Islamic Cleric: Volgograd Bombings Fatwa - Approved

Salafi-jihadi Cleric Issues Fatwa Approving Volgograd Bombings that 'Enraged the Infidels’

Abu 'Abd Al Rahman Al Maqdisi, a Salafi-jihadi cleric, issued a fatwa retroactively approving the December 2013 bombings in Volgograd, Russia.

According to the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), “The fatwa was published on January 12, 2014, on IslamDin.net, a Website affiliated with the Caucasus Emirate. Abu 'Abd Al Rahman Al Maqdisi, a member of Minbar Al Tawhid wal Jihad's shari'a committee, issued the fatwa in response to a query submitted by operatives of the Emirate's Kabardi-Balkaria-Karchai ‘province.””

Al Maqdisi said that according to shari'a law, the bombings are legitimate since both the target -- "Christian infidels" -- and the means (suicide bombings) -- were legitimate. He said that such tactics were necessary in order to send a message to the Russian government that it must leave the Caucasus, and to shake the country's security and stability in the run up to the Sochi Winter Olympics.

Jihadists had earlier encouraged attacks on the Winter Olympics in Russia. More recently, Russian security forces shot suspected jihadi rebels in Dagestan following the bombings in Volgograd.

MEMRI said Al Maqdisi “added that the Russian people must be punished for its government's support of the Syrian regime. Al Maqdisi encouraged Russian Muslims to join the jihad fighters of the Caucasus Emirate and carry out similar attacks throughout Russia. In this vein, Al Maqdisi urged Russian Muslims to prefer jihad in Russia to traveling to Syria to wage jihad.”

“Finally,” MEMRI said, “Al Maqdisi gave some practical advice to potential terrorists. He urged them to coordinate their actions with the Caucasus Emirate, and to attempt to execute the largest possible attack, so as not to waste their own lives for a small impact.” 

Read the rest here.

See also:

Jihadists Encouraged to Attack Winter Olympics in Russia