10 March 2010

The Presidents of the Christian Muslim Forum welcome the main message of Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri's fatwa (Islamic ruling by a jurist) and wider explanation on 'suicide bombings and terrorism' which was presented in London on 2 March. His fatwa and accompanied exposition is an absolute condemnation of terrorism which he describes as forbidden by Islam and those who perpetrate such acts as 'heroes of hellfire' rather than 'heroes of Islam'. We reiterate the long-standing viewpoint of the vast majority of Muslims that the Qur'an and Hadiths are replete with evidence that acts of terrorism cannot be justified Islamically.

We support his call for religious leaders to stand up against claims that violence and terrorism can be religiously justified and to highlight the fact that suicide bombings are an expression of a deviant ideology, and not true Islamic theology. We also appreciate his call for dialogue with those who attempt to justify violence and terrorism. We pray for the success of Dr Qadri's initiative. His fatwa will become accessible to all in the next few months when it becomes available in English.

We also pray for the triumph of true Islamic teachings over the violent ideologies of groups such as al-Qaeda, who tarnish the reputation and image of Islam.