WASHINGTON, June 8 /PRNewswire/ -- The Council on American-Islamic
Relations (CAIR) today said it hopes the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi will
help bring about a decrease in civilian casualties and sectarian violence
in Iraq.
In a statement, CAIR said:
"We hope the death of terrorist leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi will lead
to a decrease in the skyrocketing number of civilian deaths in Iraq and
will help slow the downward spiral of sectarian violence gripping that
nation. The violent actions of al-Zarqawi and his followers violated basic
Islamic teachings and resulted directly or indirectly in the deaths of many
innocent Iraqis and foreign nationals."
CAIR has previously condemned many of the hostage-takings, bombings,
beheadings, and other attacks carried out by terrorist groups in Iraq. The
Washington-based Islamic civil rights and advocacy group has also
challenged the justification for America's presence in Iraq and recently
called for the resignation of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld over
reports that U.S. Marines killed 24 Iraqi civilians last November in the
city of Haditha.
Earlier this year, CAIR sent a delegation to Iraq seeking the release
of American journalist Jill Carroll, who had been taken hostage in Baghdad.
Carroll was later released by her captors.
Last year, CAIR coordinated a fatwa, or Islamic religious ruling,
against terrorism and religious extremism issued by the Fiqh Council of
North America (FCNA) and endorsed by hundreds of U.S. Muslim groups,
leaders and institutions. The fatwa stated in part:
"Islam strictly condemns religious extremism and the use of violence
against innocent lives. There is no justification in Islam for extremism or
terrorism. Targeting civilians' life and property through suicide bombings
or any other method of attack is haram -- or forbidden -- and those who
commit these barbaric acts are criminals, not martyrs."
In 2004, CAIR launched an online petition drive, called "Not in the
Name of Islam," designed to disassociate Islam from the violent acts of a
few Muslims.
The "Not in the Name of Islam" petition states:
"We, the undersigned Muslims, wish to state clearly that those who
commit acts of terror, murder and cruelty in the name of Islam are not only
destroying innocent lives, but are also betraying the values of the faith
they claim to represent."
CAIR, America's largest Muslim civil liberties group, has 32 offices
and chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance the
understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties,
empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and
mutual understanding.
NOTE: CAIR offers an e-mail list designed to be a window to the Muslim
community. To SUBSCRIBE to ISLAM-INFONET, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/islam-infonet/
CONTACT: Ibrahim Hooper, National Communications Director of Council on
American-Islamic Relations, +1-202-488-8787, 202-744-7726,
ihooper@cair-net.org.
SOURCE Council on American-Islamic Relations
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Related links:
http://www.cair-net.org/
CONTACT:
Ibrahim Hooper, National Communications
Director of Council on American-Islamic Relations,
+1-202-488-8787, +1-202-744-7726, ihooper@cair-net.org
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