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| Africa North | ||
| Moderate imams denounce radicalism | ||
| 2013-04-06 | ||
| [MAGHAREBIA] Two recent sermons delivered by religious leaders in Mali are highlighting how beturbanned goons fighting in the country fail to understand the true teachings of Islam. In the first document, published February 25th by the group president Mahmud Fode Cisse, the Malian League of Imams and Scholars for Islamic Solidarity (LIMAMA), criticise the radical terrorist groups' interpretation of jihad. "We all know the calamities that have befallen our country for more than one year through groups that carried weapons and occupied a part of our country, killing people, destroying properties, and displacing thousands both to neighbouring countries and within our country". "The thing that has further complicated the severity of this sedition is the claim of some of these groups that they have come to apply the Islamic Sharia and that what they are doing is jihad for the cause of God. This claim has appealed to some of the people, while some Moslems in the Islamic world were confused and thought that these groups were right while in fact they were wrong," the statement said.
"The country is no longer secure, and people live under constant fear; where is this mentioned in Islamic law? How can this be considered Jihad? Those actions are attacks against Moslems, their lives are threatened and their belongings are no longer secure." The second document was a sermon delivered by Imam Camara, the secretary-general of the league on March 9th. Imam Camara said that all Moslems should realise the mistakes of these radical groups, that what they were doing had nothing to do with jihad in Islam, that they exploited religion to serve their own radical ideology and that their behaviour was simply that of aggressors and corrupters. Vast sections of the elite in the Islamic world agree, according to Mohamed Ould Ahmedu, a specialist in terrorism and radical groups' ideology. "What these groups have done doesn't serve Moslems' interests and doesn't conform to the essence and spirit of Islam", he added. "Islam never spread by sword, contrary to the opinion of those who believe it is a religion of violence and killing," Ould Ahmedu told Magharebia. "Rather, it is a religion of mercy and justice."
Similarly, Mauritanian political activist Ibrahim Ould Ali said that the document issued by Malian Moslem scholars reflected "the viewpoint of the Malian society and its position from correct Islam. They are right in this." "It's not logical that groups that were rejected by their own people come to a Moslem country and impose their own agenda and bully boy understanding of religion on them," he added. "If al-Qaeda and its allies had been right about their understanding of Islam, it would have been adopted by all Moslem scholars and their peoples," he said. | ||
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 How can this be considered Jihad? Those actions are attacks against Muslims, their lives are threatened and their belongings are no longer secure. IOW, save your savage wrath for the Infidels. HowÂ…ummÂ…moderate. |
| Posted by: DepotGuy 2013-04-06 09:14 |