Swiss-born Islamic scholar Tariq Ramadan was convicted of rape on August 28, 2024 and sentenced to serve three years in prison.[1] Ramadan, who is the grandson of the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al-Banna, was a professor at Oxford University before being suspended due to allegations of rape in 2017.
In June 2017, Ramadan posted a Facebook video responding to the controversy following a MEMRI TV clip exposing Virginia imam Shaker Elsayed, who endorsed female genital mutilation (FGM) in a sermon (see MEMRI TV clip 6043). Ramadan said that decisions should not be made about the imam based on MEMRI clips, which he alleged have the objective of creating Islamophobia through distortion and selective coverage (see MEMRI TV clip 6083). Ramadan doubled down on his criticism of MEMRI in July 2017, when he said MEMRI was deceptive and lied about what he said (see MEMRI TV clip 6279).
The following are the two archival MEMRI TV clips of Tariq Ramadan's statements.
Islamic Scholar Tariq Ramadan: Female Circumcision Not In The Quran, But Part Of Our Tradition; Discussion Should Be Internal, Not Cued By MEMRI – June 2017
Oxford University Professor Tariq Ramadan said that while he did not support FGM, one could not deny that it was part of the Prophetic tradition. Responding to the recent controversy surrounding Virginia-based Imam Shaker Elsayed's endorsement of female circumcision. Ramadan said that people should not be fired "just to be on the safe side," on the basis of clips by MEMRI, which, he alleged, "distorts, and covers in ways that are very specific." The discussion of the topic should be internal, he said. His statements were posted on Facebook on June 14, 2017.
Tariq Ramadan: "I am reacting to what I heard and some questions that I had about what happened in Washington, with this controversy around Sheikh Shaker [Elsayed], who was not yet fired – I hope he is not going to be – but he was asked to stop preaching, and to stop being active within the community or within the mosque in Washington.
[...]
"First, when the people are saying that [female circumcision] is not in the Quran... Yes, there is nothing about this in the Quran. Anything which has to do with excision or circumcision is coming from the Prophetic tradition. Now, no one can deny the fact that in mainstream Islamic tradition, up to now, in African countries, or in the Islamic institutions – in Al-Azhar or in some of the institutions that we have – it is discussed because they are relying on the Prophetic traditions, where it clearly mentions female excision.
"My position as a Muslim scholar is that it is wrong, that we should not promote this, because I think that, first, it is not in the Quran, and second, it is part of the Sunna that we have. It is something that is done in African countries among the Christians and the Muslims, and it is not religious. No one can say that it is not part of our tradition. It is controversial, it is discussed, and there is a difference of opinions among the scholars. Yes. You need to take a position, but you cannot deny the fact that this is something that is part of our tradition.
[...]
"MEMRI – we know who they are. We know what they want to do. We know in which way they want to make Islam problems – not only in the USA but around the world – through the translation, distorting and covering in ways that are very specific. They have a very specific objective. They have a very specific way of dealing with scholars, intellectuals, and Islam. These are Islamophobes, and you react to them by just exposing one of your leaders, a sheikh that has been serving the community for more than 30 years? And you ask for him to be fired so quickly?
[...]
"Can't we take the time to have an internal discussion? To say: 'Look, we are not going to respond to the controversy. We are not going to fire people just to be on the safe side, and to be perceived as moderate, as open-minded.'"
Swiss Islamic Academic Tariq Ramadan On MEMRI: Look At The Deception And Lie! – July 2017
In a July 3 video posted on YouTube, Swiss Islamic academic Tariq Ramadan, currently on leave of absence from Oxford University following allegations of rape, accused MEMRI of deception and lies in reporting his position on FGM. In a previous video posted by Ramadan on his Facebook page, excerpts of which were translated by MEMRI, he related to the controversy regarding Virginia-based Imam Sheikh Shaker Elsayed's comments on FGM.
Tariq Ramadan: "MEMRI is a so-called media agency, which takes texts from Arab or Muslim sources, and translates excerpts – not all the conferences, but only parts – and disseminates them everywhere on the Internet and on the main channels. What is MEMRI? The head of MEMRI is a former [official], not of the intelligence, but of the Israeli military. He created [MEMRI], which is, in fact, a propaganda tool, which is directly linked to Middle East Watch, or in other words, to Daniel Pipes in the U.S., and to [activist] Caroline Fourest in France. All these people work together. They take these [excerpts] and disseminate them, creating controversy.
"Some Muslims, who are afraid, reacted [to Sheikh Eslayed's comments on FGM]. I didn't like the fact that they automatically demanded the sheikh's resignation, saying: 'Islam condemns genital mutilation.' One such [mutilation] is circumcision. We used to call it circumcision, but now it is called female genital mutilation – FGM. That's what we call it today. So they said: 'No, no. Islam condemns it!'
"So how did I respond to this? First of all, I said to the Muslims: 'Don't respond to these media campaigns when you know that the source is MEMRI, those information imposters, propagandists who cut [excerpts]. What I am saying will be corroborated by what they will do with me – the campaign that will take place in the U.S. and France. So they cut the speech – this is what they will be doing to me right now... And the Muslims day: 'He must lose his job.'
"I said: No, I disagree, for two reasons. First of all, what did the sheikh say? Sheikh Shaker [Elsayed] said that [FGM] is part of our tradition. What he meant – and what I meant – is that it is discussed in our tradition, to the point that various scholars in Africa and in the Middle East – even Gad Al-Haq, who was the rector of Al-Azhar University – defended the practice.
"So you cannot just say, in order to please MEMRI, that this discussion was not a part of a debate of our tradition. Have a modicum of intellectual honesty and courage! Courage is not saying to MEMRI and this entire campaign: 'There's no such thing in our tradition! We must have the sheikh dismissed!' What is true courage? True courage is to accept where you come from in your tradition, and ask as a Muslim, given the scholars' discussion, what position will you take.
"That is what I did. I took my position in full awareness and based on the study of the texts, against FGM. I said: I am aware that certain scholars have defended it, but I myself, going back and studying the texts, say that FGM is not Islamic. So what did they do? They said: 'Tariq Ramadan says that it is part of the Islamic tradition, and needs to be discussed.' What does MEMRI do? They will take this video of mine, cut it and say: 'Tariq Ramadan says that female circumcision is part of Islamic tradition.' Look at the deception! Look at the lie! And who will relay this? The Islamophobes, on the one hand, and the Zionists on the other.
[...]
"Look at those who published [this story] in Le Figaro and... Caroline Fourest, and those who used it in the U.S. – even MEMRI... When you go to the Internet, you see MEMRI – the same thing. They did to me exactly what they did to Sheikh Shaker Elsayed."
[1] Nytimes.com/2024/09/10/world/europe/tariq-ramadan-rape-conviction.html?unlocked_article_code=1.Lk4.fJRT.KeifNJjNAh9a&smid=url-share, September 10, 2024.
