The Asian News : Anti-terror fatwa to de-radicalise students

MARCH 04, 2010

The historic fatwa on terrorism by a renowned Islamic scholar will be used as an effective 'tool' to de-radicalise Muslim students at British campuses.

Minhaj-ul-Quran will use this historic Fatwa to de-radicalise youth at British universities in the UK.

Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri has hit hard on the terrorists as it prevents Islamists from considering suicide bombers as ‘martyrs’ and it will create doubt in the minds of potential radicals.

Shahid Mursaleen, spokesman for Minhaj-ul-Quran UK said: "This historic document will play a vital role in the fight against terror and this fatwa has all the evidences from the classical sources to refute the ideologies which extremist groups in the UK use to brainwash the youth.

"The fatwa will be translated into mainstream languages."

The fatwa received massive media attention due to its importance in the fight against terrorism.

Afghanistan president Hamid Karzai has requested a copy of the fatwa from Minhaj-ul-Quran.

Some extraxts from the Fatwa

Terrorist acts expel a Muslim from Islam

While most Muslim scholars denounce terrorism, Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri goes that crucial step forward and announces categorically that suicide bombings and attacks against civilian targets are not only condemned by Islam, but render the perpetrators totally out of the fold of Islam, to become unbelievers in the divine, pristine message of Islam. This empowering, unprecedented fatwa strengthens troops and civil society bodies that are engaged in counter terrorism operations, and expels terrorists from within Islam.

Hell, not heaven

Terrorists commit acts of self and mass murder with the firm conviction that they will be rewarded by God; that they are heaven bound. For the first time in contemporary Muslim discourse, this fatwa convincingly advances scriptural evidence to demonstrate that the perpetrators of suicide bombings are destined for hell, not heaven. This bold Islamic view, amplified properly, will inject doubt into the minds of aspiring suicide bombers and thereby prevent them from this heinous crime.

No terrorism, even in war time

Modern terrorists justify their indiscriminate killings by claiming that Islamic scripture allows such campaigns in war. This fatwa opens new ground by citing Islamic sources which prohibit killing of women, children, elders, religious leaders, business people, non-combatants and even service personnel not engaged in aggression. Contrary to the mindset of the perpetrators of the 11th of September 2001 attacks in New York or the 7th July 2005 tube bombs in London, damaging enemy property or avenging a wrong done by another is strictly prohibited by sound Islamic scholarship.

Al-Qaeda, old evil with a new name

The Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) warned his followers about the dangers of extremism and terrorism. This fatwa collects evidence from early Islamic history about a group of violent renegades known as the Khawarij, the terrorist movement, emerged in the name of Islamic rule, universally accepted as being outside the fold of Islam by virtue of their extreme beliefs, violent acts, terrorism and constantly labelling other Muslims as disbelievers. Al-Qaeda and its affiliates not only share these character traits, but share a theological and political outlook that is almost identical. This fatwa enlists classical sources to illustrate that the vast majority of Muslim scholars, past and present, consider the Khawarij, the founders of terrorism, to be totally un-Islamic. The terrorists are the Khawarij of our time, based on direct evidence from the Qur’an and Sunnah."

Source : http://www.theasiannews.co.uk/news/s/1194570_antiterror_fatwa_to_deradicalise_students_