Invisible hand...

Convention sees hidden hand behind militancy
Ulema declare suicide bombing against Shariah Fazl says Benazir-Musharraf deal to break country
By Yousaf Ali: The News, April 18, 2007

PESHAWAR: The Tahaffuz-e-Madaris convention here on Tuesday declared that unseen forces were involved in the ongoing trend of militancy, terrorism and suicide attacks in the country.

Organised by the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), the convention adopted a declaration which inter alia declared suicide attacks against Shariah. The convention was attended by more than 1,000 leading Ulema and religious scholars from all over the country.

Besides opposition leader in the National Assembly and chief of his own faction of JUI Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the convention was addressed by NWFP Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani, Maulana Salimullah Khan, President of Wafaqul Madaris, Qari Muhammad Hanif Jalandhri, Mufti Ghulamur Rehman, Maulana Hassan Jan, Qari Abdullah, Maulana Abdul Razzaq Sikandri, Qazi Hameedullah, Senator Maulana Gul Naseeb Khan and Maulana Anwarul Haq. Maulana Fazl alleged that a plot was being hatched by hidden hands to pave the way for the deployment of US troops in Pakistan.

He said that the increasing trend of militancy and terrorism, Shia-Sunni clashes in Kurram Agency and polarisation in Balochistan were part of the plot meant to discredit Islamic forces and provide reasons for foreign troops’ deployment in the country.

The JUI-F chief also lashed out at the alleged deal between General Musharraf and exiled PPP Chairperson Benazir Bhutto, saying any such development would mean disintegration of the country.“It is hard to believe that the masses would risk mandating Benazir for yet another term, who seeks to make it with the support of the Army and the Western powers,” he emphasised.

The Maulana feared that empowering Benazir meant going ahead with the ongoing polarisation and crises in the country and allowing the country to disintegrate. He believed it was difficult for Benazir to enter into an alliance with religious forces, as she had made certain promises and commitments with the Western world.

“She has made promises with the West to eradicate the Taliban and religious forces in return for their support to make her entry into power possible,” he alleged, while citing her recent interview with the Western media.

Fazl urged participants of the convention to dissociate themselves from violence and confrontation and instead adopt democratic ways for securing their objectives - enforcement of Islamic Shariah.

He maintained that though he supported all the demands of the management of Lal Masjid, but he was against the modus operandi adopted by them.The declaration adopted at the end of the convention also expressed concern over the situation of Lal Masjid, sectarian violence in Kurram Agency, clashes between two religious groups in Khyber Agency and challenging writ of the law in southern districts of NWFP by elements branding themselves as Taliban.

It opposed possible forced announcement of Islamic system in Swat, stating that some invisible elements were provoking people of the valley to declare Islamic Shariah, which it feared would ignite clashes among the common masses.

Similarly, the declaration denounced issuance of threatening letters to barbers and audio and video shop runners, school administrations and even students, saying that those steps were aimed at pushing the country towards civil war.

The religious scholars were urged to beware of the conspiracies behind ongoing trends of militancy and avoid conflict and confrontation.The declaration opposed involvement of seminary students in resistance and violence and stated: “Religious schools are centres of education and their sole responsibility was to impart religion to Muslims.”

Signed by leading Ulema present on the occasion, the six-page declaration expressed concern over unrest in Khyber Agency, North and South Waziristan and Kurram agencies and asked the government to stop bloodshed in all such areas and ensure peace and security there.

It demanded of the government to immediately withdraw notices regarding demolishment of mosques in Islamabad and resolve the issue to the satisfaction of Ulema. The declaration underlined the need for early resolution of Jamia Fareedia and Jamia Hafsa issues through peaceful means.