Muslim Scholars and Imams Blast ISIS

Washington: Over 120 Muslim scholars and Imams from around the world have signed an open letter addressed to the “fighters and followers” of the Islamic State (IS), denouncing them as un-Islamic and explaining to them the true meaning of ‘Islam’ .
The letter is written in Arabic, and will be translated in English. It uses heavy religious texts,” Nihad Awad, executive director of the Council of American-Islamic Relations in Washington told the Religious News Service.
Quoting from Quran and its verses, the letter last fortnight blasts the extremist ideology of the militants as the hardliner group continues to baffle the world with its heinous crimes of beheading, mass killing.
The letter explains in detail that the teachings of Quran and Hadiths of Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh) ought to be interpreted as a whole, and Muslims should refrain from picking and choosing verses to suit their personal opinion and outlook, particularly while issuing fatwas.
It also further explains that Islam prohibits torture and the killing of innocents or other.
The authors of the detailed letter also raised their objection on how the IS declared itself as a caliphate, with the support of only a few thousand extremist supporters. “It is forbidden in Islam to declare a caliphate without the solidarity of all Muslims,” they write.
The letter is signed by renowned Imams and Muslim scholars from around the world, including from the Pakistan, UK, Syria and many other countries.