Association of Algerian Muslim Ulema rejects war on Mali

The Association of Algerian Muslim Ulema said it is against the war led by France and African countries on northern Mali, according to its chairman Doctor Abderrezak Guessoum.

“Given that the Association rejects all types of terrorism and foreign interference in Muslims’ affair, it refuses any foreign intervention,” said Guessoum in a release.

“Algerian authorities must justify why it hit the Algerian principle which rejects any foreign interference. I wonder why the air domain was opened to French aircrafts. This attitude is at variance with Algeria’s position toward western interference in Libya,” he added.

“The French war on Muslims in Mali shows hostility and an unjustified interference.”

A total of 39 scholars and preachers from Mauritania issued a fatwa against participation in the war.

“Muslims should know their duties and bear their responsibility for that land and its people,” said a release issued by the Mauritanian scholars.

“This war is no more than a part of colonization campaigns series which touched many Muslim countries. They caused disasters in Palestine and hit holly places. They hurt Afghanistan and the injury is still bleeding. They caused tears and sadness in Iraq. They triggered a continuous war in Sudan and Somalia. They turned Muslim countries into river of tears and places of sadness,” it added.

The Salafist Front in Egypt called on Egyptian people to “protest at the French embassy in Cairo against what they called “France’s occupation practices against Mali’s Muslims.”

Islamic personalities condemn the war and call for standing against it

Cheikh Mohamed Cherif Kaher, member of the Higher Islamic Council told Echorouk on the phone he rejects any foreign interference in Muslims’ affair. He is against bloodshed and for negotiation between Malians.

A video of Egyptian preacher Ouadjdi Ghanim was posted on Youtube untitled ‘Terrorist France is killing Muslims in Mali.”

“Why does France interfere in what is happening in Mali? Why has it killed more than 100 Muslims so far? Its crimes in Mali today are the same in Algeria when it occupied it,” he said in the video.

In Morocco, Cheikh Omar Hadouchi warned against the danger of supporting France in what he called “the crusade in Mali.”

He cited an old fatwa issued by a scholar in Afghanistan, saying “any Muslim state or army is not allowed by religion to participate in the attack on Afghanistan in any form neither is it allowed to authorize the use of its land and domain by any non Muslim country. This is religiously forbidden.”

People took to the street in Muslim countries including Egypt, Turkey, Tunisia and Algeria to protest against the French intervention in Mali.