Abdul Rahman Yusuf al-Qaradawi's case exposes the folly of fighting words with brute force

The abduction and extradition of Abdul Rahman Yusuf al-Qaradawi is not just a tale of repression. It is a warning; a case study in how fear and paranoia drive authoritarian regimes insane.
His crime? Poetry. His punishment? A secret flight into the shadows, delivered into the hands of those who see words as weapons more dangerous than armies.
The swiftness of Qaradawi’s extradition reads like the script of a political thriller. On 28 December, he was detained at the Lebanese border as he arrived from Syria, and interrogated about an in-absentia conviction in Egypt.
Then came a bewildering twist: the United Arab Emirates issued an arrest warrant for a man who neither lived in its territories nor held its citizenship.
In a surreal crescendo, Lebanon’s cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Najib Mikati, swiftly convened to approve his extradition, with an urgency reserved for only the most pressing cases. A private Emirati jet soon landed in Beirut, whisking Qaradawi away like a hostage in a high-stakes Hollywood drama.
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Qaradawi’s only crime was wielding his pen as a weapon of resistance. For years, he has been a relentless critic of authoritarian regimes, from Egypt to the Gulf. His sharp verses and bold prose lambasted the depravity of tyrants from Cairo to Abu Dhabi.
Most recently, from the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, he live-streamed a poetic call to support the Syrian revolution, defiantly rebuking “Arab Zionists” for ferociously oppressing their own people.
Within hours, a machinery of terror sprang into action, branding him a dangerous criminal and orchestrating his capture.
Vanished without a trace
Qaradawi’s terrifying story is painfully reminiscent of that of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, brutally murdered six years ago inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, his body dismembered and likely cremated or dissolved in acid, vanishing without a trace.
Indeed, Qaradawi’s case is not an anomaly. It is straight out of the authoritarian playbook - a glimpse into the growing solidarity among Arab dictatorships.
These regimes are not merely suppressing their own citizens; they are collaborating across borders to crush any voice that challenges their stranglehold on power. Tiny Abu Dhabi, with its vast wealth and outsized influence, has become the epicentre of this repression.
From the heart of Damascus, the betrayed spirit of the Arab Spring rises again, reminding us of the domino effect that these regimes fear above all
Since Egypt’s 2013 military coup extinguished the country’s democratic experiment, the Arab world’s dictators have coalesced into an unholy alliance. Their shared mission? To bury the legacy of the Arab Spring, silencing its champions and dismantling its hopes.
From Egypt to Libya, from Yemen to Bahrain, the counter-revolutionary tide has swept the region, eroding freedoms under the guise of restoring stability. Tunisia, the last bastion of the Arab Spring, has fallen under the weight of President Kais Saied’s populism, further emboldening this coalition of repression.
At the forefront of this campaign is the UAE, which has weaponised its financial power and aligned with global far-right forces to extend its reach far beyond its borders.
Its strategy is one of suffocation - sealing off every avenue for change, every space for dissent. The “club of Arab dictatorships” operates on the principle that no crack, no matter how small, can be allowed to grow.
Illusion of victory
The recent revival of revolutionary fervour in Syria has shattered their illusion of victory. The fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime after less than two weeks of armed resistance sent shockwaves through these regimes, reigniting fears of the domino effect that first swept the region a decade ago. Suddenly, each Arab dictator saw his own reflection in the toppled Assad statues, trampled beneath the jubilant feet of liberated crowds.
What terrifies these despots is not just revolution, but its enduring power to inspire. The demands of the Arab Spring - freedom, dignity and justice - remain alive in the hearts of millions.
These autocracies know that their stability is fragile, their rule perched precariously on the edge of fear. They dread the possibility that another spark could ignite, spreading like wildfire from one Arab capital to the next.

For now, these dictatorships have imposed a suffocating paralysis, silencing opposition under the pretext of “stability”. Mass arrests, public executions, media censorship, and the eradication of civil society have become the tools of their trade. But history is not on their side.
Revolutions are not singular events; they are waves that ebb and flow, relentless in their pursuit of change. Counter-revolutions, no matter how brutal, are inherently unsustainable.
From the heart of Damascus, the betrayed spirit of the Arab Spring rises again, reminding us of the domino effect that these regimes fear above all. This is the nightmare that haunts dictators like the UAE’s Mohammed bin Zayed, Egypt’s Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Tunisia’s Saied - a nightmare where the people reclaim their power, where words spark movements, and where the promise of change refuses to die.
From Tangier to Muscat, Qaradawi’s name is now on the lips of every Arab. His verses are being recited, shared and celebrated like never before, exposing the stupidity of fighting words with brute force.
No matter how fiercely Arab dictatorships tighten their grip, they cannot hold back the tides of revolution. Change is inevitable, and the spirit of resistance will always find a way to rise again.
The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye.
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