Leytonstone stabbing: Muslims say world famous #YouAintNoMuslimBruv anti-terror hashtag is illegal under sharia law

Observers warn against saying knife attacker is not Islamic, because excommunicating a Muslim could break an ancient legal ruling. The act of describing someone as an apostate (someone who has left the religion) is called ” takfir ” in Arabic. Some scholars believe this is so grave a sin that it is punishable by death, although different schools of Islam differ on this point.

Umar Lee?@STLAbuBadu  Takfir is a legal ruling. Unless you’re a jurist fear Allah before you tweet #YouAintNoMuslimBruv

Bilal Ahmed, a writer and activist, wrote a blog post explaining the religious concerns around the practice of takfir.

“For all the relief that we may feel at someone taking care not to automatically associate Islam with terrorism, I am deeply alarmed at the fact that we feel this comfortable engaging in takfir ,” he wrote.

My impression of social media today has been that “moderate Muslims,” who are eager to condemn militaristic violence out of their own desires for safety and security in spaces of immense privilege (especially in London), are more than willing to become takfiris. Muslims who engage in physical violence, and frame their actions within a religiously-tinged anti-imperialist project, are rejected outright, and condemned as impure. Except what authority do we have to determine that, and what are we ignoring in the process of takfiri behaviour?