Influential Muslim scholar details in 600-page judgement how terrorism runs against Islam.

2010-03-03

LONDON - An influential UK-based Muslim scholar reiterated Tuesday that terrorism runs against the teachings of Islam and that those who are engaged in targeting civilians are destined to hellfire according the Islamic faith.

Dr Tahir ul-Qadri, who is originally from Pakistan, detailed his views in a 600-page document.

He said there were no "ifs or buts" about terrorism, in a news conference attended by officers from London's Metropolitan Police, lawmakers, charitable organisations and think-tanks.

Dr Qadri, founder of the global Minhaj-ul-Quran movement, described al-Qaeda as an "old evil with a new name" that has not been sufficiently challenged.

He said he wanted to convey the message that acts of terrorism cut people off as true followers of Islam, reiterating that terrorism had no justification in the name of Islam.

"Good intentions cannot convert a wrong into good, they cannot convert an evil into good," he said.

Kidnappings and the killing of innocents are “absolutely against the teachings of Islam,” and have nothing to do with true Jihad, he stressed.

According to Dr Qadri, the document sets out a point-by-point theological rebuttal of every argument used by al-Qaeda recruiters.

The document, which is not the first to condemn terrorism in Britain, will be translated into English in the coming weeks.

The Minhaj-ul-Quran movement has thousands of supporters in Britain and across the world.