Clarification regarding the announcement of rejecting the bodies of the Terrorists

2019.05.02

A ‘Special Announcement’ was released by ACJU on 2019.05.02 stating that:

“Those who committed this barbaric attack on innocent civilians do not belong to us. Hence we categorically state that we will not accept their bodies.”

As per the Islamic Teachings the Burial of a deceased Muslim is an obligation and a responsibility upon the Muslim Community.

This obligation is incumbent to be performed upon any person known to be a Muslim, regardless of one’s character, however evil or immoral one is known to be.

However with regard to the perpetrators who carried out the inhuman Easter Terror Attacks, the Islamic Religious Scholars of Sri Lanka unanimously agreed on the Fatwa that the cadavers of these criminals should be rejected and should not be buried in a Muslim graveyard.

This Fatwa was issued to highlight and emphasize the gravity of the offence committed and to convey the utmost feeling of disgust of the Muslim Community towards such extremists.

This announcement was publicly made at a Media Conference which was held shortly after the tragic incident.

Ash Shaikh M.L.M. Ilyas

Secretary – ACJU Fatwa Division

All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama