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Top Sunni authority lashes out at Daesh

By JT - Mar 04,2015 - Last updated at Mar 04,2015

AMMAN — Al Azhar, Sunni Islam’s most prestigious centre of learning, called on Wednesday for fighting militants from the Daesh terrorist group, citing their threat to the stability of Islamic nations.

In a statement, published by Egypt's Youm 7 news outlets, the Cairo-based authority described Daesh insurgents as "Khawarij", meaning “outlaws of Islam” in Arabic, stressing the need to eradicate them to ensure the stability and security of the Islamic world. 

The decades-old seat of Islamic learning also noted that Daesh's youth-targeted online campaigns aim primarily at destabilising Islamic countries, calling on the young people "not to be deceived by such false calls raised by the ignorant and radical militias of Daesh who know nothing about Islam".

Al Azhar described the killing, cornering and defeating of Daesh militias as a "sacred duty" Islamic countries' leaders should undertake in order to ensure the safety of their people and repair the damage the terrorist group has caused to Islam's image.     

The Islamic authority also criticised radical organisations that speak in the name of Islam but “know nothing about the faith”.

It called on all Muslims, Islamic organisations, government institutions, religious bodies and NGOs to work collaboratively and stand firm in the face of Daesh’s schemes.

Al Azhar also said that it is in session these days to address all developments and respond to any inquiries, vowing complete openness and cooperation with all initiatives seeking to safeguard the youth from “drifting” into the “deviant ideology of Daesh or any other radical organisation”.

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