ISLAMABAD:
Afghan Ta
liban on Friday ruled out negotiations with the “powerless” Kabul administration and condemned what they called US-sponsored conferences of r
eligious scholars.
The Ta
liban issued the statement ahead of an international conference Saudi Arabia will host in collaboration of the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) that is likely to issue a declaration against the Ta
liban war in
Afghanistan.
Saudis had planned to host the conference in 2016 but had to postpone it after the Ta
liban rejected the moot as “intelligence ploy”. The Kingdom has invited scholars from many countries including Pakistan.
“The Islamic Emirate of
Afghanistan considers this process under the title of conferences of the Islamic Scholars as an absolute anti-Islamic US process
whereas its idea, logistical support and implementation is directly led by the US itself,” a Ta
liban statement said.
The “International Conference of Muslim Scholars on Peace and Stability in
Afghanistan” will be held in Jeddah and Makkah on July 10 and 11 respectively, the state-owned Saudi Press Agency has reported.
The SPA said the gathering of r
eligious scholars aims at fostering efforts to establish peace and stability in
Afghanistan as well as to denounce terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms and manifestations based on the te
achings of the r
eligion of Islam.
Ta
liban said the US wants through these conferences to find justification for their “military occupation, legitimize their stooge Kabul Administration and thus weaken the Jihadic resistance of
Afghan Muslim nation being put up against them.”
The Ta
liban referred to the March 18 statement of the American top commander in
Afghanistan Gen Nicholson in which he had stated that the US has a plan to apply different pressures on Ta
liban this year that include “a combination of r
eligious, social, diplomatic and military pressure on the Taliban”.
Nicholson had further stated that r
eligious pressure means that conferences under the name of r
eligious scholars from
Afghanistan, Pakistan and other Islamic countries will be held and they will issue a “Fatwa” (Islamic verdict) against the Ta
liban in these conferences to undermine legitimacy of their struggle from a r
eligious perspective.
The Ta
liban urged r
eligious scholars to reject these conferences which are a “scheme of the invaders” as they could be used for issuance of an edict to “de-legitimize current Jihad.”
The Ta
liban disagreed with the notion of some scholars who argue that they are participating in such gatherings to speak the truth and defend the cause of the Ta
liban and said the organizers and the media will distort their assertions and utilize it for their own interests.
Ta
liban regretted that the scholars only blame them and do not utter a single word against “corrupt and infidel invaders nor consider their open brutal aggression as illegitimate hence it clearly shows that they are in the service of invaders.”
“On the basis of Shariah, it is impermissible for Muslims especially r
eligious scholars to come to the aid and rescue of the brutal enemy and wounded dragon trapped in
Afghanistan. Because helping the American tyrant is a great sin and deviation from Islam, May Allah, the Almighty protect our r
eligious scholars from it,” the statement said.
They urged the r
eligious scholars of
Afghanistan and the Muslim world to cooperate and help the Ta
liban instead of assisting and participating in the conferences of the “secret service of the enemy.”
Published in Daily Times, July 7th 2018.