Praise is due to Allāh, Lord of the worlds, may the blessings and peace be upon our master Muḥammad, the last of prophets, on his family, and all his companions.

The Secretariat of the International Islamic Fiqh Academy has received with great sadness and grief the tragic news of the terrorist operation that targeted worshippers during the Jumu’a prayer in two mosques in New Zealand on Friday, 8 Rajab 1440H corresponding to 15 March 2019, which to date, has claimed the lives of 53 martyrs and caused dozens of injuries among the bowing and prostrating worshippers, on a holy day and in sacred places and times.

This cowardly terrorist operation reveals the great amount of hatred, resentment and racism rooted in the terrorist who carried out the operation and in those who supported him with the thinking, incitement, planning and execution. It also reflects the dangerous extent of the phenomenon of Islamophobia within the extreme right, which creates a criminal environment conducive to terrorist operations and shows a total disregard for human dignity and the right to life.

The Secretariat of the Academy stresses the international community’s duty to fully assume its responsibility in combating cultures of hatred, animosity, and racism. This will help strengthen the culture of coexistence and tolerance, cleanse the Western cultural discourse of all such negative cultures, rectify stereotypes about Islam and Muslims, and clarify their cultural, civil, legislative, and scientific and humanitarian achievements.

The Secretariat of the International Islamic Fiqh Academy calls for the awakening of human reason and conscience to seriously and systematically combat the roots of terrorism and the calls for intolerance and hatred.

The Secretariat recalls what the Academy had published in its resolution N. 166 (18/4) on the theme “The phenomenon of Islamophobia: challenges and confrontations” calling on everyone to combat this phenomenon within the framework of a strategy developed by States and international Islamic organizations. This strategy includes mechanisms and measures that shed light on the truths and principles of Islam, disseminating them through various media and information networks.

The Academy also urges Muslims living outside the Muslim world to play the role of messengers of peace and security, and to avoid practices and acts that defile Islam. This should be done on the basis of the high values and principles of Islam and by strengthening relations with others based on mutual respect. The Academy also calls for transmitting the pure message of Islam, spreading the culture of cooperation and rejecting hatred and violence in order to achieve the good for humanity through mutual understanding and awareness through school curricula.

The Secretariat of the Academy emphasizes the recommendation included in its resolution regarding its call for the establishment of Islamic studies centers in some regions to conduct an in-depth study on what is published about Islam and the misconceptions raised about it. It also aims at establishing an appropriate plan to work with various Western countries and influential powers, with the coordination of the Islamophobia Observatory belonging to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, in order to restore the true image of Islam and to organize scientific and intellectual seminars between Muslim and non-Muslim scholars, and to organize meetings and build bridges of understanding and communication.

The Secretariat of the Academy calls on the New Zealand Government to bring to justice all those responsible for this terrorist operation, prosecute those who support it, and take all necessary measures to prevent further terrorist acts.

The Secretariat of the Academy presents its deepest condolences to the families of the martyrs, prays that Allah the Almighty grants them the best grace and accepts them among the truthful, martyrs and righteous, and to inspire patience to their families and to offer a speedy recovery to the victims of the terrorist operation

The Academy affirms that Islam, with its honorable teachings, eminent tolerance and perfect moderation, will remain a powerful fortress for Muslims, which will protect them from any irresponsible reaction, as they are the bearers of the main message of Islam, which is a message of peace, unity and prosperity.

Islam has honored the life of the human being, and the noble Qur’an has stated, “Whoever kills a human being not guilty of murder or corruption on earth, it is as if he had killed all mankind.”

Dr. Abdul-Salam Dawud Al-Abbadi

The Secretary of IIFA