Malaysians who die fighting for IS are not martyrs

The Malaysians who went to the Middle East to fight and die for the cause of Islam did not die as martyrs but is a common death and tantamount to meaningless death, said Kelantan Mufti Dato Muhamad Shukri Muhamad.

He added that while many believed that going to another country to die in the name of Islam, whether or not a person who died a martyr is determined by the country they were killed in.

"In my opinion when a person joins an extremist group like Islamic State (IS) and died while fighting for such groups had a common death like any other accidents," he told reporters at the sidelines of the Kelantan State Legislative Assembly meeting here on Tuesday.

Muhammad Shukri was asked to comment on Malaysians who died fighting in the Middle East after joining militant Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant were hailed as martyrs.

He said martyrdom must first be recognised by the Islamic country where the person died before it is also recognised by the country of origin.

"In the first place persons who joins an extremist groups cannot be recognised a Muslim fighter and the basic consideration for martyrdom is when the person dies fighting a hostile Kafir (infidel) and dies in the process of freeing his country from aggressors who intend to invade their country's sovereignty and religion," he added.

Wisma Putra was reported in a statement released on June 25, confirmed that a total of 15 Malaysians had died in Syria under IS.