Religion is a Mental Illness

The Islamic Fatwa Council has issued a fatwa explicitly banning Hamas and supporting the rights of Palestinians that are being violated in Gaza.

The first of its kind, the fatwa condemns Hamas and blames it directly for the violations and oppression in Gaza.

The fatwa forbids joining or praying for Hamas, as well as funding or fighting for it. It judges Hamas unequivocally responsible for its own corrupt rule and affirms that the Muslim Brotherhood in all its branches is a terror organization violating the tenets of the Islamic faith.

The fatwa, released recently, was issued by three renowned Muslim jurists from Iraq and Pakistan, led by Grand Ayatollah Fadhel al-Budairi; Sheikh Abdallah al-Dheeban, the Sunni Grand Mufti of Wasit Governorate; and Pakistan's Peer Syed Mudassir Nazar Shah, from the International Sufi Council.

We have seen what Gaza is subjected to under Hamas's rule, and the atrocities, in our view, which it has perpetrated against Palestinians faithful, unarmed [civilians] who have neither strength nor recourse. And so we believed it was our Islamic obligation to aid the oppressed. Our faith, in its wisdom, enjoins us to be "an enemy to the oppressor and an aid to the oppressed." That is why the fatwa was issued against Hamas. -- Sheikh Muhammad Ali al-Maqdisi, Spokesman for the Islamic Fatwa Council

The Islamic authority Grand Ayatollah al-Budairi stressed that no one is beyond blame for the harm done to the Palestinian people - even those who think of themselves as "leaders" claiming to represent the Palestinians.

We, as an Islamic authority, stand with the oppressed Palestinian people, and we do not accept that any harm be done to them, whether by Israel or Palestinian governing elements, be they from Hamas or others. These officials are supposed to bear responsibility to protect the Palestinian people. -- Grand Ayatollah Fadhil al-Budairi, Chairman, Islamic Fatwa Council

Fatwa Council spokesman Muhammad Ali al-Maqdisi, a scholar and lecturer at the Islamic seminary in Najaf, explained in an interview with the French magazine L'Obs that one of the motivations for issuing this fatwa was the suffering of the people of Gaza as exposed in the video series "Whispered in Gaza."

When these videos appeared, nearly everyone who follows Palestinian affairs saw them. I'm referring to the series "Whispered in Gaza." In these videos, numerous inhabitants of Gaza - men, women and children - describe what they've been subjected to because of Hamas's corruption. They testified before the world to the many forms of extortion and intimidation they've suffered. Every human being should heed this testimony. As complaints about Hamas's behavior toward the unarmed and poor Palestinian people increased, this gave us the impetus and clarity to issue a fatwa against Hamas. -- Sheikh Muhammad Ali al-Maqdisi, Spokesman for the Islamic Fatwa Council

Beyond reflecting a religious view or position, the fatwa heralds a new, courageous approach calling on other fatwa councils, institutions and leaders in the Islamic world to reinforce the fatwa - and build on its accompanying juridical findings as well as Shari'ah and Islamic law overall.

We expect that society writ large will support the oppressed in Gaza. We believe that all Muslim clerics who adhere to their true responsibilities must take the same position. This is what we believe. -- Sheikh Muhammad Ali al-Maqdisi, Spokesman for the Islamic Fatwa Council

The fatwa is in accord with Islamic organizations in the Arab Gulf - including the UAE Fatwa Council and the Council of Senior Scholars in Saudi Arabia - which have designated the Muslim Brotherhood in all its branches a terror organization.

Of note, Sheikh al-Budairi met with Sheikh Dr. Mohammad al-Issa, Secretary General of the Muslim World League, in Mecca at the beginning of this year - an indication that the views of the two organizations and their leaders are aligning.

Whispered in Gaza - English

Whispered in Gaza is an animated series by the Center for Peace Communications featuring actual voices of Palestinians residing in the Gaza

YouTube

FATWA | Palestinian Human Rights in Gaza March 9, 2023 The Islamic Fatwa Council (IFC) deems the recently publicized audio and video material containing testimonies of Palestinian residents of the Gaza Strip to be both alarming and concerning. It is the responsibility of the Islamic Seminaries to take a clear and firm stance in light of the inhumane actions of Hamas. Based on the requests of countless believers, The Islamic Fatwa Council has reviewed extensive documentation of Hamas behavior towards Palestinians in Gaza, including their recently publicized testimonies. Our findings - which are also displayed in our jurisprudential reasoning - result in our ruling that: A) Hamas bears responsibility for its own reign of corruption and terror against Palestinian civilians within Gaza; B) It is prohibited to pray for, join, support, finance, or fight on behalf of Hamas - an entity that adheres to the ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood movement. Furthermore, The Islamic Fatwa Council joins The UAE Fatwa Council and the Council of Senior Scholars of Saudi Arabia in declaring the Muslim Brotherhood movement and all of its branches as terrorist organizations that defame Islam and operate in opposition to mainstream Islamic unity, theology and jurisprudence.

Islamic group issues fatwa against Hamas for oppressing Gazans - JNS.org

The Iraq-based Islamic Fatwa Council slammed the terrorist organization for its treatment of Palestinians.

JNS.org

A major Islamic organization has issued a legal ruling against the Gaza-based terrorist group Hamas, saying that its treatment of the millions of Palestinians under its rule goes against the religion.

The Iraqi-based Islamic Fatwa Council issued the fatwa, or legal opinion, last Thursday. The non-governmental body of Sunni, Shi’ite and Sufi clerics said that the fatwa was issued in response to testimonies from Gaza residents published last month in a series of video clips by the U.S.-based Center for Peace Communications.

In the video series, titled “Whispered in Gaza,” Palestinians (whose identities are protected) are shown blaming not neighboring Israel for their plight, but their autocratic rulers Hamas, who have been in power in the Strip since 2007 following a violent takeover.

The Center for Peace Communications says that it “works through media, schools, and centers of spiritual and moral leadership in the Middle East and North Africa to roll back divisive ideologies and foster a mindset of inclusion and engagement.”

Hamas is charged by the Islamic Fatwa Council with violating the laws of the Koran and the prophet Mohammad for its “reign of corruption and terror against Palestinian citizens within Gaza,” more than 2 million of whom are crammed into an area of some 141 square miles surrounded by Israel, Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea.

“It is prohibited to pray for, join, support, finance, or fight on behalf of Hamas—an entity that adheres to the ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood movement,” the fatwa continues. The Islamic Fatwa Council also said that it joins the UAE Fatwa Council and the Council of Senior Scholars of Saudi Arabia in “declaring the Muslim Brotherhood and all of its branches as terrorist organizations that defame Islam and operate in opposition to mainstream Islamic unity, theology and jurisprudence.”

While the ruling is non-binding, the Islamic Fatwa Council is considered to be highly influential in the Muslim world as this is the first fatwa against Hamas from an Islamic legislative body.

Senior Muslim Clerics Issue Fatwa Against Hamas

The Islamic Fatwa Council — a non-governmental clerical body headquartered in Najaf, Iraq — issued a fatwa, or religious edict, last week co

FDD

The Islamic Fatwa Council — a non-governmental clerical body headquartered in Najaf, Iraq — issued a fatwa, or religious edict, last week condemning Hamas’ repression of Palestinians in Gaza and calling on the terrorist group to make peace with Israel. The council stated that Hamas was responsible for racketeering, extortion, the use of child soldiers, and falsely accusing Palestinians of treason. The fatwa dictates that Muslims should not “pray for, support, finance or fight on behalf of Hamas.” An animated series of videos released in January detailing harsh living conditions in Gaza under Hamas rule — produced by the U.S.-based Center for Peace Communications and titled “Whispered in Gaza” — spurred the religious ruling.

The Islamic Fatwa Council is a judicial body that specializes in Islamic law, represents both Sunnis and Shiites, and is chaired by Grand Ayatollah Shaikh Fadhil al-Budairi. Among several key mission objectives, the council says it strives to “reclaim the Islamic legal system from extremists, Islamists, and supporters of terrorism.” The fatwa is the first against Hamas by an accredited Islamic legal body.

Expert Analysis

“Since its brutal takeover of the Gaza Strip, Hamas has trained child soldiers, jailed activists who dare expose its corrupt authority, and stolen aid money to fund its military activities. The fatwa is welcome news, as it demonstrates increasing recognition among some Muslims in the region that Hamas’ extremism and repression are key drivers of Palestinian conflict with Israel.” — Joe Truzman, Research Analyst at FDD’s Long War Journal

A Call to Respond

“Our faith, in its wisdom, enjoins us to be an enemy to the oppressor and an aid to the oppressed,” said Muhammed Ali al-Maqdisi, the council’s spokesperson. “That is why the fatwa was issued against Hamas.”

Noting the public outcry after the release of “Whispered in Gaza,” al-Maqdisi added, “Nearly everyone who follows Palestinian affairs saw these videos in which numerous inhabitants of Gaza — men, women, and children — described what they had been subjected to by Hamas’ corruption. They testified before the world to the many forms of extortion and intimidation they have suffered.”

A History of Human Rights Abuses

Hamas has a long record of repression. In a report on human rights practices in Gaza in 2021, the U.S. State Department notes that Hamas’ human rights abuses include, among others, “credible reports of unlawful or arbitrary killings by Hamas personnel; torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment by Hamas personnel; unjust detention; political prisoners or detainees; serious problems with the independence of the judiciary; [and] arbitrary or unlawful interference with privacy; serious restrictions on free expression and media, including violence, threats of violence, unjustified arrests and prosecutions against journalists, censorship, and the existence of criminal libel and slander laws.”

In one prominent case, on November 1, 2021, Hamas arrested peace activist Rami Aman for holding a Zoom call with Israelis. The terrorist group criticized Aman for “holding a normalization activity,” a charge Hamas official Iyad al-Bozom described as a crime.