Clerics, elders oppose foreign troop presence

KABUL, saying it had no impact on the security situation.

Addressing a meeting, attended by scholars and elders, MP Allah Gul Mujahid said he had shown his aversion to foreign troops’ presence at the traditional Loya Jirga.

He had recommended strengthening and equipping Afghan forces, the lawmaker said, regretting peace continued to elude the country despite the presence of more than 100,000 foreign soldiers.

The four-day jirga concluded on Nov. 20, with the endorsement of the strategic cooperation agreement between the US and Afghanistan. In a 76-article declaration, the delegates backed the creation of American bases in the country for a decade.

Endorsing the agreement with the US was necessary for maintaining security and strengthening Afghanistan’s economy, delegates at the four-day assembly said in the declaration, which underlined respect for the Afghan culture, traditions and religion.

Gul called the meeting as an aim to get suggestions on foreign forces presence with reference to Islam and said “We must do a job which will be not against Islam.”

Held in the Deh Sabz district of the capital, the meeting was attended by almost 300 religious scholars, prayer leaders and tribal elders from Kabul, Sarobi, Khak-i-Jabbar and Bagrami districts.

“Muslims must stoutly resist Jewish influence,” stressed a prayer leader of Torakhel village mosque Naseer, who insisted international soldiers had failed to leave a positive impact on security. Their presence would bring no benefit to the country, he believed.

According to another religious scholar, Maulvi Samiullah, Afghans do not need foreign forces in their country. “We want peace but it is impossible in their presence, because they are party to the conflict.”

Peace would prevail only when international soldiers left the country and security transitioned to Afghan forces, Samiullah said.

The strategic agreement meant disclosing national secrets to the enemies of Islam, said the Deh Sabz Kabul Ulema-led forces and US bases in the country are contrary to Islam, he concluded.

mas/mud

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