Date: October 2, 2014

For Immediate Release

Today’s Hajj Sermon of Saudi Grand Imam

(Calgary) The Islamic Supreme Council of Canada (ISCC) and the Muslims Against Terrorism (MAT) welcomes today’s Hajj sermon by the grand Imam of Saudi Arabia. Today was the first time that the leader of Saudi clergy said what our Canadian Imam Syed Soharwardy has been saying for the past two decades. “The organizations like ISIS / AlQaeda are terrorists and they are KHAWARIJ (outsiders of Islam). They are NOT Muslims.”

“I was happily shocked when I heard the sermon of Saudi Imam today. I never heard such sermon from a Saudi clergy before”, said Imam Syed Soharwardy today. The Saudi grand Mufti quoted the famous Hadith of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in which he had described the signs of Khawarij. ISIS/ISIL meets all the signs of Khawarij. Therefore, ISIS/ISIL cannot be considered Muslims regardless of their claims and Muslim looks. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said that the Khawarij will kill innocent people. They will read Qur’an but Qur’an will only be on their tongues. They will cause huge atrocities. They will consider themselves true Muslims and call other Muslims non-believers.  They will rage wars against civilians.  Khawarij are in fact major threat to Muslims and Islam. They have caused atrocities in the past and they are creating atrocities today.

We urge Saudi clergy to denounce Khawarij beliefs and respect the diversity and difference of opinions among various Muslim schools of thoughts. This is the only civil and the Islamic way to live in peace. This is the only way we can eliminate sectarianism among Muslims.