Martyred for Speaking Out Against the Taliban

The Silent Majority of Ulama Finally Rises Up Against the Taliban


An amazing event happened earlier this month in Rawalpindi, Pakistan yet it was glossed over by the Urdu media and not mentioned at all in the English media in Pakistan or elsewhere and yet its implications for the fight against religious extremists who use the name of Islam could be profound. I am referring to the Istihkam e Pakistan Conference held by the mainstream Jamaat e Ahle Sunnat (Sunni Barelvi Muslims) who represent the moderate, Sufi, form of Subcontinental Islam which is followed by about 80% of Muslims throughout the Subcontinent including in Pakistan and which is fiercely opposed to the extreme Wahabi and Deobandi strains of the Islamists and the Taliban.

This conference was presided over by Dr. Sarfraz Naeemi, rector of Jamia Naeemia, a Sunni Barelvi madrassah in the heart of Lahore, which is one of the major seminaries teaching the traditional form of moderate Islam and steeped in spirituality. It is named after one of the giants of Islamic scholarship of the twentieth century, Allama Sayyid Naeemuddin Muradabadi, who was a student of Shaykh Imam Ahmad Riza Khan Barelvi, the scholar par excellence and Sufi saint of India who spent his life fighting the Wahabi heresy with his pen.

In this remarkable Conference, scholar after scholar from all over Pakistan came forward and unequivocally condemned the Taliban for their un-Islamic behaviour and terrorist activities and also gave full support to the government of Pakistan for their continuing armed operations against the Taliban in the northern areas of the country around Swat and elsewhere.

In fact, the leading ulama went much further in their condemnation. The following verbatim quote from Allamah Nisar Baig Qadri, summarises the position adopted at this Conference and I would like to salute him and the other ulama of Ahle Sunnat for having the guts to speak in such clear and forceful language and not beat around the bush!

He said: "The whole of the Ahlus Sunnah are agreed that the Taliban have no relation with Islam and that they are terrorists. We condemn all terrorist attacks against any culture. We are sure that all of these terrorist attacks e.g. 9/11, 7/7 (in the UK), the atrocities in Spain in the train stations, etc., were carried out by people with the same beliefs as these Taliban. We are agreed that the Taliban are not only enemies of Pakistan but also enemies of Islam. In fact, we are certain that the current Pakistani Army action against the Taliban in Pakistan is a valid jihad and any Pakistani soldier killed in this operation will be a martyr."

These words were originally said at the Conference and the result was the two suicide attacks by the cowardly Taliban which occured yesterday: one in Lahore at Jamia Naeemia and the other in Nowshehra in which Dr Naeemi was targeted and martyred along with others after Friday prayers. (Other scholars who attended the conference have also recieved death threats from the Taliban). This follows a recent spate of vandalism and acts of terror by these Taliban in which they destroyed various shrines of Muslim saints. I believe that was the last straw and led to the Istihkam e Pakistan conference. If we analyse what was said it is significant:

1. The Taliban are not Muslims. It was about time someone had the guts to say so.
2. The Army's action is a jihad. This point was emphasised.
This means, in Sunni jurisprudential language--and remember it was leading Sunni jurisprudents who said this-- it is the religious duty of every Muslim to fight againt these Taliban.
3. There status under Islamic Law is that of 'baaghis' (rebels against the Islamic State) and so fighting them is justified.

The implications could be profound.

It was also pointed out that these Deobandi and Wahabi mullahs were against the creation of Pakistan in the first place, something that shouldn't be forgotten, and the descendents of those hypocrites, people like Mawdudi and the whole of the Deobandi movement, form the bulk of the Pakistani Taliban today.

So, sad those Dr. Naeemi's death is, it may prove to be a turning point in Pakistan --the beginning of the end of the terrorist reign of the Taliban and it comes at a time when mainstream Pakistani society is, at last, beginning to see the ugly reality of these vicious animals--'wolves in sheep's clothing-- who abuse the name of Islam and have made Muslims international pariahs in general and disgraced Pakistan in particular.

I pray that Allah accepts Dr. Sarfraz Naeemi's martyrdom and grants him a place in Paradise besides his Beloved, our Master, Sayyidina Muhammad al Mustafa and the rest of the Prophets and Saints. Amen!

"Ahle Sunnat ka hai beRa paar, ashaab e Rasool
Najm hain, aur naav hai itrat Rasoolullah kii!" - Imam Ahmad Riza Khan

The Ahle Sunnat shall sail to safety for the Prophetic Companions
Are its guiding stars, and its ship is the House of the Prophet!