SUNDAY, MARCH 7, 2010

At a news conference in London, England, on Tuesday, the renowned Islamic scholar issued a fatwa -- a religious ruling -- condemning suicide bombers as destined for hell, removing extremists' certainty of earning paradise after death."

"The 600-page fatwa is arguably the most comprehensive theological refutation of Islamist terrorism to date. Qadri said his aim was to set an important precedent that might allow other scholars to similarly condemn the ideas behind terrorism."

"London's The Independent newspaper reports that the imam told fellow Muslims: 'Terrorism is terrorism, violence is violence and it has no place in Islamic teaching and no justification can be provided for it, or any kind of excuses of ifs and buts. The world needs an absolute, unconditional, unqualified and total condemnation of terrorism.'"

The scholar's name is Sheikh Dr. Tahir ul-Qadri. CNN covered him for their "intriguing People" series from March 3.

This, then, is the only way this insanity will end, be it in Iran, Aghanistan, anywhere and everywhere in the Muslim/Islam world.

We need more Imams and Islamist rulers, leaders and scholars to stand up and say that these suicide bombings are insanity and that they need to stop.

Let's hope that this one is the first of many to come. Hopefully Western governments all over the world--our own through Hillary Clinton and the State Department, the French, British, everyone--will push for more clarity and intelligence like this. Fortunately, in this case, it looks as though this Imam spoke out on his own.

Hopefully young Muslim and Islamic men and women 'round the world are listening.