‘Against fundamentals of Islam’: Maulana Shahabuddin after Dr Umar justifies bombing in video

Bareilly: Days after the Delhi blast, a self-recorded video of the i20 car driver, Dr Umar Mohammad, surfaced in which he attempted to justify his plan and described it as a “martyrdom operation.”

In response, All India Muslim Jamaat National President Maulana Mufti Shahabuddin Razvi Barelvi said on Tuesday that such justification goes against the fundamental beliefs of Islam.

Speaking to IANS, Maulana Shahabuddin said, “Dr Umar Mohammad, who had links to terrorism and killed himself, is accused in the case. The way his video has surfaced and the manner in which he tried to justify suicide bombing are against the core beliefs of Islam. It is completely wrong, and no one can support this.”

He added, “Terrorism is not part of Islam. Islam does not permit killing. The Quran states that killing one person is equal to killing all of humanity. Dr Umar has violated this principle. What he has done is against the fundamental beliefs of Islam. Islam also forbids taking one’s own life. It does not allow anyone to kill others, kill themselves, or provoke such actions. Islam speaks of humanity and peace. Such acts are ‘haram’ (prohibited) in Islam.”

Earlier in the day, in a heavily accented video, Dr Umar attempts to give his terror plan a religious connection.

He is heard saying, “One of the very misunderstood concepts is the concept of suicide bombing; it is a martyrdom operation, as it has been known in Islam… Multiple contradictions and arguments have been brought against it — martyrdom operation.”

He further went on to explain that “martyrdom operation” is “when a person presumes that he is going, for sure, to die at a particular place and time.”

His video has revealed the suicide-bombing mindset, indicating that he had planned extensively on a large-scale terror operation.

According to the sources, officials believe that Dr Umar, one of the main accused in the terror module, made this video to brainwash individuals.

The car explosion near Delhi’s Red Fort Metro Station on November 10 claimed the lives of at least 13 people and injured several others. The car was being driven by Dr Umar, a doctor associated with Faridabad’s Al Falah University.

Dr Umar was originally from the Koil village in Pulwama. His family members have described him as a reserved and introverted individual who preferred solitude and devoted much of his time to reading.

However, police reports indicate that Dr Umar’s behaviour had shifted in recent months. He had been absent from his university responsibilities since October 30 and began making frequent trips between Faridabad and Delhi, visiting mosques close to the Ramleela Maidan and Sunehri Masjid.

The authorities reported that he went missing on November 9, following police raids in Faridabad that resulted in the seizure of almost 2,900 kg of ammonium nitrate from a storage facility and the subsequent arrests of several of his associates.

During the investigation, law enforcement discovered that Umar and Dr Muzammil, who was apprehended after the police dismantled the terror network, had travelled to Turkey, where it is believed their handlers are based.

IANS