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British
Muslims pray at
London
central mosque. (Reuters)
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By
Ahmad Maher, IOL Staff
LONDON
, July 16, 2005 (IslamOnline.net) – British Muslim scholars have
condemned as "absolutely un-Islamic" the July 7 bombings in
London
, but warned that society needs to work harder to fight the social
deprivation which contribute to extremism and that
Middle East
and Muslim grievances should be tackled in a fair manner.
"We
are deeply shocked and saddened by the bombing attacks of 7 July 2005.
We regard these acts as utterly criminal, totally reprehensible, and
absolutely un-Islamic," the leaders said in a statement, a copy
of which was e-mailed to IslamOnline.net Saturday, July 16.
"On
behalf of our communities and congregations, we express heartfelt
sorrow and extend condolences to the families and friends of the
victims. We pray for the speedy recovery of the injured. We
extend our sympathy to the entire British public, a nation to which we
all belong by the Grace of God."
The
leaders met Friday, July 15, at the Central London Mosque in Regent's
Park, not far from the scene of three of the explosions, at the
initiative of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), the chief
federation of Muslim organizations in the country.
British
Muslims were shocked that four British-born Muslims were the bombers
behind the terrorist attacks which left at least 51 dead.
Also
Friday, an MCB delegation visited
Leeds
, where three of the bombers came from, to meet with and reassure
shocked locals.
Not
Martyrs
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MCB
Secretary General Iqbal Sacranie led Friday a delegation to
Leeds
. (Reuters)
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In
their statement, the Muslim scholars stressed that there can never be
any excuse for taking an innocent life.
"We
are firmly of the view that these killings have absolutely no sanction
in Islam, nor is there any justification whatsoever in our noble
religion for such evil actions," read the statement.
"The
Qur’an clearly declares that killing an innocent person was
tantamount to killing all mankind and likewise saving a single life
was as if one had saved the life of all mankind (The Qur’an,
Al-Maidah 5:32). This is both a principle and a command."
The
British Muslim leaders further said that the bombers can in no way be
described as martyrs.
"It
is our understanding that those who carried out the bombings in
London
should in no sense be regarded as martyrs," they averred.
Britain
’s top Muslim scholars said on July 10 they were drafting a fatwa
stripping those behind the grisly attacks from the right to call
themselves Muslims.
The
new statement affirmed that the pursuit of justice for the victims of
last week's attacks is an obligation under Islam.
"It
is incumbent upon all of us, Muslims and non-Muslims to help the
authorities with any information that may lead to the planners of last
week's atrocity being brought to justice."
Addressing
Roots
Though
they pledged to do more to stop impressionable young Muslims from
becoming would-be bombers, the British Muslim scholars underlined that
the social deprivation in which many Muslims live is a breeding ground
for radicalism.
"There
is, therefore, a great deal of positive work to be done together with
everyone in our own and wider community in order to channel the energy
and talent of our youth particularly into constructive avenues,
serving God and society for the common good. The youth need
understanding, not bashing."
The
scholars demanded that "all of us, both in public life and in
civil and religious society, confront together the problems of
Islamophobia, racism, unemployment, economic deprivation and social
exclusion - factors that may be alienating some of our children and
driving them towards the path of anger and desperation."
They
additionally called on the international community to work towards
just and lasting peace settlements in the world's areas of conflict
and help eliminate the grievances that seem to nurture a spiral of
violence.
But
they noted that Islam prohibits both anger and desperation.
"Anger
and desperation are haram (forbidden) and may lead to some people
being targeted by people with a sinister and violent agenda."
British
Prime Minister Tony Blair has admitted that there can be no security
solution to terrorist attacks, urging the world to address the
underlying causes of terrorism.
David
Clark, a former Labour government adviser, wrote in the Guardian on
July 9, that the world cannot defeat terrorism "until we are
ready to take legitimate Arab grievances seriously".
