A group of U.S. Moslem scholars issued a fatwa Thursday condemning terrorism, saying that Islam forbids all acts of violence against civilians, dpa reported. "There is no justification in Islam for extremism or terrorism," the edict said. The fatwa was issued by the Fiqh Council of North America, a group of scholars that study Islamic law, and in coordination with other Islamic groups like the Council on American-Islamic Relations. "Targeting civilians' lives and property through suicide bombings or any other method of attack is haram - or forbidden - and those who commit these barbaric acts are criminals, not 'martyrs'," the fatwa said. "It is haram for a Moslem to cooperate with any individual or group that is involved in any act of terrorism or violence," the scholars said. The group also said it was the duty of Moslems to cooperate with authorities to protect the lives of civilians. The Council on American-Islamic Relations is the largest Moslem civil liberties group in the United States and Canada, and recently created television advertisements to portray Islam as a peaceful religion. "Those who commit acts of terrorism in the name of Islam are betraying the teachings of the Koran and the Prophet Muhammad," says one of the advertisements on the council's website.
