Qaradawi to visit Gaza

GAZA CITY: The head of Gaza’s Islamic Affairs Ministry says the prominent Muslim scholar Yusuf Qaradawi will visit the Hamas-ruled territory in May.
It’s the first visit by the Qatar-based cleric who is widely-respected through the Muslim world, and underscores his support for the Islamic group Hamas.
It also shows how Hamas has slowly been breaking its diplomatic isolation after years of blockade. Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is also expected to visit the Gaza Strip in May. The emir of Gulf state Qatar visited last year.
Gaza minister Ismail Ridwan didn’t say how long Qaradawi would stay. Spokesmen for the cleric weren’t immediately available.