KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 24 — Muslims can take up arms if they are fighting for their God, hardline Islamist group Hizbut Tahrir’s Malaysian chapter said today.
Hizbut Tahrir accused the West of wrongly giving negative connotations to the word “militant” and associating it with terrorists.
The radical Islamist group, which works openly in Malaysia, insisted that militant activities for jihad are acceptable and required in Islam.
“Anyone — whether an individual, group or army — that battles to fight infidels in the framework of raising up Allah, then this is jihad and they are mujahideens,” it said on its website today, adding death on duty would make the fighters “martyrs”.
Hizbut Tahrir said armed militants cannot be labelled as jihadists if they illegitimately kill the public or fight against other Muslims.
“If their intention and activity is to kill and fight among Muslim groups, then this is wrong and forbidden.
“If they fight and kill the public and leaders without rights, whether those killed are Muslims or non-Muslims, this will also be wrong and forbidden and all this is not categorised as jihad,” it said.
Yesterday, Minister Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom said the National Fatwa Council had decided that those who die while fighting under the Islamic State (IS) banner in Syria would not be considered martyrs.
On October 15, Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi told Parliament that authorities have identified 39 Malaysians as having links with militant groups, including IS.
Putrajaya has previously designated the IS, formerly known as Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, as a terrorist group.
No comments:
Post a Comment