• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Pakistani scholars declare suicide attacks anti-Islam

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Islamabad, June 21,IRNA -- Hundreds of religious scholars in Pakistan’s North Waziristan tribal region have declared suicide attacks against Islam and asked all foreign militants believed to be hiding in the area to stop such attacks, local media reported Tuesday.

Upto 300 eminent religious scholars have unanimously agreed and pronounced condemning all forms of terrorists’ activities in North Waziristan Agency and issued stern warning to terrorists about serious consequences, Geo television reported.

A teenager who was arrested some two months ago after his suicide jacket could not explode at a crowded shrine in Punjab province later told police that he received training in North Waziristan.

He had also revealed that around 300 teenagers are receiving training in a center in the region and would be sent for attacks across Pakistan and Afghanistan.

U.S. authorities insist that al-Qaeda and Taliban militants have established centers in North Waziristan for cross border attacks on foreign and Afghan forces.

Pakistan is under mounting pressure by the US to launch military operation against the militants in North Waziristan, but Islamabad says it has no resources for such an offensive and that its troops have already engaged in other tribal regions.

Pakistan media recent reported that the army has chalked out a strategy to separate the violent extremists from the tribesmen as the first step to weaken the militants.

A decree from the Waziristan scholars may be a step towards achievement of the goal to isolate the extremists.

Geo television reported that the ‘Ulema’ or religious scholars declared suicide attacks as forbidden in Islam and strongly condemned all those involved in recruiting and training suicide bombers.

A meeting of the prominent Ulema of North Waziristan Agency recently was held in a religious school ‘Madrassah Nizamia’ at Eidak, a main town in Mir Ali area of North Waziristan, which is a leading and respected institution in the entire North Waziristan Agency.

The meeting warned all foreigners to stop their violent activities as they can only live in the North Waziristan Agency peacefully under the local customs. The meeting ruled that no one can call another ‘infidel’ based on whatever beliefs or virtues in North Waziristan Agency.

At the backdrop of security environment in the country in general and the North Waziristan Agency in particular, such pronouncement by all encompassing and respected Ulema of the North Waziristan Agency is historic, far reaching and very significant, Geo television quoted observers as saying.