In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

The Fiqh Council of North America wishes to reaffirm Islam’s absolute condemnation of terrorism and religious extremism.

Islam strictly condemns religious extremism and the use of violence against innocent lives. There is no justification in Islam for extremism or terrorism. Targeting civilians’ life and property through suicide bombings or any other method of attack is haram or forbidden – and those who commit these barbaric acts are criminals, not “martyrs.”

The Qur’an, Islam’s revealed text, states: “Whoever kills a person [unjustly]”it is as thoughhe has killed all mankind. And whoever saves a life, it is as though he had saved all mankind.” (Qur’an, 5:32)

Prophet Muhammad said there is no excuse for committing unjust acts: “Do not be people without minds of your own, saying that if others treat you well you will treat them well, and that if they do wrong you will do wrong to them. Instead, accustom yourselves to do good ifpeople do good and not to do wrong (even) if they do evil.” (Al-Tirmidhi)

God mandates moderation in faith and in all aspects of life when He states in the Qur’an: “Wemade you to be a community of the middle way, so that (with the example of your lives) you might bear witness to the truth before all mankind.” (Qur’an, 2:143)

In another verse, God explains our duties as human beings when he says: “Let there arise from among you a band of people who invite to righteousness, and enjoin good and forbidevil.” (Qur’an, 3:104)

Islam teaches us to act in a caring manner to all of God’s creation. The Prophet Muhammad, who is described in the Qur’an as “a mercy to the worlds” said: “All creation is the family ofGod, and the person most beloved by God (is the one) who is kind and caring toward His family.”

In the light of the teachings of the Qur’an and Sunnah we clearly and strongly state:

1. All acts of terrorism targeting civilians are haram (forbidden) in Islam.
2. It is haram for a Muslim to cooperate with any individual or group that is involved in any act of terrorism or violence.
3. It is the civic and religious duty of Muslims to cooperate with law enforcement authorities to protect the lives of all civilians.

We issue this fatwa following the guidance of our scripture, the Qur’an, and the teachings of our Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him. We urge all people to resolve all conflicts in just and peaceful manners.

We pray for the defeat of extremism and terrorism. We pray for the safety and security of ourcountry, the United States, and its people. We pray for the safety and security of allinhabitants of our planet. We pray that interfaith harmony and cooperation prevail both in the United States and all around the globe.

FIQH COUNCIL OF NORTH AMERICA
July 28, 2005

MEMBERS OF THE FIQH COUNCIL OF NORTH AMERICA

Dr. Muzammil H. Siddiqi, Chairman
Dr. Deina Abdulkadir
Shaikh Muhammad Nur Abdallah
Dr. Taha Jabir Alalwani
Shaikh Muhammad Al-Hanooti
Shaikhah Zainab Alwani
Dr. Jamal Badawi
Dr. Ihsan Bagby
Dr. Nazih Hammad
Shaikh Yahya Hindi
Dr. Abdul Hakim Jackson
Dr. Mukhtar Maghraoui
Dr. Akbar Muhammad
Shaikh Hassan Qazwini
Dr. Zulfiqar Ali Shah
Dr. Muhammad Adam Sheikh
Dr. Ahmad Shleibak
Dr. Salah Soltan

173 Muslim organizations, mosques and imams have endorsed the preceding fatwa as of August 4, 2005 (see below). More signatory organizations are to be added in the following days. To add your American Muslim organization to the list, please email your name, title, and affiliation to cair@cair-net.org.

ENDORSED BY THE FOLLOWING NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS:

Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)
Islamic Society of North America (ISNA)
Muslim American Society (MAS)
Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC)
Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA)
Mosque Cares, Imam W D Muhammad
Muslim Student Association of the US & Canada (MSA)
Association of Muslim Social Scientists
American Federation of Muslims of Indian Origin
American Muslim Alliance
Association of Muslim Scientists and Engineers
Canadian Council on American-Islamic Relations
Council of Shia Muslim Scholars of North America
Islamic Networks Group & Affiliates
Islamic Resource Group
Islamic Schools League of America
Islamic Sharia Advisory Institute of North America
Kashmiri American Council
Latino American Dawah Organization
Minaret of Freedom Institute
Muslim Ummah of North America
Project Islamic HOPE
United Muslims of America
USA Halal Chamber of Commerce, Inc & The Islamic Center for Halal Certification

ENDORSED BY THE FOLLOWING MOSQUES AND ISLAMIC CENTERS

Afghan Cultural Center
Al Nur Islamic Center, Rashid Ahmed, Director
All Dulles Area Muslim Society, Mohamed Magid, Imam
Al-Mu’minun Islamic Center, Samuel Ansari
American Islamic Academy, Shaykh Al-Tayyab
American Moslem Society, Mahdi Ali, Imam
American Muslim Voice
Assadiq Islamic Educational Foundation, Sayed Mohammad Jawad Qazwini, Imam
Auburn Islamic Center, Mark Hamza Dougherty, President
Bay County Islamic Society Inc, Hashem Mubrak,
Belleville Mosque and Islamic Education Center, Dr. Abdul W. Kazi,
Blossom Valley Muslim Community Center, Allaedin Ezzedin, Imam
Campus Mosque of Scranton, Imam
Cincinnati Islamic Center, Ilyas Nashid, Imam
Concerned Muslims of Greater Cleveland (CMGC)
Council of Masajid, Cleveland
Daar-ul-Islam Masjid, Muhammad Nur Abdallah
Dalton Islamic Center, Hammad El-Ameen, President
Darassalam, Mohammed M. Safa
Discover Islam Foundation, Muhammad Quadir,
Ershad Institute
Elmhurst Islamic Center, Riaz Ahmad, Mufti
First Cleveland Mosque, Abbas Ahmad, Imam
Fox Valley Islamic Society, Delwar Mian, Secretary
Foundation for Islamic Education, Sheikh Mustafa Ahmad
Greenway Islamic Center, Didmar Faja
Hidaya Foundation
Howard County Muslim Council, Anwer Hasan, President
Indian Muslim Relief & Charities
IntraCity Muslim Action Network (IMAN), Ohio
Islamic Association of Cary, Shakil Ahmed
Islamic Association of Greater Shreveport, Sayed Jumaa Salam
Islamic Association of Northeastern Pennsylvania, Riaz Hussain, Treasurer
Islamic Association of West Virginia, Mohamad Jamal Daoudi, Imam
Islamic Center of America, Sayed Hassan Al-Qazwini, Imam
Islamic Center of Blacksburg Islamic Center of Boca Raton, Jalal Khan, Imam
Islamic Center of Cape Girardeau, Shafiq Malik, Imam
Islamic Center of Carbondale, Muhammad Kamran, President
Islamic Center of Cleveland, Fawaz Damra, Imam
Islamic Center of Contra Costa, Abdul Quddus Saleh, Imam
Islamic Center of Des Moines, Ibrahim Dremali, Imam
Islamic Center of Fremont, Mubashir Ahmed, President
Islamic Center of Little Rock, Islam Mossaad, Imam
Islamic Center of Marietta, Amjad Taufique, President
Islamic Center of Maryland, Amin Ezzeddine, Imam
Islamic Center of New England, Talal Eid, Imam
Islamic Center of New Mexico, Isam Rajab, Imam
Islamic Center of Northeast Florida, Zaid Malik, Imam
Islamic Center of Oakland
Islamic Center of Old Bridge, Alvi Fakhruddin, Imam
Islamic Center of Omaha, Dr. Ahmad Az-Zaare, Imam
Islamic Center of Passaic County, Mohammad Qatanani, Imam
Islamic Center of Pleasanton/Dublin
Islamic Center of Portland, Samir Horani, Board Member
Islamic Center of Raleigh, Mohammed Bainonie, Imam
Islamic Center Of Reseda, Ali Shakoor, Imam
Islamic Center of Somerset, Husein Turki
Islamic Center of South Florida, Hassan Sabri, Imam
Islamic Center of Southern California, Jamil Momand, Chairman
Islamic Center of Tampa, Ziad Taha, Director
Islamic Center of Virginia, Shaheed Coovadia, Imam
Islamic Council of Ohio, Sohail Khan, Secretary
Islamic Education Center, Dr. Ahmad Sakr, Director
Islamic Educational Center of North Hudson, Mohamed Alhayek, Imam
Islamic Foundation of Central Ohio, Siraj Haji
Islamic Foundation of South Florida, Rashid Ahmad, Imam
Islamic House of Wisdom, Imam Mohammad Ali Elahi
Islamic Jaffaria Association, Mohamed Banglori, Imam
Islamic Learning and Practicing, Dr. Misbah Eldereiny
Islamic Movement of Florida, Moneer Khan, Imam
Islamic Mosque of Cleveland (Masjid al-Islam)
Islamic Shura Council of Southern California, Shakeel Syed, Executive Director
Islamic Society of Annapolis, Mohammad Arrafa, Imam
Islamic Society of Akron and KentIslamic Society of Baltimore, Abid Husain, General Secretary
Islamic Society of Boston, Shaykh Besyouni Nehela
Islamic Society of Central Florida, Mohammed al Masri, Imam
Islamic Society of East Bay, Dr. Mohamed Rajabally
Islamic Society of Essex County, Ismail Elshikh, Imam
Islamic Society of Greater Columbus, Dr. M. N. Tarazi, President
Islamic Society of Greater Houston, Rodwan M. Saleh, President
Islamic Society of Greater Kansas City, Shahir Safi, President
Islamic Society of Michiana, Mohammed Sirajuddin, Imam
Islamic Society of Orange County, Ismail Majoo, President
Islamic Society of Pinellas County, Haitham Barazangi, Imam
Islamic Society of Salt Lake City, Ali Mohammed, Imam
Islamic Society of San Fransisco, Souleiman Ghali, President
Islamic Society of Tampa Bay Area, Muhammad Sultan, Imam
Islamic Society of Washington Area, Faizul Khan, Imam
Kalamazoo Islamic Center, Tariq Jameel, President
Long Beach Islamic Center, Tarek Mohamed
Masjid AbuBakr AlSiddique, Abdur Rahman Bashir, Imam
Masjid Al Heyder, Hafiz Inayadullah
Masjid Al Muminun, Furqan Muhammad, Imam
Masjid Al-Ansar, Nasir Ahmad, Imam
Masjid Al-Faizal, Roshan Ali, Imam
Masjid Al-Hijrah, Kamruz Hosein
Masjid Al-Ihsan, Tarik Chebbi, Imam
Masjid Al-Kauthar, Rudolph Ali, Imam
Masjid Al-Nahl , Rashad Mujahid, Imam
Masjid Al-Noor, Danish Siddiqui, President
Masjid Al-Rasul, Mujahid Abdul-Karim, Imam
Masjid Al-Taqwa, Abdul Karim Salih, Imam
Masjid An-Noor, Mohamed Zakaria Badat, Imam
Masjid Annour Islamic Community, Mohammad Afzaluddin, Imam
Masjid Centralia, Dr. Zahir Ansari
Masjid Dar-ul-Argum Masjid Darul Huda, Abdul Hameed, Director
Masjid Jama Al Mumineen, Khalil Hussain, Imam
Masjid Mohammed, Said Mohammed Masjid Muttaqeen, Usman Rahman
Masjid Saad Foundation, Ziad Abu Hummos, President
Masjid Sahmsuddin, Foad Farahi, Imam
Mecca Learning Center
Miami Gardens Masjid, Abdul Hamid Samra, Imam
Muslims Association of Cleveland East (MACE)
Muslim Association of Virginia, Rafi Uddin Ahmed, President
Muslim Center of Middlesex County, Abubakr Nadwi
Muslim Children Education & Civic Center, Abdul Wahid
Muslim Community Association of the Peninsula
Muslim Community Association of the San Francisco Bay Area
Muslim Community Center, Azad Ejaz, President
Muslim Community Center of San Francisco
Muslim Community of Knoxville, Dr. Mohammad Islam, President
Muslim Community of North East Tennessee, Taneem Aziz, President
Muslim Community of Palm Beach County, Murtaza Kakli, President
Muslim Community Services, Inc., M. Rezar Rahman
Muslim Federation of New Jersey, Saif Ul-Nabi, Qari
Mustafa Center, M. Zia, Imam
Nur Ul Islam, Roshan Ali, Imam
Omar Mosque, Nimer Judeh
Palm Beach Mosque, Osman Chowdhury, President
Salaam Cleveland (Greater Cleveland Muslim Women’s Association)
Salaam in the Ummah (Peace in the Hood), Ohio
San Ramon Valley Islamic Center
Shi’a Islam Student Association, George Mason University, Seyede Katayon Kasmai, Founder
Siddiquia Jamia Masjid, Tariq Khawaja
South Bay Islamic Association, Tahir Anwar, Imam
South Valley Islamic Center, Ilyas Anwar, Imam
The Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago, Abdul Malik Mujahid, Imam
The Mosque Foundation, Sheikh Kifah Mustapha
The Muslim Community Center, Sheikh Elkheir Elkheir
United Sisterhood, Ohio
Uqbah Mosque Foundation, Ramez Islambouli, President
Vallejo Islamic Center, Mohamed Yunus
Virginia Muslim Political Action Committee
Yaseen Foundation and the Muslim Community Center
Zaytuna Institute