Uk in Tunisia : Fatwa: Terrorism is disbelief

12 Mar 2010

Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri issued a comprehensive page fatwa prohibiting terrorism and suicide bombing at a press conference in London.

In the wake of terrorist explosions and suicide bombings around the world and in particular Pakistan which is witnessing the worst period of violence and bloodshed in its history, there is a pressing need to clarify the Islamic stance on suicide bombings and terrorism. This wave of terrorism in the last few years has not only killed hundreds of thousands of innocent people but has also damaged the reputation of Islam and Muslims.

There is no doubt that the majority of right-minded Muslims in the world condemn terrorism and accept that that it has no link with Islam. Unfortunately there are some elements within society that remain silent on this issue and this can be construed as a tacit approval of these atrocities. Moreover there are others that attempt to justify it by focusing on the politics that cause these atrocities. Today Muslims, non Muslims and government officials are looking for a leader and an authoritative figure in the Muslim world who will openly condemn suicide bombings and terrorism and clarify the misconceptions about its true Islamic viewpoint.

The only person that has been able to produce what is an unprecedented 600-page fatwa (religious edict) against terrorism is a leading authority in Islam, Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri. In what is the most comprehensive edict on this topic in the history of Islam, Dr Qadri has explicated how suicide bombings and terrorism is unequivocally un-Islamic. In his Fatwa book to be published in three languages he has stated that “all these acts are grave violations of human rights and constitute disbelief (kufr) under Islamic law.”

Unfolding the background of the fatwa, he explained that their actions caused harm not just to Islam but to humanity. He also went on to say that “its existence is an open danger against the integrity of Pakistan and world peace.” He added “The entire nation should dissociate itself from these elements and condemn them in the strongest possible terms unequivocally and with one voice. It is the need of the time for Pakistan to unite among its ranks at every level.”

Dr. Tahir-ul-Qadri added that the first ever war against terror in Islamic history occurred during the Caliphate of Sayyidina Ali (r.a). The Khawarij and Harooria were a rebellious group of people and the first militant terrorists. They rejected Sayyidina Ali’s (r.a) policy of dialogue, arbitration and peaceful means of dispute resolution and they were in favour of resolution through armed conflict. They used Islamic slogans of Jihad and rebelled against the state and justified human killings according to their extremist theology. The Khawarij committed acts of terrorism and used the Divine law in their defence insisting that they were acting for the dominance of Islam. However the Prophet (peace be upon him) had already identified the Khawarij and this is recorded in more than fifty Prophetic traditions. He (peace be upon him) stated that the Khawarij were outside the ambit of Islam, had no legitimate authority to declare jihad and instead were the worst of humankind.

Moreover Dr Qadri clarified that the fatwa is not in support of the US and its allies and nor should it be taken as an approval of their policies in the region. In the same way it did not support the disputed policies of the government of Pakistan and its unpopular style of governance and undemocratic attitude.

This edict is particularly important for Britain due to the fact that the majority of Muslims are from South Asia and some extreme elements are confused about the religious viewpoint. Young British Muslims have been particularly targeted by extremist groups.

Source : http://ukintunisia.fco.gov.uk/en/news/?view=PressR&id=21874635