Fatwa 3
In the post “Fatwa” early Thursday I wrote that “while more than three years overdue, the decision by the Fiqh Council of North America to issue a fatwa condemning terrorism — to be released at a news conference later today in Washington, DC – is welcome news.”
But at the Counterterrorism Blog, Steven Emerson of the Investigative Project on Terrorism disagrees, declaring that “The American Islamic Leaders’ ‘Fatwa’ is Bogus”.
“This morning [Thursday] a group of American Islamic leaders held a press conference to announce a fatwa, or Islamic religious ruling, against ‘terrorism and extremism,’” he writes. “An organization called the Fiqh Council of North America (FCNA) issued the fatwa, and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) organized the press conference, stating that several major U.S. Muslim groups endorsed the fatwa.
“In fact, the fatwa is bogus. Nowhere does it condemn the Islamic extremism ideology that has spawned Islamic terrorism. It does not renounce nor even acknowledge the existence of an Islamic jihadist culture that has permeated mosques and young Muslims around the world. It does not renounce Jihad let alone admit that it has been used to justify Islamic terrorist acts. It does not condemn by name any Islamic group or leader. In short, it is a fake fatwa designed merely to deceive the American public into believing that these groups are moderate. In fact, officials of both organizations have been directly linked to and associated with Islamic terrorist groups and Islamic extremist organizations. One of them is an unindicted co-conspirator in a current terrorist case; another previous member was a financier to Al-Qaeda.
“I spoke with Judea Pearl, father of murdered journalist Daniel Pearl who told me that the fatwa was ‘vacuous because it does not name the perpetrators of Islamic terrorist theologies and leaders of Islamic movements like Yousef Al Qaradawi, Osama Bin Laden, Ayman Al Zawahari, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, etc.’ Pearl told me that these groups are ‘trying to perpetrate a deception on the American public.’”
Emerson further references this extensive “Backgrounder On the Fiqh Council of North America and the Council on American-Islamic Relations” which details innumerable links to terrorist acts and organizations by leaders and members of both organizations.
The specific shortcomings specified by Emerson and Pearl are indeed accurate in the main (but see more on this below), and certainly there is ample reason to be cautiously skeptical. But I am not certain that this is “a fake fatwa designed merely to deceive the American public into believing that these groups are moderate” or that it is utterly “vacuous.” As indicated in my earlier post (and in the subsequent “Fatwa 2”), I believe that there is substantial evidence of significant attitudinal change among Islamic peoples both here in America and around the globe, and an increasing realization that they have quite as much at stake as all the rest of us in this great struggle against FascIslam. This may or may not be true in this specific instance, about which I intend to reserve judgment – but with an attitude of hopeful optimism. Why? Read the text of the fatwa itself and see whether or not you believe it represents, at the least, progress toward a desirable end.
The crucial part of the text read as follows:
“The Fiqh Council of North America wishes to reaffirm Islam’s absolute condemnation of terrorism and religious extremism.
“Islam strictly condemns religious extremism and the use of violence against innocent lives. There is no justification in Islam for extremism or terrorism. Targeting civilians’ life and property through suicide bombings or any other method of attack is haram – or forbidden – and those who commit these barbaric acts are criminals, not ‘martyrs.’
“The Qur’an, Islam’s revealed text, states: ‘Whoever kills a person [unjustly]…it is as though he has killed all mankind. And whoever saves a life, it is as though he had saved all mankind.’ (Qur’an, 5:32)
“Prophet Muhammad said there is no excuse for committing unjust acts: ‘Do not be people without minds of your own, saying that if others treat you well you will treat them well, and that if they do wrong you will do wrong to them. Instead, accustom yourselves to do good if people do good and not to do wrong (even) if they do evil.’ (Al-Tirmidhi)
“God mandates moderation in faith and in all aspects of life when He states in the Qur’an: ‘We made you to be a community of the middle way, so that (with the example of your lives) you might bear witness to the truth before all mankind.’ (Qur’an, 2:143)
“In another verse, God explains our duties as human beings when he says: ‘Let there arise from among you a band of people who invite to righteousness, and enjoin good and forbid evil.’ (Qur’an, 3:104)
“Islam teaches us to act in a caring manner to all of God’s creation. The Prophet Muhammad, who is described in the Qur’an as ‘a mercy to the worlds’ said: ‘All creation is the family of God, and the person most beloved by God (is the one) who is kind and caring toward His family.’
“In the light of the teachings of the Qur’an and Sunnah we clearly and strongly state:
“1. All acts of terrorism targeting civilians are haram (forbidden) in Islam.
“2. It is haram for a Muslim to cooperate with any individual or group that is involved in any act of terrorism or violence.
“3. It is the civic and religious duty of Muslims to cooperate with law enforcement authorities to protect the lives of all civilians.
“We issue this fatwa following the guidance of our scripture, the Qur’an, and the teachings of our Prophet Muhammad – peace be upon him. We urge all people to resolve all conflicts in just and peaceful manners.
“We pray for the defeat of extremism and terrorism. We pray for the safety and security of our country, the United States, and its people. We pray for the safety and security of all inhabitants of our planet. We pray that interfaith harmony and cooperation prevail both in the United States and all around the globe.”
The complete text of the fatwa appears here and CAIR’s press release concerning the fatwa appears here.
In addition, two other articles concerning the fatwa which I had not earlier referenced appear here and here.
But at the Counterterrorism Blog, Steven Emerson of the Investigative Project on Terrorism disagrees, declaring that “The American Islamic Leaders’ ‘Fatwa’ is Bogus”.
“This morning [Thursday] a group of American Islamic leaders held a press conference to announce a fatwa, or Islamic religious ruling, against ‘terrorism and extremism,’” he writes. “An organization called the Fiqh Council of North America (FCNA) issued the fatwa, and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) organized the press conference, stating that several major U.S. Muslim groups endorsed the fatwa.
“In fact, the fatwa is bogus. Nowhere does it condemn the Islamic extremism ideology that has spawned Islamic terrorism. It does not renounce nor even acknowledge the existence of an Islamic jihadist culture that has permeated mosques and young Muslims around the world. It does not renounce Jihad let alone admit that it has been used to justify Islamic terrorist acts. It does not condemn by name any Islamic group or leader. In short, it is a fake fatwa designed merely to deceive the American public into believing that these groups are moderate. In fact, officials of both organizations have been directly linked to and associated with Islamic terrorist groups and Islamic extremist organizations. One of them is an unindicted co-conspirator in a current terrorist case; another previous member was a financier to Al-Qaeda.
“I spoke with Judea Pearl, father of murdered journalist Daniel Pearl who told me that the fatwa was ‘vacuous because it does not name the perpetrators of Islamic terrorist theologies and leaders of Islamic movements like Yousef Al Qaradawi, Osama Bin Laden, Ayman Al Zawahari, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, etc.’ Pearl told me that these groups are ‘trying to perpetrate a deception on the American public.’”
Emerson further references this extensive “Backgrounder On the Fiqh Council of North America and the Council on American-Islamic Relations” which details innumerable links to terrorist acts and organizations by leaders and members of both organizations.
The specific shortcomings specified by Emerson and Pearl are indeed accurate in the main (but see more on this below), and certainly there is ample reason to be cautiously skeptical. But I am not certain that this is “a fake fatwa designed merely to deceive the American public into believing that these groups are moderate” or that it is utterly “vacuous.” As indicated in my earlier post (and in the subsequent “Fatwa 2”), I believe that there is substantial evidence of significant attitudinal change among Islamic peoples both here in America and around the globe, and an increasing realization that they have quite as much at stake as all the rest of us in this great struggle against FascIslam. This may or may not be true in this specific instance, about which I intend to reserve judgment – but with an attitude of hopeful optimism. Why? Read the text of the fatwa itself and see whether or not you believe it represents, at the least, progress toward a desirable end.
The crucial part of the text read as follows:
“The Fiqh Council of North America wishes to reaffirm Islam’s absolute condemnation of terrorism and religious extremism.
“Islam strictly condemns religious extremism and the use of violence against innocent lives. There is no justification in Islam for extremism or terrorism. Targeting civilians’ life and property through suicide bombings or any other method of attack is haram – or forbidden – and those who commit these barbaric acts are criminals, not ‘martyrs.’
“The Qur’an, Islam’s revealed text, states: ‘Whoever kills a person [unjustly]…it is as though he has killed all mankind. And whoever saves a life, it is as though he had saved all mankind.’ (Qur’an, 5:32)
“Prophet Muhammad said there is no excuse for committing unjust acts: ‘Do not be people without minds of your own, saying that if others treat you well you will treat them well, and that if they do wrong you will do wrong to them. Instead, accustom yourselves to do good if people do good and not to do wrong (even) if they do evil.’ (Al-Tirmidhi)
“God mandates moderation in faith and in all aspects of life when He states in the Qur’an: ‘We made you to be a community of the middle way, so that (with the example of your lives) you might bear witness to the truth before all mankind.’ (Qur’an, 2:143)
“In another verse, God explains our duties as human beings when he says: ‘Let there arise from among you a band of people who invite to righteousness, and enjoin good and forbid evil.’ (Qur’an, 3:104)
“Islam teaches us to act in a caring manner to all of God’s creation. The Prophet Muhammad, who is described in the Qur’an as ‘a mercy to the worlds’ said: ‘All creation is the family of God, and the person most beloved by God (is the one) who is kind and caring toward His family.’
“In the light of the teachings of the Qur’an and Sunnah we clearly and strongly state:
“1. All acts of terrorism targeting civilians are haram (forbidden) in Islam.
“2. It is haram for a Muslim to cooperate with any individual or group that is involved in any act of terrorism or violence.
“3. It is the civic and religious duty of Muslims to cooperate with law enforcement authorities to protect the lives of all civilians.
“We issue this fatwa following the guidance of our scripture, the Qur’an, and the teachings of our Prophet Muhammad – peace be upon him. We urge all people to resolve all conflicts in just and peaceful manners.
“We pray for the defeat of extremism and terrorism. We pray for the safety and security of our country, the United States, and its people. We pray for the safety and security of all inhabitants of our planet. We pray that interfaith harmony and cooperation prevail both in the United States and all around the globe.”
The complete text of the fatwa appears here and CAIR’s press release concerning the fatwa appears here.
In addition, two other articles concerning the fatwa which I had not earlier referenced appear here and here.
posted by Ken at 12:26 PM
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