Top Pak clerics declare suicide attacks un-Islamic

PTI / May 17, 2009, 21:33 IST

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An influential group of Pakistani scholars and religious leaders on Sunday declared suicide attacks and beheadings as un-Islamic.

Top Pak clerics declare suicide attacks un-Islamic

ISLAMABAD: An influential group of Pakistani scholars and religious leaders on Sunday declared suicide attacks and beheadings as un-Islamic and called on people to unite for a struggle against the militancy plaguing the country.
'Ulema' (clerics) and 'mushaikh' (spiritual leaders) of the Jamaat Ahl-e-Sunnah, who gathered here for a convention, declared suicide attacks and beheadings as un-Islamic in a unanimous resolution.

They backed the military operation being conducted in Swat and Malakand to flush out the Taliban and restore peace. They described the operation as important, saying it was a war for Pakistan's integrity and sovereignty.
The religious leaders said the designs of elements engaged in creating a state within a state should be frustrated.

In his address, Jamaat Ahl-e-Sunnah president Sahibzada Fazal Karim said those trying to harm the integrity of Pakistan should be dealt with with an iron hand. Karim and other clerics stressed the need to forge unity for the struggle against militancy.
"We played our role during the independence movement. We are Pakistani nationals and we will protect the country and foil every effort of the enemy," Karim said.
Karim was of the view that the operation against the Taliban in Swat is the need of the hour as some sections of society were forcing people to accept their version of Islam. These elements also kill those who opposed them, he said.

Ruet-e-Hilal Committee chairman Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rehman, in his address, said those who were fighting in the name of implementing Shariah or Islamic law must first abide by these same laws.
He said the Taliban were so cruel that they were even slaughtering minors. This is contrary to the teachings of Islam, which provides protection to all those who were not involved in battle.
Rehman said if the Taliban have any respect for Islamic values, they should give up bloodshed because it was harming national integrity.
At the same time, Karim vowed to utilise all his energies to enforce Shariah in the country. He and other clerics condemned the US drone attacks in Pakistan's tribal areas, saying they were challenging the country's sovereignty.
The government must take effective measures to force the US to halt these strikes, the clerics said.
Karim also said a number of agencies were working against the integrity of Pakistan and were trying to destabilize the country's economy. These agencies were pouring millions of dollars and a huge quantity of weapons into areas along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, he claimed.

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