Jerusalem recognition: JI calls for financial boycott of US
Provincial leader says Trump’s decision provoked sentiments of Muslim world
People take part in rally against the US. PHOTO: ABDUL GHAFFAR BAIG/EXPRESS
PESHAWAR:
A day after the United Nations overwhelmingly voted against Washington’s decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa chapter of the Jamaat-e-Islami called on the Muslim World to completely boycott all products made by America or Israel.
“Israel’s population is less than that of the population of Karachi. Moreover, the global Muslim population was 1.8 billion. If the resolutions (rejecting Jerusalem as Israel’s capital) of the United Nations’ General Assembly and Organisation of Islamic Countries are unacceptable (to America) then the Muslim world should boycott US and Israel financially and ban the sale of their products in Muslim countries. All types of trades (with the US) should be discontinued,” said Mushtaq Ahmed Khan, the provincial chief of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P).
Mushtaq was addressing an “Al-Quds Rally” staged by the JI. The rally started from Jinnah Park and culminated at the Peshawar Press Club.
Previously, the party had planned to march all the way up to the US Consulate in Peshawar. However, after it failed to secure clearance from the concerned quarters, it limited the protest to the press club.
Mushtaq announced that instead, a delegation headed by JI’s Peshawar Chapter President Sabir Hussain Awan would take a memorandum comprising their list of demands to the US Consulate and present it to the officials there.
The JI provincial chief also demanded that the government include lessons on Palestine in school curriculum so that children can learn about the importance of the Baitul Muqaddas. He also demanded that the government offer PhD level courses on Baitul Muqaddas, the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Palestine in universities.
“Baitul Muqaddas is the land of prophets. It is far more dear to us than our own children. US President Donald Trump has attacked the Muslim world [through his decision]. He has provoked the sentiments of 1.8 billion Muslims and this decision is the biggest incident of the century,” he said adding that the decision had jeopardised the peace of in the Middle East and the world at large.
“America has committed diplomatic, religious and state-sponsored terrorism,” he declared.
He praised the role of the Muslim countries at the United Nations General Assembly by passing a resolution with a majority vote.
Mushtaq also questioned the role and purpose of the recently formed Islamic Military Alliance, under the supervision of General (Retd) Raheel Sharif, with the security of Al-Aqsa at stake.
Rejecting the proposed ‘two state-solution’ for ending the Middle East dispute, he said that it would further aggravate tensions since it would amount to stealing the property of Palestinians.
Should their demands go unheeded, he warned that they would encircle the US Consulate alluding to violence and elicited a resounding ‘yes’ from the gathered JI activists.
After Mushtaq’s speech, JI activists attacked an effigy of US President Donald Trump with sticks, kicks and posts of the party’s flag to demonstrate their anger.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 23rd, 2017.
A day after the United Nations overwhelmingly voted against Washington’s decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa chapter of the Jamaat-e-Islami called on the Muslim World to completely boycott all products made by America or Israel.
“Israel’s population is less than that of the population of Karachi. Moreover, the global Muslim population was 1.8 billion. If the resolutions (rejecting Jerusalem as Israel’s capital) of the United Nations’ General Assembly and Organisation of Islamic Countries are unacceptable (to America) then the Muslim world should boycott US and Israel financially and ban the sale of their products in Muslim countries. All types of trades (with the US) should be discontinued,” said Mushtaq Ahmed Khan, the provincial chief of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P).
Mushtaq was addressing an “Al-Quds Rally” staged by the JI. The rally started from Jinnah Park and culminated at the Peshawar Press Club.
Previously, the party had planned to march all the way up to the US Consulate in Peshawar. However, after it failed to secure clearance from the concerned quarters, it limited the protest to the press club.
Mushtaq announced that instead, a delegation headed by JI’s Peshawar Chapter President Sabir Hussain Awan would take a memorandum comprising their list of demands to the US Consulate and present it to the officials there.
The JI provincial chief also demanded that the government include lessons on Palestine in school curriculum so that children can learn about the importance of the Baitul Muqaddas. He also demanded that the government offer PhD level courses on Baitul Muqaddas, the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Palestine in universities.
“Baitul Muqaddas is the land of prophets. It is far more dear to us than our own children. US President Donald Trump has attacked the Muslim world [through his decision]. He has provoked the sentiments of 1.8 billion Muslims and this decision is the biggest incident of the century,” he said adding that the decision had jeopardised the peace of in the Middle East and the world at large.
“America has committed diplomatic, religious and state-sponsored terrorism,” he declared.
He praised the role of the Muslim countries at the United Nations General Assembly by passing a resolution with a majority vote.
Mushtaq also questioned the role and purpose of the recently formed Islamic Military Alliance, under the supervision of General (Retd) Raheel Sharif, with the security of Al-Aqsa at stake.
Rejecting the proposed ‘two state-solution’ for ending the Middle East dispute, he said that it would further aggravate tensions since it would amount to stealing the property of Palestinians.
Should their demands go unheeded, he warned that they would encircle the US Consulate alluding to violence and elicited a resounding ‘yes’ from the gathered JI activists.
After Mushtaq’s speech, JI activists attacked an effigy of US President Donald Trump with sticks, kicks and posts of the party’s flag to demonstrate their anger.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 23rd, 2017.