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The Alliance
Indians: Pak delegation told Talibs to hang tough
2001-10-08
  • Times of India
    A delegation of top Deobandi clerics from Pakistan that went to Afghanistan with Director General of ISI Lt-Gen Mahmud to meet with the Mullah Omar Akhund and convince him to hand over Osama Bin Laden, did exactly the opposite. Sources within the delegation said that instead of convincing Omar of the necessity of saving Afghanistan and the Taliban regime by getting rid of Bin Laden, the delegation invoked Islamic scriptures to appreciate the stand taken by the Taliban leadership and assured Omar of their support.

    The clerics, led by the "unofficial advisor" to Mullah Omar and Pakistan's top Deobandi religious figure, Mufti Nizamuddin Shamzai of the Binori town seminary in Karachi, also informed Omar that several hundred young men were ready for jihad against the US if Washington did attack Afghanistan.
    Shamzai's stand on the issue is also clear from the fatwa he issued only last week, exhorting the Muslims to join jihad against the United States if it attacked Afghanistan and declared that the Muslim countries supporting the US or any infidel forces would be committing a "sin".
    Shamzai heads the country's biggest Deobandi madrasa. Shamzai and Mufti Jamil, another member of the delegation, are also said to be very close to Osama Bin Laden and both were invited to his son's wedding. Shamzai is personally looking after the process of recruitment of hundreds of young men prepared to fight alongside the Taliban in case of a war. Their efforts have the support of Deobandi parties and groups whose cadres have been given the task of mobilising the youth for performing their "sacred duty".

    One of the muftis in the delegation sent to Kandahar told the newspaper that the clerics actually discussed the strategy of resistance with Omar and his lieutenants. The weekly said that it had learnt that some intelligence agencies have already warned the government about the possibility of suicide strikes against airports and foreign embassies.

    Shamzai's stand on the issue is also clear from the fatwa (religious edict) he issued only last week. In the fatwa he exhorted the Muslims to join jihad against the United States if it attacked Afghanistan and declared that the Muslim countries supporting the US or any infidel forces would be committing a "sin". He has also indicated that people will storm airports and ports in the country if the US forces landed in Pakistan. Instigating his followers he is reported to have told them to "not allow any US men go back alive" if they dare land in Pakistan.
    • Posted by:Fred Pruitt

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