Here in the United States, an Islamic civil rights and advocacy group has launched an on-line petition drive against terrorism. The Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR, is behind the petition called: ?Not in the Name of Islam.?
Ibrahim Hooper is the head of CAIR. From the group?s Washington, DC headquarters, he spoke to English to Africa reporter Joe De Capua about the purpose of the Internet petition.
The petition states, ?We, the undersigned Muslims, wish to state clearly that those who commit acts of terror, murder and cruelty in the name of Islam are not only destroying innocent lives, but are also betraying the values of the faith they claim to represent. No injustice done to Muslims can ever justify the massacre of innocent people, and no act of terror will ever serve the cause of Islam. We repudiate and dissociate ourselves from any Muslim group or individual who commits such brutal and un-Islamic acts. We refuse to allow our faith to be held hostage by the criminal actions of a tiny minority acting outside the teachings of both the Quran and the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him.?
CAIR?s petition drive follows news reports this week of the beheading in Iraq of American civilian Nicholas Berg.
The petition can be viewed and signed at CAIR?s website at www.cair-net.org.