Who wants the terrorists' bodies?

By Sidney Raphael

According to the Muslim Council of India, there should be no "final resting place anywhere in sacred Mother India" for the bodies of the terrorists responsible for the events in Mumbai over the past week.

This organization justifies its refusal to bury the bodies by claiming Islam does not permit the killing of innocent people. The Muslim Council President, Ibrahim Tai, said "As per Islamic tenets, killing of innocent persons is not permitted whatever may be the cause. What these terrorists have done is anti-Islam and shames all followers of Islam."

According to an Indian news source, Sify News, he said "They cannot be Muslims or followers of Islam. So they cannot have a final resting place anywhere on sacred Mother India."

Fox News added an interpretation by an American scholar of Islamic burial practices. The scholar, Leor Halevi, professor of history at Vanderbilt University and author of Muhammad's Grave: Death Rites and the Making of Islamic Society, said "What they are saying essentially is that by virtue of the terrorists acts, the terrorists who died do not count as Muslim anymore."

The disposition of these bodies could make for an interesting diplomatic issue between India and Pakistan. The government of Pakistan claims to disown the actions of the terrorists. It is yet to be seen whether they also wish to distance themselves from the bodies.

Thomas Lifson adds: The Muslim Council of India deserves high praise for this brave act, one that should be a model for Muslims all over the world. This becomes a litmus test for every other Muslim group in the world. I only hope that the Pakistani government has the courage to back up its rhetoric with words. But I expect that it will avoid angering the fundamentalists among its population on grounds of basic humanity or some such argument. But then, at least we would know where we stand.