A ruling on Suicide Attacks

[Libaax-Sankataabte]

Suicide attacks on US-led troops in Iraq permitted: Sunni leader

 

Suicide attacks on the US-led coalition in Iraq are "permitted under (Islamic) religious law," the sheikh of Al-Azhar, the highest Sunni Muslim spiritual authority, Mohammed Sayed Tantawi, said here Saturday.

"Martyr operations against the invading forces are permitted under religious law," he said, quoted by the official MENA news agency.

 

Tantawi described the invasion of Iraq to oust the regime of Saddam Hussein as "an unjust aggression".

 

"Whoever attacks others, spilling blood, harming the other's honour and land is a terrorist," he added, referring to the US-led coalition.

 

Tantawi, however, said the US-led war was not a crusade against Islam since many Christian nations and religious leaders, including Pope John Paul II, have opposed it.

 

He also indirectly criticised the Iraqi and the Kuwaiti leaders.

 

Saddam Hussein should have accepted a call from the United Arab Emirates last month to resign in order to prevent war, he said.

 

"Had this initiative gone through, it would have preserved the blood of many Muslims and we would not be seeing the massacres under way against the Iraqi people."

 

Tantawi described Iraq's August 1990-February 1991 occupation of Kuwait as a "terrorist" act.

 

He also criticised Kuwait, without actually naming the emirate, saying "when an Arab country enlists the help of foreign forces against another Arab country for no reason, this is treason to religion."

 

On March 27, Syria's Grand Mufti Sheikh Ahmad Kaftaro, the country's top Muslim religious authority, called for suicide bombings against US and British troops in Iraq.

 

Islam universally bans suicide as a crime against oneself but it allows it in defence of Muslims and their land, and celebrates as "martyrs" those who make the sacrifice.

 

There have been two suicide attacks against coalition forces since the war began on March 20. One of them killed four US soldiers and the second three others, according to the US military.

 

http://www.spacewar.com/2003/030405160748.bkz0qayd.html

[mojam]

this Sheikh got one thing wrong though.

 

'Saddam Hussein should have accepted a call from the United Arab Emirates last month to resign in order to prevent war, he said.'

 

whether Saddam left or not, Iraq would have been attacked either way.

[N.O.R.F]

nice one libaax!