KUALA LUMPUR, 13 July 2003 — A world conference of Islamic scholars here agreed yesterday Muslims should reject “narrow-minded interpretations, extremist ideologies and acts of terror”.
“Wrong and deviated interpretations must be rectified by refuting it,” said Malaysia’s Nakhaie Ahmad, the conference’s organizing chairman.
One of the most influential Islamic leaders, Sheikh Mohamad Syed Tantawi of Cairo’s Al-Azhar University on Friday also condemned attacks by suicide bombers.
He said groups who practiced extremism and carried out suicide bombings were enemies of Islam.
However, the scholars agreed Muslim countries must build up their military might, without depending on foreign powers. They resolved at the end of their three day conference that Muslim countries should cooperate on military research and development, intelligence, military technology and training.
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad earlier called for Muslim countries to arm themselves to “put fear in the hearts of their enemies... not as aggressors but to defend ourselves”.
Malaysia’s Brig. Gen. Najmi Ahmad urged Muslim countries to become arms manufacturers to reduce their dependence on imports from developed countries.
