Wahhabism doesn't breed terrorism

An open letter to Ravi Velloor, India Bureau Chief, The Straits Times.

Dear Mr Velloor

I refer to your article India: Fertile ground for terror cells (Sunday Times, July 30).

In it, you mentioned:

India's 140 million Muslims were generally thought to have little interest in the fierce ideology of Wahhabi Sunni Islam that spawned the Al-Qaeda terrorist organisation.

It should be noted that Wahhabi Sunni Islam (otherwise known as Wahhabism) does not breed terrorism. Neither did it spawn the Al-Qaeda terrorist organisation.

Perhaps you need to recall about SM Goh's visit to Saudi Arabia (where Wahhabism is widespread), after which he said that it is not right for us to jump the gun and conclude that Wahhabism breeds terrorism, simply because Osama Bin Laden is (or perhaps I should say was) a Saudi citizen and grew up in Saudi Arabia. It is not as simplistic as that.

How can Osama Bin Laden, the founder and head of Al-Qaeda, be a Wahhabi when he labelled Saudi scholars (often synonymed as Wahhabi scholars) as the dogs of the Saudi government? He also specifically termed the Standing Committee for Issuing Religious Verdicts "an idol to be worshipped other than God"?

[Refer to http://www.thewahhabimyth.com/osama_like_wahhabis.htm]

It is interesting to note that the former Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia, the late Shaykh 'Abdul-'Azeez Bin Baaz (d. 1999) (may Allah bless his soul) advised Osama Bin Laden and his likes to leave their disastrous path, to fear Allah and to beware His Vengeance and His Anger, and to return to guidance and to repent to Allah for what has preceded from them.

It is also interesting to note that while Al-Qaeda condones terrorist acts that kills innocent civilians and destroy places of worship, Wahhabi scholars condemn those acts as it is not in accordance with the Sunnah (way) of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).

Yes, while there were a few scholars who stated that suicide bombing is permissible on the condition that it is only used on military targets, Wahhabi scholars state that suicide bombing is an absolute NO, absolutely prohibited.

One such scholar is the late Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen (may Allah bless his soul), whose statement and firm stance on suicide bombing can be seen in a website attributed to him: www.binuthaymin.co.uk

So how can the Al-Qaeda terrorist organisation be spawned by Wahhabism?

For more information, please refer to www.thewahhabimyth.com.

Wahhabis are strict, yes, but they are not fierce. They are strict in adhering to the Qur'an and the Sunnah (the two main religious source in Islam) as were understood by the first three generations of Muslims, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has described them to be the best generations of Muslims.

Rather, the above manhaj (methodology) of adhering to the Qur'an and the Sunnah as were understood by the first three generations of Muslims is the true methodology of Sunni Islam.

Shaykh 'Abdul-'Azeez Bin Baaz also said, "Indeed, this time is a time for softness, patience and wisdom. This time is not a time for harshness."

Former lecturer at the Islamic University of Madeenah, Shaykh Dr Rabee' ibn Haadee al-Madkhalee (may Allah preserve him) called out to the students of knowledge in the West to "call upon the people with softness and lenience."

I personally hope that you are an honest news reporter and correspondent, and that you would correct your mistakes in the above matter and inform readers about it, so as not to mislead them.



Yours sincerely

Mohamed Farhan Bin Mohamed Samsudin