American Muslims Condemn Terrorist Attacks in Mumbai

Beginning Wednesday, November 26th, a series of attacks across India’s financial capital, Mumbai, has killed over 150 people and injured hundreds of others. According to media reports, gunmen armed with automatic weapons and grenades hit two five-star hotels, a Jewish center, a cafe, a train station and other sites in coordinated attacks. The targets included businesses frequented by international visitors in the city.

We offer our deepest condolences to the families of the victims, and hope that the perpetrators are brought to swift and immediate justice. Attempts to link such heinous actions with Islamic teachings or principles are a deviation and misrepresentation of Islam and contravene Islam’s strong prohibition against harming or killing innocent people. Such actions contradict the teachings both of the Qur’an, which holds human life as sacred and states that “taking an innocent life is like taking the life of all of humanity,” and teachings of the Prophet Muhammad who condemned acts of murder, banditry, and terror against innocent civilians. Targeting a Jewish center and killing a Rabbi violates Islamic tenets that specifically protect places of religion and their religious leaders. For more on Islam’s position on violence and terrorism, see ING’s Frequently Asked Questions about Islam and Muslims.

The immoral attacks in Mumbai have been condemned by major American Muslim organizations, including Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC), Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), and Pakistani American Public Affairs Committee (PAKPAC). To view some of these condemnations, go to:

• Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC):
• http://www.mpac.org/article.php?id=743
• Islamic Society of North America (ISNA): http://www.isna.net/articles/News/ISNA-CONDEMNS-MUMBAI-TERRORIST-BOMBINGS.aspx
• Pakistani American Public Affairs Committee (PAKPAC): http://www.pakpac.net/Press_Mumbai.asp

For information on how American Muslims are working to combat terrorism, see the following sites:

• Fiqh Council of North America religious ruling condemning terrorism: http://www.fiqhcouncil.org/FatwaBank/tabid/176/ctl/Detail/mid/600/xmid/25/xmfid/3/Default.aspx
• MPAC’s National Grassroots Campaign to Fight Terrorism: http://www.mpac.org/ngcft/
• CAIR’s ‘Not in the name of Islam’ Petition: http://www.cair.com/ArticleDetails.aspx?mid1=777&&ArticleID=8761&&name=n&&currPage=1

And since the Mumbai attacks, a new grassroots petition was initiated by Muslims online at: http://www.muslimscondemn.org/