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Takfiri (from the Arabic word تكفيري) are Islamist extremists belonging to the Salafi sect and follow a violent exclusivist ideology. Some people claim that the Takfiri ideology demands the murder of any non-Muslim, and any Muslim opposing the takfiris' goals and claim that takfeeris consider such Muslims as being "no longer Muslim" (see takfir) and thus legitimate targets for attack, rather takfeeris believe in Islam strictly according to the understanding Muhammad and his companions and do not accept any deviation from their path, they reject any form of reform or change from the religion as it was revealed in the time of the prophet, it is upon those who change their religion from Islam to any other way of life, or deny any fundamental foundation Islam, or they worship, follow or obey anything other than Islam, that the takfeeris declare the "takfeer" upon, calling them apostates from Islam and so no longer Muslim. Muslim opponents of the takfiris often view them as modern-day analogues of the Khawarij, a seventh-century terrorist movement which waged war against the Caliphate.
Ideology
Ahmed Rabei was a prominent follower in Egypt. Takfiris are not bound by the usual religious constraints regarding wearing a beard, drinking alcohol, or eating pork when such restrictions would interfere with waging effective jihad. To Takfiris, strict adherence to those laws precludes necessary covert action in defense of Islam. Because Takfiris "blend in," they can organize, plan, and take action necessitated by the overriding duty of Jihad with less risk of identification, interference, or interception.
In modern times, the term has been adopted as a badge of pride by an Egyptian group called Takfir wal-Hijra. Adherents to the sect were urged to cut all ties with non-members (takfir) and leave to join the sectarian communes (hijra, or migration). Hence the word is sometimes used in contemporary discourse in a neutral way, as a reference to this Egyptian group.
It is also used as a term of abuse for the Salafi and Wahabi versions of Islam.
Opponents of these groups point to the Wahhabi history of conquest or the violent ideology of Islamist terrorist groups like Al-Qaeda and claim that Wahhabis and Salafis are therefore takfiris, willing to kill other Muslims whom they regard as insufficiently Muslim.
Many supporters of Wahhabism and Salafism say that the Wahhabi history of conquest is long past, and that the violent Islamist groups are not proper Salafis, but rather Qutbi schismatics. Their movement should not be blamed, they say, for the excesses of a deluded few. Hence they reject the term takfiri.
Those Salafis who support Al-Qaeda and similar groups would also reject the term takfiri, but on different grounds. They would argue that they are only doing their duty as Muslims by keeping the faith of Islam pure and fighting against those who would pollute it. Hence they should not be accused of being deviants or sectarians.
See also
External links
- The Clear Proofs for Refuting the Doubts of the People of Takfeer and Bombing!
- Extremism in Takfeer
- al Qaeda as Ecumenical Outreach - at Rotten.com
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