In the name of Allah, the all-Merciful, the
most Compassionate A special meeting of imams (leaders) and
ulama (scholars) held at the Islamic Cultural Centre, Regents
Park, London on 15th July 2005 endorsed the following
declaration:
Along with all Londoners and the people of Britain, we are
deeply shocked and saddened by the bombing attacks of 7 July
2005 that caused the loss of at least 52 innocent lives,
wounded hundreds and disrupted the peace and order of the
civic and community life of the metropolis. We regard these
acts as utterly criminal, totally reprehensible, and
absolutely un-Islamic.
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.
There can never be any excuse for taking an innocent life.
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. We are firmly of the view that these killings had
absolutely no sanction in Islam, nor is there any
justification whatsoever in our noble religion for such evil
actions. It is our understanding that those who carried out
the bombings in London should in no sense be regarded as
martyrs.
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.
The pursuit of justice for the victims of last week’s attacks
is an obligation under the faith of Islam.
Islam is the middle path and the Qur’an designates Muslims
as the ummatan wasata – the middle community. Any form of
extremism is to be utterly and completely rejected. What we
need, therefore, in our troubled world, more than ever before
is to stick to the middle and balanced way of Islam. We need
also to remind ourselves, young as well as old, that the
solution to our problems and concerns lies in following and
adhering to the noble discipline of Islam and to the way of
the Prophet, peace be upon him, and not falling prey to a
culture of conflict and discord. The social culture of Islam
is based on the principle of inviting people towards good,
courteously and wisely – with Hikmah and mawizah Hasana. (The
Qur’an, Al-Nahal 16:125) The Prophet Muhammad, peace be on
him, was sent as a mercy to mankind and that is the ideal and
norm that we ought to be following all the time.
The tragedy of 7th July 2005 demands 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. 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. 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.
We do naturally feel deeply for the sufferings, injustices
and oppression the world over. Yet we also remind ourselves of
the verse of the Qur’an, “O you who believe! Be steadfast
witnesses for Allah in equity and let not abhorrence of any
people make you swerve from justice. Deal justly, that is
nearer to God-fearing. Fear Allah. Allah is aware of what you
do.” (Al Maidah, 5:8)
We also call 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. We also urge the media to
refrain from character assassinations of our reputable
scholars and denigration of the community.
We reiterate our resolve and commitment to work towards
nurturing an identity that is true to its faith and its rights
and responsibilities of British citizenship. Finally, we pray
to God Almighty to bless all the people of the world with His
Peace and Mercy. Wa akhiru da’wana ani-lhamdulillahi
rabbil-alameen.
The meeting was convened by The Muslim Council of Britain
with the British Muslim Forum and other leading national and
regional organisations from across the country. Signatories to
the Declaration included:
Shaykh Ali Ahdash Muslim Cultural Heritage Centre,
London
Dr Manazir Ahsan The Islamic Foundation,
Leicester
Maulana Jomshed Ali The Council of Mosques, Tower
Hamlets
Hussain Ali The Council of Mosques, Tower
Hamlets
Mufti Muhammad Aslam Jamiat
Ulama-e-Britain
Khateeb Muhammad Iqbal Awan UK Islamic
Mission, Luton
Muhammad Azim Kashmir Forum UK
Mufti
AbdulKader Barkatulla Senior Imam, Finchley Mosque
Imam
Driss Boumzough Imam, Moroccan Muslim Community
of
London
Abdal Choudhury British Muslim Action
Front
Maulana Abdal Choudhury The Council of Mosques, Tower
Hamlets
Shaykh Ahmed Dahdorh Muslim Cultural Heritage
Centre, London
Dr Ahmed Dubyan Islamic Cultural Centre
& London Central
Mosque
Abdel Shaheed El-Ashal
Muslim Association of Britain
Shaykh Muslehuddin Faradhi
Islamic Forum Europe
Shaykh Rached Ghannoushi
Maulana
Moudood Hasan Uleman Council of Da'watul Islam
Shaykh
Suhaib Hasan Islamic Shariah Council
Dr Usama Hasan Imam,
Masjid Al-Tawhid, Leyton
Maulana Mahmoudul Hassan Da'watul
Islam
Hafiz Shamsul Hoque Imam, Eshatul Islam Mosque,
Ilford
Hafiz Maulana Shamsul Hoque The Council of Mosques,
Tower Hamlets
Aboochitar Khaled International Muslim
Committee
Dr AbddulKarim Khalil Muslim Cultural Heritage
Centre, London
Maulana Masood Alam Khan Jamia Islamia,
Birmingham
Shaykh Hokei Majouli Muslim Welfare House
Trust
Professor Sayyid Fadhil Milani International College
for Islamic Studies
Ahmed Sheikh Mohamed Muslim Association
of Britain
Hasan Mueenuddin Da'watul Islam UK &
Eire
Maulana Gul Muhammad British Muslim Forum
Maulana
Farooq Mulla Lincoln Mosque
Professor Dawud Noibi Nigerian
Muslim Community& Imam, Old
Kent Road Mosque
Maulana
Muhammad
Imdad Hussain
Pirzada Jamia-al-Karam,
Nottingham
Maulana Bostan Qadri Confederation of Sunni
Mosques,
Midlands
Shaykh Abdul Qayoom Imam, East London
Mosque
Maulana Muhammad
Shahid
Raza The World Islamic
Mission & Imam,
Leicester Central Mosque
Maulana
Sayyid
Mohammad
Sabzwary Al Asr Community &
Education Centre
Maulana Ismail Ali Shah Jamiat
Ulama-e-Britain
Maulana Muhammad Akram Khan UK Islamic
Mission, Luton
