Terrorists are deluded, Afghan scholars say

KABUL -- Those who slaughter the innocent in the name of Islam are in fact betraying Islam, Afghan scholars say.

Such terrorists "have no link to Islam, the religion of peace, brotherhood and equality", Kabul-based religious scholar Mulvi Ayaz Niazi said during a May 27 Friday prayer sermon in Kabul.

"The victims of most militant attacks are innocent civilians," Mulvi Abdul Ahmad Muhammadyar, another Kabul religious scholar, told Central Asia Online. "This practise is forbidden in Islam. Those who conduct such practises are considered apostates."

Islam rejects all forms of violence and oppression, he said, adding that militants exploit Islam's name to commit atrocities.

Providing guidance to fight terrorists' propaganda

In a speech to the Afghan parliament April 26, President Ashraf Ghani urged religious scholars to guide the misled individuals "who use Islam's name to commit acts of terror".

The Afghan public has supported this request by Ghani, saying that religious scholars have a pivotal role in raising public awareness.

"Militants take advantage of youth [who] lack knowledge and lead them toward terrorism," Shakiba Ahmadi, a Kabul resident, told Central Asia Online.

The militants recognise lack of public awareness of Islamic law and youth's vulnerability to flights of passion, Ahmadi said.

Scholars can prevent deception

"Religious scholars can prevent such [terrorist] abuses by introducing the true Islam," Ahmadi said.

"Scholars must become more active in informing people, so that they -- especially youth -- will not be deceived by terrorist conspiracies," Mosaddeq, another Afghan citizen, told Central Asia Online.

Most suicide bombers and other murderers of innocent people know nothing of Islam's true nature, he said.

"Conducting suicide bombings is prohibited by Islam," he added.

Whenever Afghan security forces arrest militants, most say they were deceived into becoming terrorists, he said.