Islam and the Bomb - Belfer Center for Science and International ...

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Chronology of Sunni Voices Against Al-Qaeda See Appendix E for short biographies on this sampling of Sunni clerics. The objective of this section is to show a timeline of broad, representative statements against al-Qaeda’s desire to resort to violence on the scale of WMD. June 2003 Yusuf al-Qaradawi rejected al-Qaeda’s killing of innocents. “Islam, the religion of tolerance, holds the human soul in high esteem, and considers the attack against innocent human beings a grave sin, this is backed by the Qur’anic verse which reads: Who so ever kills a human being for other than manslaughter or corruption in the earth, it shall be as if he has killed all mankind, and who so ever saves the life of one, it shall be as if he had saved the life of all mankind,” (Al-Ma’dah:32). “The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, is reported to have said, ‘A believer remains within the scope of his religion as long as he doesn’t kill another person illegally…even in times of war, Muslims are not allowed to kill anybody save the one who is indulged in face-to-face confrontation with them. They are not allowed to kill women, old persons, children, or even a monk in his religious seclusion.” 82 Qaradawi also rejected all terrorist attacks outside of Israel. 2005 “I have been asked several questions on TV programs and on public lectures about the martyr operations outside the Palestinian territories, and I always answer that I do agree with those who do not allow such martyr operations to be carried out outside the Palestinian territories.” Instead we should concentrate on facing the occupying enemy directly. It is not permissible, as far as Islam is concerned, to shift confrontation outside the Palestinian territories. This is backed by the Qur’anic verse that reads: “Fight in the way of Allah against those who fight against you, but begin not hostilities. Lo! Allah loves not, aggressors”. 83 Shaykh Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri was among the 170 Islamic scholars from various sects who signed an antiterrorist fatwa in Amman in 2005. 84 46 Islam and the Bomb: Religious Justification For and Against Nuclear Weapons
2007 Former militant cleric Salman Al-Odeh warned Osama bin Laden that if he did not relin- quish the path of terror he would find himself responsible for the deaths of millions, for which he would ultimately have to answer to Allah. 85 2008 6,000 Indian Muslim clerics endorsed an anti-terror fatwa. 86 2009 Saudi newspaper quoted prominent Saudi cleric al-Obeikan’s condemnation of al-Qaeda. “Affiliation with the so-called al-Qaeda group is haram” (banned), adding “It is strictly prohib- ited to legitimize the shedding of blood of other Muslims without having the right to do so.” 87 2009 Egyptian Grand Mufti Gomaa outlined a ten point, detailed legal ruling (fatwa) that using WMD is banned (impermissible) under Islam: • An individual or group cannot declare war • The use of WMD is a breach of international agreements and treaties • Using WMDs involves killing people and taking them by surprise • Killing and harming women and children is forbidden • Killing and harming Muslim residents of the target countries is forbidden • Ramifications of using WMDs will bring about catastrophe for the entire world • Consequences of using WMD will damage individual and public properties • Permission to enter a country is considered a non-verbal security agreement not to cause corruption in the host country. • It is invalid to base the permissibility of using WMDs on analogy [Ar.qiyās] to tabyīt, using the catapult, or tahrīq • It is not permissible to use human shields Note: See Appendix D for relevant sections of the fatwa Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs | Harvard Kennedy School 47
Page 1: Islam Islam and the Bomb Religious
Page 4 and 5: Belfer Center for Science and Inter
Page 6 and 7: AUTHOR’S NOTE Threats cannot be f
Page 8 and 9: CONTENTS Foreword 9 Living in an Ag
Page 10 and 11: 8 Islam and the Bomb: Religious Jus
Page 12 and 13: 10 ing nuclear weapons? Has a decis
Page 14 and 15: NUCLEAR WEAPONS IN THE 21 ST CENTUR
Page 16 and 17: 14 The Allure of Nuclear Weapons Th
Page 18 and 19: 16 Islam. They claim to represent t
Page 20 and 21: 18 In applying this hierarchy of mo
Page 22 and 23: 20 The Court of Public Opinion “C
Page 24 and 25: THE QURAN AND WEAPONS OF MASS DESTR
Page 26 and 27: 24 The first Caliph (successor to t
Page 28 and 29: 26 both Saudi radical cleric Nasir
Page 30 and 31: AL-QAEDA’S RELIGIOUS JUSTIFICATIO
Page 32 and 33: 30 On that basis, and in compliance
Page 34 and 35: 32 ings of US and Saudi targets in
Page 36 and 37: 34 In November, 2007, Sayid Imam Ab
Page 38 and 39: 36 He offers a meticulously researc
Page 40 and 41: 38 Zawahiri’s Three Operational M
Page 42 and 43: 40 they have done good for their re
Page 44 and 45: 42 Because the document was written
Page 46 and 47: SUNNI VOICES REJECTION OF TERRORIST
Page 50 and 51: Reactions to the anti-WMD Fatwa Dr
Page 52 and 53: SHIA VOICES IRAN AND THE BOMB Follo
Page 54 and 55: 52 “The decree by Khamenei “pro
Page 56 and 57: 54 “From all I can see, it’s no
Page 58 and 59: president of the Kayhan chain of ne
Page 60 and 61: Ayatollah Mohammad Taghi Mesbah-Yaz
Page 62 and 63: you can do whatever you want to def
Page 64 and 65: Comment: For additional information
Page 66 and 67: APPENDICES Appendix A - Background
Page 68 and 69: 66 Early Muslim scholars developed
Page 70 and 71: 68 located in Yemen, Iraq, and part
Page 72 and 73: 70 Appendix B: Al-Qaeda Nuclear Pla
Page 74 and 75: Appendix C: Events from 2003-2010 -
Page 76 and 77: In his book “Cosmology and Human
Page 78 and 79: 76 and hidden matters, the conseque
Page 80 and 81: 78 pressed. Thus, this prohibition
Page 82 and 83: 80 Appendix E: Sunni Biographies Dr
Page 84 and 85: 82 despite our strong oppositions t
Page 86 and 87: 84 to the United Nations. He presen
Page 88 and 89: 86 losophy and in particular Sadra
Page 90 and 91: 88 nied him food and drink until he
Page 92 and 93: 90 Zawahiri: Page 5, 8, 25, 26, 50,
Page 94 and 95: 92 “As everyone knows, whoever at
Page 96 and 97: 94 fought with fire, and Khalid ibn
Page 98 and 99:
96 Sa’id reported to us that al-L
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98 “The Prophet, may God bless hi
Page 102 and 103:
100 and to refrain from them if the
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102 permissible, and one may setup
Page 106 and 107:
104 “Al-‘Ayni said in ‘Umdat
Page 108 and 109:
106 C. The third position on the is
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108 the prophet (may God bless him
Page 112 and 113:
110 facilitate victory over them. T
Page 114 and 115:
112 “In this Hadith there is perm
Page 116 and 117:
114 The Imam al-Nawawi (may God hav
Page 118 and 119:
116 Referencing Al-Ayni Al-Fahd: Pa
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118 board with them. Malik said tha
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120 “They said that this is a gen
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122 that a tradition from the proph
Page 126 and 127:
124 “Similarly, if an non-believe
Page 128 and 129:
126 The second aspect: Muslim leade
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128 beginning of the verse, God giv
Page 132 and 133:
130 book “Consensus on Matters of
Page 134 and 135:
132 Ibn Qudamah also said: “Chapt
Page 136 and 137:
134 Referencing Muhammad Ibn Isma
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136 in the Name of God and in God
Page 140 and 141:
138 Ibn Taymiyyah (may God have mer
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140 a martyr. Anyone undeserving of
Page 144 and 145:
142 Zawahiri: Page 35, 80, 82, 83,
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144 Similar to this is what Muhamma
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146 ENDNOTES 1. Tzu, Sun. The Art o
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148 Times. 29 May 2003. http://www.
Page 152 and 153:
150 115. Intelligence and Terrorism
Page 154 and 155:
152 163. Gomaa, Ali. “Biography.
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154 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This report wo
Page 158:
156 Islam and the Bomb: Religious J
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