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Muslims Forbidden to Deliver Bin Laden to U.S.: Fatwa
CAIRO, Nov. 21 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - Muslims are forbidden from delivering Osama Bin Laden to the U.S., not even in return for the fortunes of the whole world, professor of Islamic Jurisprudence at Al-Azhar University, Aly Gomaa, told IslamOnline Wednesday in Cairo.
Gomaa said that according to Islamic legislation, it is "illegal" to deal with "accusations as if they were established facts, then act accordingly."
"Once a Muslim is proved guilty of committing a sin or a crime, the September 11 attacks for example, he should be tried, according to the solid evidence against him, before a Muslim judge," he explained.
"…It is not legal [from an Islamic perspective] to try a Muslim before a non-Muslim judge or according to legislation other than that of Islam," he added.
Abdul Sattar Fathallah, also a professor at Al-Azhar University in Cairo, told IslamOnline Wednesday that bin Laden is still only accused by the U.S., and no crimes have been proven against him.
"A defendant is innocent until proven guilty, right?" asked Fathallah adding, "…So, it is not legal for any Muslim to help deliver him to the U.S. administration… it is against Islamic jurisprudence."
Meanwhile, in Spin Boldak, Afghanistan, a Taliban official said Wednesday Osama bin Laden did not have the capability to carry out the deadly September 11 attacks in the U.S., and the $25 million bounty the U.S. has offered will not lead to his capture, news agencies reported.
"The U.S. has not provided any information about his [bin Laden's] involvement in the attacks. He has not the telecommunications means to conduct such activities. Being our guest we are duty bound to protect him" and not hand him over to the U.S. authorities, said Mohammed Saeed Haqqani, security chief at the border town of Spin Boldak in Kandahar - one of the last remaining provinces still under Taliban control.
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell boosted the reward for bin Laden from five million to 25 million dollars Tuesday, with the bounty advertised in radio broadcasts to Afghanistan, and leaflets distributed on the ground.
State Department spokesperson Richard Boucher has said that more than 22,000 tips have been received about bin Laden since September 11, but none have yielded results.
"All good Muslims would reject the opportunity to cash in on the bounty for bin Laden's capture," Haqqani said. "Being good Muslims we have a strong faith, that's why it is not tempting to us."
Haqqani referred to the hypocrisy of the U.S. in harboring Indian-born writer Salman Rushdie who is wanted by Iran for blasphemy of Islam.
An Iranian fatwa [Islamic Ruling] condemning Rushdie to death was issued after the writer blasphemed Islam in his 1988 book "The Satanic Verses".
"It is not clear that Osama has been involved in crimes but it is a hard fact that Rushdie committed a crime against Islam. Why are people taking care of him in your country?" Haqqani said.
Bin Laden and his al-Qaeda group have been accused by the U.S. of masterminding the attacks on September 11.
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