Agence France-Presse reports that a prominent London-based militant Islamic scholar has issued a fatwa banning suicide operations:
"To my mind, these operations are closer to suicide than to martyrdom-seeking, and they are taboo and not permissible" for a number of reasons, wrote Syrian-born Abdul Menem Mustafa Halimeh, alias Abu Baseer al-Tartussi, on his website.
The Saudi-owned pan-Arab daily Asharq Al-Awsat, which reported Tartussi's fatwa on Saturday, described him as a top ideologue for Islamist militants and said his edict had provoked angry reactions on Islamist websites, with some accusing him of letting down Al-Qaeda followers.
Tartussi cited several reasons for banning suicide operations including:
Suicide violates dozens of (Islamic) religious texts; and
Suicide bombings often "wrongfully killing innocent and sacred souls, be they Muslim or otherwise."
Tartussi's fatwa is one more step towards victory in the War Against Terrorism.
I'm still skeptical since I understand that in the eyes of many Muslims being part of an infidel group that is deemed hostile to Islam makes you a priori non-innocent. I will therefore withhold judgment for a bit.
Posted by: Release The Hounds! | Wednesday, August 31, 2005 at 01:46 AM
I find it encouraging that the fatwah specifically includes non-Muslims among the innocent.
Posted by: Kent | Saturday, August 27, 2005 at 06:12 PM