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Some good news.
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By UNNATI GANDHI
Friday, July 22, 2005 Page A7
TORONTO -- Just hours after yesterday's explosions in London, 120 imams from across Canada issued a statement condemning terrorism in the name of religion, going so far as to say it is their "duty" to turn extremists in to the authorities.
The spiritual leaders, who represent about 600,000 Muslims in Canada, issued the statement in place of a fatwa -- a binding religious edict -- calling this month's transit attacks "evil" and "an enemy of Islam."
The statement condemned terror and religious extremism as "twisted acts [that] betray the most basic value of the sanctity of human life."
The declaration was co-ordinated by the Canadian Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CAN), marking the first time in Canada such a large group of imams from diverse ethnic backgrounds have articulated their position on jihadi Islam, and was presented days after the Sunni Council in Britain issued a fatwa calling the July 7 suicide bombings an act against Islam.
"I myself thought this was a wave that was going to go away but it's not subsiding; it is increasing," said Imam Mahmoud Haddara, who represents a mosque in St. John's.
"We have to realize that whether the aggression comes from outside or within, it doesn't really matter. There is a loss of life and there is terrorism, and that's really what we should face."
For Imam Fayaz Tilly, who is director of an Islamic school in Calgary, making sure Canadians stay united in their fight against terrorism speaks louder than any one religious group can.
"We have to educate ourselves. Not only Muslim Canadians, but we have to educate Canadians. There is no differentiation between us and them. We are all brothers, fellow Canadian citizens."
The imams were prodded to go further, and asked how they would deal with someone harbouring extremist thoughts in their congregation.
They said they would help the Canadian Security Intelligence Service and the RCMP.
"You try to deal with the situation. You educate that person that even joking about this is not appropriate," Imam Haddara said. "And if they are serious about it, then it is my obligation as an imam to report this to the authorities."
Imam Ahmad Kutty, who is from the Islamic Institute of Toronto, added that since the July 7 London bombings, he has been urging fellow Muslims to co-operate with authorities as well.
"It is your religious duty, it is your civic duty, if you know anybody is harbouring this kind of extreme views or terrorist tendencies, to report them to security or the law enforcement. We consider that as a religious duty."
The Canadian Islamic Congress, which was not represented at the news conference, issued a statement that praised the way the British government has responded to the attacks.
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