With the Name of God, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful

October 11, 2001 Farkhunda Ali
Communications Director
202-789-2262 ext 205
farkhunda@amconline.org


American Muslim Military Participation in the War Clarified by American Muslim Scholars

(Washington DC, 10/11/2001) The American Muslim Council held a press
conference today to address the concern of American Muslims’
participation as military combatants against Muslims in other countries.
Dr. Taha Jabir Al-alawani, President of the Fiqh Council of the North
America and President of the Graduate School of Islamic and Social
Sciences and Sheikh Muhammad Al-Hanooti, member of the fiqh council,
announced a fatwa (the legal opinion) to address this concern.

The fatwa replies to a religious question presented by Chaplain
Muhammad Abdur-Rashid, the most senior Muslim chaplain in the American
Armed forces concerning the permissibility of the Muslim military
personnel within the US Armed Forces to participate in the war and
its related efforts in Afghanistan and elsewhere in other Muslim
countries.

Dr. Al-alawani stressed the importance of American Muslims in
the military to defend their country and to combat terrorism. He also
stated that American Muslims have an obligation to abide by the laws of
the U.S. and should stand together with other Americans to protect the
security interests of their country.

"Muslims are part of the American society. Anyone who feels he’s
fighting in a just war must fight," said Dr. Al-alawani.

Sheikh Al-Hanooti made it clear that any fatwa issued from the
fiqh council or any other source, is only one of many legal opinions
and does not stand as an ultimate religious order. If any Muslim serving
in the US Armed Forces has a conscientious objection to combat and
believes that it is against Islamic principles to fight in any war,
then that individual has the right to stand by his or her conscience.
They realize , of course, that they may be administratively separated
from the military as a result of their choice.

"We abide by every law of this country except those laws that
are contradictory to Islamic law," said Sheikh Al-Hanooti.

The fatwa reads: "All Muslims ought to be united against all
those who terrorize the innocents, and those who permit the killing
of non-combatants without a justifiable reason."

"The Muslim soldier must perform his duty in this fight despite
the feeling of uneasiness of ‘fighting without discriminating.’ His
intention must be to fight for enjoining of the truth and defeating
falsehood. It’s to prevent aggression on the innocents, or to apprehend
the perpetrators and bring them to justice. It’s not his concern what
other consequences of the fighting that might result in his personal
discomfort, since he alone can neither control it nor prevent it.
Furthermore, all deeds are accounted (by God) according to the
intentions."

"To sum up, it’s acceptable-God willing-for the Muslim American
military personnel to partake in the fighting in the upcoming battles,
against whomever their country decides has perpetrated terrorism against
them. Keeping in mind to have the proper intention, as explained earlier,
so no doubts would be cast about their loyalty to their country, or to
prevent harm to befall them as might be expected. This is in accordance
with the Islamic jurisprudence rules, which state that necessities dictate
exceptions, as well as the rule that says one may endure a small harm to
avoid a much greater harm. And God the Most High is Most Knowledgeable
and Most Wise."

posted 10/14/01