CAIR's Nihad Awad said its aim is to offer a comprehensive Islamic�refutation, "point-by-point," to the philosophy of the Islamic State and the violence it has perpetrated. The letter's authors include well-known religious and scholarly figures in the Muslim world, including Sheikh Shawqi Allam, the grand mufti of Egypt, and Sheikh Muhammad Ahmad Hussein, the mufti of Jerusalem and All Palestine.
A translated 24-point summary of the letter includes the following: "It is forbidden in Islam to torture"; "It is forbidden in Islam to attribute evil acts to God"; and "It is forbidden in Islam to declare people non-Muslims until he (or she) openly declares disbelief."
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CAIR Welcomes President's Remarks on Islam at U.N. General Assembly
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 9/24/14) � The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed President Obama's remarks about Islam and Muslims in his address to the U.N. General Assembly in New York.
In his remarks, the president said in part:
"[W]e have reaffirmed that the United States is not and never will be at war with Islam. Islam teaches peace. Muslims the world over aspire to live with dignity and a sense of justice. And when it comes to America and Islam, there is no us and them � there is only us, because millions of Muslim Americans are part of the fabric of our country. . .
"The ideology of ISIL or al Qaeda or Boko Haram will wilt and die if it is consistently exposed, confronted, and refuted in the light of day. Look at the new Forum for Promoting Peace in Muslim Societies � Sheikh bin Bayyah described its purpose: 'We must declare war on war, so the outcome will be peace upon peace.' Look at the young British Muslims, who responded to terrorist propaganda by starting the 'notinmyname' campaign, declaring � 'ISIS is hiding behind a false Islam.' Look at the Christian and Muslim leaders who came together in the Central African Republic to reject violence � listen to the Imam who said, 'Politics try to divide the religious in our country, but religion shouldn't be a cause of hate, war, or strife.'"
SEE: Full Text of President Obama's 2014 Address to the United Nations General Assembly
"We welcome the president's remarks recognizing that we are not at war with Islam and that Muslims are a vital part of American society," said CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad. "We thank the president for acknowledging the efforts of Muslims worldwide who are seeking peace and justice."
CAIR today joined a number of national and local Muslim scholars and leaders at a National Press Club news conference in Washington, D.C., to release a first-of-its-kind open letter in Arabic (with English translation) signed by more than 120 international scholars of Islam and Muslim leaders refuting the ideology of the terrorist group ISIS and urging its supporters to repent and "return to the religion of mercy."
SEE: U.S., World Muslim Leaders' Open Letter Refutes ISIS's Ideology, Urges Supporters to 'Repent,' 'Return to the Religion of Mercy'
CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.
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CONTACT: CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, [email protected]; CAIR Communications Manager Amina Rubin, 202-341-4171, [email protected]
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