Article...American Islamic Scholars Condemn Terrorists..
By John Rossomando
CNSNews.com Staff Writer
October 12, 2001
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Washington, D.C. (CNSNews.com) - America's largest Islamic judicial council announced Thursday that it had issued a scholarly legal opinion (fatwa) condemning the terrorist attacks as contrary to Islamic law.
The fatwa, issued by the Fiqh Council of North America, declares that, "All Muslims ought to be united against those who terrorize the innocents, and those who permit the killing of non-combatants without a justifiable reason. Islam has declared the spilling of blood and the destruction of property as absolute prohibitions until the Day of Judgment."
The fatwa bases its legal opinion about the terrorist attacks on a passage in the Quran, found in Surah (chapter) 5:53 which reads, "If anyone killed a human being - unless it be in punishment or for murder or for spreading mischief on earth - it would be as though he killed all of humanity."
"Hence, whoever violates these pointed Islamic texts is an offender deserving of the appropriate punishment according to their offence and according to its consequences for destruction and mischief," the fatwa said.
According to the fatwa, the terrorists are guilty of the Islamic crime of "hiribah" (waging war against society), a crime that merits eternal damnation according to Islamic teaching.
Fiqh Council scholar Sheikh Muhammad al-Hanooti declared the terrorist attacks were offensive criminal acts that need to be punished.
Sheikh al-Hanooti said the terrorists deserved "to be killed, and crucified," in accordance with Quranic law.
"Who[ever] is going to execute this punishment should be supported and helped," al-Hanooti said. "We are supportive [of] anyone who is stopping terror and stopping crime."
The Fiqh Council also declared that Osama bin Laden's declarations are not based on a firm understanding of Islamic law, and are not representative of Islamic orthodoxy.
"Bin Laden has partial knowledge of Islam," al-Hanooti said. "His statements look to me very extreme."
The Fiqh Council Chairman Dr. Taha Jabir Alawani reaffirmed the American Islamic community's loyalty to the U.S., declaring that, "Muslims are part of the American community, we are citizens in this country ... we should support this society."
Alawani said Muslims have "no right to support any kind of terror or terrorism," because American democracy provides peaceful means to redress grievances.
Sheikh Al-Hanooti also reaffirmed the American Islamic community's loyalty to the United States when he said, "We are living in this country, and we are committed to the priority of protecting the interests and welfare of this country.
"We are abiding to every law of this country, except those that are contradictory to Islamic law," he said.
According to Alawani, American Muslims who are serving in the U.S military, have a duty to fight against enemies of the United States, unless they are conscientious objectors.
"Any citizen in this country, Muslim or non-Muslim has to serve this country, to defend society, [and their] community from any evil," Alawani said. "[Muslims] should participate in the just war."
The fatwa echoes Alawani's comments.
"The Muslim must perform his duty in this fight despite the feeling of uneasiness ... His intention must be to fight for enjoining of the truth and defeating falsehood, prevent aggression on the innocents, to apprehend the perpetrators and bring them to justice," the fatwa declared.
The fatwa advises Muslim members of the U.S. armed forces who object to killing another Muslim to ask that they be placed in support roles where they will not face the prospect of killing another Muslim.
The Fiqh Council cautions that its opinion is not binding on the consciences of all Muslims, but rather is a representation of the educated opinions of Islamic legal scholars.
"Any jihad or any fatwa is only a legal opinion," Alawani said. "It doesn't mean that this is the Islamic position in general. It is opinion, and people have [the] right to take [the fatwa] into consideration or to generate another opinion." |
