Regarding the Russian school siege in Beslan that caught the attention of the world just a few days ago, all I really have to say about it at this moment is that Islam totally forbids the harming of innocents even in a valid defensive war, what more for taking innocent hostages at a school? There are no ifs, ands or buts in this case.

From the weblog of Al-Muhajabah:

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Arab views on the Russian hostage crisis

The BBC has a page of quotes from various Middle Eastern newspapers condemning the hostage taking in Beslan in Russia and the horrific end to the stand-off. Here are some:

A lesson in terror at a children's school - What happened at the ill-fated school is not only unjustifiable and unacceptable, it also provokes anger and revulsion among Muslim public opinion, since it tarnishes the name of all Muslims and distorts the image of our noble faith.

-Jordan's Al-Dustur

An ugly crime against humanity - What happened at the Russian school is a reprehensible crime against the whole of humanity and the perpetrators should be called to account.

-Egypt's Al-Ahram

These children and their teachers had committed no crime to justify their lives being endangered and their blood shed. If this terrorist group had chosen a Russian military barracks, their cause - if they had one at all - would have been more credible and many would have sympathised with them. What happened is the absolute opposite: the world reacted to the crisis with humanity, and the only loser is the side to which they [the hostage-takers] belong.

-Saudi Arabia's Al-Watan

Curiously, the Iranian commentary is more focused on the actions taken by the Russian government, which admittedly are open to some question as well. But nothing excuses taking children as hostages, for God's sake. In what delusion did this people think this could be justified? Al-Watan has hit the nail on the head with the statement that the children and their teachers had done nothing wrong. This is the moral concept at the very heart of the Islamic ban on targeting civilians. To kill someone without right or justification when they had done no wrong is a heinous act of murder, a single act of which will send the perpetrator to Hell forever. To cause the death of 300 children - my mind shudders at the very thought. Will these people not fear Allah?

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Al-Mujahabah is an American Muslim woman (who i admire very much for her intelligence) and she put it very clearly what i feel as well. Do these people who carry out such operations against civilians and claim to be doing it in the name of Islam have no fear of punishment against them in the hereafter?

Have they been blinded by nationalistic causes that a child is no longer innocent to them? Do they not know what Islam says about killing the innocent?

Or do they chooose to ignore it for they're own convenience?