Suicide bombing un-Islamic, only state can declare jihad: fatwa by Hafiz Saeed and Maulana Naeemi

Suicide bombing un-Islamic, only state can declare jihad: fatwa

* Muttahida Ulema Council demands parliament formulate its policy on anti-terror war
* Government welcomes edict

LAHORE: Only the state has the authority to call for jihad (holy war), and individuals or groups are not authorised to do that, a conference of Muslim clerics from across the country said on Tuesday.

A fatwa (edict) issued unanimously by the Muttahida Ulema Council (MUC) during the conference at the Jamia Naeemia comes in the wake of devastating suicide bomb attacks in the country that have claimed hundreds of lives. The MUC also declared suicide bombings un-Islamic, saying the government should stop military operations in the Tribal Areas and conduct negotiations with the people there to end militancy.

The clerics also said former president Pervez Musharraf’s pacts with the United States should be made public. They called on the government to support Iran, saying it was a better ally than the US. They said Iran’s security was directly linked to Pakistan’s sovereignty therefore Iran’s standoff with the US over Tehran’s pursuit of nuclear technology should be taken up at the Organisation of Islamic Conference platform. The clerics said the way nuclear technology was being provided to India following a US-India agreement was dangerous and Pakistan must inform the world about its negative impact across the region.

They decided that a team of religious scholars would visit Bajaur and Swat to ascertain the situation in the areas. The moot was attended by clerics from the Jamaat Ahl-e-Sunnah, Ahl-e-Tashee, Ahl-e-Hadith, Jamaat-e-Islami, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, banned Sipah-e-Sahaba and Deobandi and Barelvi schools of thought, Maulana Sarfaraz Naeemi told a press conference.

Demand: Maulana Naeemi demanded parliament formulate its policy regarding the war on terror in view of the national interest.

Jamaatud Dawa chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, who had already declared suicide attacks unjustified, also attended the conference.

Welcome: Interior Adviser Rehman Malik welcomed the MUC edict declaring suicide attacks un-Islamic, saying suicide bombings should cease now. agencies