Attacks on Haramain Sharifain and civilian infrastructure unacceptable, scholars declare

Religious leaders express outrage over Houthi actions and announce unconditional solidarity with Saudi Arabia

LAHORE, OCT 16 /DNA/ – A Day of Condemnation was observed in Pakistan, Kuwait, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and across the world against the continued objectionable and terrorist activities of Houthi rebels, following an appeal by the International Tazeem-e-Haramain Sharifain Council, Pakistan Ulema Council and their allied religious organisations.

During Friday sermons and large gatherings, religious scholars and preachers expressed deep concern, outrage and grief over repeated Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia’s civilian population, airports and defence installations, particularly the unsuccessful attempt on Thursday to target the holy city of Madinah al Munawwarah.

Addressing the gatherings, prominent scholars, religious leaders, preachers and clerics unanimously criticised the Houthi rebels and those supporting them, declaring that the sanctity of Makkah al-Mukarramah and Madinah al-Munawwarah, the protection of visitors to the Haramain Sharifain and the safety of innocent people were matters of the highest importance for the entire Muslim Ummah.
They said attacks by Houthi rebels on sacred places and civilian populations constituted outright terrorism and Fasad fil-Ard (corruption on earth), for which no religious, political, diplomatic or moral justification could be offered.

The scholars warned that playing with human lives and attempting to violate the sanctity of the Haramain Sharifain to achieve malicious, impure and cheap political objectives amounted to an open war against the Muslim world.

They also emphasised that condemnation of the criminal actions of Houthi rebels should not be interpreted as a position against any religious sect, school of thought or denomination. Raising a voice against terrorism and the mass killing of innocent people, they said, was a shared religious, moral and humanitarian duty of all Muslims.

These views were expressed in Lahore by Chairman of the Pakistan Ulema Council and Secretary-General of the International Tazeem-e-Haramain Sharifain Council, Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi; Maulana Muhammad Rafiq Jami of Faisalabad; Maulana Nauman Hashir of Islamabad; Maulana Asad Zakaria Qasmi of Karachi; and Maulana Muhammad Shafi Qasmi of Okara.
Prominent scholars from districts across the country also expressed the same position, including Maulana Muhammad Ashfaq Pitafi, Maulana Abu Bakr Hameed Sabri, Maulana Tahir Aqeel Awan, Maulana Aziz Akbar Qasmi, Maulana Haq Nawaz Khalid, Maulana Obaidullah Gormani, Allama Tahir-ul-Hassan, Maulana Hanif Usmani, Maulana Muhammad Asghar Khosa, Maulana Anwar-ul-Haq Mujahid, Maulana Abdul Malik Asif, Maulana Aslam Siddiqui, Maulana Abdul Hakeem Athar, Maulana Abdullah Haqqani, Maulana Abdul Waheed Farooqi, Maulana Abu Bakr Hamza, Maulana Habib-ur-Rehman Abid, Maulana Izhar-ul-Haq Khalid, Sahibzada Hamza Tahir-ul-Hassan, Maulana Saadullah Ludhianvi, Maulana Anees-ur-Rehman Baloch, Maulana Abdul Rasheed, Mufti Muhammad Umar Farooq, Maulana Abdul Ghaffar Shah Hijazi, Maulana Muhammad Ahmed Makki, Maulana Aziz-ur-Rehman Muawiya, Mufti Imran Muawiya, Maulana Saadullah Shafiq, Maulana Yasir Alvi, Qari Abdul Rauf, Maulana Matloob Mahar, Maulana Zubair Khattana, Qari Aziz-ur-Rehman, Maulana Shabbir Khattana, Qari Abdul Majid Lahori, Maulana Farooq Khanpuri, Maulana Qasim Sangi, Maulana Ashraf Malik, Maulana Ijaz Malik, Qari Abdul Wahab Muawiya, Maulana Muhammad Bilal Saqib, Qari Ibrahim, Qari Riaz, Maulana Ameer Muawiya, Mehr Abdul Khaliq Murali, Maulana Muneeb-ur-Rehman Haidri, Qari Muhabbat Ali Qasmi, Qari Zulqarnain, Maulana Tayyab Qureshi, Qari Mahmood-ul-Hassan, Qari Abdul Majid Malik and Maulana Waqas.

In their sermons, the scholars and religious leaders stressed that the issue was not merely about borders but concerned the fundamental safety of civilians, the sanctity of Islam’s holy sites and international peace. They said the oppressed people of Yemen and the peace-loving citizens of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia alike had the full right to protection, peace and a tranquil life, which Houthi rebels continued to disrupt.

On the occasion, Pakistani religious scholars and spiritual leaders reaffirmed their complete and unconditional solidarity with the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, the Saudi leadership, the armed forces and the Saudi people.

They assured the Kingdom that every member of the Muslim Ummah stood shoulder to shoulder with the Saudi leadership and people in safeguarding the Kingdom’s territorial security, sovereignty, lasting stability and the defence of the Haramain Sharifain, pledging every possible cooperation and support.

The scholars emphasised that protecting the Haramain Sharifain was not the responsibility of any single country but a collective duty of nearly 1.8 billion Muslims worldwide. At this critical juncture, they said, the entire Muslim Ummah must demonstrate exceptional unity, wisdom and mutual cooperation in confronting hidden conspiracies directed against it.
In a joint declaration, they strongly urged the United Nations, the Security Council, the international community and all relevant international institutions to take immediate notice of the Houthi rebels’ disruptive activities and the serious threats posed to civilian populations and the holiest sites.
They called on international institutions to take immediate and effective practical measures against the Houthis and their facilitators to protect innocent people and establish lasting peace and stability in the region.

At the conclusion of gatherings held across the country, special and heartfelt prayers were offered for the security and development of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the enduring protection of the Haramain Sharifain, peace and stability throughout the Muslim world, relief for those affected by Houthi attacks and the swift and complete recovery of the injured.