Subscribe Today
Request a Clip
In a TV interview, Syrian-born Islamist cleric Omar Bakri said that the recent bombings of Hizbullah targets and the Iranian embassy in Beirut were justified. "Blowing oneself up for the sake of Allah is acceptable, so long as the target is legitimate," he said.
Following are excerpts from the interview, which aired on the Lebanese Al-Jadid/New TV on November 26, 2013:
Omar Bakri: When a [martyrdom-seeker] wishes to please Allah, the pinnacle of what he can do is to die for His sake, in a justified battle or confrontation with the enemies of Allah – in order to elevate the word of Allah – and attains either victory for the religion of Allah or martyrdom.
Who is a martyr is known to Allah alone. When somebody dies on the battlefield, we say that we consider him a martyr but that he will be judged by Allah, because the Prophet Muhammad forbade us from declaring anyone a martyr ourselves.
Interviewer: What do you say to the families of the martyrs, who were killed in the two [anti-Hizbullah] bombings in Beirut?
Omar Bakri: Let me draw a distinction between the operation itself and its target. Blowing oneself up as part of fighting for the sake of Allah is considered to be in keeping with Islamic law, within certain constraints. The proof is that if someone blew himself up in an Israeli embassy, he would be praised by all.
This is evident in history. Many groups – even non-Muslim groups – praise those who die for their ideology.
Interviewer: But the people who were killed in the Iranian embassy were Muslims. Are you comparing the Zionists to Muslims?
Omar Bakri: Using the method of blowing oneself up for the sake of Allah is acceptable, so long as the target is legitimate. This is not about blowing oneself up. All groups, even non-Sunni ones, use [suicide] bombings.
With regard to the two young men [who committed the Beirut suicide attacks], I pray that Allah will accept them as martyrs and absolve their sins, and that He will also accept as martyrs those who were killed there by mistake.
People who want to ban martyrdom operations are trying to alter the religion of Allah.
[...]
Latest Clips
