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Good Morning.

Forty years ago this week, two pubs in Guildford, full of revelers, were targeted by Irish Republican terrorists killing 5 and injuring 65.  It is to the great credit of the leadership of the various factions to that conflict, to have entered into a democratic process and made peace.  However, the scourge of terrorism in the world continues, inflicting terrible suffering upon innocents in so many different parts of the world.  It is heart breaking, as a Muslim, to see the Islamic tradition being hijacked by a small group, a few thousand in a community of over one and a half billion, to justify murder and violence.

The Qur’an informs Muslims that the killing of one innocent person is tantamount to the slaying of all humanity and the saving of a single life is as if the whole of humanity had been saved.  The Prophet who was sent as a mercy for all the worlds, summarized a Muslim’s dealings with others by saying: ‘Have Mercy and you will be shown Mercy.’   Life therefore is precious, it is sacred and a gift from God.  In a recent open letter, signed by over 120 Sunni scholars, to the leader and fighters of the terrorist group calling themselves ‘Islamic State’ or ‘IS’.  These scholars demonstrated, point by point, the bankruptcy of the terrorists claim to Islamic legitimacy; concluding the letter with the following words, ‘you have misinterpreted Islam into a religion of harshness, brutality, torture and murder…this is a great wrong and an offence to Islam, to Muslims, and to the entire world.’

May God grant us to be merciful and compassionate to each other and the whole of creation around us. Amin.