Intellectuals severely condemn crimes against sacred sites

By: Sultan Ahmed

CAIRO, Egypt: Thousands of worshippers in Al-Azhar Mosque as well as Egypt’s Darul Ifta (Egyptian Fatwa House) have severely condemned desecration of the holy city of Najaf and holy mausoleum of Al-Imam Ali bin Abi Taleb (p).

Chanting slogans against US siege of Holy Najaf, the worshippers expressed their hatred for aggression on holy Islamic sanctuaries in the wounded Iraq. They also denounced threats of aggression against Al-Aqsa Mosque by Jewish extremists.

Country’s Mufti Dr. Ali Jumah said in a statement on this weekend carried by Asharq Al-Awsat news agency that Darul Ifta “condemns US-led coalition forces’ ongoing attacks on the holy shrine of Al-Imam Ali (p) and other sacred Islamic sites.”

Jumah said that “after attacking the shrines of the noble Companions, violating sanctuaries and horrifying and murdering civilians of Islamic nations, the world should not expect that they become silent as a reaction to these insults”.

Dr. Jumah refused any justification that allows the coalition forces, which “claim saving Iraqis from dictatorship, injustice and corruption, to play this shameful role themselves”. He also wondered “how the world searches after that for the reasons for terrorism, hatred of the other and clash of civilizations?”.

Observers described the statement as unusually strong, which is unexpected on part of official clerics in Egypt who usually keep themselves away from international politics unless the government has already taken a clear action.

Meanwhile, a number of Muslim scientists, intellectuals, preachers and politicians issued a statement called “A Call to the Nation”, in which they condemned what they described as the current brutal crimes committed day and night in Iraq and Palestine by what they called the “American-Zionist Coalition”.

The statement was signed by 93 Islamic personalities, including the Muslim Brothers Group Supreme Guide Mohammad Mahdi Akef, Sudan's Muslim Brothers General Observer Sadeq Abdullah Abdul Maged, Afghanistan's Islamic Union Party leader Abd Rab Ar-Rasoul Sayyaf, South African Scholar Society Secretary Sheikh Amin Bam and the president of Sunna and Prophet's Life Research Department in Qatar University, the Herald Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi.

Meanwhile, US warplanes bombed Najaf's Old City and gunfire rattled on Sunday amid fears a plan to end the standoff with Muqtada Sadr could collapse.

END