Fiqh Council of North America to issue fatwa against terrorism

The Washington Post reports that the Fiqh Council of North America is set to issue a fatwa condemning terrorism:

The one-page ruling, or fatwa, will be issued by the Fiqh Council of North America, an association of Islamic legal scholars that interprets Islamic law for the Muslim community. Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, an advocacy group, said the ruling does not represent a new position on terrorism. Rather, Hooper said, "it is another way to drive home the point that the American Muslim community rejects terrorism and extremism."

Although Muslim leaders and political organizations have repeatedly denounced religious extremism, Hooper added, "any time any Muslim goes on a talk show or on television, the first question is, 'Why haven't Muslims condemned terrorism?' "

Louay Safi of the Islamic Society of North America noted that there is an important difference between a fatwa and previous statements from the Muslim community. The fatwa "is not a political statement. It's a legal or religious opinion by a recognized religious authority in the United States," said Safi, whose group is based in Indianapolis.

Like the Muslim Council of Britain in the wake of the July 7 attack, and the imams in Spain who issued a fatwa in the wake of Madrid March 11, Muslim leaders in non-Muslim countries are taking the lead in combating al-Qaeda's pretenses to religious sanctity. (Also see this.) The broader Muslim scholar community is taking steps to condemn fatwas issued by terrorist groups, but it is another step to start issuing edicts against terrorist groups themselves -- and not just for calling other Muslims apostates, but for the atrocities they commit.

Cross-posted from LAT

Update: Steve Emerson at Counterterrorism calls the fatwa bogus.