Terrorism: ‘Militants have nothing to do with Islam’

Pakistan Ulema Council denounces militants for killings innocent people.

LAHORE: Several scholars meeting under the aegis of Pakistan Ulema Council (PUC) have endorsed the edict of Saudi Arabian clerics outlawing the use of phrases Jihad Fi-Sabilillah and Qital Fi-Sabilillah.

They have issued a fatwa saying: “Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) warned this Ummah not to exceed in extremes and stated that exceeding in affairs of religion is one of major reason for annihilation of erstwhile nations. It has also been stated in hadith of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), ‘Beware of excesses in affairs of religion as people before you were ruined for excesses in religious matters.’”

They said some militant groups, including the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and Hezbollah, considered the killing of innocent people jihad.

“In reality, there are limits defined for jihad in Islam. Killing people and destroying their properties based on personal opinions can’t be considered a righteous act.”

They said Muslims all over the world were facing problems due to wrongdoings of the ISIS, the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the Hezbollah and Houthi rebel tribes. Owing to these groups, they said, anti-Islam elements were achieving their nefarious goals of disrupting peace and stigmatising the Muslims’ image.

“We want to make it clear that these groups and their actions have nothing to do with Muslims and Islam. They want to sow differences among different schools of thought among Muslims,” the clerics said.

“We appeal that Islam should not be criticised for the wrongdoings of these groups. No particular Islamic school of thought should be held responsible or associated with the militant groups,” they said in the fatwa.

They said it was wrong to term moderate Islamic believers as takfeeri.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 8^th, 2015.