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At least 200 religious scholars in Pakistan have issued a fatwa terming suicide attacks as "un-Islamic" and said the Islamic governments are bound to crush rebel groups like the Taliban, ISIS and Al-Qaeda.
"Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, Al-Qaeda, ISIS, Boko Haram, Al-Shabab and other such so-called Jihadi outfit’s philosophy is misleading. Their functioning is un-Islamic and thinking based on poor knowledge of Islam," said the fatwa issued by clerics belonging to different Islamic sects after a conference held in Lahore on Sunday.
"The Jihad methodology of these outfits (are) against Islamic conditions for Jihad and that the elements involved in sectarian killings are guilty of 'fasad' (violence) as Islam does not allow any killing in the name of sect and the Islamic governments are bound to crush such rebels," it said.
The fatwa also declared those opposing anti-polio drive and killing the women health workers as the "worst criminals".
The Taliban are opposed to anti-polio drive and have killed scores of polio workers, including women.
The fatwa also said that attacks on worship places of the non-Muslims are the worst sins and heinous crimes while protection of non-Muslims is mandatory for an Islamic state.
The conference's coordinator Mualana Ziaul Haq Naqshbandi said the clerics also decided to observe coming Friday (May 22) as 'Peace and Love Day' by delivering sermons in 400,000 mosques against unlawful killings and that an Ulema (clerics) board would also be established to counter the narrative of extremist and terrorist organisations like Taliban and ISIS.
"An Eradicate Terrorism and Save Country movement will also be launched," he said.
The clerics from different schools of thoughts earlier had also issued a fatwa against suicide attacks but there has been no let up in them.