A prominent Islamic figure has denounced terrorism as a ‘cancer’ in the Muslim world during an international youth camp in Coventry.
Islamic author Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri told the Al-Hidayah 2009 Muslim retreat at the University of Warwick that those who killed innocent people through terrorism and gave it the name of Jihad will go to hell.
The three-day annual camp was attended by 1,300 people from a dozen countries, including the UK, America, Canada, France, Spain, and Pakistan.
It was held to discuss contemporary issues with regards to Muslims in Britain and respond to concerns of Islamic radicalisation.
Other guests included the Archbishop of Canterbury’s representative Canon Dr Christopher Lamb, Dr Tim Winters of Cambridge University and Dr Tahir Abbas of the University of Birmingham.
Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri said Islam propagated peace, unity, integration, interfaith harmony and human rights. Those who killed innocent people through terrorism and gave it the name of Jihad negated Islamic teachings and would go to hell.
He said terrorists and terrorism were a cancer in the Muslim world.
“We need to prepare the younger generation mentally and academically, intellectually and spiritually, against extremist tendencies and radical and terrorist attitudes.”
