Naveed Ahmad Khan
ISLAMABAD: Islamic scholar Mufti Taqi Usmani has underscored the need for going beyond conferences and slogans, and offer concrete help to the hapless people of Palestine.
Speaking at a Mufti Taqi Usmani Calls for Concrete Action to Support Palestine, the scholar hit out at Israel for unleashing a wave of terror on unarmed people in the Gaza Strip. He called for boycott of Israel’s products.
In the same breath, he emphasised that the protests (against Israel) should be peaceful.
“Islam is a religion of peace and not of vandalising property or hurting someone in the heat of emotions. Pelting someone with stones is forbidden in Shariah,” he categorically said in apparent reference to the recent wave of violent protests against some food chain outlets in the country.
He said it’s obligatory for leaders of all Muslim countries to declare jehad (holy war) against Israel. He said it’s time to move beyond resolutions and conferences and go for concrete steps.
Pakistan, he said, did not recognise Israel and the founder of Pakistan had declared it an ‘illegal state’. There was no change in country’s policy, he added.
He made it clear that Pakistan was not bound by any agreement to support Israel. “Israel respects no law or agreement. It continues to bombard innocent people despite ceasefire agreement,” Usmani said.
