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Egypt:Islamic Group Argues Bombings, Hijacking Planes are Forbidden in Islam | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Cairo, Asharq al-Awsat – A new book by the Egyptian Islamic Group (IG) emphasizes that the bombing of infrastructure and governmental establishments is not permissible in Islam.

The new book by the IG titled Islam and Propriety of Wars” (Islam wa tahdhib al-hurub) states that these acts are forbidden because they might lead to the deaths of innocent people and the loss of possessions, which the IG describes as a form of corruption that is banned by Shariaa law, as God Almighty says: “When he turns his back, his aim everywhere is to spread mischief through the earth and destroy crops and cattle. But Allah loveth not mischief.” Moreover, the destruction of these establishments and infrastructure, like electricity and water plants, hospitals, schools, roads, and bridges causes a lot of damage for Muslims, their sons, and others for no crimes they had committed and this is contrary to the saying of the Prophet, may the peace and blessings of God be upon him, “No damage and hurt.”

The IG added: The interests whose achievement is sought by those targeting these establishments and infrastructure are not equal to the damages resulting from these operations.

The IG also underlined the impermissibility of hijacking civilian aircrafts and endangering the lives of their passengers for the purpose of pressuring governments or occupiers. It said the hijacking of an aircraft and using its passengers as a bargain to achieve some demands, frightening them and possibly killing them in order to pressure their countries’ governments or occupiers, is impermissible in Shariaa because it is tantamount to punishing the innocent, “the passengers”, to force the occupier or perpetrator to respond to the hijacker’s demands and because these passengers have most often no connection with the hijackers’ cause and might be sympathetic to them. But the hijackers do not realize this and all this is incompatible with justice and this action is forbidden.

The IG added that anyone pondering the experiences of some Palestinian organizations, especially the hijacking and bombing of aircraft, will reach the same conclusion they had reached, which is the inappropriateness of this method.