British Muslim leaders say it is ‘haram’ to join ISIS

Muslim leaders in Britain have issued a fatwa (religious edict) condemning the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), adding that Brits heading to fight with the militant group are “betraying their own societies.”

The Sunday Times reported the fatwa, authored by Sheik Usama Hasan, a former imam from east London.

It is supported by six senior Islamic scholars across the country, says it is “religiously prohibited (haram) to support or join” Isis.

The fatwa states that although Muslims have “moral obligation” to help the Syrian and Iraqi people, they must do so “without betraying their own societies.”

In July, leading British Muslim preachers strongly condemned ISIS in an online video aimed at deterring young British Muslims from fighting in Iraq and Syria.

Their ISIS and its self-proclaimed "caliphate" was considered to be the highest-profile kickback thus far from Muslim leaders in Britain to the extremist Islamist group that has taken control of large swathes of Northern and Western Iraq and Eastern Syria.

Prime Minister David Cameron was to outline tougher measures against militant suspects Monday after Britain raised its security risk assessment to a level where an attack is thought "highly likely".

British media reported that the measures could include a "temporary bar" on Britons suspected of fighting in Syria and Iraq from returning home.

Other measures could include making it easier to strip suspected would-be jihadists of their passports in Britain and giving more data on airline passengers to the intelligence services.

Britain raised it terror threat risk level to "severe" on Friday due to fears over the situation in Iraq and Syria.

The move, which means an attack is considered "highly likely", came after the killing of U.S. journalist James Foley, apparently by a man with an English accent who belonged to ISIS.