Decision ‘08

More of This, Please

As I have been quite vocal in calling for the Muslim world to condemn terrorism, it’s only fair that I acknowledge efforts in that direction. With that in mind, this is most welcome news:

American Muslim scholars who interpret religious law for their community issued an edict Thursday condemning terrorism against civilians in response to the wave of deadly attacks in Britain and other countries.

In the statement, called a fatwa, the 18-member Fiqh Council of North America wrote that people who commit terrorism in the name of Islam were “criminals, not ‘martyrs.’”

“There is no justification in Islam for extremism or terrorism,” the scholars wrote. “Targeting civilians’ life and property through suicide bombings or any other method of attack is haram - or forbidden.”

The entire statement (and a list of signatories) is here; I am especially pleased that there don’t appear to be any ‘yes, but…’ clauses aimed at U.S. foreign policy and support of Israel. Now, if only the Saudi Wahabbi authorities would take a similar step, we just might get somewhere…

UPDATE 11:24 a.m.: To say that a substantial percentage of conservatives don’t share my view here would be an understatement; see this post by Michelle Malkin for a list of all those who view this declaration as a sham, insufficient, or insincere. I can’t buy that…all of those things may be true, but they are speculation, not fact. The fact is that the statement is unequivocal. Read it for yourself…people are bringing their own preconceptions to the table when they take issue with this statement.

To be sure, some of the organizers and signatories have pasts that are clearly associated with terrorism, and the fact that the statement doesn’t ‘name names’, so to speak, is disappointing (particularly in light of the fatwa issued against Salman Rushdie), but if the statement is incomplete, it is nevertheless an unequivocal denunciation of terrorism, and extremism. How can that not be a good thing?

4 Responses to “More of This, Please”

1 Sean P Says:
July 29th, 2005 at 3:43 pm
Not only is there no “yes but” or “throat clearing” style caveats, but the statement explicitly condemns committing terrorism “in the name of Islam.” I’d say this is as clear and unambigious as you can get.
2 Colin Says:
July 29th, 2005 at 8:13 pm
After reading what Steve Emerson had to say about this fatwa, I am taking it with a grain of salt. If anyone’s interested in reading what he thinks of it, he’s posted about it over at the Counterrorism Blog.
3 Mark Coffey Says:
July 29th, 2005 at 8:14 pm
Colin, yeah, actually the link in my update is to his comments….
4 louielouie Says:
July 29th, 2005 at 8:29 pm
allow myself to disagree.
two quotes of the quran(sp) in the statement use the phrase:

“Whoever kills a person [unjustly]”
and
“Targeting civilians life and property through suicide bombings or any other method of attack is haram”

UBL stated in his 1998? declaration of war (fatwa) that there are no american innocents, or civilians, therefore killing them is justified.
this is what the whabbi(sp) hang their rag on. if you want to see movement in the saudi sect, i would suggest seeing when the whabbi(sp) allow the practice of sufi islam on the saudi penninsula(sp). it now carries the death penalty. when that edict is lifted, then maybe they will pay attention to what a/any muslim on the N/A contintent says.

i remember what the saudi prince who gave rudy the 10mil check said. he stated that the saudis were tiring of the US tinkering with their religion. that statement, imo, would have to be retracted as well.

i did not read the MM comments.
she is starting to read like AC, to me, at least.