ISLAMABAD: Afghan Taliban on Friday ruled out negotiations with the “powerless” Kabul administration and condemned what they called US-sponsored conferences of religious scholars. The Taliban issued the statement ahead of an international conference Saudi Arabia will host in collaboration of the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) that is likely to issue a declaration against the Taliban war in Afghanistan. Saudis had planned to host the conference in 2016 but had to postpone it after the Taliban rejected the moot as “intelligence ploy”. The Kingdom has invited scholars from many countries including Pakistan. “The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan considers this process under the title of conferences of the Islamic Scholars as an absolute anti-Islamic US process whereas its idea, logistical support and implementation is directly led by the US itself,” a Taliban statement said. The “International Conference of Muslim Scholars on Peace and Stability in Afghanistan” will be held in Jeddah and Makkah on July 10 and 11 respectively, the state-owned Saudi Press Agency has reported. The SPA said the gathering of religious scholars aims at fostering efforts to establish peace and stability in Afghanistan as well as to denounce terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms and manifestations based on the teachings of the religion of Islam. Taliban said the US wants through these conferences to find justification for their “military occupation, legitimize their stooge Kabul Administration and thus weaken the Jihadic resistance of Afghan Muslim nation being put up against them.” The Taliban referred to the March 18 statement of the American top commander in Afghanistan Gen Nicholson in which he had stated that the US has a plan to apply different pressures on Taliban this year that include “a combination of religious, social, diplomatic and military pressure on the Taliban”. Nicholson had further stated that religious pressure means that conferences under the name of religious scholars from Afghanistan, Pakistan and other Islamic countries will be held and they will issue a “Fatwa” (Islamic verdict) against the Taliban in these conferences to undermine legitimacy of their struggle from a religious perspective. The Taliban urged religious scholars to reject these conferences which are a “scheme of the invaders” as they could be used for issuance of an edict to “de-legitimize current Jihad.” The Taliban disagreed with the notion of some scholars who argue that they are participating in such gatherings to speak the truth and defend the cause of the Taliban and said the organizers and the media will distort their assertions and utilize it for their own interests. Taliban regretted that the scholars only blame them and do not utter a single word against “corrupt and infidel invaders nor consider their open brutal aggression as illegitimate hence it clearly shows that they are in the service of invaders.” “On the basis of Shariah, it is impermissible for Muslims especially religious scholars to come to the aid and rescue of the brutal enemy and wounded dragon trapped in Afghanistan. Because helping the American tyrant is a great sin and deviation from Islam, May Allah, the Almighty protect our religious scholars from it,” the statement said. They urged the religious scholars of Afghanistan and the Muslim world to cooperate and help the Taliban instead of assisting and participating in the conferences of the “secret service of the enemy.” Published in Daily Times, July 7th 2018.