Shaykh Abdullah Katamtu:

Ibn Taymiyyah thoughts source of extremism in the Islamic world

Rasa - Shaykh Abdullah Katamtu referred to the role of the extremist fatwas propagated by 13- and 14th-century Takfiri cleric, Taqiuddin Ahmad ibn Taymiyyah, in the spread of extremist throughout the Islamic world.

News ID: 422524

Date: 05 July 2016 - 14:28

RNA – Shaykh Abdullah Katamtu referred to the role of the extremist fatwas propagated by 13- and 14th-century Takfiri cleric, Taqiuddin Ahmad ibn Taymiyyah, in the spread of extremist throughout the Islamic world.

The Imam of the al-Wasim Mosque in Damascus’ Yarmouk refugee camp said the Takfiri phenomenon and scholars friendly to it have become the greatest enemies of Islam and Muslims by their misuse of Islamic sources and wrong interpretations of religious concepts.

He added that the propagation of extremist and Takfiri fatwas among the people, especially young people of the Islamic world, has led the world to receive a false interpretation of Islam.

He said that the political exploitation of religion is a mistake and that the Zionist regime has launched an armed struggle against Muslims and is sowing discord and division in the Islamic world in order to divide Islamic countries, especially Syria, Iraq and Egypt.

Shaykh Katamtu continued, saying that Wahhabis and other extremist groups have become the tools of the Zionist regime and sought to implement the goals of this regime in Islamic countries. “Muslims and Islamic governments should remain vigilant in regard to the events surrounding them so that the enemies cannot target them,” he said.

The member of the Union of‌ Scholars in Syria stressed that Islam is a religion of mercy and peace and added that “Islam is not a religion of the sword, does not allow the killing of innocent people, aggression nor destruction, but rather the Prophet Muhammad introduced Islam as the religion of mercy, kindness, peace and friendship.”

The Sunni scholar urged Islamic countries and the religious scholars to renounce the Takfiri ideology and false fatwas and said that in order to combat this ideology and its propagation of extremist fatwas all options need to be employed, including military, political and media options.

Shaykh Katamtu said that the fundamental problem of the Islamic world is the lack of practical and serious efforts to resist against the Takfiri ideology and the propagation of false fatwas and said: “Unfortunately, Islamic scholars look only to themselves and their countries and not toward other Islamic governments and Muslims. They must know that if one of the Islamic countries launches an attack on another part of the world, the outcome will soon reach them.”

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