Why I use the term "Apostate"

2007-05-03T20:15:00.000-07:00

"...we have requested the national government and Spanish mass media to stop using
the words Islam or Islamic to describe these malefactors, given they are not Muslim nor have any relationship with our Umma or Islamic Community; instead needing to call them Al Qaida terrorists, but without using Islamic as an adjective, since as it has been declared above, they are not legally so.

"Likewise, we ask those in charge of mass media to acknowledge what has been stated here and to proceed from now on under the criteria exposed above; particularly, by not tying Islam nor Muslims with any terrorist acts; especially if the acts appear dressed with any Islamic language or pretension."

(From the Madrid fatwa, available on the Documents page)

I have chosen to respect the Commission's request, although as I find the term "al-Qaeda terrorists" to be rather bulky and inflexible, I use the word Apostate instead. Following is a supplementary list of fatwas disowning terrorism:

U.S. Muslim Religious Council (July 2005)

Muslims Condemn Terrorist Attacks

Abu Dhabi Statement (August 2007)

Statement by Sheikh Salman, first emir of Egyptian Islamic Jihad (Zawahri's old boss)

The Forgotten War: Apostacy

Why I use the term "Apostate"