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Berg was released by the Americans on April 6 and disappeared since April 9 in unknown circumstances (AFP)
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By
Sobhy Mujahid, IOL Correspondent
CAIRO,
May 12 (IslamOnline.net) - Several scholars from Al-Azhar, the world's
highest Sunni religious authority, condemned the decapitation of an
American civilian by unknown people in Iraq, saying Islam stands
against such acts.
"Islam
respects the human being, dead or alive, and cutting off the
American's head was an act of mutilation forbidden by Islam,"
Ibrahim Al-Fayoumi, a member of Al-Azhar's Islamic Research Academy,
told IslamOnline.net.
He
cited a number of verses from the holy Qur'an which affirm giving due
respect to dead people regardless of their race or religion.
However,
Fayoumi suspected the whole episode was "an American propaganda
to divert attention from the scandal of the U.S. military abuse of
Iraqi detainees".
A
video put on a website linked to Al-Qaeda shows the beheading of
Nicholas Berg with his executioners saying it came in revenge for
the
abuse of Iraqi prisoners
by U.S. troops.
Under
the title "
The
moment of revenge ,"
The Independent likened the horrific incident to the Iraqi
prisoner scandal as "cruel image for cruel image".
'Harming
Islam'
Mahmoud
Emara, another member of the Academy, slammed the decapitation, saying
it would harm the image of Islam.
"The
mutilation even of enemies is rejected by Islam. A mistake could not
justify another," he underlined.
The
scholar cited the respect Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) had paid to bodies
in the battle of Badr when he ordered the burial of the dead
irrespective of their religion.
The
Prophet urged his Companions on the day of Badr to be kind to their
captives and
treat
them
with clemency .
'Venting
Anger'
Abdel-Rahman
Al-Adawy, another member of the Islamic Research Academy, agreed.
"There
is no basis in Islam to justify this, as Islam calls for justice and
treating the prisoners with clemency," he said, noting that the
occupation forces share a fair share of blame.
"The
decapitator vented his anger at the occupation forces," mired in
gruesome acts of torturing and abusing Iraqi detainees.
Al-Adawy
said the broadcasting of the execution "mirrors deep anger now
filling the hearts of all Muslims and world peoples over the U.S.
military abuses of Iraqi civilians."
The
scholar recalled that the Iraqis "were not even prisoners of war
but simple civilians detained for no clear purpose."
Mohamed
Raafat Othman, an Academy member, said Islam deems mutilating the body
of an enemy a "punishable" crime" because after all he
is a human being.
A
video, titled "
Abu
Mussab al-Zarqawi
slaughtering an American", showed five hooded men standing behind
Berg while one of them read a statement denouncing the abuses of Iraqi
detainees at the notorious Abu Ghraib prison.
The
bearded Berg was seated on the ground dressed in an orange jumpsuit
while the statement was read. After the statement was finished, Berg's
captors decapitated him with a large knife.
The
State Department said the body of Berg, a Philadelphia resident, was
found at the weekend dumped in Baghdad.
Several
Iraqi leaders and scholars have strongly
condemned
the beheading, saying its is against the essence of Islam.
