“You have to know who is Yusof Qardhawi. He is a world famous scholar and he has been very firm in his views against American invasion of Iraq,” said Anwar.

“And he lives in Qatar but that does not stop him from criticising the Emir of Qatar,” he added.

“So if you want to criticise him, please read his works,” he said.

He was responding to an allegation by Pasir Mas MP Datuk Ibrahim Ali that Anwar had misled the public by distributing video recordings of an interview with the Qatar-based scholar.

Ibrahim claimed that Sheikh Yusof’s video, in which he was shown making a ruling supporting Anwar, was misleading as the questions were designed to favour Anwar.

“He wanted his views to be heard by everyone regardless of party affiliation,” said Anwar in justifying the wide distribution of the video.

On Ibrahim’s proposal for the formation of a royal commission of inquiry to investigate his conduct, Anwar said he will not take the independent MP’s words seriously.

“I hope you are not taking this seriously, because I am not, coming from him,” said Anwar.

When debating the royal address in Parliament today, Ibrahim also accused Anwar of contempt of court for distributing pamphlets on Sodomy II to show his innocence.

“Yes the party did print one million copies of the pamphlet, with party logo and my signature and it contains the medical report that says there was no penetration on Saiful Bukhari,” said PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution, referring to the accuser in Anwar’s sodomy case.

“The first batch have already been distributed, and we are going to print more,” said Saifuddin at the same