Salman Ahmad, the lead singer of Pakistan rock band Junoon and author of
"Rock & Roll Jihad: A Muslim Rock Star's Revolution," sent along
this alert about a potentially big development. Please take a look.
Asked for a comment, Ahmad told SAJAforum: "The fatwa against suicide bombing, terrorism is long overdue and should be widely highlighted by both the Muslim community and the global media. It's about time the terrorists are (religiously) held accountable for their unholy deeds and made clear that Islam condemns their violence in letter and in spirit."
[His book hits some of these same themes. You can read about the book and see interviews with him at http://bit.ly/sajarrj ]
There's contact info below for Quilliam, Britain's first counter-extremism think tank and which sent out the press release. Post your thoughts and updates/news items in the comments section below.
Asked for a comment, Ahmad told SAJAforum: "The fatwa against suicide bombing, terrorism is long overdue and should be widely highlighted by both the Muslim community and the global media. It's about time the terrorists are (religiously) held accountable for their unholy deeds and made clear that Islam condemns their violence in letter and in spirit."
[His book hits some of these same themes. You can read about the book and see interviews with him at http://bit.ly/sajarrj ]
There's contact info below for Quilliam, Britain's first counter-extremism think tank and which sent out the press release. Post your thoughts and updates/news items in the comments section below.
Press Release: Anti-terrorism fatwa launch in London today
On 2 March, the renowned, mainstream Muslim scholar Shaikh Dr Tahir ul-Qadri will issue a comprehensive fatwa (religious ruling) prohibiting terrorism and suicide bombing at a press conference in Westminster, London.
Founder of the international Minhaj-ul-Quran movement, his fatwa is significant because:
- Minhaj-ul-Quran is a major grass-roots organisation with hundreds of thousands of followers in South Asia and the UK.
- Shaikh Dr Tahir ul-Qadri is a widely recognised and respected authority on Islamic jurisprudence.
- The fatwa condemns suicide bombers as destined for hell, which helps remove extremists’ certainty of earning paradise after death.
- The 600-page fatwa is arguably the most comprehensive theological refutation of Islamist terrorism to date.
- Dr Tahir ul-Qadri’s fatwa will set an important precedent and will allow other scholars to similarly condemn the ideas behind terrorism.
A Quilliam spokesperson said:
“This fatwa has the potential to be a highly significant step towards eradicating Islamist terrorism. Fatwas by Wahhabi-influenced clerics and Islamist ideologues initiated modern terrorism against civilians. Terrorist groups such as al-Qaeda continue to justify their mass killings with self-serving readings of religious scripture. Fatwas that demolish and expose such theological innovations will consign Islamist terrorism to the dustbin of history.”
Details:
The fatwa will be launched at One Birdcage Walk, SW1H 9JJ on Tuesday 2 March at 10am.
A press conference will be held at which Dr Tahir ul-Qadri will host an open Q&A session.
An English-language summary and introduction to the fatwa will be made available to attendants.
To reserve places for cameras and reporters, please contact Shahid Mursaleen from Minhaj-ul-Quran at shahid.mursaleen@minhaj.org or 07786 312 089.
Notes:
1. Quilliam is Britain's first counter-extremism think tank. It is an independent organization.
2. For further information, please call Quilliam's media line on 0207 182 7286 or 07590 229 917 or email media@quilliamfoundation.org.Challenging Extremism l Promoting Pluralism I Inspiring Change
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