Canadian Muslim Scholars Stand Up to ISIL Recruiters

[dropcap]I[/dropcap]n a religious edict (fatwa) issued in March against ISIL, 37 imams and religious scholars from across Canada denounced its threats against Canada and its online recruitment.

The fatwa further urged Muslim youth to shun the sway of ISIL, for having violated Islamic tenets “in the most horrific and inhumane way.”

“Some Muslims, having the fatwa against them, will have second thoughts before seeking to join an extremist group”, said Khalil Khan, president of Calgary’s Al Madinah Islamic Assembly.

“(They) will wonder if this is right or wrong,” commented one of the fatwa’s 37 signatories.

Also addressing the issue, Zaheera Tariq, one of the Assembly’s directors, said that recruits are being lured by misrepresentations of Islam.

“It’s a lack of education, a lack of knowledge,” she said, adding that young people are “being influenced by those people who are misrepresenting Islam, who are misquoting the Prophet.”

She added, “They need to find proper imams.”

Calgary’s religious leaders weighing in on the disturbing trend, including Dr. Tariq Khan and other leaders say more resources are needed to address a growing religious education gap facing Muslims whose numbers are soaring in Calgary.

The city’s Muslim population has increased fourfold in the past two decades to 120,000, and in 2010, Naheed Nenshi became the first Muslim to be elected as mayor of a major Canadian city.