Canadian Imams issue Fatwa against violence, seek gender equality

MONTREAL – A group of influential Imams have condemned violence and say they want men and women to have equal status in society.

The latest declaration comes from The Canadian Council of Imams who issued a seven-point decree calling violence against fellow citizens unacceptable to Islam.

The full declaration and signatories are below:

We, the imams who have signed below, hereby affirm and declare the
following fundamental points:

1. We believe in the oneness of Allah (God) and in the oneness of
humanity and that all the Messengers of God, including the final Prophet
Muhammad (peace be upon him), have taught human beings how to come
closer to God and closer to one another. Islam is a religion of nature
and humanity, one that teaches that a person cannot be a good Muslim
until he/she becomes a good human being. All human beings are equal, and
all of them are the children of Adam and Eve (peace be upon them). The
best Muslim is the one who is good to his/her family and neighbors and
one who avoids harming others with his/her hand or tongue.

2. We believe in peaceful coexistence, dialogue, bridge building, and
cooperation among all faiths and people for the common good of humanity.
Islam does not permit the killing of innocent people, regardless of
their creed, ethnicity, race, or nationality. The sanctity of human life
overrides the sanctity of religious laws. Islamic rulings do not – and
should not – contradict natural laws. Islam is a religion that promotes
peace, justice, equality, dignity, and freedom for all human beings.

3. We believe in the preservation of all the necessities of life. Islam
upholds the sanctity of religion, life, intellect, family/society, and
property.

4. We believe that the well-being of our fellow citizens is the
well-being of Muslims, and that the well-being of Muslims is the
well-being of our fellow citizens. Being law-abiding people is part of
the Islamic practice, and following the pristine teachings of Islam
leads to good citizenship.

5. We believe in gender equity and each man and each woman’s divine
right to education, social contribution, work, and treatment with
respect and dignity. Men and women complement each other, and healthy
relationships between them are essential to a healthy society.

6. We believe that it is the right of every individual adult person to
determine for themselves their conduct towards and within their society
(for example, in matters of dress or good manners), and their personal
conduct in matters of faith and belief as well, as long as their conduct
does not threaten the common good. Likewise, we believe that every
society must be allowed to express and celebrate humanity’s profound
cultural diversity, as long as the expression of that diversity does not
include the compulsion of any individual to violate their own human
rights, or their personal values, or their human nature, or otherwise
threaten the common good of all people.

7. We believe and strongly encourage Muslims to seriously engage in
civic life and contribute to their communities and society as much as
they can.

Signatories:
Imam Dr. Hamid Slimi (Canadian Council of Imams/Faith of Life Network)
Imam Ismail Fetic (Bosnian Islamic Centre of Hamilton)
Imam Dr. Arafat Elashi (Scholar & Lecturer in GTA)
Imam Dr. Ziyad Delic (Canadian Islamic Congress, Ottawa)
Imam Habeeb Ali (Canadian Council of Imams, Secretary)
Imam Abdul Hai Patel (Canadian Council of Imams, Interfaith Relations)
Imam Dr. Mohammad Iqbal Al-Nadvi (Alfalah Islamic Center, Oakville)
Imam Hafiz Faizan-ul Haq (West End Islamic Center, Mississauga)
Imam Yusuf Badat (Islamic Foundation of Toronto)
Imam Omar Subedar (The Islamic Society of Peel, Brampton)
Imam Ashraf Baddar (Faith of Life Network)
Imam Abdullah Hatia (Islamic Association of Saskatchewan, Regina)
Imam Mohamed Arif Desai (Masjid Darul Iman, Markham)
Imam Prof. Abdulvehab Hoxha (Albanian Muslim Society of Toronto)
Imam Sikander Ziad Hashmi (Islamic Centre of Kingston)
Imam Mohamed Nafis Bhayat (Jame Masjid, Mississauga)
Imam Mahomed Iqbal Subrathi (Markaz-ul-Islam Masjid, Edmonton, Alberta)
Imam Anver Moallim (Jami Omar – Ottawa)
Imam Michael AbdurRashid Taylor (Islamic Chaplaincy Services Canada)
Imam Dr. Aly Hindy (Salaheddin Islamic Centre, Toronto)
Imam Tarek Abu Noman Mohammad (Islamic Center of Cambridge)
Imam Zamir Ahmed Chohan (Islamic Foundation of Toronto)
Imam Jamal Hammoud (Muslim Council of Calgary)
Imam Abdul Raaoof Kabar (Muslim Council of Calgary)
Imam Ahmad Abdul Kadir (Muslim Council of Calgary)
Imam Hafiz Asim (Brampton Islamic Centre)
Imam Ahmed Ibrahim (Brampton Muslim Community)
Imam Ahmad Kutty (Islamic Institute of Toronto)
Imam Abdool Hamid Akbar (Islamic Institute of Toronto)
Imam Nedzad Hafizovic (Bosnian Islamic Centre, Toronto)
Imam Shabir Ally (Islamic Information Centre, Toronto)
Imam Ayman Al-Taher (International Muslims Organization of Toronto)
Imam Mohamad Khatib (Muslim World League, Toronto)
Imam Muhammad Kamaruzzaman (Danforth Islamic Centre & Baitul Aman
Masjid)
Imam Refaat Mohamed (Barrie Mosque)
Imam Alaa Elsayed (Islamic Centre of Canada-ISNA)
Imam Khaled Alazhari (Ottawa Mosque)
Imam Mohammad J. Qazi (Masjid al-Farooq Islamic Centre, Mississauga)

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4. Hamilton cop charged with domestic violence
5. Five days, three dead, one wounded in Toronto gun violence

Posted by News Editor on Aug 13 2010. Filed under Canada. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry