“Islam shuns violence while Daesh perpetuates it.”
“Islam shuns violence,” these Islamic scholars say, at a time when the jihad is raging hotly worldwide, and Muslims in many more groups than just the Islamic State are committing acts of violence and justifying them by reference to Islamic texts and teachings. Accordingly, the claim that “Islam shuns violence” remains, at best, unproven.
“Indian Imams issue joint fatwa against IS, call it un-Islamic,” IANS, September 8, 2015:
Describing the acts and actions of Islamic State as against the basic tenets of Islam, over 1,050 Islamic scholars in India have issued a fatwa against the terror group. This is the first time that such a large number of religious leaders and Imams have issued a joint fatwa against Islamic State – also known as Daesh – which has unleashed a reign of terror in the Middle East, killing thousands of innocent people.
“Islam shuns violence while Daesh perpetuates it,” the edict said.
Abdul Rehman Anjari, president of the Mumbai’s Islamic Defence Cyber Cell, collected the edicts from Muslims scholars and leaders over the past few months. These fatwas are in 15 volumes, and copies were sent to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and other leaders to convey Indian Muslims’ views on IS activities.
It urged the international community to take immediate steps to eliminate this terror group that has caused mayhem in the region and is spreading its tentacles in the South Asian region.
The signatories to the fatwa include the Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid Syed Ahmed Bukhari, head priests of Dargah Ajmer Sharif and Nizamuddin Aulia, functionaries of Mumbai’s Raza Academy, Mumbai’s Jamait Ulema and the Ulema Council. Hundreds of Imams and various religious leaders have also endorsed it.
Anjari said Muftis and Imams of all sections and sects of Islam have condemned the activities of Daesh and acknowledged the fact that it has tarnished Islam’s image. The fatwa was issued at a time when reports said that Daesh mercenaries are trying to lure Indian youth to join them.

Neil Jennison says
If Islam shuns violence, why, whenever someone commits the heinous crime of drawing a picture of Mohammed, do thousands of Muslims the world over, gather in the streets chanting “death to the west”?
Why are so many Muslim countries dedicated to the annihilation of Israel?
But if this Imam believes in a violence free Islam then, great. Wish they all did!
ICH says
There seems to be a small minority of us , hopefully
we are not the only ones , who know the truth.
Or rather , are not afraid to talk about it.
I think everyone knows but assume the government will fix it in due time.
If they arent afraid they have $$ and probably have a bomb shelter !
Westman says
“.. gather in the streets chanting ‘death to the west'”
And then, when in their hydrophobic frenzy they stupidly kill some of their own, they blame the infiderls who were thousands of miles away!
dajjal says
Only ignorant damned fools believe in violence free Islam. How does an Indian Imam attain that status without reading the Mariful Qur’an, Sahih Bukhari & Hedaya? Have they forgotten Surahs Al-Anfal & At-Taubah? Were 8.39-67 torn from their Qur’ans? Was the Book Of Jihad torn from their hadith? How about the Books of Khumus & Expedition?? Do they not know that Jihad must be carried on at all times by some party of the Muslims and that infidels may be attacked without provocation?
No, those are al-Taqiyya spewing liars
ConcernedCanadian says
I look at pics like this and think “imagine if I was in the middle of them”.
It would be terrifying. I am so pale I would stick out like a beacon !
Then I again imagine the thousands and thousands
of innocent Christians and other victims who’s only crime is being different.
Where is the outrage ??!!
Its very sad.
Linde Barrera says
These Indian imams are doing the right thing, but their fatwa and actions are not enough. They need to take a bold step and openly delete “Kill the infidels wherever they are found”, “Take for yourselves slaves and sex slaves”, “Beat your disobedient wife” and the verses about Jew hatred. If those parts were deleted world-wide, then these Indian imams would be hailed as true religious leaders by the non-Muslims of the west, but not necessarily by the stupid western world leaders.
jayell says
“They need to take a bold step and openly delete “Kill the infidels wherever they are found”, “Take for yourselves slaves and sex slaves”, “Beat your disobedient wife” and the verses about Jew hatred…”
But the Qu’ran is supposed to be the Word of God as dictated to his Prophet (who couldn’t read and write?). So ‘deleting’ is not on the cards. And if these ‘enlightened intellectuals’ actually did all this, it would be negated by another lot of ‘true muslims’ who would denounce them as heretics (or something) and have them ‘dealt with’ in the usual way, then just carry on with murdering infidels, taking sex slaves and the wife-beating as normal.
Nice idea, but about as realistic as selling ice cubes to eskimos.
miriamrove says
Those Imams are reading a different version of the Koran! M
mortimer says
Miriam,
There are two Korans. The first Koran composed in Mecca is the ‘weak’ and ‘powerless’ Koran…just like the Muslims in India. The second Koran completely ABROGATES the first ‘weak’ Koran.
Muslims lie.
They present themselves as ‘Meccan’ Muslims even though they understand that Islam is ‘Medinan’ and supports jihad.
Muslims living in the West are practically all ‘Meccan’ Muslims…they are lying to the kafirs to keep them deluded as to their real intentions.
mortimer says
Indian imams: “Islam shuns violence” … that’s HILARIOUS!
Jaladhi says
“Islam shuns violence”.. hmmm, does he know how Islam arrived in India. And if Islam shuns violence, why Muslims murdered more than 80 million Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, etc in last 1000 years? Or maybe these imams learned history from those plentiful revisionist historians in India who think Mughal rule in India wasn’t so bad!!
Can you expect a truth, any truth about Islam from any Muslim??? No, never. They are all first rate liars or totally ignorant of Islamic history.
jayell says
“…maybe these imams learned history from those plentiful revisionist historians in India who think Mughal rule in India wasn’t so bad!!…”
Of course! They couldn’t have been any worse than those evil, barbarous, thieving British who did nothing to make India what it is today.
I’m just watching a pig flying past my window. We see a lot of them here in London, usually flocking around all the mosques.
Charli Main says
Not to mention the hundreds of thousands of temples and other holy sites the Muslims destroyed and built mosques on.
I believe that the Taj Mahal is build on a very holy Hindu site that the Muslims destroyed.
Westman says
This is an important development in Indian Islam only if it results in action. Islam is in desperate need of the equivalent of the New Testament and Protestant Reformation.
There is much of a primitive nature in the Old Testament that is also in the Koran. Much of that was superseded by Christ’s New Testament teachings of love and respect that morphed into the new Christian “church”.
It is inadequate to simply say that Daesh is not Islamic because another Islamic sect chooses to ignore some of the Quran. If violence toward infidels is in the Quran and Sunnah – then declaring it does not exist is pure dishonesty. Islam without reformation is violent and unfit for the future.
Raja says
Westman, Islam is full of lies, deceit and war and its followers are too good in war and propaganda. Since it is a “religious”-political idea that some think tank is constantly coining new terms like Islamophobia, racism to put off and suppress any sign or idea of resistance.
BTW, Most probably these imams are advocating peace because they are a minority population of about 12 to 15%.in India. There is deep prejudice of Muslims and Islam among the Hindu populace. Whenever there is a riot between Hindus and Muslims all hell breaks loose and Muslims being minority are ALWAYS at the receiving end. I have been told by many about an “army” of goons/anti social elements from Dharavi, Mumbai (India) that raided / ransacked / destroyed the “treacherous”- Muslim colony barely 2 kms away at Sion Koliwada .Many Muslims got killed in the “clean up operation” of January 1993. The story of Muslims suffering at the hands of Hindus is never ending.
May be they want to appease the Hindu nationalists government in India and thwart a potential riot and save their flock. In the streets of London where they are majority their behavior might just be opposite.
If they are so peaceful why is there no protest over killings/genocide/persecution/torture/invasion/uprooting of millions ?
Islam is anti Christ, anti democracy, anti humanity and so on. it is this evil character that has given it all “success” and therefore no one under the sun will EVER want to reform it(as it is “perfect”).
I WON’T BE SURPRISED IF THE IMAMS OF CHINA, RUSSIA or even Philippines parrot the same song of Indian Imams.
So the prescription of Islamic medicine is in variance with the populations and the degree of freedom. Poor US/Europe/Canada/OZ have to take much of the brunt of Islam in these times !!!!
Mirren10 says
”Anjari said Muftis and Imams of all sections and sects of Islam have condemned the activities of Daesh and **acknowledged the fact that it has tarnished Islam’s image**.”
And *that* is the salient point. They are worried that the IS **makes islam look bad**. That’s all.
Otherwise, as Mr Spencer says, they make no mention whatsoever of the koranic verses and hadiths that the IS, and *other* muslim terrorists and murderers use to justify their actions.
Nor do they mention the koranic verses and hadiths that muslim majority countries use to perpetuate sharia punishments such as floggings, stonings, amputations and beheadings. Death for blasphemy. Death for apostasy.
And really, what is the difference, between those countries, and IS, Boko Haram, and all the other vicious islamic murder groups, except in scale ? None whatsoever. It’s all in the koran, hadiths, and sira.
Western ostriches with their heads in the sand can afford to ignore, or excuse, the horrors of sharia in Malaysia, Indonesia, the KSA, et al, (oh, and of course, **Iran** and Pakistan) by mumbling ‘it’s their country, their law’, or ‘ they’re our ally; we can’t afford to upset them’ , or ‘it’s their culture’.
What they can’t ignore is the atrocities carried out by IS, because it isn’t (yet, and who wants to make bets that won’t come ?) a *recognised* state*.
Instead, they’re suicidally welcoming into the civilised West hordes of mohammedan third world scum who want to first suck off us, then subjugate us to sharia, and thousands of those ‘refugees’ are from IS.
It’s in the Koran. It’s in the hadiths. It’s in the sira. It’s **islam**, no more, no less.
This ‘fatwa’ is just a load of cynical BS. By a bunch of scumbags who pretend to ignore what islam is doing right next door to them, in Pakistan. Where Asia Bibi is still on death row, for ‘blaspheming about the vile mohammed. Where Christians are accused of ‘blasphemy’, and murdered. Because they think they can get away with it.
And dhimmi fools and tools everywhere, including our so-called ‘leaders’, will fall over themselves to lap it up.
gravenimage says
Spot on, Mirren–this is all about whitewashing Islam’s image for the foolish Kuffar.
dumbledoresarmy says
Yep. They are in India. They are significantly outnumbered by the surrounding Infidels, not all of whom are Dhimmified. And right now India is led by Narendra Modi, who does not appear to be particularly Dhimmi-minded and who is making friends with Israel…and the IDF has been helping train Indian special forces.
So these Mohammedans think it best to lie low and play nice for the moment. They are covering their asses.
Or, to vary the metaphor, this fatwa is like the cloud of ink that a squid squirts out in order to confuse pursuers.
Wellington says
“Islam shuns violence.”
To assert this means that one is either 1) lying, 2) ignorant, or 3) delusional. No fourth alternative exists here.
Harry_the_Horrible says
There is a fourth.
Islam’s definition of “violence” like their definition of “peace” is not the same as ours.
Violence against infidels, kuffirs, and unbelievers is probably not “violence” to Moslem. Just like the rape of non-Moslem women is not “rape” to Moslems.
Wellington says
I submit, Harry, that what you proffered as a fourth alternative is actually a combination of ignorance and delusion.
Jay Boo says
Sorry Harry,
Muslims are well aware of their actions.
They chose not to hold themselves accountable.
Islam is not a religion; it is an excuse.
Rarely says
Minority groups (e.g. Muslims in India) are wise to denounce the group’s negatives. The West would be wise to take advantage and put a number of them on the lecture circuit here…especially at our Universities.
dajjal says
Our students do not need to hear comforting lies; they need to hear the truth from Robert Spencer and others who are fully informed.
Angemon says
“Tarnished islam’s image”, asterisk – see footnote. And the footnote reads “in the eyes of the kuffar”.
If their major worry regarding the atrocities committed by ISIS is how they’ll reflect in the image of islam then they don’t really condemn them.
IndianTiger says
Complete taqiya from these morons. islam does not shun violence; it never has, it never will. The only possible reason for this taqiya is that Hindus are gradually getting more assertive in India: very slowly, but surely. As a result, slimey muslim ass is on fire, so they have to utter these things.
dumbledoresarmy says
YEP. That’s how I read it.
umbra says
Hope you are correct. Do not give them an inch, but take yards from them.
sidney penny says
I have not heard or read about Indian Imams issuing a joint fatwa against Hizb ut-Tahrir Wilayah of Pakistan or call it or its call (to use violence against India and justifying it by reference to Islam) to Pakistan Army un-Islamic,”
“By the Pakistani Army. The Hizb ut-Tahrir Wilayah of Pakistan seems to be aware that the Pakistani Army is an ally of the global jihad. No one in Washington, by contrast, has any inkling of this.”
http://www.jihadwatch.org/2015/09/kashmir-will-be-liberated-through-jihad-by-the-pakistan-army
Hizb ut-Tahrir makes it clear to Pakistan’s armed forces and the Ummah that the real power of Muslims lies in their Deen (Islam), and whenever Muslims have made their Deen as a source of power, Allah swt granted magnificent victories, despite the greater numbers of their enemies.
Jay Boo says
The real vulnerability of Muslims is the inherent weakness in the prophet claim of Muhammad.
Islamic “faith” needs an audience and is a slave to vanity.
Harry_the_Horrible says
Can you say “Taqqiya?”
I knew you could.
The Imams in question are “lying for the advancement of Islam.”
Plutarchus7 says
ACCORDING TO AN AL JAZEERA SURVEY
taken in May 81% of Moslems see in ISIS the authentic Islam of the Prophet Mohammed-the real religion of Islamic peace through terror, war and violence.
dumbledoresarmy says
Interesting.
Do you have a link for that?
And what sort of survey was it? One of these online “click this box” newspaper surveys, or did they get a pollster to survey various populations of Muslims around the world?
Who did the survey and how many people did they survey?
I’m asking because if one wants to cite such a thing one needs to know whether it will be accepted as a valid survey by people who know how surveys work.
Plutarchus7 says
It was an online poll with more than 61,000 votes conducted by the Al Jazeera news network on their website. I discovered it here at JW on May 25th. See “81% of respondents to Al Jazeera poll support the Islamic State-Jihad Watch”
Gail Griffin says
Seems to be two Islam’s here.since it will never go away in our lifetime. Trouble is that gentle Islam would need to be tough to kill radical mainstream ideology. Can it do it? The refugees from Syria and Iraq and Lliba might want to eradicate the monsters of Islam, we can only hope. Check out Douglas Murray on ‘ The Ummah is a cfock’
Jay Boo says
gentle Islam ???
Islam is self-serving
The Ummah is like a disease that sometimes retreats into a deceptive ‘peace’ while lying in wait to vainly display what Islam truly means.
A call to prayer comes from this religion of peace
even as everywhere Islam echoes with screams.
They may bow and pray on their knees
but, we know what their false humility really means.
Mirren10 says
Gail says;
” Trouble is that gentle Islam would need to be tough to kill radical mainstream ideology.”
Gail, there *is* no ‘gentle islam’, only muslims who fail to *live up* to the commands in the koran, the hadiths, the sunnah.
gravenimage says
Indian imams: “Islam shuns violence” while the Islamic State “perpetuates it”
……………………..
Good God, what blatant Taqiyya. Does Boko Haram “shun violence”? How about the Taliban? Al Shebaab? Those responsible for the 26,802 Jihad terror attacks since 9/11 as of my writing this?
India, in fact, has probably suffered more deaths at the hands of pious Muslims than any other country–as many as 80 million since Muslims first invaded the subcontinent.
Ant this is hardly ancient history–remember the Mumbai Attacks?
gravenimage says
I know some posters here are hoping this is the real deal–but at least one of the Imam’s quoted is equivocal at best in opposing Jihad.
I wasn’t able to find out anything new on Abdul Rehman Anjari, but the mere fact that his is involved with something as Orwellian as the “Mumbai’s Islamic Defence Cyber Cell” is concerning.
But I did find more about Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid Syed Ahmed Bukhari–here he claims that any defense against Jihad leads to “injustice” against Muslim youth:
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/jama-masjids-shahi-imam-bukhari-announces-support-for-congress/1/352544.html
Here he is, blaming Hindus for Jihad terrorism:
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/VHP-has-role-in-terror-acts:-Shahi-Imam/1/15010.html
He also referred to the American and British presence in Iraq as a “genocide of Muslims”:
http://www.jammu-kashmir.com/archives/archives2003/kashmir20030324d.html
Truth Seeker says
What are the Evidences, for the Action of Shunning Violence by Indian Imams is Sincere and Not Eyewash?
Bikinis Not Burkas says
Taqiyya, taqiyya, taqiyya.
dumbledoresarmy says
I would advise Indian homeland security and intelligence people to investigate – carefully – the history of every Muslim gang boss/ ‘imam’ or ‘scholar’ who signed off on this thing.
And check out – and keep an eye on – their mosques. And do a little trawl to find out what sorts of things they are putting up on youtube and elsewhere.
Might be interesting.
Keep tabs on them.
Kasey says
When actions speak louder than words, would they support any group which formed an Indian Muslim army of volunteers going to fight IS in Syria and Iraq? Unlikely, and as for a volunteer army, no chance!
Matthieu Baudin says
“…Islam shuns violence…”
For the Indian readership of Jihad Watch this claim must seem laughable. What your (minority) Muslim religious leadership should understand is that there is no future for them in India peddling Jihadist dreams.
Violence has gone hand in hand with Islamic conquest in the Indian Sub Continent over many centuries and has distorted and disfigured the civilisation that preceded the sword of Islam.
The misery and loss of life inflicted by Jihad on the forefathers of Indian people is amongst the highest anywhere in the world, within any historical period. Today’s Indian Muslims should turn their backs irrevocably on Jihad violence and find their place within a forward looking modern nation.
richard courtemanche says
Then imams are too silent in protecting their “religion”.
duh_swami says
De-Nile is a river in Egypt…There is a difference between shunning violence and participating in it when the ‘spirit’ moves you…
Abhilash Nambiar says
No mention of the ‘fatwa’ in the Indian Urdu press. It is not meant for the Umma to take seriously. Only for us.
http://www.openthemagazine.com/article/voices/anti-isis-fatwa-finds-no-mention-in-most-urdu-dailies