Maulana Shaukat told reporters at a 150-year-old Darul-Uloom Deoband in Saharanpur, 435km from the Uttar Pradesh capital, about 20,000 scholars and clerics took part in the declaration. 

The declaration said: “Islam is a religion of mercy for all humanity. Islam sternly condemns all kinds of oppression, violence and terrorism.

“It has regarded oppression, mischief, rioting and murder among severest sins and crimes. Islam prohibits killing of innocent people.”

It is a welcoming sign and Muslim Sholars should also not hesitate to condem any act of terrorism whenever and wherever it take place.