Peace, war, jihad and violence
What do Muslims say about 9/11 and attacks by extremist groups?
Short answer
Muslim organisations and scholars across the world condemned the 9/11 attacks as crimes against humanity and against Islam. Nearly 3,000 people died, and some of the victims were Muslim.
The fuller answer
Muslim leaders from Al-Azhar in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iran and the major bodies in Europe and America denounced the attacks within days. Muslim scholars have since issued many statements, such as a 2005 fatwa signed by hundreds of scholars in Amman and an open letter of 120 scholars to ISIS's leader in 2014, rejecting these groups as contrary to Islam.
Muslims are often asked to answer for extremists, though other religious and ethnic groups are not asked to do the same for their extremists. At the same time, Muslims should be willing to face and discuss the problem of extremism within their communities and to teach the correct understanding. Most Muslims say their faith is the reason they reject such violence.
This answer follows the mainstream Sunni understanding and is general learning, not a fatwa. Where Muslims differ, the answer says so. Have a question of your own? Write to us.