Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Cairo (Agenzia Fides) - Terrorists yes, infidels no. The University of Al Azhar - universally recognized as the most authoritative theological center of Sunni Islam - in recent days issued a statement to explicitly reaffirm that the definition of "infidel" or "atheist" can legitimately be applied only to non-Muslims, and cannot be applied to any believer, regardless of his sins. "It is one of the tenants of Islam" can be read in the declaration "that only when one denies the shahada (the creed declaring that there is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his messenger, ed) that somebody can be said to be an apostate".
Groups and factions of the jihadist galaxy, such as the militia of the Islamic State (IS) treat other Muslims as infidels on the basis of their interpretation of Islam.
In early December, the University of Al Azhar had hosted a major international conference on extremism and terrorism. The final declaration of the Conference had been read as an important signal of condemnation of terrorism and extremism, expressed by the most authoritative theological institution of Sunni Islam. "All the clerics and religious figures who attended the counter-terrorism conference - says the statement published by the University - are well aware that they cannot issue such judgments against any believer, regardless of his sins".
Anba Antonios Aziz Mina, Coptic Catholic Bishop of Guizeh, says: "Those who commit acts of terrorism are terrorists and must be condemned as terrorists, even when they say they act in the name of God and the Koran. Labelling them as atheists or infidels may also become a ploy to hide the real problem". (GV) (Agenzia Fides 15/12/2014)
