THURSDAY, MARCH 4, 2010

One of the criticisms I've heard of modern Islam in general is that its moderate adherents — who I and others believe are the norm — don't speak out against the radical Islamist elements that are conducting terror in the name of Islam. Or, at least, don't speak out loud enough or often enough.

I think that's a fair criticism, though I think at the grassroots level they do indeed do such a thing (in the whole scheme of things, Muslim terrorists make up a teeny, tiny, miniscule portion of the overall Muslim population), but it is always welcome news to see something like this: a Muslim scholar has issued a fatwa against terror:

Tahir ul-Qadri condemned terrorism and criticized Islamic extremists who cite their religion to justify violence.

Ul-Qadri's 600-page fatwa is "arguably the most comprehensive theological refutation of Islamist terrorism to date," according to the Quilliam Foundation, a London organization that describes itself as a counterterrorism think tank.

"Terrorism is terrorism," ul-Qadri said at a news conference hosted by the foundation.

"Violence is violence. It has no place in Islamic teaching, and no justification can be provided to it ..."

Ul-Qadri is the founder of Minhaj-ul-Quran, an organization with hundreds of thousands of followers in South Asia and the United Kingdom, according to the Quilliam Foundation.

The foundation refers to ul-Qadri as a mainstream Muslim scholar who is a "widely recognized and respected authority on Islamic jurisprudence."

Violence is violence. It has no place in Islamic teaching.

He criticized Muslims who, in justifying terrorism, say it furthers the goal of correcting wrongs done to Muslims.

"No good intention -- even one thousand good intentions put together -- cannot justify a wrong and forbidden act," he said. "Good intentions cannot convert a wrong into good."

I don't know how much influence this may have, but it may provide cover for many to speak out against terror and perhaps nudge Islam toward being the "religion of peace" that President Bush said it is.