IRAQ: 'NO' VOTE ON CONSTITUTION AGAINST SHARIA SAYS AL-ZARQAWI GROUP

"Baghdad, 23 Sept. (AKI) - The Sharia [Islamic law] division of the al-Qaeda in Iraq group has issued a fatwa saying that "participating in the referendum on the Iraqi constitution - even voting 'no' - means violating the Sharia." The group has spoken out several times about the constitution, which caused major divisions between the Shiites, Kurds and Sunnis, and its leader, Jordanian militant Abu Musab al-Zaraqwi, has even put out audio messages over the Internet on the subject.

The new fatwa from the Sharia committee of the al-Qaeda group explains that "going to the urns and voting 'no' goes against the Sharia, because it means legitimising the weapon of the vote and carrying out an act of idolatry, substituting Allah, who is the only legislator"."
ADNKI