On 24th November in Egypt’s North Sinai, terrorists ambushed and murdered in the most callous way more than 300 Muslims on the most sacred of days – Friday, in the most sacred of places – a mosque, at the most sacred of times – during Friday prayers.
A few days earlier 50 Muslims attending morning prayers in Mubi, Adamawa state in Northern Nigeria were blown up in yet another all too frequent suicide attack that has blighted the country. The trend carries through in Syria, Libya, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. Never does a week go by without news of places of worship – churches, mosques – coming under attack or the mass slaughter of innocent civilians. To operate a hierarchy of condemnation based on numbers and region only shows the world that the scourge of terrorism can be “less acceptable” and not “completely unacceptable” depending on whom and where it impacts. We consider every innocent life lost to terrorism anywhere in the world worthy of all condemnation and those affected afforded the greatest empathy and the most reassuring compassion and solidarity.
The ignoble motives and utterly sickening actions of the perpetrators of these unspeakable crimes, whoever they are, and any false Islamic agenda is far removed from any authentic teaching of Islam which holds sacrosanct all places of worship and civilians. What we see taking place is “Muslim Identity Theft” seeking to profane 1400 years of noble Islamic tradition.
We pray to Allah (God) The Almighty to shower His forgiveness and mercy on the dead and ease the pain of their grieving families; give a quick and full recovery to the injured, and grant all those affected every patience to bear with any loss