World - AP
AP
Spain Muslims Issue Fatwa Against Bin Laden
By DANIEL WOOLLS
MADRID, Spain - Muslim clerics in Spain issued what they called the
world's first fatwa, or Islamic edict, against Osama bin Laden
(news - web sites) on Thursday, the first anniversary of the Madrid
train bombings, calling him an apostate and urging others of their
faith to denounce the al-Qaida leader.
The ruling was issued by the Islamic Commission of Spain, the main
body representing the country's 1 million-member Muslim community.
The commission represents 200 or so mostly Sunni mosques, or about
70 percent of all mosques in Spain.
The March 11, 2004, train bombings killed 191 people and were
claimed in videotapes by militants who said they had acted on
al-Qaida's behalf in revenge for Spain's troop deployment in Iraq
(news - web sites).
The commission's secretary general, Mansur Escudero, said the group
had consulted with Muslim leaders in other countries, such as
Morocco home to most of the jailed suspects in the bombings
Algeria and Libya, and had their support.
"They agree," Escudero said, referring to the Muslim leaders in the
three North African countries. "What I want is that they say so
publicly."
The fatwa said that according to the Quran "the terrorist acts of
Osama bin Laden and his organization al-Qaida ... are totally
banned and must be roundly condemned as part of Islam."
It added: "Inasmuch as Osama bin Laden and his organization defend
terrorism as legal and try to base it on the Quran ... they are
committing the crime of 'istihlal' and thus become apostates that
should not be considered Muslims or treated as such." The Arabic
term 'istihlal' refers to the act of making up one's own
laws.
Escudero said a fatwa can be issued by any Muslim leader who leads
prayer sessions and as he serves such a role, he himself lawfully
issued the edict.
He called it an unprecedented condemnation of bin Laden. "We felt
now we had the responsibility and obligation to make this
declaration," he said in an interview.
"I hope there is a positive reaction from Muslims," he added.
Asked if the edict meant Muslims had to help police try to arrest
the world's most wanted man who is believed to be hiding along
the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan (news - web sites)
Escudero said: "We don't get involved in police affairs but we do
feel that all Muslims are obliged to ... keep anyone from doing
unjustified damage to other people."
