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2004 religious ruling: Lal Masjid had declared soldiers as ‘not martyrs’
ISLAMABAD: The ‘martyr or no martyr’ debate is not new and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Munawar Hassan is not the first one to trigger it. The story goes back to Ghazi Abdur Rashid-led Lal Masjid squad that first issued a fatwa (religious decree) declaring military’s Wana Operation in 2004 a ‘rebellion against God and His Prophet’ and army soldiers losing life in it as ‘not martyred’.
The religious ruling had also invalidated funeral prayers for the soldiers killed in the operation. The fatwa was signed by over 500 ‘religious scholars’ and it basically initiated from Darul Uloom Haqqania Akora Khattak.
“Munawar Hassan’s statement is right in line with the principles of Sharia,” said Hafiz Ehtisham Ahmed, the spokesperson for Shohada Foundation of Pakistan (SFP), in a statement released on Tuesday in reaction of ISPR statement condemning the JI chief’s statement. In a TV interview, JI chief had questioned if “those fighting for the US could be declared martyred?”
The SFP, the representative organisation for ‘victims’ of Lal Masjid militarty operation 2007, stated that the mosque and its affiliated seminary Jamia Hafsa were ‘punished’ for the same fatwa by former president Pervez Musharraf, and its cleric Ghazi was ‘murdered’ for endorsing and issuing the religious ruling.
The SFP spokesperson said that 2004 fatwa was equally relevant today as the circumstances were the same. “In fact it is worse at present; the present government has been blindly following orders from the US,” said Ahmed.
“There is no ambiguity or need left for further interpretation after the mosque’s 2004 fatwa and Hassan’s recent statement — which was rightfully in line with Islamic principles.”
“Be it under severe US pressure or otherwise, in all cases, any military operation launched against fellow Muslims in order to appease or win favour from the infidels is haram,” stated the fatwa.
Pakistan Army recently condemned Hassan’s statement and expressed fears that it was an attempt at instigating rebellion among soldiers. However, the Lal Masjid fatwa had clearly asked the soldiers not to obey orders.
“The military operations in Wana (Waziristan) are against Sharia law therefore it is not permissible for the armed forces to participate in it,” the fatwa had asserted. It had justified this ruling on the basis that it is haram to obey the ruler in the matters contradicting or violating Sharia.
The fatwa had also declared those killed by the army as martyrs. “All those people who get killed during these unjust operations are innocent according to the Sharia law; therefore, they are to be recognised as martyrs,” it said.
The SFP spokesperson said that all those calling for a fresh fatwa over the JI chief’s statement were misleading people.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 14th, 2013.
2004 religious ruling: Lal Masjid had declared soldiers as ‘not martyrs’ – The Express Tribune
ISLAMABAD: The ‘martyr or no martyr’ debate is not new and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Munawar Hassan is not the first one to trigger it. The story goes back to Ghazi Abdur Rashid-led Lal Masjid squad that first issued a fatwa (religious decree) declaring military’s Wana Operation in 2004 a ‘rebellion against God and His Prophet’ and army soldiers losing life in it as ‘not martyred’.
The religious ruling had also invalidated funeral prayers for the soldiers killed in the operation. The fatwa was signed by over 500 ‘religious scholars’ and it basically initiated from Darul Uloom Haqqania Akora Khattak.
“Munawar Hassan’s statement is right in line with the principles of Sharia,” said Hafiz Ehtisham Ahmed, the spokesperson for Shohada Foundation of Pakistan (SFP), in a statement released on Tuesday in reaction of ISPR statement condemning the JI chief’s statement. In a TV interview, JI chief had questioned if “those fighting for the US could be declared martyred?”
The SFP, the representative organisation for ‘victims’ of Lal Masjid militarty operation 2007, stated that the mosque and its affiliated seminary Jamia Hafsa were ‘punished’ for the same fatwa by former president Pervez Musharraf, and its cleric Ghazi was ‘murdered’ for endorsing and issuing the religious ruling.
The SFP spokesperson said that 2004 fatwa was equally relevant today as the circumstances were the same. “In fact it is worse at present; the present government has been blindly following orders from the US,” said Ahmed.
“There is no ambiguity or need left for further interpretation after the mosque’s 2004 fatwa and Hassan’s recent statement — which was rightfully in line with Islamic principles.”
“Be it under severe US pressure or otherwise, in all cases, any military operation launched against fellow Muslims in order to appease or win favour from the infidels is haram,” stated the fatwa.
Pakistan Army recently condemned Hassan’s statement and expressed fears that it was an attempt at instigating rebellion among soldiers. However, the Lal Masjid fatwa had clearly asked the soldiers not to obey orders.
“The military operations in Wana (Waziristan) are against Sharia law therefore it is not permissible for the armed forces to participate in it,” the fatwa had asserted. It had justified this ruling on the basis that it is haram to obey the ruler in the matters contradicting or violating Sharia.
The fatwa had also declared those killed by the army as martyrs. “All those people who get killed during these unjust operations are innocent according to the Sharia law; therefore, they are to be recognised as martyrs,” it said.
The SFP spokesperson said that all those calling for a fresh fatwa over the JI chief’s statement were misleading people.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 14th, 2013.
2004 religious ruling: Lal Masjid had declared soldiers as ‘not martyrs’ – The Express Tribune
