Shahid Mursaleen: Muslims know a fatwa can support peace rather than terrorism

The majority of right-minded Muslims in the world condemn terrorism and accept that it has no link with Islam. Unfortunately there are some elements within society that remain silent on this issue and this can be construed as a tacit approval of these atrocities. Moreover, there are others that attempt to justify it by focusing on the politics that cause these atrocities.

Today Muslims, non-Muslims and government officials are looking for a leader and an authoritative figure in the Muslim world who will openly condemn suicide bombings and terrorism and clarify the misconceptions about its true Islamic viewpoint.

The only person that has been able to produce what is an unprecedented 600-page fatwa [religious edict] against terrorism is a leading authority in Islam, Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri. In what is the most comprehensive edict on this topic in the history of Islam, Dr Qadri has explained how suicide bombings and terrorism is unequivocally un-Islamic. In his Fatwa book he has stated that "all these acts are grave violations of human rights Islamic law."

Unfolding the background of the fatwa, he explained that their actions caused harm not just to Islam but to humanity. He also went on to say that "its existence is an open danger against the integrity of Pakistan and world peace". He added: "The entire nation should disassociate itself from these elements and condemn them in the strongest possible terms unequivocally and with one voice. It is the need of the time for Pakistan to unite among its ranks at every level."

Dr Qadri clarified that the fatwa is not in support of the US and its allies and nor should it be taken as an approval of their policies in the region. In the same way it did not support the disputed policies of the government of Pakistan and its unpopular style of governance and undemocratic attitude.

This edict is particularly important for Britain due to the fact that the majority of Muslims are from South Asia and some extreme elements are confused about the religious viewpoint. Young British Muslims have been particularly targeted by extremist groups.

The writer is a spokesman of Minhaj-ul-Quran International UK, a Sufi group