Clerics urge Afghans to work for national unity

GHAZNI/SHARAN (Pajhwok): Religious leaders in southern Ghazni province have urged the Afghans to shun ethnic differences and work for solid national unity.

Attending a Seerat–un–Nabi conference in Ghazni City, on Friday evening, the scholars said the Quran had declared all Muslims as brothers. Pashtuns, Tajiks, Hazaras and Uzbeks should live like brothers.

The day-long conference was organised by civil society group “Zhwand” (life) and was attended by a number of religious scholars, tribal elders and local residents.

One of the speakers, Mualvi Mohammad Nadir, shed light on the life of the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) and urged the Afghans to join hands for national unity.

Religious scholar from the Qarabagh district, Mualvi Bashir Agha, strongly condemned the republication of the Prophet Mohammad’s cartoon in a French weekly magazine and called it an insult to the Muslims.

He said the Muslims should unite and prevent such blasphemous caricatures from being published. Stressing unity among the Afghans, the cleric said: “The Afghans should try to work for national unity.”

Juwand civil society group leader Naqibullah Khaksar Andar said a large number of people attended the conference to understand the life of the Prophet and work for national unity.

The same evening, hundreds of people elsewhere staged a protest demonstration in southeastern Paktika province against the republication of the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH)’s cartoon by the French magazine Charlie Hebdo.

The demonstrators tied pieces of a black cloth around their foreheads with Islam and the name of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) written on them.

They also carried pictures of Saeed and Cherif Kouashi, the two brothers who attacked the magazine office in Paris, leading to 12 deaths.

One of the rally participants, Mualvi Saleh, told Pajhwok Afghan News their protest was aimed at showing the world that Muslims were alive to defend their religion. He said the Muslims would react against every insult to Islam and the prophet.

The demonstrators issued a five-article resolution in which they asked the Afghan government to close the French Embassy in Kabul.

“The Muslim world should unite against anti-Islamic networks. Kabul should sever ties with Paris and should close its embassy there,” the resolution said.

It also urged all civil society and media organizations to strongly condemn elements insulting Islam.

Meanwhile, a statement from the governor’s house condemned the publication as a barbaric and ignorant act.

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