DHS Sec: To Call IS Islamic is “Dignifying Them As Occupying Some Form Of Islam” - Al-Ahzar: "IS Must Not Be Accused Of Heresy" (JihadWatch).
Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson was reduced to stammering tautologies when George Stephanopoulos asked him why the administration won’t call the Islamic State Islamic: “Now I have to say, when I travel around the country and meet with Muslim leaders in this country in these engagements that I have, they all tend to say pretty much the same thing, which is that ‘ISIL has hijacked my religion.’
And so, in my view, if we start referring to ISIL as occupying any form of the Islamic theology, we’re pretty much dignifying them as occupying some form of, of that faith, and I know that Muslim leaders in this country, uh, push back hard on that, and it seems to me, it’s, it’s going to a, a, a place where ISIL would very much like us to go, in that we’re dignifying them as occupying some form of Islam.
They, they don’t. Islam is about peace and brotherhood. There are 1.6 billion Muslims in this world, and the true Islamic faith has nothing to do with what ISIL represents. And so, to, to start labeling them as ‘Islam’ or as ‘Islamic State’ in any respect, I think gives them far more dignity than they deserve. And so do a lot of Muslims believe that, too, by the way.”
Johnson took a long time to say, several times, that the Islamic State is not truly Islamic, and to call them Islamic wouldn’t give them an unwarranted dignity.
Al Ahzar the highest Sunni authority said Quote:
"Al-Azhar: The Islamic State (ISIS) Is A Terrorist Organization, But It Must Not Be Accused Of Heresy." So in my book that Qualifies as ISLAMIC!
In recent days, Al-Azhar, considered
the most important educational institute and religious authority in the
Sunni Islamic world, has been forced to deal with the question of
whether members of the Islamic State (ISIS) are heretics.
On December 3, 2014, at Al-Azhar's International Counterterrorism
Conference in Cairo, Nigeria Mufti Sheikh Ibrahim Saleh Al-Husseini said
in a speech that, by their actions, extremist organizations such as
Boko Haram and their ilk bring a judgment of heresy upon themselves.
Al-Husseini did not say explicitly that ISIS was heretic, but he did say
that that "the statements and declarations [of these organizations] are
what has brought them to heresy," and that "those who accuse others of
heresy are [themselves] viewed as heretics by the shari'a."
In other words, he accused the
organization of heresy indirectly. Hence, his statements were
interpreted by some media in the Muslim world as a fatwa by him that
ISIS is a heretical organization. [1]
Al-Azhar, apparently alarmed by the reports that a fatwa accusing ISIS of heresy had been issued at a conference it hosted, hastened to deny the reports.
Al-Azhar's reluctance to proclaim ISIS heretical reflects the
caution of Sunni Islam in the matter of takfir (i.e., the practice of
accusing other Muslims of heresy).
Beyond the religious position that advocates avoiding takfir as far as
possible, directing this accusation at ISIS can have far-reaching
political implications.
First, it places Al-Azhar in direct confrontation with ISIS.
Second, since the Egyptian regime has been drawing a parallel between ISIS and the Muslim Brotherhood (MB), an accusation of heresy against the former could be interpreted as applying to the latter as well.
This could exacerbate the internal conflict in Egypt between the regime
on the one hand and the MB and various terror organizations on the
other, perhaps even leading to civil war in the country.
Hence, Al-Azhar, and the Nigerian mufti himself, swiftly denied
the statements that had been attributed to him by some figures and media
reports.
In a December 5, 2014 interview with the Egyptian CBC TV, Al-Husseini
said that, while ISIS' actions were indeed against Islam and a grave
sin that must be condemned, these actions must not be called heretical.
Al-Azhar issued an official statement denying the accusation of heresy
that had been attributed to the Nigerian mufti, and several of its
members presented various explanations for their refusal to consider
ISIS heretical.
They claimed that Islam prohibits one person from accusing another
of heresy, and that the way to deal with those who engage in takfir is
to direct the same accusation against them.
Al-Azhar scholars also claimed that
ISIS cannot be considered heretical as long as it adheres to the shahada
– the Muslim declaration that there is no God but Allah and that
Muhammad is His Messenger – even if its actions contradict Islam.
Additionally, they said that it was not Al-Azhar's place to judge
whether anyone is a heretic, or to examine the tenets of their faith,
since only God can know what is in someone's heart.
Condemning someone as a heretic, they said, may be done only by a
shari'a judge, after it is found by comprehensive and careful
examination that the person deliberately chose heresy and has no
intention to repent. For this reason, Al-Azhar said, it never intended
to rule on whether ISIS was heretical.
Al-Azhar members stressed that their refusal to accuse ISIS of
heresy must not be seen as either implicit support for the organization
or opposition to the fight against it.
They explained that ISIS is a terrorist organization whose actions
deviate from the correct Islam, but at the same time they clarified
again and again that judging whether or not it is heretical is beyond
their authority.
It should be mentioned that Al-Azhar and the Egyptian religious
establishment have recently been campaigning against ISIS and other
groups, such as the MB, depicting them as terror organizations that have
strayed from Islam and harm both Islam and Muslims.
The following is a review of the statements by the Nigerian mufti and of
Al-Azhar's position on accusing ISIS of heresy.Read the full story here. Hmmm.....So much for 'ISIS has NOTHING TO DO WITH ISLAM'
Related:
Related:
Sheikh alAzhar: Intl plot against Arabs, Muslims in accordance with colonization and World Zionism [AR]
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