Over 130 imams and Muslim religious leaders refuse to perform traditional Islamic funeral prayer for terrorists
People hold placards and stand beside flowers on June 6, south of London Bridge in London. Pics/AFP
Over 130 imams and Muslim religious leaders in the UK have refused to perform the traditional Islamic funeral prayer for the London Bridge attackers, saying their "indefensible actions" were completely at odds with the teachings of Islam.
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Imams and religious leaders from across the country and a range of schools of thought came together to issue a public statement condemning the recent terror attack in London and conveying their pain at the suffering of the victims and their families.
(L-R) Youssef Zaghba, Khuram Shazad Butt, Rachid Redouane.
In an unprecedented move, they not only refused to perform the traditional Islamic prayer for the terrorists – a ritual that is normally performed for every Muslim regardless of their actions – but also called on others to do the same. "Consequently, and in light of other such ethical principles which are quintessential to Islam, we will not perform the traditional Islamic funeral prayer over the perpetrators and we also urge fellow imams and religious authorities to withdraw such a privilege," the group of more than 130 imams and Muslim religious leaders said in a statement.
"This is because such indefensible actions are completely at odds with the lofty teachings of Islam," the statement said. Three knife-wielding attackers on Saturday had unleashed a terror rampage here, ploughing a van into pedestrians on London Bridge before stabbing revellers in a nearby market. The attackers had been shot dead.
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