RIYADH – A joint statement issued after the Islamic scholars conference inSaudi Arabia has come as a blow to Afghan Taliban war.
It says “Afghan government is an Islamic government, its people are Muslimsand have a thrust for peace and their killing is prohibited in Islam.Killing of Muslims is ‘haram’ and whatever is going on in Afghanistan iscontrary to Islamic principles and fundamentals,” the declaration said.
“We call upon countries, organisations and the Muslims to play a positiverole for peace in Afghanistan while channelising their resources to achievethe goal.”
“We condemn the on-going fighting in Afghanistan and want all sides to stopit in line with the Islamic Sharia,” the communiqué said.
The scholars urged the afghan government and the Taliban to declareceasefire and start direct negotiations as intra-Afghan dialogue was thebest way to resolve the conflict between the two sides.
“Afghan problem should be solved through negotiations,” the delegates saidand declared support to President Ashraf Ghani’s unconditional offer to theTaliban that had also declared the Taliban war a political movement.
The conference urged the Taliban to positively respond to the offer and tostop violence, come to the negotiation table and solve politicaldifferences through negotiations.
Taliban in their reaction said that no prominent scholar from Islamiccountries took part in the conference and most of the delegates wererepresentatives of governments and that was why they did not dare tomention the American invasion, military presence and the US bombing.
“The conference will not harm the Taliban struggle, which has pushed thearrogance American military to defeat and embarrassment.” Afghansunderstand that the Americans military officials, including their commanderNicolson, had floated the idea of holding the conference to mount religiouspressure on the Taliban,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in lateWednesday’s statement.
He said Taliban were confident that the Saudi government would play itsrole to end the invasion and that hosting such meetings would harm itsposition.