ISLAMABAD: Saudi Arabia scholars, who wrapped up two-day conference in the holy Saudi city of Makkah, on Wednesday declared the Taliban war in Afghanistan “religiously prohibited,” urging the Taliban and Afghan government to hold direct talks and find a solution to the longstanding conflict. The communiqué did not mention the US-NATO invasion and said that suicide attacks, which had result into the killing of innocent people and infighting among Muslims, were not permissible under Islamic injunctions. Daily Times also received a copy of the Pashto-language communiqué that could be seen a major blow to the Taliban, who had denounced the conference as a ploy of Americans to justify their war. Almost all Pakistani scholars invited to the Saudi-sponsored conference boycotted the event. However, Council of the Islamic Ideology Chairman Qibla Ayaz attended the conference. “Afghan government is an Islamic government, its people are Muslims and have a thrust for peace and their killing is prohibited in Islam. Killing of Muslims is ‘haram’ and whatever is going on in Afghanistan is contrary to Islamic principles and fundamentals,” the declaration said. “We call upon countries, organisations and the Muslims to play a positive role for peace in Afghanistan while channelising their resources to achieve the goal.” “We condemn the on-going fighting in Afghanistan and want all sides to stop it in line with the Islamic Sharia,” the communiqué said. The scholars urged the afghan government and the Taliban to declare ceasefire and start direct negotiations as intra-Afghan dialogue was the best way to resolve the conflict between the two sides. “Afghan problem should be solved through negotiations,” the delegates said and declared support to President Ashraf Ghani’s unconditional offer to the Taliban that had also declared the Taliban war a political movement. The conference urged the Taliban to positively respond to the offer and to stop violence, come to the negotiation table and solve political differences through negotiations. Taliban in their reaction said that no prominent scholar from Islamic countries took part in the conference and most of the delegates were representatives of governments and that was why they did not dare to mention the American invasion, military presence and the US bombing. “The conference will not harm the Taliban struggle, which has pushed the arrogance American military to defeat and embarrassment.” Afghans understand that the Americans military officials, including their commander Nicolson, had floated the idea of holding the conference to mount religious pressure on the Taliban,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in late Wednesday’s statement. He said Taliban were confident that the Saudi government would play its role to end the invasion and that hosting such meetings would harm its position. Published in Daily Times, July 12th 2018.