ISIS has pronounced takfir on a number of British and Western Muslim leaders and called for them to be killed.
In an article in the latest issue of its English-language magazine, Dabiq, ISIS names the former MCB leader Muhammad Abdul Bari, Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, former government advisor Waqar Azmi, government minister Sajid Javid, and the imam and broadcaster Ajmal Masroor.
The article also singles out a number of Western Muslim leaders such as Shaikh Hamza Yusuf, Yasir Qadhi, Suhaib Webb, Muhammad al-Yaqoubi, Hisham Kabbani, Tawfique Chowdhury, Waleed Basyouni, Bilal Philips, Abdullah Hakim Quick, Abū Basīr at-Tartūsī, MohamedElibiary, Arif Alikhan, Rashad Hussain, Keith Ellison and Huma Abedin.
The article blames Muslims for emigrating to the West and “polluting” their children’s minds with Western ideas.
“This past century saw a surge in migrations from historically Muslim-majority lands to mushrik-majority countries, especially in the West. Instead of seeking Allah’s pleasure by waging defensive jihād in their own lands against the nearer apostate enemies, the immigrants sought comfort in this worldly life by residing peacefully in the lands of Islam’s oldest enemies.
“As a result of their negligence towards their obligations and their exposure to Western kufr, their identity was altered. Their children learned the values and beliefs of their new homelands. The kufr of liberalism and democracy was instilled and a new breed of ‘scholars’ was born, becoming a major part of the West’s very own imāms of kufr.”
The article brands all the Muslim leaders mentioned above “apostates” and urges their murder.
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Responding to the death threat Ajmal Masroor said that the death sentence was “a badge of honour.”
“I went to sleep with the news that I along with a number other Muslim leaders appear on a DAESH global hit list,” he said. “We are their assassination target and this is their way of telling their crazy followers that I am a legitimate target and must be eliminated at all cost. This is the second time I have received a death threat from the Khawarij (rejectionists) death cult of extremists and fanatics whose only modus operandi is to spread hatred and fear in the world.
“When I shared the news with my wife she asked me: ‘Are you not scared?’ Her voice was serious and fearful. I replied: ‘don’t worry, my death is determined by God and not humans. I will only die as and when it is determined by the Lord of this world. No one can shorten or prolong my life!'”
He added: “Extremists rejectionists of DAESH, Al-Shabab, Al-Qaeda or any other mutation of this ilk of people do not scare me at all. In fact it makes me even more determined to speak out against them loudly and do everything in my power to defeat their hate mantra…
“They have called us ‘Murtad’ or apostates, which refers to a person, who consciously and belligerently leaves Islam. The truth is it is the DAESH terrorists who have left Islam by perpetrating mass murder, barbaric execution, rape, kidnap, destruction and pillage. No true Muslim would ever do that! The blessed Prophet warned us about them that such groups will appear throughout time to act as agent provocateur and to tarnish the reputation of Muslims.”
