ELRHBG0
Another take
The Qatari government's decision to remove Sheikh Youssef el-Qaradawi from his position as head of the Al-Balagh Cultural Society, which runs the IslamOnline website, is demonstrative of the failures crippling the Arab world. Qatar has blocked the most respected Islamic website across the Arab world, one which has kept a professional distance from both the Egyptian and Qatari governments, in turn giving it the independence to express its views. Additionally, IslamOnline had some of the most competent journalists in the Arab world.
The Qatari government's decision goes against several Islamic values - such as fraternity and solidarity - leaving us with savage conflicts of interest and bitter competition over power. Human values are part of our history and identity, but we have managed to transform all this positive heritage into another reason for fighting. This is our ingenious way of destroying our common ground, while other peoples in the world have managed to build a common present on the rubble of past conflicts. The miscalculations of our rulers, the ignorance of our elites, and the arrogance of our rich have turned the common ground we share into another reason for disagreement.
But Qatar can be excused for acting as a leading power, as genuine leading powers in the region have accepted being put in the shade. I still believe, though, that we should hold Qatar accountable for closing down IslamOnline, an objective and highly professional website. Is it a coincidence that the website was shut down after it very accurately managed to document Israeli crimes in Gaza and published them on its Arabic and English websites?
Egypt is in great need of a website as professional in tone as IslamOnline. But Egypt only seems to think about how much revenue it can make out of football shows and programs for the so-called new preachers. It is not ready to create the appropriate climate for launching a website like IslamOnline. Egypt, too, is responsible for driving el-Qaradawi out of the country. While Qatar gave him a home, his own country couldn't. El-Qaradawi is the author of 150 books and could have been appointed Grand Sheikh of Al-Azhar had there been a mentality here that respects scientists. I believe it's time for the moderate Qaradawi to come back to Egypt, to his adherents and family.
http://www.ikhwanweb.com/article.php?id=24246
