Ali al-Qaradaghi, secretary general of the International Union for Muslim Scholars, attends a press conference in the Qatari capital Doha, on 1 December 2017
The International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS) has issued a religious decree, or fatwa, urging Muslim countries to provide immediate military, financial, and armed support to the Palestinian resistance in response to an ongoing genocide by the Israeli regime in Gaza.
Endorsed by over a dozen prominent scholars, the decree calls for direct military intervention, economic sanctions against Israel, and intensified backing of Palestinian resistance groups.
It also demands a unified Islamic military alliance to defend Muslim nations and counter foreign aggression.
“The failure of the Arab and Islamic governments to support Gaza while it is being destroyed is considered by Islamic law to be a major crime against our oppressed brothers in Gaza,” said Ali al-Qaradaghi, Secretary General of the IUMS, during a public reading of the fatwa on Friday.
The ruling states that armed struggle against Israel is a religious obligation for all capable Muslims, urging Islamic governments to take immediate action to halt the “systematic genocide” of Palestinians.
In addition to military engagement, the scholars called for a total blockade of Israel by land, sea, and air—including the closure of key Muslim-controlled waterways and airspaces to Israeli-linked traffic.
The fatwa explicitly bans the supply of oil, gas, or any resources to Israel that could aid its genocidal campaign in Gaza.
"It is forbidden to support the infidel enemy (Israel) in its extermination of Muslims in Gaza, regardless of the type of support," Qaradaghi noted.
The statement further urges Muslim communities in the US to pressure the Trump administration into taking concrete steps to halt Israeli aggression and promote peace.
The scholars condemned Israel for violating the ceasefire and slammed the US government of enabling the Israeli acts of aggression through continued arms shipments to Tel Aviv.
According to Gaza's health authorities, the death toll from the US-backed Israeli genocidal campaign has risen to over 50,609, with more than 115,000 wounded. Since mid-March alone, 1,249 Palestinians have been killed in the latest wave of Israeli war on Gaza.
The fatwa also calls for a global boycott of Israeli products and businesses, alongside diplomatic measures such as the withdrawal of ambassadors and the imposition of political sanctions on Israel and its allies.
In its closing, the decree urges religious leaders to speak out against the Israeli genocide in Gaza, mobilize their communities, and advocate for decisive action from their governments.
The IUMS concluded by calling for global Muslim unity, continued prayers for Gaza, and support for individuals and organizations standing in solidarity with Palestine.
