Posted on 07/29/2005 1:22:22 AM PDT by mastercylinder
American Muslim religious scholars who interpret religious law for their community issued a formal ruling yesterday condemning terrorism and forbidding Muslims to cooperate with anyone involved in a terrorist act.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) held a news conference yesterday in Washington, D.C., to announce that a fatwa against terrorism and extremism had been issued by the 18-member Fiqh Council of North America (FCNA) and endorsed by major US Muslim groups.
The FCNA, an association of Islamic legal scholars, wrote that people who commit terrorism in the name of Islam were “criminals, not ‘martyrs.’”
“There is no justification in Islam for extremism or terrorism,” the scholars wrote. “Targeting civilians’ life and property through suicide bombings or any other method of attack is haraam — or forbidden.”
The US fatwa does not specifically address suicide bombings in a war, but the scholars barred Muslims from helping anyone “involved in any act of terrorism or violence.” The council also said Muslims were obligated to help law enforcement officials protect civilians.
“It is the civic and religious duty of Muslims to cooperate with law enforcement authorities,” said the Fiqh Council.
Already in New York and other cities, mosque leaders have joined advisory committees created by the FBI to build relations between law enforcement and their local communities.
The Fiqh Council is made up of the Islamic Society of North America, the Islamic Circle of North America, the Muslim American Society, and the American Muslim Association of North America.
“We pray for the defeat of extremism and terrorism,” the scholars wrote. “We pray for the safety and security of our country, the United States, and its people. We pray for the safety and security of all inhabitants of our planet.” Islam has no central authority and the council serves an advisory role for American Muslims, who are estimated to number as high as 6 million here.
Dr. Sayyid Mohamed Syeed, Secretary General of the Islamic Society of North America, or ISNA, based in Chicago, Illinois, said the decision to issue today’s fatwa was based on the need for all US Muslim organizations to unite against terrorism.
“We have been forcefully condemning — through all the means that we have — the act of terrorism wherever it has been. But we thought it is also important that we bring our scholars of Islamic theology together, in a clear and united voice, to condemn these acts of terrorism. This would make clear to everyone within Islam, and outside the Islamic community, that there is no basis whatsoever for acts of terrorism in Islamic scriptures and Islamic theology.”
Dr. Syeed said that in addition to the condemnation of these terrorism acts, “we have been using every recourse at our disposal to define ourselves, as Muslims in America, in term of our mission to represent the positive aspect of Islam.”
In response to the fatwa, Imams across the country have agreed to focus today’s Friday sermons on the religious duties of all Muslims to work against the dark forces of hate and violence rooted in terrorism.
“We are taught in the faith ‘to resist evil with our hands, or our mouth, or at least in our heart, and the latter is the least of faith,’” said Muslim American Society Executive Director Mahdi Bray.
CAIR also announced plans to release a TV ad and a petition-drive called “Not in the Name of Islam,” which denounces terrorism.
Muzammil H. Siddiqi, head of the Fiqh Council of North America, an association of Islamic legal scholars, speaks about the fatwa issued by the Council against terrorism on Thrusday in Washington, D.C. (AFP)
On the other hand it could be they realize if nukes go off over here alot of muslims will fry along with everyone else muslims who have nothing to do with anything ever
At the least i have a sliver of hope for some type of sanity for hmanity ...just a wee sliver !
That picture is pure treason.
I wouldn't buy a used camel from any member of C.A.I.R.
We will all know when moderate muslims have had enough , if they even exist .
http://counterterror.typepad.com/the_counterterrorism_blog/2005/07/the_american_is.html
Good move. You wonder why it took fourteen centuries to do it.
CAIR participating in a fatwa against terrorism is like the Keebler Elves condemning cookies.
From Neal Boortz "Nealz Nuze" today:
MUSLIMS CONDEMN TERROR...OR DO THEY?
Good news yesterday. Muslims finally publicly condemned terrorism. Islamic scholars in the U.S. and Canada issued a "fatwa" (an Islamic ruling, for you government school types) stating that targeting innocent people is forbidden and that those who commit such acts of violence are criminals, rather than martyrs. American Muslim leaders say they're frustrated that many equate the Islamic faith with terrorism.
So this seems to be a bit of good news. But wait! If you actually start to look at the messenger, you begin to realize that all is not as it seems. As a number of bloggers noticed, the press conference announcing the Fatwa was organized by CAIR, The Council on American Islamic Relations. The group making the announcement was something called the Fiqh Council of North America (FCNA.) Here's just a sampling of some of the people affiliated with these groups, and their ties to terrorism:
--Taha Jaber Al-Alwani, Chairman of the FCNA, named in court papers as being associated with Islamic Jihad, the Palestinian terror group.
--Sheikh Muhammad al-Hanooti (such long names aren't they?,) who serves on the Fiqh council, has in the past called for jihad against the United States and Great Britain. Among his greatest hits: "Allah, the curse of Allah will become true on the infidel Jews and on the tyrannical Americans."
As for CAIR --- this crowd has repeatedly covered for the Islamic terror groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad. They have called the War On Terror a "War Against Islam."
So just in case anybody is getting all warm in fuzzy inside about American Muslim groups finally condemning terrorism, you'll have to consider the source on this one. Good sign? Yes ... let's see if the follow-through is there, or if this is just a PR response to increasing anger toward the wonderful, peaceful religion of Islam. When they turn in a few Al Qaeda cells operating in the United States perhaps I'll start to believe them.
serious talk of deportation and nuking mecca ... and suddenly they become helpful...
I wonder if there's a connection...
naaa!
*rolls eyes*
The other thing that sticks in my mind is the use of the words "... targeting INNOCENT people...". Am I incorrect or does the Koran not condemn everyone that is not Muslim and therefore the ONLY innocents are other Muslims?... and if "infidels" are the ones TARGETED but some innocent Muslims get killed in the process, that still lets the terrorists off.
I don't see this statement as anything but deceptive.
I get a daily digest from JihadWatch and consider it to be a MustRead for everyone
.
They need a fatwa against taquiya. But then, how do we know they're not lying, again?
Gee whiz, nice of these Johnny-come-latelies to finally join the party.
And why do Muslims need permission from their clerics to co-operate with authorities? Christians, Jews, even aetheists know homicide bombing and acts of terror are utterly despicable. Muslims have to be told by their clerics?
What crap.
Actions speak louder than words, and the Muslims have a huge trust deficit to overcome, in my opinion.
Let's see what they do about it.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.