Fatwa against Taliban move to kill Malala: clerics
13 Oct 2012 7:24 AM IST
More than 50 clerics associated with the Sunni Ittehad Council and a former Pakistani minister have joined hands against the Taliban and issued a fatwa that declared the attempted assassination of teenage rights activist Malala Yousufzai as ‘un-Islamic’.
In the religious decree issued here, the clerics appealed to the country to observe Friday as Condemnation Day to express solidarity with the 14-year-old girl, who is currently in a critical care unit of a military hospital in Rawalpindi after being shot in the head.
The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan claimed responsibility for the attempt on Malala’s life in the former militant stronghold of Swat Valley on Tuesday, saying she was targeted for backing “pro-West” views and a secular government. The Taliban has warned it will attack her again if she survives.
The clerics said in their fatwa: ‘Islam doesn’t prohibit women from getting education. The attackers transgressed the Islamic Hudood [principles].’
The clerics, who belong to the moderate Barelvi school of thought, described the interpretation of Islam by Taliban as ‘repugnant to the teachings of Islam’ since the religion not only makes it obligatory on its followers to seek education.
Islam also strictly forbids taking the life of any innocent person, they pointed out. Former federal Religious Affairs Minister Hamid Saeed Kazmi said the decree had come at the right time.
‘Islam holds the killing of even one innocent person equal to the killing of the whole of humanity. It also forbids executing a woman who has even reneged on her religion. Men are punished with death for the same offence,’ Kazmi said.
THREE ARRESTED
islamabad: In an ‘important breakthrough’, three suspects have been arrested on Friday over the near-fatal Taliban attack on Pakistan’s teenage rights activist Malala Yousufzai, Swat district police chief Gul Afzal Khan Afridi said. The identity of the men was not disclosed. It could not immediately be ascertained whether they were members of any militant group. However, Ataullah, the alleged mastermind of Tuesday’s attack on Malala, was still at large.
LET’S UNITE: ASHRAF
The brutal attack by militants on teenage rights activist Malala Yusufzai has made it clear that the time has come for people to stand together to uproot terrorism from Pakistan, Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf said on Friday. ‘We have to unite and stand together to uproot this menace from our beloved motherland and save our children,’ Ashraf told reporters after visiting a military hospital in Rawalpindi to enquire about the health of 14-year-old Malala. Pakistan, he remarked, had paid a heavy price in men and materials in the campaign and terrorism ‘but now the nation is united’. He said: ‘Malala is Pakistan’s daughter and its actual face. Her message is the message of the people, which is a message of love, security and peace. The whole country will stand against anyone who tries to sabotage this message.’ Ashraf was flanked by leaders of the Awami National Party, Muttahida Qaumi Movement and Jamaat-e-Islami who accompanied him to the hospital. The premier said he had invited leaders of other parties to join him in visiting Malala ‘to send out a message to terrorists that the Pakistanis are united against their mindset.’ He said political leaders and people across the country were praying for Malala’s recovery. He had decided to ask the country’s political leadership to join him to visit Malala during a cabinet meeting on Thursday. However, leaders of the opposition, PML-N were conspicuous by their absence.
In the religious decree issued here, the clerics appealed to the country to observe Friday as Condemnation Day to express solidarity with the 14-year-old girl, who is currently in a critical care unit of a military hospital in Rawalpindi after being shot in the head.
The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan claimed responsibility for the attempt on Malala’s life in the former militant stronghold of Swat Valley on Tuesday, saying she was targeted for backing “pro-West” views and a secular government. The Taliban has warned it will attack her again if she survives.
The clerics said in their fatwa: ‘Islam doesn’t prohibit women from getting education. The attackers transgressed the Islamic Hudood [principles].’
The clerics, who belong to the moderate Barelvi school of thought, described the interpretation of Islam by Taliban as ‘repugnant to the teachings of Islam’ since the religion not only makes it obligatory on its followers to seek education.
Islam also strictly forbids taking the life of any innocent person, they pointed out. Former federal Religious Affairs Minister Hamid Saeed Kazmi said the decree had come at the right time.
‘Islam holds the killing of even one innocent person equal to the killing of the whole of humanity. It also forbids executing a woman who has even reneged on her religion. Men are punished with death for the same offence,’ Kazmi said.
THREE ARRESTED
islamabad: In an ‘important breakthrough’, three suspects have been arrested on Friday over the near-fatal Taliban attack on Pakistan’s teenage rights activist Malala Yousufzai, Swat district police chief Gul Afzal Khan Afridi said. The identity of the men was not disclosed. It could not immediately be ascertained whether they were members of any militant group. However, Ataullah, the alleged mastermind of Tuesday’s attack on Malala, was still at large.
LET’S UNITE: ASHRAF
The brutal attack by militants on teenage rights activist Malala Yusufzai has made it clear that the time has come for people to stand together to uproot terrorism from Pakistan, Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf said on Friday. ‘We have to unite and stand together to uproot this menace from our beloved motherland and save our children,’ Ashraf told reporters after visiting a military hospital in Rawalpindi to enquire about the health of 14-year-old Malala. Pakistan, he remarked, had paid a heavy price in men and materials in the campaign and terrorism ‘but now the nation is united’. He said: ‘Malala is Pakistan’s daughter and its actual face. Her message is the message of the people, which is a message of love, security and peace. The whole country will stand against anyone who tries to sabotage this message.’ Ashraf was flanked by leaders of the Awami National Party, Muttahida Qaumi Movement and Jamaat-e-Islami who accompanied him to the hospital. The premier said he had invited leaders of other parties to join him in visiting Malala ‘to send out a message to terrorists that the Pakistanis are united against their mindset.’ He said political leaders and people across the country were praying for Malala’s recovery. He had decided to ask the country’s political leadership to join him to visit Malala during a cabinet meeting on Thursday. However, leaders of the opposition, PML-N were conspicuous by their absence.
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