Bangladeshi scholars, elders and the muftis called on both warring parties in Afghanistan to stop the killing of Muslims and innocent people as the violence was against shariah texts and Islamic teachings.
The scholars attended the session on “Call for Peace in Afghanistan” held on Sunday in the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka.
They issued a statement emphasising the prohibition of war and the killing of Muslims and innocent people in Afghanistan. They also expressed their wholehearted support for the peace talks in Doha.
Calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, the scholars said both sides were “Muslims and brothers” and requested an end to the ongoing attacks for them to build trust.
The Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its gratitude for the issuance of the declaration of the fatwa by the scholars and reiterated the reduction of violence and ceasefire as an important condition for the success of the peace talks.
However, over 2,500 religious scholars said there was no legitimate reason for the war in Afghanistan and called for both parties to stop the struggle for power and the killing of more Afghans.
At a gathering in the Loya Jirga hall in Kabul on Sunday, the ulema from various provinces declared their support for the peace process and said that further violence would destroy the trust in the negotiations.
“Discuss your disputes on the negotiating table,” said one of the attendees at the gathering.
They called on the Taliban and the Afghan government to reach an agreement on the form of Islamic government and the withdrawal of foreign troops as soon as possible, and to move on to other issues.
Another scholar called the shedding of Muslim blood, against the religion and warned that the person will “go to hell.”
Shaharzad Akbar, chairperson of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) said the Afghan people have been demanding an end to the violence and a ceasefire in all parts of the country but the Taliban refuse to heed their call.
“The broadest, most common, clearest demand of the people of Afghanistan, from every corner of the country, every language, ethnicity, religion, young and old, male and female, is an end to violence and a ceasefire. A demand that the religious scholars of the world also support it. The Taliban is standing against this demand. Whom do the Taliban fight for and whose will are they representing?”
The attacks across Afghanistan have increased over the past few weeks despite the start of historic peace talks between Afghan government and the Taliban in Doha.
