A SCHOLARLY group in which PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang is a top leader has been declared a terror group by the Anti-Terror Quarter of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, Arab News reported.

The International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS), where Hadi is vice-president, was declared a terror group along with International Islamic Council ‘Massaa’.

Eleven individuals were also placed on the quartet’s terror list for disseminating and supporting terrorism.

The four countries announced this today in a statement released through the Saudi Press Agency.

“The two listed entities are terrorist organizations working to promote terrorism through the exploitation of Islamic discourse and its use as a cover to facilitate various terrorist activities,” the quartet said.

IUMS was founded in 2004 and is headed by Sheikh Youssef al-Qaradawi, a controversial figure who has been banned from entering the US for his alleged extremist views, which the Egypt-born theologian has denied.

IUMS members are said to be followers of the Muslim Brotherhood, which played a leading role in the Arab Spring protests. Members include scholars from the different denominations in Islam and the union’s stated aim is to promote dialogue between Muslim scholars.

The 11 individuals placed on the quartet’s terror list were identified as Khaled Nazem Diab, Salem Jaber Omar Ali Sultan Fathallah Jaber, Moyasar Ali Musa Abdullah Jubouri, Mohammed Ali Saeed Atm, Hassan Ali Mohammed Juma Sultan, Mohammed Suleiman Haidar Mohammed Al-Haydar, Mohammed Jamal Ahmed Hishmat Abdul Hamid, Alsayed Mahmoud Ezzat Ibrahim Eissa, Yahya Alsayed Ibrahim Mohamed Moussa, Qadri Mohamed Fahmy Mahmoud Al-Sheikh and Alaa Ali Ali Mohammed Al-Samahi.

The quartet, countries allied together against Qatar, repeated its condemnation of the latter in aiding terrorism.

“The (11) individuals also have carried out various terrorist operations in which they have received direct Qatari support at various levels, including providing them with passports and assigning them to Qatari institutions with a charitable appearance to facilitate their movement,” the statement said.

Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain severed ties with Qatar on June 4, accusing it of supporting terrorism. – November 23, 2017.