It is heartening to see that 100,000 Muslim clerics have taken a stand against militancy by signing the fatwa initiated by the Khatib of Sholakia Eidgah last year.
This will send out an important message through mosques, madrasas, and social media -- that Islam does not endorse killing, and that those who engage in terror activities in the name of religion are misguided.
For quite some time, public sentiment has been that Islamic leaders have a responsibility to speak up and condemn these atrocities whenever they are committed in the name of religion. This fatwa, then, represents a bold step forward and makes it clear that the true pious Muslims of this country do not condone violence.
Enlightened religious leaders, by taking a strong stance against militancy, can help make the distinction between religion and extremism, a line which has gotten blurred in the perceptions of many in recent times.
As a Muslim-majority country, there is no denying that the opinions of high-ranking Islamic clerics matter, and can influence the ideologies of many.
Many religious leaders across the country are opposed to the ideologies of influential and vocally Islamist political parties such as Jamaat-e-Islami and other even more extreme organisations that purport to speak in the name of Islam, but are often lumped along with them in public perception.
Now that Imams and clerics have risen up and publicly denounced extremism and killing, hopefully more and more people will be encouraged and emboldened to stand up to these crimes which are tearing our society apart.
The battle against extremism will need allies from all sectors. With this fatwa, Bangladesh has gained a major ally in this fight.
Tuesday, July 21, 2026
