Fifty Muslim scholars issue fatwa against Taliban
Members of Sunni Ittehad Council in a meeting – File Photo
LAHORE: At least 50 Islamic scholars belonging to ‘Sunni Ittehad Council’ on Thursday declared Taliban’s attack on Pakistani children’s rights activist Malala Yousafzai as un-Islamic, DawnNews reported.
Sunni Ittehad Council represents ‘Barelvi‘ sect of Islam which is influenced by Sufism and defends the traditional Sufi practices from the criticisms of Islamic movements like the ‘Deobandi’, ‘Wahhabi’ and ‘Ahl al-Hadith’.
The scholars issued a combined ‘fatwa’ (Islamic ruling) in Lahore which said that the Taliban’s interpretation of Islam was incorrect and was deviant from the actual interpretation of the Shariah.
The fatwa added that Taliban were misguided and their mindset was driven by ignorance.
“Islam does not stop women from acquiring education and by attacking Malala the Taliban have crossed the limits of Islam,” the fatwa added.
“Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) had regarded the sanctity of Muslim’s life and property more important than the sanctity of the ‘Kaaba’ (sacred Muslim place),” adding that the fatwa stated, “Murder of one innocent human being is equivalent to murder of entire humanity.”
The Islamic ruling added that United States was the enemy of Islam and Pakistan; any kind of cooperation with the US was not in compliance with the Shariah.
In response to Taliban’s interpretation of killing females for the greater good of the religion, the scholars said that Islam discourages killing of the females. Adding that, they said, “Even apostate women are not allowed to be killed in Islam.”
The assassination attempt on the life of the young National Peace Award winner has drawn widespread condemnation from the government, political parties and civil society groups, terming it a bid to silent voice for peace and education.
The banned militant organisation Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) had issued a statement Wednesday, using Islamic Shariah to defend the attack.
Pakistani Taliban had said that although they do not believe in attacking women, “whom so ever leads a campaign against Islam and Shariah is ordered to be killed by Shariah.”
TTP spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan had argued that it is “not just allowed … but obligatory in Islam” to kill such a person involved “in leading a campaign against Shariah and (who) tries to involve whole community in such campaign, and that personality becomes a symbol of anti-Shariah campaign.”
Malala had won international recognition for highlighting Taliban atrocities in Swat with a blog for the BBC three years ago, when the Islamist militants burned girls’ schools and terrorised the valley.
Her struggle resonated with tens of thousands of girls who were being denied an education by the militants across northwest Pakistan, where the government has been fighting the local Taliban since 2007.
im just laughing at the pakistan government, as they have fooled the pakistani people by attacking Malala, as to gain sympathy from pakistan people to attack waziristan….but why isnt media and people of pakistan not crying for the thousands os lives lost in pakistan…why are the poeple only talking of malala, wat abt the innocent girls killed in the madrasa..
people of pakistan wake up, your gov is fooling you by shooting malala so that it gains sympathy to attack waziristan and support america…
how come the shooters absconded openly,,how come the agencies spoke to the killers on phone, but not able to trace them..this was well planned by the gov of pakistan. because there is pressurre from america to attack in waziristan.
and by the way the end pakistan is coming very soon…so be prepared
Shame on TTP and these criminals using Islam for doing their criminal acts. They inshallah will go to hell in next life and will be defeated in this world inshallah. These criminals should be targeted and beheaded in front of all the world to stop criminals using name of Islam for their henious acts.
I am glad to see that at least there is one organization of Muslim scholars, Islamic Ittehad Council, that has the courage and the wisdom to publicly denounce the sick mindset of Taliban. I sure hope there is enough unity in the political, military and security establishment to uproot extremism and intolerance from Pakistani society.
Keep up the good work – Maulanas!
Bismillah, er-Rahman er-Rahim
“Islam” means submission to the will of Allah, and it also means the Peace, al-Salaam, that is attained through submission to the will of Allah – both the inner peace of the individual and the peacefulness that such an individual manifests in the world.
The Taliban have submitted not to the will of Allah, but to the will of their own small selves, and they are enslaved and ruled by their own fears, all of which are the products of their own minds and imaginations. And they want to enslave all others to their imagined
For every Muslim, every individual act must begin in the name of, in the spirit of, with the breath of Allah, of al-Wahid, the One, and for all who are striving to become truly Muslim, that is the ideal to strive towards. And this striving is most greatly manifested and aided through mercy and compassion; ar-Rahman and ar-Rahim. This is strongly stated in al-Fatiha and the suras each begin with a reminder of this.
Everything else in the Qur’an must be viewed from and interpreted in the Light of this repeated guidance, yet the Taliban ignore this while trying to justify their unmerciful, uncompassionate acts. They must not be allowed to do this unchallenged. Fatwas help, but more is needed.
The world desperately needs more Muslims to speak up often and with strength and conviction in defense of Islam, and to act according to these basic precepts of Islam, in clear demonstrations of what submission to Allah really means – in contrast to what the Taliban claims and to the way they behave. Help bring Unity into the world, not through compulsion but through your merciful, compassionate, loving example.
Shame on all those who are diluting/diverting attention from Malali’s plight by brigning drone issue.
We want to hear that Taliban are not only enemies of Pakistan but also of Islam.
Please Give One Fatwa Again Drone Attaks Also…………..
molvis should also collectively reject Talibanism in toto ! condemnation should not be Malala incident specific !!
Wow, Maulvis take the lead again. This proves that they are years ahead of the politicians when it comes to judging public mood and opinion. So the fault really lies with public opinion.
Why blame others when fault lies within.
too little too late
We need real Islamic scholars not these mullahs who are giving us a bad name all over the world.
Finally some religious figures take a stand. Not just a generic condemnation, as commonly heard from leaders of religious and political parties, but an authentic and clear position.
Maybe Altaf Hussain’s warning on the mullahs worked. Thats why the condemnation.
These Fatwas will have real power, if media supports it in a big way.
Sad day when a “fatwa” is needed to condemn a inhuman act.
Humanity, decency and truth are the highest religions. And anything
absent that .. does not lead to God.
Human Life is a gift of Allah/God. There is no excuse to harm this sacred human life in the name of religion/faith. We need to move away from these so called Religious Scholars/Taliban/Whatever, who issue fatiwa in the name of religion or shariah. WE NEED TO RESPECT HUMAN LIFE.