KARACHI, March 21: In response to the call, given by Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, a conglomerate of political and religious parties, for a strike and protest rallies throughout the country, people participated in a large number of demonstrations held outside various mosques in the metropolis on Friday. However, there was no sign of strike being observed anywhere in the city.

The call was aimed at condemning the joint US-British invasion of Iraq and expressing solidarity with the people of Iraq. Religious and political leaders, who addressed the rallies, as well as ulema who delivered sermons at Friday prayers, described the invasion as ‘naked aggression’ against Iraq and the Ummah.

Participants of the rallies were holding banners and placards inscribed with slogans against the United States, Britain, Israel for ‘unleashing a rein of terror’ elsewhere in the world. They also burnt these countries’ flags and effigies of President Bush at different places in the city.

At almost all the mosques, Friday sermons were focused on the US-led invasion. The Pesh Imams condemned the aggression in the strongest possible words and urged the Muslims to forge unity and stand up against the anti-Islam forces. They termed the US ‘great Satan’ and called for Jihad against the monstrously unfair military onslaught. They prayed for the safety and security of Iraqi people as well as peoples of all the Muslim countries in the wake of the ‘ongoing series of anti-Muslim campaign’ launched by the United States.

Apart from hundreds of demonstrations outside mosques, major rallies were held at Masjid Baitul Mukarram, Dawood Chowrangi (Landhi), Jamia Masjid Hussainabad (F B Area), Banaras Chowk and Moosa Lane (near Lea Market). Besides a large number of worshippers, a significant number of political, social and religious activists took part in the rallies.

The rally held at Dawood Chowrangi was addressed by Senator Prof Ghafoor Ahmed, Naib Amir of Jamaat-i-Islami. He said that the US aggression against Iraq tantamount to aggression against the Ummah and the humanity.

He said that the United States had gone to the extreme in global terrorism. He spoke of popular opposition to the US invasion of Iraq and referred to widespread and unprecedented huge protest rallies throughout the world, even in European countries. The protest rallies in Pakistan, he added, proved that the policies adopted by Muslim states’ rulers did no fully conform with the aspirations of their peoples.

Prof Ghafoor said that the MMA’s protest day was a manifestation of emotions and sentiments of the people and by staging yet another huge demonstration, they had once again given their verdict against the US.

Speaking at the rally, Dr Mairajul Huda advised Prime Minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali to cancel his upcoming US visit because it would be construed as an expression of solidarity with Washington. The cancellation, he added, should be taken as protest against the US invasion of Iraq.

He said that Muslim rulers were sadly mistaken in believing that the invasion would confine to Iraq. “The US must have been eying Saudi Arabia, Iran and Pakistan.”

Others who spoke on the occasion were Maulana Ehsanullah Hazarvi, Muhammad Aslam Mujahid, Maulana Iqbalullah, Maulana Omar Farooqui, Muhammad Naeem, Maulana Saifullah and Maulana Attaullah.

Abdul Sattar Afghani (MNA), addressing another rally held outside a mosque in Moosa Lane said that the US had crossed all legal, ethical, moral, humanitarian and universal principals laid down by the world community. He observed that Washington had joined the ranks of terrorists.

Prominent among those who addressed the rally at Masjid Baitul Mukarram were Hashim Siddiqui, Dr Mairajul Huda Siddiqui, Nasrullah Khan Shaji and Yunus Barai. Condemning the invasion, they said that it was the indifferent attitude of some rulers of Islamic countries and ‘treacherous role’ by some others which encouraged the aggressors to usurp the sovereignty and freedom of Islamic states. They said that those who were siding with the US and its allies in the war were in fact committing ‘high treason’ with the whole Ummah. They declared in unequivocal terms: “people of all the Muslim states were united and had one opinion — US is evil power”

“We will have to wake up our rulers from slumber simultaneously with the Jihad against the evil power,” they told the countrymen. They also warned the rulers against imposing on the masses any decision contravening the aspirations, sentiments and feelings of the people. The masses, they said, would never accept such decrees.

Addressing a big demonstration at Jamia Masjid Hussainabad, Shaikh Rafique Ahmad, Muhammad Muslim and Hafiz Mohammad Taqi said that the US aggression against Iraq was a manifestation of the failure of the UN Charter which called for taking any aggressors to task.

They urged all the heads of states and governments in the Muslim world to face the challenge to the Ummah unitedly.

Calling on the United Nations to condemn the US in strongest words, the speakers pointed out that despite recovery of no weapon of mass destruction, Iraq was being subjected by the US and its allies to a ‘mini-nuclear’ attack. They regretted that deadly bombs and missiles of all kinds were being showered on the unarmed Iraqi civilians.

Speaking at a party meeting, chief of the Sunni Tehrik Muhammad Abbas Quaderi condemned the US aggression and warned that if Muslims did not forge unity in their ranks to face the challenge, the entire Muslim world could face the same treatment in near future.

He lashed out at the US-led forces for genocide of Muslims using sophisticated military hardware and tons of explosive in tiny countries and regretted that innocent civilians were being martyred on Iraq’s streets.

Awami Himayat Tehreek, organized a token hunger strike, to protest against the US attack, outside Karachi Press Club.

Speaking on the occasion, the AHT leader, Maulvi Iqbal Haider, said that if UN Security Council, OIC and World Court of Justice failed to take suo motu action against the US aggression, these institutions would lose their credibility.

PRESS CONFERENCE: All the peace loving nations should ask the US, British and Australian diplomatic staff to leave until the US stopped the war.