Claims that the atrocities of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant have “nothing to do with Islam” are harming efforts to confront and combat extremism, the Archbishop of Canterbury has insisted.
Religious leaders of all varieties must “stand up and take responsibility” for the actions of extremists who profess to follow their faith, the Most Rev Justin Welby said.
He argued that unless people recognise and attempt to understand the motivation of terrorists they will never be able to combat their ideology effectively.
It follows calls from a series of high profile figures for people to avoid using the term Islamic State – also known as Isil, Isis and Daesh – because, they say, its murderous tactics go against Islamic teaching and that using the name could help legitimise the group’s own propaganda.
But the Archbishop said that it was essential to recognise extremists’ religious motivation in order to get to grips with the problem. [The Telegraph] Read more
