LONDON. In the wake of the massacre of innocent citizens, and explosions, and suicide bombing on the streets and markets of Pakistan and Afghanistan at mosques and other public places by the terrorists and radicals, the timing of a religious verdict “Fatwa” couldn’t be more pertinent.

A staggering 600-page Fatwa (religious edict) by one of the leading Muslim authorities Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri which declares suicide bombing and terrorism as totally “un-Islamic” will be launch on Tuesday 2 March 2010 in Westminster. The Fatwa is a comprehensive analysis of the issue of terrorism has been published, and provides robust religious evidence, based on Quaranic verses and Prophetic traditions, to clarify the Islamic viewpoint on the atrocities committed by terrorists.

While the Muslims as a collective entity condemn, resist and fight terrorism, and are not ready to accept its remotest possible link with Islam; there are some extremists who are also seen supporting it. Instead of opposing and condemning it openly and downrightly, they confuse it.

This religious ruling is particularly important for the UK where the majority of Muslims are of South Asia origin – we have seen examples of extremist groups targeting vulnerable young people from these communities to carry out their acts of violence, from training them as suicide bombers in London or elsewhere to brainwash students across British universities.

The spokesman of Minhaj-ul-Quran International UK, Shahid Mursaleen said that “this religious edict will provide the theological reassurance and give confidence to vulnerable young British Muslims, enabling them to take a stand against those perpetrating extremist views. Britain has large Muslim communities of South Asian heritage, and their confusion about religious teaching, coupled with close family members suffering as a result of fighting in Afghanistan and Pakistan, has been exploited by extremists seeking to recruit suicide bombers in the UK.”

In Britain, there is a widely held misunderstanding that a fatwa is a violent call to arms, but their real purpose is to provide a religious decree – giving the legal Islamic viewpoint and religious guidance on a contentious issue. The decree is based on rigorous analysis of religious texts, and can only issue by those who have the right to do so, based on a complex chain of authority, determined by experience and knowledge of Islamic literature.

It explains – through religious reference – that killing Muslims and non-Muslims through terrorist activities, and using violent aggression to impose their mistaken and misplaced ideology, is a fundamental rejection of faith and is out of the fold of Islam and what it stands for. When the forbidden element of suicide is added, the severity and gravity is even greater, and is forbidden in Islamic law.

Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri, whose official scholar title is Shayk-ul-Islam, is a professor and contemporary thinker and the figurehead of the international organisation, Minhaj-ul-Quran. He said in his Fatwa book:

“A negligible minority amongst ….[Muslims] seems to give terrorism tacit approval. Instead of openlyopposing and condemning terrorism, these people confuse the entire subject by resorting to misleadingand perplexing discussions.” [p.24]

“The killing of Muslims and the perpetration of terrorism are not only unlawful and forbidden in Islam but also represent the rejection of faith.” [p.28]

By undertaking a comprehensive analysis of the signs, beliefs and ideologies of the Khawarij thrmugh the Qur’alic verses, Prophetic traditions and jurisprudential opinions of jurists, we have established that the terrorists are the Khawarij of contemporary times. [p.30]

HISTORIC FATWA DENOUNCES SUICIDE BOMBERS AS ‘DISBELIEVERS’

London: The launch of a fatwa, or religious decree, by a renowned Islamic scholar who is seen as an authority on Islam, unreservedly condemning terrorist attacks and suicide bombers is to be held tomorrow, 2 March in Westminster.

Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri, a recognised authority on Islam with a massive following around the world, has authored the decree at a time of increasing concern about the radicalisation of young British Muslims in university campuses and their recruitment by extremist organisations to commit acts of terror. The launch of the fatwa is being regarded by many circles as a significant and historic step, the first time that such an explicit and unequivocal decree against the perpetrators of terror has been broadcast so widely.

Dr Qadri in his fatwa announces categorically that “suicide bombings and attacks against civilian targets are not only condemned by Islam, but render the perpetrators totally out of the fold of Islam, in other words, to be unbelievers.”

According to the Evening Standard, “There are two potentially significant things about the fatwa being released by Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri. The first is that the ruling is said, by those who have seen it in advance, to include a comprehensive condemnation of violence, taking away any religious justification for attacks without caveats for ‘grievances’ or other excuses. The second thing which makes this 600-page ruling potentially important is that Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri has a highly respected scholarly background. His ruling has the possibility of being respected by a far wider range of people than any of those individual non-scholarly Muslim voices who have also condemned terrorism without caveat,”

The fatwa has been issued to provide clear, categorical and comprehensive injunctions that will dissuade confused and impressionable young Muslims from embarking upon the path of extremism and radicalism that eventually leads to the deadly and horrific outcomes we have all tragically come to know.

Shahid Mursaleen, spokesman Minhaj-ul-Quran UK said “Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri is an authority on Islam who is highly respected by Al Azhar University in Egypt. He has hit hard on the terrorists as it prevents Islamists from considering suicide bombers as ‘martyrs’. This fatwa injects doubt into the minds of potential suicide bombers. Extremist groups based in Britian recruit the youth by brainwashing them that they will ‘with certainty’ be rewarded in the next life and Dr Qadri’s Fatwa has removed this key intellectual factor from their minds.”

The launch of Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri’s ‘Fatwa on Suicide Bombings and Terrorism’ followed by a press conference will took place between 9.30am and 1pm at One Birdcage Walk, Westminster SW1H 9JJ.