A Change of Pace

Stories like this one seem to be a rarity, which is why they're worth posting.

Following deadly bombings in Britain and other nations, American Muslim scholars issued an edict Thursday condemning religious extremism and calling terrorists "criminals, not 'martyrs."'

The 18-member Fiqh Council of North America said Muslims were barred from helping "any individual or group that is involved in any act of terrorism or violence."

"There is no justification in Islam for extremism or terrorism," the scholars wrote in the edict, called a fatwa. "Targeting civilians' life and property through suicide bombings or any other method of attack is haram — or forbidden."

Many Muslim leaders overseas have made similar statements in recent weeks, but some have left an opening for violence to be used in certain situations. One group of British Muslim leaders who denounced the July 7 attacks in London said suicide bombings could still be justified against an occupying power — drawing criticism that it invited violence in Iraq, where civilians along with coalition troops have been killed.

However, the U.S. scholars said in a Washington news conference that their prohibition applied to attacks on civilians everywhere. Their fatwa states that Muslims are obligated to help law enforcement authorities "protect the lives of all civilians."

One of the biggest criticisms of the world's Islamic community after 9/11 and subsequent high profile attacks has been that Islamic leaders have been largely silent. There have been more high profile condemnations since the 7/7 attack, which is a good thing. It was high time about fifteen or twenty years ago that Islamic groups condemned terrorism and violence against civilians. Now, if the rest of the Islamic world would jump onboard and come out for the big win on this whole "war on terrorism" thing, that'd be just super.