Shaikh Saalih al-Fawzaan, stated in an article in the newspaper, "ar-Riyaadh" dated 21/3/1424H, corresponding to 22nd May 2003:

... and Islam is not to be blamed for their action [that of the terrorists] as is said be the enemies of Islam - amongst the non-Muslms and hypocrites [that] "the religion of Islam is a religion of terrorism". And they argue by way of the actions of these criminals. Indeed, these actions of theirs are not from Islam, and Islam does not affirm them, nor does any religion.

It is rather a foreign ideology and the Prophet (sallallaahu alaiihi wa sallam) has encouraged the killing of its proponents, he said, "Wherever you come across them, then kill them".

And he promised a great reward for whoever killed them. And the one [who is to] fight them is the leader in charge of the affair of the Muslims, just as the Companions fought them [the khawarij, the Revolters] under the leadership of the Chief of the Believers, Alee bin Abi Taalib (may Allaah be pleased with him).

Some of the hypocrites and ignoramuses claim that the Muslim schools taught them this ideology, and that the teaching methodologies (curriculums) comprise such a deviated ideology, and they request change in the methodologies of teaching.

We say (in response): Indeed, the proponents of this ideology (of terrorism) did not graduate from the Muslim schools, nor did they take knowledge from the Muslim scholars because they (themselves) declare as unlawful studying in these schools, institutes and faculties. And they belittle the Muslim scholars, declaring them to be ignorant, and describe them as "paid workers of the sultans". Rather, they learn from the ideologues of the deviant ideology, and the youthful in age, foolish-minded who are like them - just as their predecessors (upon this deviant ideology) declared the scholars amongst the Companions to be ignorant and declared them as disbelievers.

Shaikh al-Fawzaan also stated in another article published in "al-Jazeerah", no. 11343, dated 26/11/1424H, corresponding to 19th January 2004:

And a group of those, who adopted the heretical ideology and were deceived by it, admitted that they did not take this (ideology) from the teaching methodologies (curriculums) that are taught in our schools in our land (Saudi Arabia), but that they took it from the ideas of the ideologues of the heretical ideology, from strange and peculiar [individuals] in the society that they meet with here and there. And the various media outlets have broadcast these admissions and explanations.

And from those whom they admitted being influenced by are Abu Muhammad al-Maqdisee, and Abu Qatada, and the book "In the Shade of the Qur'an" of Sayyid Qutb. These admissions have left no room for doubt that our methodologies (curriculums) - and all praise is due to Allaah - are free in every way from those corrupt ideologies, and that (our curriculums) teach goodness, a healthy belief and attitude in behaviour, and they encourage the adherence to the jamaa'ah (to unity and solidarity), and the obligation of hearing and obeying (those in authority).

The reality of the affair is that the extremists and terrorists consider all Muslim states to be apostate states, and thus judge that studying in any of the state run schools, or under whom they call "state scholars" is prohibited. Thus, they never took their extremist ideologies from state schools or from the scholars in the Muslim lands.

The real sources of their extremist ways lie in the books and ideas of Sayyid Qutb and the influence of Qutb upon subsequent political movements and activist figureheads. This includes people like Ayman az-Zawahiri, Abu Qatada, Abu Muhammad al-Maqdisi (otherwise known as Isaam al-Barqaawee) and Abu Mustafa al-Haleemah, and all those who are poisoned with their poison.

Source: Quotations are from "Fikr at-Takfeer, Qadeeman wa Hadeethan", (The Ideology of Takfir, Past and Present) by Abdus-Salam bin Saalim bin Rajaa as-Sihimi, Dar al-Imaam Ahmad, 1426H (2005CE). Translation by IslamAgainstExtremism.Com