JIDDAH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Top religious scholars working under the world’s largest bloc of Islamic countries said Thursday they strongly condemn the kidnapping of more than 270 Nigerian schoolgirls, calling for their immediate release.
The kidnappings three weeks ago by the extremist group Boko Haram have led to worldwide condemnation. The group’s leader has used Islamic teachings as justification for threatening to sell the girls into slavery.
The Islamic Fiqh Academy, which is based in Saudi Arabia and dedicated to the advanced study of Islam, said that this “crime and other crimes committed by the likes of these extremist organizations contradicts all humanitarian principles and moral values and violates the provisions of the Quran and Sunnah,” or teachings of the Prophet Muhammad.
“Right to education is a fundamental human right, and is in consonance with the basic tenets of Islam,” the rights body said.
Muslims around the world have spoken out against the kidnappings.
It is very good to see religious leaders standing up for the return of these girls and condemning the actions of Boko Haram…active participation by religious authorities is necessary to avoid any misinterpretation that these extremist groups actually represent Islam…more of this type of condemnation is needed of other groups (TTP and Taliban) who claim to be fighting for sharia and Islam but do horrible things to the people like blowing up schools and attacking school girls…the worst part of it is that they use their own interpretations of sharia to justify their murdering ways…religious leaders must take the lead in condemning these people who are actually defaming Islam rather than supporting it…