Muslim Scholars Rap Turkey on Libya Crisis

As fighting is raging between Libyan rivals, Muslim scholars have criticized Turkey’s role in the conflict, calling on Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to side with the opposition forces against embattled leader Muammar Gaddafi.

“We are waiting for a crystal-clear position from you in support of the Libyan people,” Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, the president of the International Union for Muslim Scholars (IUMS), said in a  letter to Erdogan and obtained by OnIslam.net on Wednesday, April 6.
The Dublin-based body said the regime of Gaddafi, who is facing his worst crisis in his 42-year rule, is guilty of killing Libyan civilians.
“This regime does not deserve to stay in power for a single day,” the letter reads.
“We want from you Mr President to support the aspirations of the Libyan people and recognize the interim National Council and help arm the Libyan people with all heavy and advanced weapons to get rid of their killers.”
Gaddafi has launched a deadly crackdown on protestors demanding an end to his rule of the oil-rich Arab country.
Estimates say that at least 10,000 people have been killed in the bloody crackdown, which prompted the UN Security Council to issue a resolution allowing a military action in Libya.
France, Italy and Qatar have recognized the interim National Council as the legitimate representative of the Libyan people.
However, Turkey’s position in the conflict has drawn criticism.
Erdogan has rejected calls to arm anti-Gaddafi’s opposition forces, arguing that the move would prepare the ground what he said terrorism.
The Turkish position earned Ankara the anger of many Libyans in the opposition-held areas in eastern Libya and abroad.
On Tuesday, Libyans attacked the Turkish consulate in Benghazi.
Chanting anti-Turkey slogans, the protestors accused the Turkish government of “standing with the Gaddafi regime and killing their sons”.

Rift

The criticism comes amid a rift between anti-Gaddafi’s opposition forces and NATO over military attacks in Libya.
“NATO blesses us every now and then with a bombardment here and there, and is letting the people of Misrata die every day,” Abdel Fattah Younes, head of the opposition forces, said, Reuters reported.
“NATO has disappointed us.”
Misrata has been the focus of Gaddafi’s offensive, coming under daily attack by army tanks and snipers.
Younes said NATO was acting too slow, giving space to Gaddafi’s troops to advance into opposition-held areas.
“The reaction of NATO is very slow. One official calls another and then from the official to the head of NATO and from the head of NATO to the field commander. This takes eight hours,” Younes, a former interior minister in Gaddafi’s administration who defected, said.
“Misrata is being subjected to a full extermination.”
Younes said the opposition forces were considering referring what he said was slow decision-making by NATO to the UN Security Council which authorized its mission.
“NATO has become our problem,” he said.
An opposition spokesman said Gaddafi’s forces bombarded Misrata again on Tuesday.
“Misrata was shelled with tank fire, artillery and mortars,” the spokesman told Reuters.
“Unfortunately NATO operations have not been effective in Misrata. Civilians are dying every day.”
NATO, however, denied that it was acting too slowly to stop Gaddafi’s forces advance.
“The facts speak for themselves,” NATO spokesman Oana Lungescu said.
“The pace of operations since NATO took over has not abated. We have conducted 851 sorties in the past six days … we are fulfilling our mandate.”

Source: OnIslam