Scholars must make clear that violence against infidels not God’s will, says Müller

Islamic scholars and politicians must make clear that violence is against the will of Allah, CDF Prefect Cardinal Gerhard Müller told the German weekly Die Zeit, writes Christa Pongratz-Lippitt.

“Islamic scholars and politicians must unequivocally and bindingly demonstrate that violence is against the will of God. Whoever hurts others in God’s name acts against God’s will. That is valid for Judaism, Christianity and Islam. I am deliberately mentioning Islam as it considers Allah the Creator of all life and praises him as the all merciful,” he said.

In Islam there were sincere authorities who held that violence contradicted the core message of their faith, Müller pointed out. “Whoever believes in God, the Merciful, in the first sura of the Qur’an, can only interpret the suras that call for violence against infidels as a human interpretation of the Qur’an, not as God’s will,” he argued.

Asked if he had tried to put this argument forward in talks with Muslim interlocutors, Müller said he did not want to give Muslims the impression that he was talking down to them and suggesting “we are enlightened but they have got stuck in the Middle Ages”.