Statement of the permanent Committee of Al-Azhar for Dialogue with Monotheistic Religions
regarding the killing of hostages 22/9/2004
Statement regarding the Killing of the Hostages
The Permanent Committee of Al-Azhar for Dialogue with Monotheistic Religions confirms its denunciation of the civil disarmed innocents' kidnapping as well as severely condemning slaying and mutilating those innocents. The Committee firmly announces that it is a crime against the right of Islam, when those committing it allege its committal in the name of Islam, while Islam is totally innocent of those crimes. We remind every body of the permanent stance of The Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Dr. Mohammed Sayed Tantawi , in which he confirmed that the method adopted through the kidnapping and killing of Hostages , whether Muslims or non-Muslims , regardless their nationalities , is firmly rejected in accordance with the norms and teachings of human beings whether by means of their religion , rules or ethics . H.E. The Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, reminds everybody with the verses of The Holy Qur’an in which Allah (The Almighty) says: "In the name of Allah The beneficent The Merciful if anyone slew a person - unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land - it would be as if he slew the whole people: and if any one saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people."
Sheikh Fawzi El Zafzaf
President of the Permanent Committee of Al Azhar for Dialogue with Monotheistic religions
Dr. Ali El Samman
Vice President of the Permanent Committee of Al Azhar for Dialogue with Monotheistic religions