American imam Feisal Abdul Rauf offered unambiguous condemnation on Thursday morning of the attack on a Paris satirical newspaper that left 12 dead.
In an interview on CNN’s “New Day,” the imam began by offering condolences to the families of the victims and the loss of innocent lives. He soon moved on to condemn the killers of the Charlie Hebdo newspaper staff, arguing that the attackers had no religious justification.
“On the Islamic principle of justice and law, libel, even if this is proven to be libel, it’s not a capital crime,” he told host Michaela Pereira. “So on every single count, from justice, law to ethics, these terrorists have acted outside the aegis of Islam.”
He went on to state that the incident was an act of terrorism.
“What they’re doing is categorically un-Islamic. They are jihadists and as experts have told us, all acts of terrorism are politically motivated. This is about advancing their political agenda,” he added.
Azhar Usman, an American comedian and Muslim, offered similar sentiments.
“I think it’s almost disingenuous to say these guys are upset about some cartoons,” he told CNN. “These guys are jihadists. They’re motivated by political gripes.”
