In June 2009 at al-Azhar, Barack Obama said: “For over a thousand years, Al-Azhar has stood as a beacon of Islamic learning.”
In October 2001, right after 9/11, the New York Times called Al-Azhar “the revered mosque, the distinguished university, the leading voice of the Sunni Muslim establishment.” It quoted a Muslim cleric: “Al Azhar is the only institution in the world that has learned the moderate Islam and taught it in a moderate way without fanaticism, and without abiding by the teachings of a school that promotes rigidity or violence.”
So why doesn’t al-Azhar declare the Islamic State jihadis who murdered over 300 people in the al-Rawda mosque to be “infidels”? Non-Muslim authorities all over the West assume that the vast majority of Muslims reject and abhor the understanding of Islam taught by the Islamic State. Why doesn’t the foremost institution in Sunni Islam validate that assumption? Because they know that what the Islamic State is doing has ample justification in Islamic texts and teachings. The beheadings (Qur’an 47:4); the subjugation of Christians as dhimmis (Qur’an 9:29) or the massacre of Christians who refused to submit (Qur’an 9:5); the sexual enslavement of infidel women (Qur’an 4:3, 4:24, 23:1-6, 33:50, 70:30) — it’s all there.
“We cannot declare Rawda mosque attacks infidels: Azhar spokesman,” by Farah Tawfeek, Egypt Independent, November 26, 2017:
Al-Azhar spokesman Abbas Shuman said that the al-Rawda mosque attackers had “exposed themselves” of having no religion by carrying out the attack and that no one, including Al-Azhar, should therefore not need to accuse them of being non-Muslim infidels.
In a phone call to the television show “Hadrat Al Mowaten” (Your Excellency the Citizen), Shuman accused the terrorists of being “hired to destroy Egypt”.
Responding to a question as to why al-Azhar has not declared the attackers as infidels, Shuman said, “it is not within the power of Al-Azhar to declare the attackers of Al-Rawda as infidels. Al-Azhar does not judge people, because this opens doors we cannot close.”
The statement prompted a forceful response from prominent television presenter Amr Adib, who issued a vicious attack against Al-Azhar, saying, “why aren’t you declaring them as infidels? Don’t you realize these people have millions of followers who they convince of their ideas using the Quran and Sunna [sayings of the prophet]?”
Others have also criticized Al-Azhar for its stance. On Saturday, a series of Al-Azhar scholars together with a host of political and social movements, urged the religious institution to issue a declaration against the attackers to brand them as infidels.
“The crimes of these terrorist groups have crossed a red line. Destroying houses of God is a major crime. Al-Azhar has to issue a strong response to these people by declaring them as infidels,” a statement by a variety of societal currents read.
Meanwhile, religious groups, including Sufi orders, have announced the launch of a religious campaign, demanding the Islamic State to be declared as infidels.
Sheikh Alaa Abu Al-Azaem, head of World Union for Sufi Orders, stressed that the members of the Islamic State are not Muslims because of their anti-Islamic views , which he described as “destructive”.
In response to the critics, Al- Azhar called for an urgent meeting with the country’s prominent Islamic leaders to discuss whether or not to issue a “fatwa” declaring Daesh as infidels….
mortimer says
The university teacher who supervised the PhD of Caliph al-Baghdadi said, ‘“While you can question whether they are humans or not, there is no doubt that ISIS, including Abu Bakr (al Baghdadi), are indeed bona fide Muslims.”
Al Azhar University and other Islamic schools cannot ‘excommunicate’ Muslims who are following SHARIA LAW METICULOUSLY! They can only condemn KUFR (heresy)… ISIS is not promoting KUFR… quite the contrary… they punish KUFR (heresy).
A fuller newspaper quote of the above is the following:
Caliph Abu Bakr al Baghdadi, who is the ISIS chief and the caliph of the Islamic State, is apparently the first Islamic Studies PhD from a Muslim background who has no idea about Islam.
Al-Baghdadi, who has obtained BA, MA and PhD degrees in Islamic studies from the Islamic University in Baghdad, has been condemned as a person who knows nothing about Islam, and as the head of an organization that has nothing to do with Islam.
The professors from the Islamic University of Baghdad, however, do not agree. They taught the caliph and believe his credentials and doctrines are sound.
“If a person who has a PhD in Islamic studies and does nothing but study the Islamic scriptures knows nothing about Islam, then who does?” questioned al-Baghdadi’s main teacher from the Islamic University, preferring to remain anonymous since the fatwa against ISIS and its chief puts his reputation into jeopardy.
“The wine-sipping Muslims, those hedonistic adulterers will tell the world what true Islam is? Obama and Cameron know more about Islam than the faculty of Islamic studies at the Islamic University in Baghdad?” the professor bellowed with rage, while talking to a journalist.
Another professor, who had taught al-Baghdadi for his BA, said off the record that the ISIS caliph was an ardent student.
“He had this obsession with Islamic studies. I used to tell him to go out and have some fun sometimes. But his idea of fun wasn’t too human friendly,” the professor said. “In any case he was a top student. One of the best I’ve ever had. Had the entire syllabus on his finger tips – to be honest, he knew more about Islamic studies than most of the professors.”
“While you can question whether they are humans or not, there is no doubt that ISIS, including Abu Bakr (al Baghdadi), are indeed bona fide Muslims,” concluded the ISIS caliph’s PhD professor.
Kasey says
When this guy previously had the chance to condemn ISIS members to the whole world, he said that couldn’t be done as they were still all Muslims who believed i Allah and the Last Day.
This belief it seems protected them from condemnation.
So on that basis lethal Ilsam is Islam, and just as RT Erdogan, the Turkish president says,there is no moderate Islam, Islam is Islam (and that’s it).
Terry Gain says
“The crimes of these terrorist groups have crossed a red line. Destroying houses of God is a major crime. Al-Azhar has to issue a strong response to these people by declaring them as infidels,” a statement by a variety of societal currents read.
———
This is the money quote. The killing of Christians which has taken place over the last 16 years, and in particular since 2014, does not cross any lines with these now embarrassed Muslims.
carol says
Undoubtedly this is why Egyptian TV host Rasha Magdi was suspended when she let slip the prevalent mindset by saying “These extremist groups have attacked churches and we said that they think it is a [different] religion, not Islam, and it is hostile to them, and THEN we said it is okay….”
They can never knock down an underpinning because the whole flimsy structure will collapse on itself.
kessler says
Indeed. Referring to Islamic state Islamists as infidels, would make himself an infidel – they are waging holy war in order to establish strict Sharia law and implement sunni supremacy. He is well aware that they base all their actions and aspirations on core islamic theology. He is well aware that their actions on Western soil is dismantling our free society bit by bit. They are doing the dirty work and achieve results at an impressive pace. Any Sunni muslims considering Sharia law superior to Western law will not be able to honestly brand IS jihadists infidels – they are ideologically aligned and simply have different tactics to achieve the same goals (stealth vs violence)
mortimer says
Thanks, Kessler. Exactly so.
– Sheikh Adel al-Kalbani (former imam of the Grand Mosque in Mecca), has said that the Islamic State (IS) group follows the same brand of Islam as officially espoused by Saudi Arabia.
“We follow the same thought [as IS] but apply it in a refined way,” he said. “They draw their ideas from what is written in our own books, from our own principles.”
RichardL says
I am not defending this, but they might be extra careful because they do not want to come too close to Sayyid Qutb takfirism. The Al Ahsa is an institution that is essentially run by the government (on a long leash) and by declaring the jihadis to be kafirs they would become takfiri jihadist (officially) themselves.
If you are in Kairo, do go inside the Al Ahsa, the part where the professors have their offices. It gives you a unique experience what islam is about. The combination of stupidity, arrogance, brutality and the smell are really something!
Jaladhi says
Will you come out alive from their office if you dared to go in there?? LOL…
mortimer says
Thanks, Richard! Ha! They are afraid for their own necks at the highest authority in Islam! Ha! The TOP Islamic scholars are ISLAMOPHOBES! Ha!
underbed cat says
Richard L. your comment hints you have first hand knowledge, were you really inside Al Ahsa/Al Azhar University/ Mosque.? Just curious, if they allow non official visits and why you were inside….just curious..?
My first impression of the attack on the Sufi mosque was that it was done to reinforce the tale of islamophobia for the benefit of protection after the shakeup in Saudi Arabia and the double speak for the audiences since they are trying to unclaim any changes to Islam doctrine that is forbidden such as claiming they are fighting terrorism….when they know the true meaning is not the same meaning for the countries struggling from their attacks. But again, muslims can fight muslims who don’t tow the Quran line although they refute that they would ever call for attacks for mischief makers.
Lookmann says
And BTW, why should non-Muslims be called ‘infidels’ ?
Just because an arrogant, stupid, violent maniac called himself a ‘prophet’ and asked his followers to do so ?
mortimer says
Look, they actually call us ‘kufaar’ (kafirs), meaning a ‘MISCREANT’ or ‘DISBELIEVER’. Islamic Korans in English use the word ‘disbeliever’ as a rule.
mortimer says
Abbas Shuman implies that by declaring one’s enemies to be APOSTATES FROM ISLAM, the same could happen in reverse.
If Muslims just had to call anyone ‘APOSTATE’, then they could murder EVERY MUSLIM with whom they had even a slight disagreement. This, he implies, would lead to most Muslims attacking one another. That would not do, would it?
But it would certainly rid the world of a lot of Muslim fanatics.
This is what Muslims themselves are most afraid of: BEING KILLED BY FANATICAL MUSLIMS! Ha!
They must be ISLAMOPHOBIC! Ha!
Westman says
“Sheikh Alaa Abu Al-Azaem, head of World Union for Sufi Orders, stressed that the members of the Islamic State are not Muslims because of their anti-Islamic views.. ”
OK, Alaa Abu, name some of their anti-Islamic views and show us where they are not found in the Qur’an and Sunna.
Ibrahim itace muhammed says
Mr Spencer, you have misconceived the issue raised by Azhar spokesman, and that all the verses you cited are irrelevant to the issue involved. The spokesman is not endorsing the activities of Isis, but the issue is do their acts render them non-muslims? the preponderance of opinion is that they are great sinners and they will be punished in hellfire, whether they kill a Muslim or non-Muslim because they are not waging jihad acceptable to Sharia
VRWC member77 says
Well then, they have the following hadith from Sunan Abu-Dawud: Book 40 Number 4580:
“Narrated Abu Hurayrah:
The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: The Jews were split up into seventy-one or seventy-two sects; and the Christians were split up into seventy one or seventy-two sects; and my community will be split up into seventy-three sects.
Seventy-two of the seventy-three Muslim sects will go to hell; only one of the sects will be in Paradise; it is the majority group… “
carol says
The relevant issue is “So is there any chance you guys can clean up your own brutal house?”. Or is your priority that the bubble won’t burst and membership dues won’t decline? Fine, fine fellows.
Jack Diamond says
“it is not within the power of Al-Azhar to declare the attackers of Al-Rawda as infidels”–
Not when the illustrious alumni and teachers of Al-Azhar include Abdullah Azzam (“Father of Global Jihad”); Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman; Ahmed Yassin (founder of Hamas); Izz ad-Din al-Qassam; Grand Mufti Haj Amin al-Husseini; Yusuf al-Qaradawi; & the stealth jihad rapist Tariq Ramadan.
Al Qaeda, the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas all sprouting from an education at Al Azhar! Did they get it wrong, are they apostates from Islam, did they not learn how to wage jihad according to Sharia? Abdel-Rahman TAUGHT Qur’anic interpretation at Al Azhar. Abduallah Azzam, founder of Al Qaeda, had a Master’s Degree in Shariah from Al Azhar and a Ph.D in Islamic Jurisprudence (Fiqh) from Al Azhar.
As for rival mosques being attacked or rival Muslims killed as apostates, this is not something shocking or unheard of in Islam. It is sunnah. This began with Muhammad and the Rightly Guided Caliphs.
Tabari has the record of how the Muslims of Zarrar had built a mosque and invited Muhammad to come and bless it. He said he would come when he returned from (the raid on) Tabuk. When he returned he was told by some people that this mosque were not following the Islam of Muhammad and had invented their own Islam. Muhammad immediately ordered his men to burn the mosque down (with the mosque-goers inside). As it happened, the people escaped the fire. You see where this is going?
“Go to this mosque whose owners are unjust people and destroy and burn it.” (Tabari, vol.ix, p.61). His band of arsonists entered the bustling mosque and set fire to it when it was filled with people assembled for the evening prayer. The worshippers dispersed in utter terror. Allah promptly sent down verse 9:107, 110, justifying the destruction of opposition mosques.
009.107
And there are those who put up a mosque by way of mischief and infidelity – to disunite the Believers – and in preparation for one who warred against Allah and His Messenger aforetime. They will indeed swear that their intention is nothing but good; But Allah doth declare that they are certainly liars.
Muhammad himself set the precedence for destroying rival mosques, and Muslims have been imitating his “model of conduct” ever since, Sunnis destroying Shi’a mosques, Shi’a destroying Sunni mosques. Who can say which mosques are true to Islam and which are not?
But what what would Muhammad do?
Sunaan Abu Dawud:
Volume 3, Book 40, Number 4580
Abu ‘Amir al-Hawdhani said: Mu’awiyah b. Abi Sufyan stood among us and said: Beware! The apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) stood among us and said: Beware! The people of the Book were split up into seventy-two sects, and this community will be split up into seventy-three: seventy-two of them will go to Hell and one of them will go to Paradise, and it is the majority group.
Volume 3, Book 40, Number 4744
‘Arfajah told that he heard the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) as saying: Various corruptions will arise in my community, so strike with sword the one who tries to cause separation in the matter of Muslims when they are united, whoever he be.
—————–
So, Muslims will be split into 73 sects and 72 of them will go to Hell and only one is true to Islam.
Then, those who cause corruption and separate the community must be killed.
No surprise then the first wars after the death of Muhammad were over apostasy (Ridda) or that the fates of most of the Rightly Guided Caliphs were horrendous ones, pious Muslims brutally murdered, like Caliphs ‘Uthman and Ali, by equally pious Muslims. No surprise pious Muslims today (like the jihadists) attack mosques of “infidelity” and kill those who cause corruption and separate the believers. Or are killed in return. It’s the never-ending-story.
see Abul Kassem “Cannibalizing Islam” (2005)
http://www.real-islam.com/abulkasem/cannibalizing_islam.htm
LeftisruiningCanada says
Good info there JD, thanks.
“…. to disunite the Believers…..”
That would seem to be all the justification you would need.
Gart says
They said the same about isis, ie that you can’t call then un-islamic. You can’t because it’s a plausible interpretation of islam.
Donovan Nuera says
I hope Harvard does not invite al-Azhar to be honored as first in line in the procession of ancient Old World universities for its Quadricentennial in 2036 like it did in 1936 (FDR 1904 was keynote speaker) as it was the oldest “university”. Criteria should be if said university contributed to human knowledge. Then again, Harvard will continue its multicultist ways and probable all their imam to take over Memorial Church and turn it into a mosque that day as the speakers’ dais is part of its south porch.
Flavius Claudius Iulianus says
‘“Not within the power of Al-Azhar” to declare the Muslims who attacked mosque “infidels”’
Because there is nothing in the Sunnah or the Koran that can be used as evidence to support such a takfir.
JOHN FORBES says
BEACON OF LEARNING INDEED! LISTEN TO SOME OF THE PRONOUNCEMENTS!
THE BURNING TO DEATH OF THE JORDANIAN PILOT BY THE ISLAMIC STATE – COULD NOT CONDEM THIS AS A TERROR ACT BUT STATED THAT THE PEOPLE WHO BURNED THIS PILOT ALIVE DESERVED: CRUCIFIXION OR HAVE THE ALTERNATIVE HANDS & FEET CHOPPED OFF!
THIS IS A LEARNED BODY IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY ??? REALLY ?? THEY HAVE BEEN TEACHING THIS NONSENSE FOR 1000 YEARS?? TIME TO CEASE THIS I WOULD THINK !!!
BARBARIC & HORRIBLE NONSENSE! COULD COMPETE QUITE EQUALLY WITH THE INQUISITION OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN THE MIDDLE AGES!
ON TOP OF THIS LEARNED INSTITUTION THERE IS NOW AN AUGUST BODY TOURING THE WORLD WITH – ISLAMIC INVENTIONS!
UTTER LIES & FABRICATIONS BUT WORTH A VISIT JUST TO SCOFF AT ABSOLUTE LIES & HORSESHIT !