By Murtaza Ali Shah
Wednesday, March 03, 2010

LONDON: A highly influential Sufi Muslim scholar on Tuesday issued a historic Fatwa (religious edict) against acts of violence perpetrated in the name of Islam, calling perpetrators of violence and their mentors as destined for hellfire.

Dr Muhammad Tahirul Qadri, the founder of formidable Minhajul Quran movement, used a lecture in London to unreservedly condemn terrorist attacks and suicide bombers and urged the Muslim world to take a firm stand against those who bring Islam in disrepute.

Dr Qadri was joined at the Fatwa launch event by government ministers Jim Fitzpatrick, Shahid Malik, Muhammad Sarwar, MP, Dominic Grieve, MP, representatives of various Muslim organisations, government departments and security think tanks. The 600-page Fatwa on Suicide Bombings and Terrorism has been extracted from Dr Qadri’s latest research work titled Dehshet Geri aur Fitna-e-Khawarij, in a reference to those rebels who had taken up arms against Hazrat Ali (RA).

Speaking at length in English and Arabic, Dr Qadri frequently referred to Quran, Companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him), Hadith and leading Muslim Imams to prove his point that Islam doesn’t allow individuals and non-state groups to launch attacks on civilians and opposition targets.

Islam absolutely condemns violence and terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and it’s our Islamic duty to condemn acts of terrorism without any ifs or buts, without any excuses, pretexts and selfish justifications. Those who perpetrate violent attacks and target humanity act outside the ambit of Islam, they are the enemies of Islam, he said, opening his speech