Anti-terrorism declaration for Somalia by leading global Islamic Scholars

Leading Muslim scholars from across the world met on 13-14 March 2010 in Dubai and issued a comprehensive religious declaration categorically condemning terrorism in Somalia and calling for peace and reconciliation in that war torn country. This is the first time that authoritative and globally renowned Islamic scholars have collectively addressed the issue of Somalia.

The conference convened by the Global Centre of Renewal and Guidance (GCRG) under the auspices of the Islamic scholar Sheikh Abdallah bin Bayyah and was attended by Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed the President of Somalia, the United Nations Special Representative to Somalia Ahmadou Ould Abdullah and Abdullah Allim, Vice-Secretary General of Organisation of Islamic Conferences (OIC). Prominent international Islamic scholars and figures in attendance included Amr Khaled (the foremost anti-extremist tele-preacher in the Arab world), Sheikh Habib Ali Al Jifri and Dr Abdullah Omar Naseef. Also attending were leading scholars from Somalia, Sudan, Nigeria, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Mauritania, Yemen, Libya and UAE.

The religious declaration is significant because:

•  The scholars represented at the conference have global Islamic influence representing major Muslim organisations and movements with millions of followers across the world;

• This is the first global religious declaration on the issue of Somalia;

• It directly challenges and undermines the religious justification for violence that is used by extremists in Somalia (and globally);

• The declaration emphatically condemns all forms of terrorism including the horrific inter-Muslim violence in Somalia. It makes unequivocally clear that terrorists are des-tined for hellfire;

• It makes clear that obeying legitimate state authority is an Islamic obligation. This prin-ciple applies in Somalia where the current Somali TFG government is based on the con- sensus of the Somali people and recognised by the international community;

• It is a religious obligation to recognise the legitimate authority of the government. Any legitimate dissent must be through dialogue and discussion. Islam categorically con-demns dissent through any form of violence, murder and subversion;

• The current violence in Somalia is against the Somali people and its government and cannot be considered to be a jihad.

A spokesperson for the conference said: “This declaration is groundbreaking and is a highly significant move towards eradicating the religious justifications by Islamist extre-mists to not only destroy Somalia but to murder civilians across the world. Extremist clerics have supported killing of civilians without impunity. We have seen the result of this extremist religious discourse in the havoc and destruction in Somalia. We are confident that today’s religious declaration by leading mainstream global Islamic scholars and figures will emphatically challenge and undermine the religious justification used to murder civilians and which has brought instability to countries such as Somalia.”

Kalam Research & Media, in conjunction with the Global Centre for Renewal and Guidance, has just published a monograph that includes an introductory essay by Dr Aref Ali Nayed on the peace methodology and efforts of Sheikh Abdullah bin Bayyah, along with the full Arabic declaration text and conference material. 

To download the Somalia Conference monograph, click here (pdf)