This all sounds great, and I wish them well, but I hope they do more than just gather around the anti-terror campfire, sing anti-terror songs and roast anti-terror marshmallows. There is nothing in the 600-page fatwa against Islamic supremacism. Nothing is said against the idea that Muslims must work to bring Sharia to non-Muslim states. Until that is tackled, even if this fatwa is widely heeded, the jihad against the West will continue via means other than violence. “Muslim group Minhaj ul-Quran runs ‘anti-terrorism’ camp,” by Dominic Casciani for BBC News, August 7 (thanks to all who sent this in):
A Muslim group has opened what it calls the UK’s first summer camp against terrorism.
The three-day event in Coventry is expected to see more than 1,000 young Muslims at sessions teaching religious arguments to use against extremists.
The event has been organised by the Minhaj ul-Quran to promote a fatwa, or religious ruling, against terrorism by its leader Dr Muhammad Tahir ul-Qadri.
Dr Qadri launched the fatwa in London in March.
Opening the summer camp, Dr Qadri told the audience – predominantly made up of British Muslims – to reject al-Qaeda and its “cancer” that was spreading through their faith.
He told them to embrace being British and do all that they could to build a safe and secure society by using sound theological arguments to confront any extremists that they meet.
The populist Pakistani cleric’s 600-page theological study is billed by his followers as the most comprehensive and clear denunciation of the arguments deployed by jihadists to justify violence including suicide bombings and the targeting of civilians.
The summer camp at Warwick University will concentrate on this document and will include debates and talks.
Participants are being asked to join “a spiritual war” against al-Qaeda’s recruiters….