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Social Media Battle To Stop Islamist Fighters

A group of British imams has taken to social media to reach out to young Muslims and discourage them from joining ISIS extremists and fighting abroad.

In the video, leaders from Sunni and Shia denominations praise the unity of Britain’s Muslims and describe ISIS (The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria) as "cowboys" and "terrorists".

The video was published on the Imams Online website and posted on Facebook and YouTube with a message asking people to share it.

A description for the video says: "We are Muslims united against ISIS, against terrorism, against atrocity, against pain and suffering."

The video has been made in response to social media propaganda posted by the jihadist group in recent weeks.

Last month ISIS posted a video on the internet imploring Muslims from the UK and around the world to join their fight.

The well-funded group is thought to include thousands of fighters, including many foreign jihadists.

It is fighting government forces in Syria and is making significant military gains in Iraq.

In the video made by British Muslim leaders, Sheikh Sayed Ali Rizvi says: "I think the best way to describe ISIS is that they're cowboys. They don’t represent the religion and they’re not qualified to represent the religion."

Maulana Shahid Raza OBE, who is a Sunni Muslim - the same branch of Islam as members of ISIS, says: "As a Sunni Muslim, I do not accept the caliphate of ISIS.

"I consider ISIS as a terrorist organisation and they are trying to create corruption and 'fitnah' (a test or trial) within the Muslim world."

The social media campaign comes as leaders of the UK Muslim community met in Westminster to denounce the group , saying it is spreading a "culture of death in the name of Islam".