Imams/Scholarship

OK, I have received a couple of warnings in regards as to how I label islamic "scholars". Well, one scholar in particular, qaradawi. (See FGM/FMG topics).
But this kind of got my mind wandering because it seems to me that it is fairly easy for a person to set themselves up as a "scholar" or imam and start throwing fatwas out there left and right and publishing books and pamphlets and standing at the head to the congregation spouting their own agenda. Further, the media tends to jump on this type of self declared imam and it is easy to draw a dim view of things. As an example, the "wife beating" imam in this story;

BBC news

and things like fatwas stating that football is unislamic , Salman Rushdie must die etc, etc.

It seems that criticism of these self declared "scholars" is difficult (impossible on this board) and I wondered why that is ? Why do some muslims come to the defence of these immams, why do they allow their mosques to be run by people like this ? Why doesn't the board or committee say "Hey man, you need to tone it down a tad."

Hi Rami,

Why is the thread locked in "Who am I" (something like that) "I am Not a Member of Any Religion"?

rami wrote: <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">Bi ismillahir rahmanir raheem</span> Begbie "Hey man, you need to tone it down a tad." There is nothing wrong with critisising the position of a muslim scholar if what he is saying is new and contravertial, you do this by talking about what is wrong with what he has said. What is not tolerated is calling them names. Talk about there opinions not them.

Well, thanks for your response but erm, what has that to do with the question I posed ?