Muslims Against ISIS Part 2: Islamist Leaders

            Islamist leaders from across the Middle East have condemned the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), now known simply as the Islamic State. Leaders of mainstream Islamist political parties and even the Afghan Taliban and al Qaeda affiliates have denounced the move by the extremist group and its brutal tactics. The following are excerpted remarks.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan

            “On the issue of ISIS, Turkey has been subject to very unjust and (inaudible) news items from media organizations. Turkey has fought terrorism for many years. We have paid a heavy price in that process. And we were on our own in that effort, and as such -- as a country, Turkey can never support any terrorist organization.
            “We have no hesitation whatsoever with respect to fighting against terrorism. We have no weakness vis-a-vis terrorism, because we are a country which has had to deal with terrorism. And we've lost 40,000 lives to that effort.”
            “ISIS was born in Iraq, but it got stronger in Syria, because the environment was very conducive to them. ISIS is a spin-off of Al Qaida, and we were working against fighting against Al Qaida and other terrorist organizations, and we will continue to do that in the region.
            “We have a border, which is 1,210 kilometers long. And we have to make this stand along this border. And we tell our friends, the United States included, that we should establish a no-fly zone along this border. If we can have a no-fly zone, then we could work more efficiently and we can break terrorists backs, as it were.”
           Sept. 22 at a Council on Foreign Relations event

            “Turkey cannot stay out of the international coalition fighting Islamic State of Iraq and Syria jihadists.”
            Sept. 28, 2014 at the World Economic Forum

            “You can’t end this terrorism just by airstrikes. If you don’t support them on the ground, by cooperating with those who take up a ground operation, the airstrikes won’t do it.”
            Oct. 7, 2014 in a statement

Jordan's Islamic Action Front leader Sheikh Hamza Mansour

             “A caliphate should be established with the people’s consent, or else it would just be imposed on people.
             “This is not the first time a caliphate has been announced. It happened before in Afghanistan and also in Iran when [Supreme Leader Ayatollah] Ali Khamenei called himself the Imam of the Muslims… This is just one incident.
             “The declaration, however, will surely have repercussions on the overall region. The effect is not about the caliphate or whatever you call it, but for the war itself in Iraq and Syria that might spill over to neighboring countries.”
             Early July 2014 in an interview with Al Monitor

Head of Tunisian political party Ennahda Sheikh Rachid al Ghannouchi

            “We appreciate the reference to Tunisia in President Obama’s speech at the U.N. General Assembly where he mentioned Tunisia as a positive example of coexistence between Islamic and secular parties. We also appreciated when he stressed that the war on ISIS is not a war on Islam, and that it cannot lead to a clash of civilisations. I believe it is very important to strongly defend and promote this approach, because confusing Islam and terrorism can only benefit terrorists themselves who oppose democracy and consider it to be un-Islamic, and also benefit dictators who know that the presence of democratic states that guarantee freedom, justice and the rule of law hinder their establishment of regimes based on corruption and repression.
            “It is important to stress that a uniquely  security solution  in fighting  terrorism  is not enough and that relying only on a security solution will complicate this problem even more in the short and long term. As well as security, we need to tackle this problem at the political level through the support of democracy and inclusiveness.  We also need to tackle this at the religious, intellectual level by showing that the extreme understanding of Islam that they have is wrong. We should not also forget the socio-economic dimension in the fight against this disease.”
           Sept. 29, 2014 in a speech at the U.S. Institute of Peace

            “The success of the Tunisian experience is in the international interest, especially in the fight against extremism and the fight against Islamic State and similar groups.
            “The Tunisian model is the alternative to the Daesh [ISIS] model ... This Tunisian model ... brings together Islam and secularism, Islam and democracy, Islam and freedom for women.
            “One of the best ways to fight terrorism is to advocate moderate Islam because terrorism is based on an extremist interpretation of Islam.”
             Oct. 23, 2014 in an interview with AFP

            The declaration of the caliphate is a “reckless” act, which gave a “deceptive message.”
            “Nations do not arise in this ridiculous way.”
            July 4, 2014 in a speech

Hezbollah Secretary General Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah

             “Here we live, and - if the battle is imposed on us - here we fight and here we will be martyred.
             “Wherever there are followers of the ideology there is ground for (Islamic State), and this exists in Jordan, in Saudi Arabia, in Kuwait and the Gulf states.
             “This danger does not recognize Shi'ites, Sunnis, Muslims, Christians or Druze or Yazidis or Arabs or Kurds. This monster is growing and getting bigger.
             “[ISIS]does not have borders. There is a real danger and a real fear among many states and authorities, because one of the advantages of this organization is its capacity to recruit among followers of al Qaeda-Wahhabi thought.”
             August 2014 in an interview and a speech

             “The takfiris present the Muslims as a group that is thirsty for bloodshed.
             “The takfiri thought was established in the Arab world almost 200 years ago and was provided with financial as well as governmental capabilities which founded the universities, schools, newspapers, and houses of publications in order to pervade its concepts all over the world.
             “Islam, the nation and the Islamic societies are being threatened by this takfiri thought whose causes, not effects must be addressed.
             “Islam does not seek murdering, but rescuing people in this life and in the afterlife.”
             Late October 2014 according to al Alam news

The Afghan Taliban

             “It is worthy for a shurah [consultation] council to be formed from the leaders of all the jihadi factions and the distinguished people among the experts and the scholars in Sham [Syria] in order to solve their conflicts.
             “Muslims also should avoid extremism in religion, and judging others without evidence, and distrusting one another.”
             July 12, 2014 via the Daily Mail

Pan-Islamic political party and movement Hizb ut-Tahrir

             “The issue of the caliphate is too great for its image to be distorted or for its reality to be changed merely by an announcement here or an announcement there.”
             Early July 2014 via al Jazeera

Nusra Front supporter Assem Barqawi (Abu Mohamed al Maqdisi)

            Declaring the caliphate was a “rush job,” and “whoever hastens something prematurely will be punished by being deprived of that for which he fights.”
             “Is this caliphate going to be a safe haven for all the vulnerable people and a shelter for every Muslim? Or will this name become a hanging sword over Muslims who disagree with them? Will this lead to the abolishment of all Islamic emirates that came before their declared state, and will it invalidate all the other groups that are engaging in jihad for the sake of God in all fields before them?”
             Early July 2014, according to Al Monitor