Author: TNN
Publication: The Times of India
Date: February 21, 2008
URL: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Muslim_heads_huddle_to_discuss_terror/articleshow/2799677.cms
[Note from the Hindu Vivek Kendra: Trust that
at the end of the deliberations, they will come out with a fatwa against the
terrorists, and name at least some of them.]
A meeting at Darul Uloom at Deoband next week,
expected to be attended by ulema from over 6,000 madrassas including those
affiliated to other sects like Barelvis and Ahl-e-Hadiz, will deliberate on
the need to take a stand against groups which justify terrorism as being sanctioned
by Islam.
The day-long discussions have been planned
in view of terror groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed arguing
that violence against non-believers, including innocent bystanders, was part
of religious duty and was theologically approved by Deoband's Darul Uloom.
"We have condemned terrorism earlier.
But this time we felt that as an institution, the Darul Uloom had to take
an initiative to make it clear that Islam does not sanction terrorism and
that Deobandis do not believe in this either," said Maulana Mahmood Madani,
general secretary of Jamiat Ulema-i-Hind.
The organisers of the conclave said terrorist
tanzims, which drew ideological inspiration and recruited fighters from madrassas
in Pakistan, have argued that teachings of Deoband were their inspiration.
"We want to say that what happens in
their madrassas is their business. We are keen to make it clear that killing
innocents, let's say someone walking on the road, is not justified in Islam,"
said the school's deputy rector Qazi Usman.
The task before the meeting, which is slated
to take place on February 25, will comprise offering a theological explanation
repudiating the "divine" duty claimed by figures like Syed Hafiz
Saeed, head of LeT, in calling for a violent jihad against India. "If
such violence is jihad, then Muslims will be bound by it. But we are saying
this is not jihad. It is, in fact, anti-Islam besides being anti-national,"
said Madani.
Both Madani and Usman felt that terrorism
was posing questions which needed urgent answers. Muslims were being drawn
into acts of terror, often as foot soldiers or local collaborators. This led
to security agencies coming down hard on Muslim suspects even as equating
terrorism with Islam was resulting in bitterness and suspicion between communities.
"We need to involve ourselves as Islam gets a bad name," said Madani.
The increasing involvement of local recruits was also worrying.
"We have to forcefully oppose terrorism.
We also have warn to people that they must not be misguided and drawn to a
violent act that will help those opposed to our society and motherland,"
said Usman.
