Photos © Sohail Nakhooda/Kalam Research & Media

The Global Centre for Renewal and Guidance (GCRG) and Canopus Consulting convened a historic summit between 27-28 March at Artuklu University in Mardin (Turkey), bringing together leading Muslim scholars, theologians and academics around the world to categorically condemn and reject any religious justification for acts of terror.

Assembled to examine in particular a legal edict (fatwa) written by the 14th century scholar Ibn Taymiyya, his infamous "Mardin fatwa" has been used by countless violent extremist groups such as al-Qa’ida to wrongly justify terrorism and indiscriminate murder in the name of Islam.

The New Mardin Declaration issued today is significant because:

• It draws upon the expertise and consensus of scholars and theologians from a diverse range of Islamic schools of thought and countries including Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Yemen, India, Senegal, Kuwait, Bosnia, Iran, Morocco, Mauritania and Indonesia
• It argues that the actions of terrorist groups are not jihad but arbitrary murder
• It states that the Mardin fatwa itself has been misinterpreted and in no circumstances can be used to justify terrorism or violence
• It calls upon all Muslims to live up to the highest legal and ethical standards established by Islam
• It is clear that Islam unequivocally forbids indiscriminate killing and murder
• It is clear that terrorists are destroying their own faith and disparaging the honour of Islam and Muslims globally through their actions and wrongly in the name of Islam

A spokesperson for the conference said: “This historic and important summit made it clear that Ibn Taymiyya and the Mardin fatwa in particular cannot be used to justify terrorism. This summit made it clear that neither did Ibn Taymiyya take such a position nor does orthodox, mainstream Islam allow for such a position to exist. This summit drew together scholars and theologians from different persuasions within Islam, but united they stood: Islam condemns terrorism and indiscriminate murder”.

Aref Nayed, Director of Kalam Research & Media presented a paper at the conference on the topic of "Duties of Proximity" in which he argued for a new way of theologically conceiving relations with others by stressing the pivotal concepts of "neighbourliness" and "proximity" in inter-human relations as a way of developing more healthier and safer communities and relations between people. For the full text of Dr Aref Nayed's paper, click here (pdf) 

RESOURCES
1. Download Arabic text of the New Mardin Declaration
2. Download English text of the New Mardin Declaration
 
For full details and documentation on the conference click here 

For press enquiries including interviews with conference participants contact Mr Hyder Abbasi on +44-(0)7972-539760 or email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  


MEDIA COVERAGE

http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2010/03/31/muslim-scholars-recast-jihadists-favourite-fatwa/