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Special Dispatch No. 5135
In Kandahar, Afghan Clerics Issue Fatwa Against Taliban Suicide Bombings
The following report is a complimentary offering from MEMRI's Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM). Subscription information is available athttp://subscriptions.memri.org/content/en/member_registr_jttm.htm.
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On December 26, 2012, Afghan clerics held a conference in Kandahar city where they issued a fatwa against suicide bombings being carried out by Taliban militants across Afghanistan. The clerics called on Afghan youth to reject suicide bombings. The conference was attended by a number of Islamic scholars and Sufi mystics.
The Kandahar Governor's Media Office issued a statement regarding the fatwa. Following is the text of the press statement, translated from the Pashtu version:
"Kandahar Ulema Shura Islam Terms Suicide [Attacks] As Haram
"December 27, 2012
"Kandahar, Afghanistan: Issuing a comprehensive fatwa [against suicide attacks], the Ulema Shura of Kandahar province yesterday termed suicide attacks contrary to the faith of Islam and strongly condemned these attacks."
Special Dispatch No. 5134
In Interview, Released Afghan Prisoner Who Rejoined Taliban As Jihadist Commander For Samangan Province Discusses Jihad Operations, Taliban Recruitment Drive
Following his release from prison in Afghanistan, Qari Muhammad Zaher has rejoined the Taliban's jihad in Afghanistan's Samangan province, and was appointed head of jihadist activities for this northern province by the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Taliban's shadow government).
In an interview with Shahamat, a Dari-Pashtu language magazine published by the Islamic Emirate, Qari Muhammad Zaher discusses the jihadist situation in Samangan and the Taliban's recruitment drive. Following are excerpts from the interview, as translated from Pashtu:
"Except For Khurram Sara Bagh, The Mujahideen Have A Presence In All The Districts Of Samangan Province, And Carry Forward Their Jihadist Operations"
Question: "Respected Qari Sahib, would you like to introduce yourself to your readers?"
Qari Muhammad Zaher: "My name is Qari Muhammad Zaher and I hail from Sholgara district of Balkh province. I received a religious education at various Islamic seminaries in Afghanistan and Pakistan and learned the Koran by heart. I graduated from the famed religious institution Darul Uloom Haqqania [run by Pakistani religious leader Maulana Samiul Haq, who leads a faction of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam party and is chairman of the Defense of Pakistan Council, an alliance of religious parties and militant groups] in different religious subjects in 2004. In the past, I was active in jihad in Balkh province [of Afghanistan]."
To view these reports, you must be a paying member of the Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor Project (JTTM). For membership information, send an email to jttmsubs@memri.org with "Membership" in the subject line.
Special Dispatch No. 5133
In Interview, Afghan Taliban Spokesman Warns Against Sunni-Shi'ite Rifts In Afghanistan, Says: 'If A War Starts Between Them… There Will Be Civil War In All The Islamic Countries Of The World'
In an interview, Zabihullah Mujahid, the main spokesman of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Taliban's shadow government in the country), allays concerns about corrupt practices among the Taliban fighters, including kidnapping for ransom. He argues that any such acts will be punished as per the Taliban shari'a courts in Afghanistan.
Answering a question about the rifts between Afghanistan's Sunni and Shi'ite Muslims, Mujahid warns that Sunnis and Shi'ites live in all countries neighboring Afghanistan and that any attempt to cause a conflict between them will engulf the wider Islamic world in civil war.
It should be noted that Iran, the largest Shi'ite country, shares a long border with Afghanistan.
The interview appeared in Mahnama Shariat, an Urdu-language magazine published by the Islamic Emirate. Following are excerpts from the interview:
"Allah Willing, We Will Be Free Now [After The U.S. Troop Withdrawal By 2014] And Will Take A Breath Of Pleasure Under An Islamic System"
Question: "First of all, please shed some light on the ongoing jihadi situation in the country."
Zabihullah Mujahid: "May Allah keep you healthy and in His protection. You ask about the jihadi situation in the country; I would like to say that by the grace of Allah it is more congenial than in any other period, and the mujahideen are benefiting from success with great force. The enemy [U.S.] suffered great harm in Operation Al-Farooq this year. Thousands of attacks are being carried out against them throughout the country, in which they have suffered heavy losses of life and property. There have been extremely successful, impressive, and sizeable attacks on their important and safe military bases and camps."
To view these reports, you must be a paying member of the Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor Project (JTTM). For membership information, send an email to jttmsubs@memri.org
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