QUETTA, April 2: Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal on Wednesday urged the Muslim world and other anti-war countries to get united and fight the United States with full force.

In their speeches at a big rally organized by the MMA at Mezeen Chowk in connection with its ‘million march’ series, the alliance leaders said Jihad was the only way as adopting resolutions would not force President Bush to stop war against Iraq.

The organizers claimed that hundreds of thousands of people had attended the march. Other sources estimated the number to be tens of thousands only.

The workers and supporters of the six component parties of the MMA had come from all parts of the province to attend the rally. They carried placards and banners inscribed with anti-war slogans.

The march, led by Qazi Hussain Ahmed, Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Prof Sajid Mir, started from Ayub Stadium at about 3pm and reached the Mezeen Chowk at 4:30pm after passing through various roads. The participants shouted slogans against US President Bush, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and in favour of Iraq President Saddam Hussein. Some of them carried portraits of President Saddam Hussain and Osama bin Laden.

During the march, effigies of President Bush and Prime Minister Blair and flags of both countries were burnt by the participants.

Speaking at the rally, MMA chief Maulana Shah Ahmed Noorani described the US aggression against Iraq as crusade and said Jihad had become obligatory for all Muslims.

He said people of Iraq were rewriting history of Islam and called upon Muslim states to announce support for Iraq and extend all help and cooperation to it in its fight against US aggression.

Qazi Hussain Ahmed condemned the invasion of Iraq and said the US-led attack was not only on Iraq but it was on humanity and peaceful countries. He asked people to be ready for joining ‘martyr squad’ against the United States, declaring that such attack would not be considered suicide in Islam.

The Jamaat-i-Islami chief paid rich tribute to Iraqi people for the gallantry they had shown in fight against a super power without any outside help. “We will go to the Iraq border and will make human chain to express solidarity with Iraqi people,” he announced. He asked people to boycott the American and British products and said a day of prayer would soon be observed throughout the country.

MMA Secretary-General Maulana Fazlur Rehman demanded that the UN secretary-general should resign as he had failed to implement the resolutions adopted by the world body to save Iraq from US aggression.

He said it was the time the United Nations proved it was not a puppet of the United States.

He asked France, China, Russia, Germany and Muslim counties to get united against America and its allies and fight against them with full force as only adopting resolutions on various platforms would not stop the United States from attacking smaller countries.