KABUL - The Afghanistan Ulema Council has strongly denounced the harassment of Afghan refugees in neighbouring Iran and Pakistan.
The Ulema Council slammed recent terrorist attacks, particularly the storming of the Sardar Mohammad Dawood Khan Military Hospital, as un-Islamic.
During a meeting with President Ashraf Ghani, they condemned the border closure by Pakistan, harassment of Afghani migrants in that country and cross-border shelling.
A statement from the Presidential Palace said the ulema asked Pakistan to immediately end its cruel acts that violated all humanitarian principles.
They expressed grave concern at the sending of Afghan youth to Syria, asking the Iranian authorities to end the process and help in resolving Afghan migrants’ issues.
The clerics in the statement also asked the government to pay serious heed to enrolling children and youth in education institutes especially for religious studies, in order to prevent their going abroad, which results in their recruitment against Afghanistan.
Ghani, after hearing about the council’s declaration, said Afghanistan’s enemies had snatched lives and education opportunities from the citizens, including children.
He branded the terrorists as the enemies of present and future generations, because they wanted to see Afghans live in perpetual humiliation and backwardness.
The president asked the religious scholars to spread public awareness and inform people through mosques about the causes and impact of the war imposed on the Afghans.
“Those who violate human values and commit crimes against Afghan people should be exposed and made to face legal action -- no matter what position or authority they have.”
Ghani thanked the clerics for motivating the youth to join defence and security forces, saying terrorist groups including the Taliban were committing crimes against humanity by carrying out suicide attacks and bombings.
About finding alternative routes for the transit of commercial goods, he said his talks with the new government of Uzbekistan were yielding good results.
Efforts were being made to find other routes besides the Aqina and Chabahar ports, the president added. The issues being faced by Afghan youth have also been discussed with Iran. (Pajhwok)