KARACHI, Feb 2: Religious scholars, speaking at the ulema convention held here on Sunday, warned the United States against attacking Iraq saying that any aggression against that country would tantamount to an assault on the Muslim world. Muslims around the world are one Umma, strong enough and fully prepared to meet any aggression, they declared.

Through a resolution adopted at the convention, held at the Idara Noor-i-Haq in connection with the “Umma Unity Week, the ulema strongly condemned the US for adopting ‘anti-Muslim’ attitude, taking coercive measures against the community and threatening Iraq.

Speaking on the occasion, Mufti Nizamuddin Shamzai observed that the US motives of the imminent military onslaught against Iraq was to suppress the Umma, devastate followers of Islam, usurp the Gulf’s oil wealth, and ensure a fully protected and strengthened Israel. He said that Umma could meet the challenge by forging unity and demonstrating solidarity against the nefarious designs.

Describing Pakistan as the nucleus of Ummah, he said that the US and its allies were out to cripple Pakistan to weaken Umma.

Qazi Hussain Ahmed, Amir of Jamaat-i-Islami and the Parliamentary Party leader of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, observed that it was separation of religion from politics that had caused harm to Umma. He said that it was time to practise Islam in politics to neutralize this division and establish and truly Islamic government.

The JI chief lambasted the rulers for allowing the FBI to conduct raids on any place anywhere in the country and said that it was misfortune of our country that the rulers were misleading the masses on Iraq issue. He pointed out that the rulers were trying to dissuade Pakistanis from supporting their Iraqi brethren. “Ulema will not allow their conspiracy to succeed,” he warned.

Mufti Zarwali Khan said that imperialist forces were out to wipe out Muslims. He declared that the Umma should keep ready and forge unity in its ranks to face and meet the challenge.

Maulana Khurshid said that Muslims in Pakistan fully supported Iraqi brethren and would not accept the pro-US policy pursued by the government.

Maulana Ghulam Sayyalvi described Islamabad’s siding with Washington in the military action against Afghanistan and said that Pakistan could not afford repeating this mistake in the case of Iraq.

Maulana Azmat Ali Hamdani, Maulana Abdul Rehman, Maulana Abdul Raouf, Maulana Qari Gul Rehman, Allama Zamir Akhtar Mansoori also spoke on the occasion.

NAZIMEEN: Speaking at a meeting of Nazimeen at Idara Noor-i-Haq on Saturday night, the Amir of Jamaat-i-Islami, Qazi Hussain Ahmed said that the MMA wanted to ensure supremacy of the Constitution and parliament. He said parliament was not supposed to enact any law confronting Holy Quran and Sunnah. He said that the MMA, with the cooperation of people, would resist any conspiracy to turn the country into a secular state.