In the Name of Allāh, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful

Statement by the International Islamic Fiqh Academy to the Ummah concerning

Palestine and Iraq

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

The Academy has been closely observing the dangerous situations encountered by the Arab and Muslim countries, especially Palestine and Iraq, and the state- run terrorism being exercised by the Zionist authority in the occupied land of Palestine through the killing of innocent armless children, women and elderly and committing indiscriminate raids, arrests and assassinations as well as the destruction of houses over the heads of dwellers, dredging of agricultural lands, and exercising continuous military sieges on the Palestinian towns, villages and refugees camps especially the city of al-Quds, the city of the Heavenly Journey of the Prophet SAW which constitutes an essential part of the Muslim faith and religion, and the deprivation of Palestinian people from their religious right of performing their prayers in the al-Aqsa Mosque.

Despite all this state terrorism, Israel pretends to be pursuing peace and claims that its criminal leader is a man of peace while calling the martyrs who defend their religion, lives, land and dignity, as terrorists.

There is no doubt that such aggression by the Israeli occupying forces is the real terrorism itself and a clear violation of human rights and international conventions. All these practices take place under the eyes and ears of the whole world, including those countries which claim the protection of freedom, de- mocracy, equity and human rights.

The Anglo-American aggression that threatens Iraq today is, actually, target- ing the lives of its Muslim people and wealthy land, without listening to the loud calls of Muslims to stop this unconcealed aggression or paying the slight- est attention to the resolutions of the official and popular organizations in the Arab and Muslim countries, or showing any care for all the calls that are coming from peace-loving countries and nations. This position of the invading powers is a mere denial of the international values and conventions that ban abusive acts against the sovereignty, lands, and citizens of other countries.

Given all this, the Academy calls upon the governments and people of the Ummah to provide full support, which is an obligation by Allāh, to the Iraqi and Palestinian peoples to preserve lives and blood that Allāh forbids wasting. In

this regard, Allāh The Almighty said, «The believers are, but a single brotherhood» (al-Ḥu- jurāt, 10), and He The Almighty said, «The believers men and women are protectors one of another, they enjoin what is just and forbid what is evil.» (al-Tawbah, 71). The Prophet SAW also said in this regard, “Believers are like the building blocks of a wall, each of them supports the other,” (Agreed upon) and he SAW also said, “Each Muslim is the brother of the other Muslim, he never aggrieves him, be- trays him, or hand him over to the enemy.” (Agreed upon)

In the light of these texts of the Quran and the Sunnah, in addition to what has been said earlier, the Academy confirms the following:

First: It is not permissible, in Shariah, to support aggressors or help them achieve their aggressive objectives through shedding the respected blood of in- nocent people.

Second: Aggression against any Muslim country amounts to aggression against the whole Islamic Ummah.

Third: According to Shariah, all Muslim governments are called on to bear their responsibility of providing support and discharging their duties towards their religion, Ummah, and countries.

All Praise is due to Allāh, Lord of the Worlds.