LAHORE: Maulana Syed Abul Ala Maudoodi, Amir of Jamaat-i-Islami, yesterday [Aug 22] appealed to the UAR Government to suspend the severe punishments awarded to 34 persons, including the renowned thinker and writer, Syed Qutab, in view of the new threat posed to Arab solidarity by Israel.

In a Press statement Maulana Maudoodi said a Cairo court has sentenced to death the noted Muslim scholar and religious personality, Syed Qutab, along with five other Muslim Brotherhood leaders. The same court has convicted 28 other Egyptians including women.

He said at a time when Zionist activities to undermine the Arab and Muslim solidarity were on the increase the people of the entire Muslim world should exert their moral pressure on the UAR Government.

[Meanwhile, as reported by agencies from Paris,] the Chinese Communist Party newspaper, “People’s Daily”, today [Aug 23] praised Pakistan for its fearless stand in refusing to join “the worn-out game US imperialism is playing to try to make Asians fight Asians in an anti-China alliance”.

Quoted by the New China News Agency monitored here, the article by a commentator said: “Pakistan political observers and papers have recently sharply rebuffed the anti-China outcries of US Ambassador to India Chester Bowles. They have made it clear that their country will maintain amicable relations with China.

“This has jolted the US imperialists’ anti-China scheme and lent to the Chinese people powerful support from their Pakistan friends. To our Pakistan friends we express our deep respect for their just and fearless stand.”

The “People’s Daily” article added: “Chester Bowles has loudly advocated that Pakistan should ally itself with Japan, Indonesia and India against China. What he really wants is to drag Pakistan into an anti-China alliance, but that is merely pipe-dreaming.

“Pakistan political observers hit the nail on the head when they pointed out that the US design is to make Asians fight Asians.”

Published in Dawn, August 24th, 2016