Moroccan scholars refute terrorist doctrines

2007-05-23

Religious scholars from throughout Morocco gathered to deconstruct terrorist thought in a seminar held May 19th by the Supreme Council of Scholars in Casablanca.

Text and photos by Mawassi Lahcen for Magharebia in Casablanca – 23/05/2007

[Mawassi Lahcen] Women scholars participated in the seminar.

A group of Moroccan religious scholars gathered in Casablanca on Saturday (May 19th) for a seminar intended to challenge the validity of terrorist ideology. According to Mohammed Yasif, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Scholars, the aim of the seminar was to question the principles upon which terrorist thought is founded and to identify their "deviant and erroneous" aspects, in light of the provisions of Sharia law.

Participants gave twelve different lectures during the seminar, each offering analysis of a particular idea in terrorist thinking, as well as religious and intellectual arguments against them.

Yasif began his remarks by describing Islamic terrorism as a diseased belief system which threatens the integrity and security of the Muslim community, as the result of a flawed understanding of the religion and an aberrant interpretation of Sharia. Yasif pointed out that religious scholars, such as imams, khatibs, spiritual guides and preachers, are the people most capable of treating this dangerous malady, given their command of Sharia sciences, their knowledge of the innovations and requirements of the modern age and the community’s respect for them.

Dr. Mostapha Benhamza, President of the Local Council of Scholars in Oujda, attacked the common assumption that terrorism results from poor social conditions, pointing out that terrorist leaders attempt to establish religious legitimacy for their movements on the basis of thinking which dates back to the beginning of Islamic history, with the emergence of the Kharijites, and which tends towards takfir (the practice of declaring people to be non-believers). According to Benhamza, this inclination to takfir indicates a lack of one the pillars of the faith, which is "belief and speech and action".

[Mawassi Lahcen] The seminar gathered scholars from throughout Morocco.

Benhamza stated that the question of faith is a matter of heart. He added that Islamic jurisprudence contests the legitimacy of terrorist movements that call on Muslims to commit acts that threaten the security and stability of any country to which they are connected by treaties of peace and security, which they are duty-bound to protect.

Taoufiq Al-Ghalbazouri, lecturer at the College of Religious Studies at the University of Karaouiyeen in Fez, questioned the legitimacy of withholding the benefits of democracy from Muslims. Al-Ghalbazouri stated that contemporary democracy serves to protect human freedom and preserve dignity and is not incompatible with Islamic Shura (consultation). Rather, it is an evolved version of Shura developed by man. He said democracy and Shura both aim to guarantee the freedom of the people and to liberate them from oppression and tyranny.

Al-Ghalbazouri explained that the essence of democracy is "that people choose who manages their affairs." He said that people "have the right to hold their governments responsible if they err or deviate," and that people have the right to ensure "that they do not have to follow economic, social, and political programmes they disapprove of".

Morocco relies upon its imams, khatibs, preachers and spiritual guides to confront Islamic extremism and to combat terrorist ideology. Morocco has organized a number of these specialised training programmes to educate imams and khatibs on how to effectively marginalise this radical school of thought.