Muslim scholars issue 'fatwa' calling for 'jihad' against Israel as strikes pummel Gaza

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/muslim-scholars-issue-fatwa-calling-jihad-against-israel-strikes-pummel-gaza

Several prominent Muslim scholars have issued a rare religious decree or "fatwa", calling on all Muslims and Muslim-majority countries to wage "jihad" against Israel after 17 months of devastating war against Palestinians residing in the besieged enclave.

Ali al-Qaradaghi, the secretary general of the International Union Of Muslim Scholars (IUMS), an organisation previously led by Yusuf al-Qaradawi, called on all Muslim countries on Friday “to intervene immediately militarily, economically and politically to stop this genocide and comprehensive destruction, in accordance with their mandate”.

“The failure of the Arab and Islamic governments to support Gaza while it is being destroyed is considered by Islamic law to be a major crime against our oppressed brothers in Gaza,” he said in the decree comprising some 15 points.

Qaradaghi is one of the region’s most respected religious authorities and his decrees carry significant weight among the world’s 1.7bn Sunni Muslims.

353 points · 101 comments · view on lemmy.world

101 Comments

OprahsedCreature@lemmy.ml · 132 pts · 1y (15 replies)

I'm sure Western News will report on this in a completely fair, unbiased, and reasonable way, of course.

kittenzrulz123@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 12 pts · 1y

Yes because as we know western media is known for having a fair and unbaised view whenever a native people fight back against a foreign military occupation. Especially when said resistance is supported by a non Christian people who also dont fit the arbitrary definition of white.

bananoidandroid@feddit.nu · -25 pts · 1y (13 replies)
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queermunist@lemmy.ml · 102 pts · 1y (12 replies)

Muslim scholars are calling on fellow Muslims to fight back against genocide.

The problem is that they are scary words like "futwa" and "jihad" and, in the West, this language is seen as uncivilized and barbaric.

Orientalism, in other words.

Korkki@lemmy.ml · 51 pts · 1y

I mean at this point if you have seen what Israel has done, unfiltered by the media, then there is almost nothing that will shake people out of their views. If you support Israel after knowing that they purposefully shell hospitals and children, then you will most likely keep supporting Israel no matter what. Same goes for those who oppose Israel and it's genocide.

bananoidandroid@feddit.nu · -36 pts · 1y (10 replies)
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OprahsedCreature@lemmy.ml · 44 pts · 1y (7 replies)

Right, but whether or not it's disputed outside of Lemmy doesn't change the fact that it's a genocide. The only people who don't think it's a genocide are those in favor of the genocide and the genuinely uninformed/propagandized.

bananoidandroid@feddit.nu · -31 pts · 1y (6 replies)
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BrainInABox@lemmy.ml · 35 pts · 1y

The unbiased take is that it's a genocide

queermunist@lemmy.ml · 27 pts · 1y (3 replies)

So in your opinion, calling this genocide is biased.

bananoidandroid@feddit.nu · -7 pts · 1y
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davel@lemmy.ml · 17 pts · 1y

“Unbiased” does not mean “statistical mean”.

If 1 + 1 = 2, then it equals two irrespective of anyone’s opinion on the matter.

But zeroth of all, there is no such thing as an unbiased take, because no one is without bias.

wellfill@lemmy.ml · 15 pts · 1y

I think for now most objective would be "actions consistent with genocide" and war crimes. That being said most prominent human rights organizations do classify it as genocide. Here i think bias was referring to nonfactual reporting, so translations or what some people dispute bears no value.

Bloomcole@lemmy.ml · -1 pts · 1y

Not sure what your translation says, fatwa or not doesn't really matter or do shit for the Palestinians.
But I do know MEE is a UK based garbage source.

mlg@lemmy.world · 45 pts · 1y (6 replies)

Meanwhile every Muslim country government bar Yemen: Nah, I don't really feel like it

AreaSIX@lemm.ee · 17 pts · 1y

I'd say Iran and Hizbollah in Lebanon haven't exactly ignored the situation either, and have paid a fairly heavy price themselves thus far.

kittenzrulz123@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 6 pts · 1y

In yemen the houthis (aka not the government) is willing to do anything, the actural government only makes statements and votes in the UN while taking no real action.

Md27@lemmy.world · -4 pts · 1y (3 replies)

It's very surprising, but it's due to larger forces at play.

geneva_convenience@lemmy.ml · 34 pts · 1y (2 replies)

The larger forces at play:

Md27@lemmy.world · 13 pts · 1y (1 reply)

Lol I was thinking the whole western world accepting all Israeli transgressions against international law, and rewarding her with political shielding, vetos, and their own citizens tax money... And double standards.

No where in the world is it acceptable to use a military against unarmed civilians with sustained force. But Israel gets her pass... Why?

kreskin@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 1y

$

sleeplessone@lemmy.ml · 31 pts · 1y

A jihad against the Zionist Entity is a jihad I can get behind.

prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 26 pts · 1y

Can't say that I blame them.

ocean@lemmy.selfhostcat.com · 22 pts · 1y (6 replies)

120 years too late

nooneescapesthelaw@mander.xyz · 4 pts · 1y

48 67 and 72 didn't happen

Korkki@lemmy.ml · -4 pts · 1y (4 replies)

What do you mean 120 years. Israel is less than 80 years old.

ocean@lemmy.selfhostcat.com · 27 pts · 1y (3 replies)

They starting colonizing in the 19th century dawg.

jimmy90@lemmy.world · -3 pts · 1y (2 replies)

what would your plan have been 120 years ago?

BaconIsAVeg@lemmy.ml · 13 pts · 1y (1 reply)
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jimmy90@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 1y

obviously

dan69@lemmy.world · 18 pts · 1y (8 replies)

The first steps include: boycott, and divest

MetalMachine@feddit.nl · 6 pts · 1y (2 replies)

Boycat is a really good app to use where you can scan items and it will tell you if you should boycott. Highly recommend.

ProfHillbilly@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 1y (1 reply)
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KingPorkChop@lemmy.ca · 6 pts · 1y

Maybe wear thicker underwear?

Tangentism@lemmy.ml · 4 pts · 1y (2 replies)

They've been happening already

[Edit] For those that want to take action with BDS: https://www.bdsmovement.net/

There are apps you can get for android & iPhone where you can check is a product is from Israel or an Israeli company and will give latest news and updates

dan69@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 1y

I agree!

Zoboomafoo@slrpnk.net · 2 pts · 1y

What's "Ovement?"

geneva_convenience@lemmy.ml · 4 pts · 1y (1 reply)

The Boycott Divest Struggle movement

payhn@sopuli.xyz · 3 pts · 1y

I see what you did there

Neverclear@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 18 pts · 1y

Last time they issued a fatwa was in 2017 in response to Larry David's hit play "Fatwa!"

friend_of_satan@lemmy.world · 17 pts · 1y

Gee, I never would have guessed that would be a result of Israel's actions in Gaza.

Dadifer@lemmy.world · 16 pts · 1y

Finally

arifinhiding@feddit.org · 10 pts · 1y

Muftis (and scholars) occupy a prominent position in Islam but their departments often sit within the state. They owe their existence to the state governments they're in. Even if this decree carries weight among muslim communities where fatwas are often studied to their minute detail, respective muslim governments ultimately have the final say on whether they're willing to adopt their decree. With leaders like MBS and others, I doubt there's real appetite for change even if the fatwa in question is in line with traditional islamic laws.

Gates9@sh.itjust.works · 9 pts · 1y

The military industrial complex is counting on it

nyamlae@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 1y

hell yeah 🔥🔥🔥

barneypiccolo@lemm.ee · 6 pts · 1y (2 replies)

I'm only surprised it took so long. I would have thought they'd done this long ago, or at least considered it as obvious. Haven't they been waging Jihad against Israel since its inception?

geneva_convenience@lemmy.ml · 10 pts · 1y (1 reply)

Most Arab countries are in bed with Israel. Anyone who stokes the flames there goes to jail. Their top imams speaking out is not a big deal by itself but it does indicate a turning of the tide.

MetalMachine@feddit.nl · 5 pts · 1y

Your name is gold. It really does describe it well. And yeah, most arab countries are in bed with israel and the US. They only care about staying in power or being a puppet for them.

Sandouq_Dyatha@lemmy.ml · 6 pts · 1y

nothing will happen

Cornpop@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 1y

Larry David can show you how to deal with that.

gibmiser@lemmy.world · -1 pts · 1y

This could be pretty bad...

OmegaLemmy@discuss.online · -3 pts · 1y (2 replies)

Calm down scholar there isn't even a religious leader for islam anymore

answersplease77@lemmy.world · 13 pts · 1y (1 reply)

When Muslims go to Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, they pay to kill kids in Gaza. Those bomb dropping airplanes are not EV.
Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Jordan, Eygpt, and Morocco these six in particular paid actual money, intresected missiles toward Israel, delivered oil shipments, fought the Houthies blockade, and contributed with military intellegence and weapons , and made new air/sea/land routes for trade that kept Israel genocide for 17+ months.

ZombiFrancis@sh.itjust.works · 8 pts · 1y

The Saudis are separately at war in Yemen and against the Houthis and have been since I think 2015.

The Houthis have just endured a decade of fighting a US backed coalition, which isbwhy they've become increasingly capable of expanding their operations to interfere with shipping lanes unrelated to their direct civil war.

MIC knows it must sustain war and conflict and will always play all sides to keep the orpham crushing machine going.

If it stops, or even threatens to slow, well... stonks go down faster than any tarriff effect.

lemel@lemmy.ml · -4 pts · 1y (1 reply)
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geneva_convenience@lemmy.ml · 7 pts · 1y

Lets hope they can bring peace to the region. The secularists sure won't.

Cocopanda@futurology.today · -4 pts · 1y (1 reply)
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geneva_convenience@lemmy.ml · 10 pts · 1y

Muslims: we should defend Palestinians.

You: look at these stupid brown people thinking they have the right to defend themselves against the civilized white man.

How do you propose they get rid of the occupation. Flowers?

phoenixz@lemmy.ca · -7 pts · 1y (1 reply)
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BrainInABox@lemmy.ml · 9 pts · 1y

"how about declaring war against Hitler specifically? And the top leaders of Germany, perhaps, but leave the rest alone.

Seriously, if you want to stop the violence, put leaders of both Germany and Jewish partisan organizations against a wall and have both groups be led to peace by actual reasonable people"

biofaust@lemmy.world · -8 pts · 1y (4 replies)
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Crikeste@lemm.ee · 12 pts · 1y (1 reply)

No, Israel wants them to be quiet and do nothing while they eviscerate their cities and kill their citizens.

Maybe you should be locked up somewhere for your gross views that generalize millions of people and wishes to “let them kill each other”.

Things decent people say, surely.

biofaust@lemmy.world · 0 pts · 1y
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geneva_convenience@lemmy.ml · 6 pts · 1y (1 reply)

Israel wants people to... Fight back against the genocide they are committing?

biofaust@lemmy.world · -1 pts · 1y
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Bloomcole@lemmy.ml · -9 pts · 1y (17 replies)
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kreskin@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 1y

All of the abrahamic religions are pretty awful.

MetalMachine@feddit.nl · 3 pts · 1y

Whats hypocritical about calling for people to fight back against genocide?

superniceperson@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 1y (14 replies)

Defending the weak and oppressed is a core pillar of Islam. Its not hypocritical .

PolandIsAStateOfMind@lemmy.ml · 8 pts · 1y

Yet only Yemen really does it and countries like Saudi Arabia or UAE are in bed with Israel. How many of muslim (sunni i guess since it was sunni fatwa) majority countries will follow this fatwa?

prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 2 pts · 1y

Bruh, it's an Abrahamic religion, of course it's hypocritical.

Imhotep@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 1y

Terms and conditions may apply.

duffman@lemmy.world · -1 pts · 1y (1 reply)

So are they advocating to take in refugees?

superniceperson@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 1y

Many have, but that's the thing Israel is still committing genocide if Palestinians leave their home.

endeavor@sopuli.xyz · -3 pts · 1y (8 replies)
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superniceperson@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 1y (7 replies)

I do forget there are Americans from the dark ages here sometimes.

endeavor@sopuli.xyz · -1 pts · 1y (6 replies)
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superniceperson@sh.itjust.works · 0 pts · 1y (5 replies)

Sorry, bigot, your talking points from October 2001 don't really fly in the rest of the world.

endeavor@sopuli.xyz · 0 pts · 1y (4 replies)
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superniceperson@sh.itjust.works · -1 pts · 1y

Its a woman's choice in most non westernized Muslim countries, those countries, incidentally, containing a minority of Muslims.

Incidentally westernized Muslims countries tend to have the harshest restrictions, like Saudi Arabia.

As far as gay communities it, like it always does, depends on local culture. Pakistan officially recognizes transgender women; Saudi, the West's darling, stones gay people. Iran has multiple gay organizations that are recognized by the state, and Sudan was influenced by Christians so they really hate the gays. As it turns out different people and cultures believe different things regardless of religion.

Almost like people are people, you bigoted fuck.

Islam is a religion of peace, and does explicitly promote protecting the weak and doing charity. Its a large reason why Jews were safe in Palestine for centuries before zionist decided to hijack the region.

If bigots like you didn't exist, maybe we could move on from demonizing 1/8th of humanity and start to deal with the actual problems you mentioned.

Jakeroxs@sh.itjust.works · -14 pts · 1y (33 replies)

Wouldn't it have been better to fatwa specific Israeli leaders instead of the entire country that is full of civilians who didn't cause this?

Would have gone a long way I think to showing they are the moral high ground in the situation.

geneva_convenience@lemmy.ml · 19 pts · 1y (3 replies)

Israel is the cause of this. Their target is completely correct.

97% of Israelis support ethnically cleansing Gaza.

Jakeroxs@sh.itjust.works · -4 pts · 1y (2 replies)

Idk man, there's been many protests such as this one since. https://www.npr.org/2025/03/25/nx-s1-5339490/israel-protests-netanyahu-hostages-gaza-war

geneva_convenience@lemmy.ml · 8 pts · 1y

Those are about the captives. The do not care one bit about Palestinians. Actually scratch that, they care 3/100 bits about Palestinians.

BrainInABox@lemmy.ml · 4 pts · 1y

Notice that those protests are not in opposition to the genocide

BrainInABox@lemmy.ml · 13 pts · 1y (5 replies)

"wouldn't it have been better to only go to war with specific Nazi leaders, instead of the entirety of Nazi Germany, that is full of civilians who didn't cause this?"

Jakeroxs@sh.itjust.works · -6 pts · 1y (4 replies)

Also yes? Do you think there were literally no innocent or anti-nazi during Nazi Germany? It was just extremely dangerous to speak out.

BrainInABox@lemmy.ml · 5 pts · 1y (3 replies)

So you disagree with the allies going to war with Nazi Germany?

Jakeroxs@sh.itjust.works · -2 pts · 1y (2 replies)

Is that what I said -_-

BrainInABox@lemmy.ml · 3 pts · 1y (1 reply)

Certainly seems to be

Jakeroxs@sh.itjust.works · -2 pts · 1y

Try reading instead of assuming

blitzkrieg@lemm.ee · 5 pts · 1y (22 replies)

Israel is a democratic country. The Israelis willingly elect war criminals to lead their country.

Jakeroxs@sh.itjust.works · -4 pts · 1y (21 replies)

I voted D, but all Americans are to blame for Trumps shitty actions because a minority of Americans voted for him?

Back to Israel, you sure about that? https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018%E2%80%932022_Israeli_political_crisis

voodooattack@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 1y (20 replies)

because a minority of Americans voted for him?

That’s not how representative democracy works

Jakeroxs@sh.itjust.works · -2 pts · 1y (19 replies)

No, that's idiotic collective punishment. This whole thread is full of fucking genocide supporters pretending they have the moral high ground.

Piperpiper1@lemmy.ml · 4 pts · 1y (13 replies)

genocide supporters

Wdym? The thread has a pretty antiisrael stance

Jakeroxs@sh.itjust.works · -3 pts · 1y (12 replies)

Yet cheering for a fucking fatwa against all of Israel, what the fuck kind of reality are we in where now we're applauding this shit.

BrainInABox@lemmy.ml · 3 pts · 1y

You would have defended Nazi Germany

voodooattack@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 1y (4 replies)

I’m not a genocide supporter. I was pointing out an obvious contradiction in your statement.

And if you think Israelis are against collective punishment then how would you describe what’s been happening to Palestinians all those decades?

Are innocent Israelis more deserving of mercy than innocent Palestinians?

Here is your lever and some complementary trolleys 🎚️🛤️ 🚃, please submit your answers before all Palestinians are ethnically cleansed

Jakeroxs@sh.itjust.works · -3 pts · 1y (3 replies)

Jesus christ you people just make up what you think I believe huh?

My principled stance is genocide is bad regardless of who is perputrating or even saying it SHOULD BE perpetrated (basically what this Fatwa is saying no?)

I am absolutely against the abhorrent things that Israel is doing, fuck off.

voodooattack@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 1y

All genocide is bad. A declaration of war is not.

My principled stance is genocide is bad regardless of who is perputrating or even saying it SHOULD BE perpetrated (basically what this Fatwa is saying no?)

No. There is nothing in it about killing unarmed civilians or eliminating all Jewish people. It’s a call for all Arab/Muslim nations to form a united front and declare war, which, like all wars (sans Israel’s concept of war?) has rules of engagement.

Your assumption that the word “jihad” means genocide is the problem with this conversation. “Jihad” literally means “to struggle/strive”. It’s used in several contexts and there are types of Jihad. (See the Wikipedia article on it for more)

  • There is “jihad Al nafs” for example, which translates to “to struggle against one’s self”, and an obvious example of it is to quit smoking, or stop overeating, etc.
  • There is “jihad Al mal” which means “struggle with money” and an example would be donating to a rightful cause
  • There is “jihad Al tarbiyah” which means becoming an educator/a teacher of good morals and Islamic/scientific principles

You think I’m advocating genocide. I am not. I, however, am supportive of a war against a genocidal rogue state.

Source (in Arabic): https://www.uae71.com/posts/117288

Direct translation for the lazy bums who won’t bother:

The International Union of Muslim Scholars, through its Ijtihad and Fatwa Committee, issued a fatwa regarding the continued Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip and the violation of the truce. The fatwa called for jihad and urgent, widespread action by Muslim states and peoples, including military action.

The fatwa, shared by Ali Qaradaghi, Secretary-General of the International Union of Muslim Scholars, via his X account, affirmed "the obligation of armed jihad against the Israeli occupation for every capable Muslim," emphasizing that "this duty extends throughout the Islamic world."

The committee also called for "immediate military intervention" by Arab and Islamic countries to halt the aggression on Gaza and impose a comprehensive blockade on the occupying entity by land, sea, and air, including closing its waterways, straits, and airspace.

The fatwa emphasized the necessity of supporting the Palestinian resistance militarily, financially, politically, and legally, deeming it a "religious duty." It also called for the formation of an Islamic military alliance to defend the nation and deter any aggression, asserting that the establishment of such an alliance is an urgent necessity.

In the same context, the fatwa prohibited any form of normalization with the Israeli occupation, prohibited the supply of oil and gas to it, and called for a review of the peace treaties signed with the occupier.

The committee stressed the need for financial support for the people of Gaza and the importance of urgently opening the crossings to provide humanitarian aid.

In concluding the fatwa, the committee called on Muslim communities in the United States to pressure the US administration to implement its election promises to halt the aggression and work to bring peace to the region.

Last Wednesday, Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz announced the expansion of his military operations in Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip.

The death toll from the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip has risen to 50,523 martyrs and 114,776 wounded since October 7, 202

Edit 2: more sources for your perusal: