NEW DELHI, India: India’s prominent Muslim scholars, both Shia and Sunnis, have strongly condemned in a joint statement bomb blasts in New Delhi in which more than 60 people were killed, and called for death sentence to perpetrators.

Their statement is as under:

"...And Whosoever takes even one life, without it being in return for another, will have murdered humanity as a whole" - The Holy Qur'aan; Surah 5, Aayat 35.

Islam, in no uncertain terms, forbids any act of terrorism. To kill wantonly, to maime, to injure, to spread fear amongst common people of any faith, is something which Islam condemned 1,400 years ago, in the time of the Prophet, and continues to condemn even today.

A terrorist defiles the Qur'aan every time he claims to speak or to act by it, or tries to justify inhumane conduct by making false and baseless claims of divine sanction. He insults Islam by his claim to being Muslim. He disgraces the Muslim brotherhood by claiming to be part of it in any way whatsoever.

The likes of Osama bin Laden, and members of the various "Lashkars" and "Millats" who claim terror as their creed would be summarily executed in any court of Shariah.

We, the undersigned, members of the great Muslim brotherhood, condemn, in no uncertain terms, the acts of terror upon Indian soil. We condemn those who perpetrate it, those who encourage it, those who justify it, those who finance it, and those who allow their land, property and house to be used for it.

We call upon all Indians to come together in this time of crisis and not let the forces of terror strike wedges between us.

Hujjatul-Islam Syed Ali Taqvi (Imam - Shia Jama Masjid, Delhi)
Padamshree Aamir Raza Husain (theatreperson),
Syed Elyas Kazmi (Director of Production, Pogo Channel),
Hujjatul-Islam Syed Kalbe Rushaid Rizvi (Scholar of Shia Islamic Theology),
Qari Mohammad Mian Mazhari (Editor in Chief, Qayadat magazine, and Chairman - National Minority Finance Development Corporation),
Professor Halim Khan (Chairman, Madrassa Board, Madhya Pradesh),
Moulvi Zahed Raza (President - Islamic council of India and Chairman - State Hajj committee),
Hujjatul-Islam Syed Mohsin Taqvi (Principal - Jamiaat ush-Shaheed, Delhi)
Usman Ghani (President, Gujarat - Islamic council of India),
Naiyyar Ali (Secretary - Anjuman e Haideri, Delhi),
Shakir Husain (Member - Central Hajj Committee),
Mashkoor Hasan Khan (NRI, Executive),
Masood Hasan Khan (NRI, Hotellier)