Fatwa declares terrorist attacks 'anti-Islamic'

Lucknow, Mar 14: Clerics in the Uttar Pradesh capital have issued a fatwa announcing that any terrorist attack is anti-Islamic as religion never supports killing of innocent people.

The fatwa (edict), issued here yesterday by Darul-Ifta Firangi Mahal, said terrorist attack on religious places was anti-Islamic and one of the biggest crimes.

Maulana Khalid Rashid Firangi Mahli said Sajid Umar had sought fatwa on the issue after the militants' assault on the Varanasi temple.

He said Islam was a religion of peace and attack on religious shrines was against its tenets and Quran (Surah Maidah: 32) had issued specific directive that killing of an innocent person was a murder of the entire humanity.

The cleric clarified that people carrying out attack on shrines in the name of religion were indulging in anti-Islamic act.

He said peace and humanity had prime position in Islam and the perpetrators of crime should understand these basic tenets of Shariat.

Firangi Mahal, which has 300-year old history of religious services to the community, had been issuing edicts to guide the community on controversial matters.

Similarly in Varanasi, Mufti Taisaruddin of Darul Ifta Majidia also declared the assaults as anti-Islamic. He said terrorism was considered a crime in Islam and could not be condoned.

Muslim women in Varanasi, who resorted to demonstration against the attack on temple last week, had mounted pressure on local clerics to issue edict on the issue.

UNI

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