IUMS Denounces Bombings in Algeria , Lebanon and Iraq , Sees them Unholy War

IUMS Denounces Bombings in Algeria , Lebanon and Iraq , Sees them Unholy War


The International Union for Muslim Scholars (IUMS) denounced crimes that happened in the first two weeks of December in Algeria , Iraq and Lebanon , leaving dozens of civilian deaths. The IUMS”s statement saw these crimes as “corruption, not jihad (a holy war).”
 
The IUMS- headed by Dr. Yusuf Al-Qaradawi- saw in a statement issued on Thursday Dec, 13th, 2007, that ” these hideous massacres whose committers are criminals, can never been considered jihad.” 

The Algerian capital saw two strong two car bomb explosions on Tuesday Dec, 11th, 2007, killing more than 60 persons including 11 Algerian workers at the United Nations High Commission for Refugees and the United Nations Program for Development, plus injuring 177 others. Al-Qaeda Network in Islamic Maghreb ( formerly the Salafist Group for Da”wa and Combat) claimed responsibility for both explosions which were committed with two truck bombs . 

Algerian experts saw these explosions are a retaliatory action from Al-Qaeda Network against the successive security strikes it has recently faced, and announcing at the same time that the network is still operating in Algeria . 
The IUMS”s statement said that the ones committing this crime are ruthless killers ” who boast that they killed these innocent civilians, and killed several staffers in a number of international organizations, that entered Muslims countries with a pledge that Muslims will protect them. These ruthless killers did so under the pretext of jihad for the sake of Allah while Islam fully disclaims responsibility for these deviant actions. 

In a related context, International Union for Muslim Scholars said that what happens in a number of Iraqi cities adds insult to injury. In addition to the foreign occupation, the civilians are facing those committing explosions and killings to intimidate them. 

The IUMS condemned these actions in several previous statements, urging Iraqi people to close ranks against their sole enemy, and to spare Iraqi blood, sanctuaries and houses. 

The union added that it disclaims any responsibility from these crimes committed “against civilians and foreigners working in international relief and media organizations that don”t back the occupation”. 

The IUMS hoped that the voice of reason and intellect prevails over actions of those shedding blood of civilians. 
Also, the statement denounced the hideous crime of assassinating Brigadier General Francois Al-Haj , the operations commander in the Lebanese army and others who were killed in this bombing.
“The Lebanese army and its patriotic leadership topped by Brigadier General Francois Al-Hajji had carried out heroic actions against the Zionist enemy during the past two last decades, especially during the war of July 2006” said the statement. 

Brigadier General Al-Hajj was a frontrunner to succeed army commander General Michel Sulaiman in case the latter becomes president. Observers see that his assassination may cause confusion over choosing a successor for Solaiman, adding more to hurdles facing the presidential vote in Lebanon .  
Lebanon is facing a crushing political crisis that reached its peak when majority and opposition MPs disagreed over a candidate to replace president Emile Lahoud whose term ended on Nov, 24th, 2007. 

No one claimed responsibility for assassinating Al-haj after eight other key figures were also assassinated in Lebanon , the latest was MP Antoine Ghanem, in a car bomb explosion last September. 

The IUMS confirmed at the end of its statement that it is fully confident that Arab people in Algeria , Iraq and Lebanon will always support justice and will fight saboteurs whatever their affiliation or slogans.