WP: U.S. Muslim Scholars To Forbid Terrorism

[DeepModem Mom]

U.S. Muslim Scholars To Forbid Terrorism
By Caryle Murphy
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, July 28, 2005; Page A11


An organization of top American Muslim religious scholars plans to issue a formal ruling today condemning terrorism and forbidding Muslims to cooperate with anyone involved in a terrorist act, according to officials of two leading Islamic organizations.

The one-page ruling, or fatwa, will be issued by the Fiqh Council of North America, an association of Islamic legal scholars that interprets Islamic law for the Muslim community. Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, an advocacy group, said the ruling does not represent a new position on terrorism.

Rather, Hooper said, "it is another way to drive home the point that the American Muslim community rejects terrorism and extremism."

Although Muslim leaders and political organizations have repeatedly denounced religious extremism, Hooper added, "any time any Muslim goes on a talk show or on television, the first question is, 'Why haven't Muslims condemned terrorism?' "

Louay Safi of the Islamic Society of North America noted that there is an "important difference" between a fatwa and previous statements from the Muslim community. The fatwa "is not a political statement. It's a legal or religious opinion by a recognized religious authority in the United States," said Safi, whose group is based in Indianapolis....


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/27/AR2005072702082.html

[JDPriestly]

1. It's way past time for this.

This should have happened on 9/12/01. What took these guys so long?

[rocktivity]

2. Is the Christian leadership going to tell the pro-lifers the same thing?

:headbang:
rocknation

[JDPriestly]

9. I should hope they would.

No one should ever lose a minute to condemn, as vehemently as possible, violence in any form including Muslim clerics, Christians, American worshipers of Bush, all should be condemning violence. And so should we. We should condemn violence in any form.

[mike923]

12. Already done.

I believe the last pope spoke pretty clearly on the matter.

Not sure on other sects of Christianity, though.

And i don't classify the terrorist attacks on abortion clinics as i would the terrorist attacks on 9/11, Spain, London, ect.

[Brooklyn Michael]

14. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!

:spray:
Ohhhhh, mercy......that's funny. Yeah, I'm SURE they'll get right on that....

[DemBones DemBones]

17. Pro-lifers have consistently repudiated those who kill or

bomb in a twisted idea of obtaining justice for the unborn.

[Malikshah]

3. Maybe some folks should do some research

before they start spouting off...

condemnations came immediately

fatwas are technically non-binding-- a gesture to appease those who have willfully ignored the numerous and repeated condemnation of terrorist attacks by a variety of muslim groups throughout the world.

[MisterP]

4. because not everybody believes in collective guilt, least of those

affected by it

[ConsAreLiars]

5. What an incredibly ignorant comment.

I guess you haven't been paying much attention.

My question is when will the so-called Christian Right ever get around to denouncing the slaughter of 50,000 plus children in Iraq? And 10,000 in Afghanistan. And maybe even raise their voices against the murder of the same numbers of adults in those lands. Your president has butchered far more innocents than the worst of the Islamic Fundie death cultists ever dreamt of.

[dutchdoctor]

6. I wonder what the standing is of Fiqh council of North America

in the muslim world? Do they have any credibility?
According to the prophet Muhammad himself, Jihad is an essential component of Islam. The Quran itself calls for the killing of all people who insult Allah and calls for the death penalty for Muslim who convert to another religion. Is that not religious extremism?

How do they combine these facts with this fatwa?

Not trying to demonize Islam here, I know the Bible has equally bloodthirsty passages, but still its a valid question imho

[Ian David]

7. But will they endorse the rights of women and gays?

ISNA has terrorist ties.

This is what is called "creating plausible deniability."

[Solly Mack]

8. I'm sorry, but more than a little bigotry plays into these constant

demands that Muslims reassure other people of their stance on violence.

When someone like Paul Hill, the former Christian minister, who shoots a doctor that performed abortions, you hear how "he's not a real Christian" and "Christianity isn't responsible for his actions"

Well guess what?

Islam is NOT responsible either.

But for people to demand that Muslims constantly defend themselves because of the actions of others reeks of bigotry.

Bad shit happens (and has happened) in the name of religion. Only a hypocrite would deny that..and only a hypocrite would demand all Muslims bear the responsibility of the actions of others without first applying that exact same thinking to their own religion.


Fact is, the people who attack Muslims and demand that Muslims say "I'm sorry to the world" - NEVER - apply that thinking to their own religion.

[DemBones DemBones]

16. Kind of like the constant demands that Catholics

do something about pedophile priests -- comments that ignore all that the Church has done/ is doing to deal with this problem and focus on the mistakes made by some bishops in the past.

A major difference, of course, is that DUers defend Muslims/Islam almost 100% but are more likely to attack Catholics/ Catholicism.

[Solly Mack]

18. Actually, that's more of an example of what I was speaking of than

a comparable situation.

[Zenlitened]

10. I think it's overdue, honestly. They've just sent a powerful message...

... to any Muslim who might be in danger of falling for the "violence in the name of religion" meme. It's my impression that a fatwa carries a lot more weight -- emotionally, psychologically, whatever -- than a simple statement to the press.

[Sgent]

11. My understanding is that

A fatwa is somewhat equivalent to a pronouncement by the US Conference of Bishops. Very powerful within their individual religion and within the US, but not so much in other denominations.

Maybe some of our muslim posters can enlighten us on the specifics.

[DS1]

13. This requires documentation?

Unfuckingbelievable.

Oh yeah, that blowing people up stuff, stop doing it.

[sattahipdeep]

15. Like that will stop bush

:rofl: