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March 1, 2016 Special Dispatch No. 6332

Pakistani Urdu Daily: ISIS 'Is The Creation Of America And Europe'; It 'Threatens The Muslims More Than The Infidels'; 'Such Organizations Have No Association With Islam'

March 1, 2016
Pakistan | Special Dispatch No. 6332


A screen shot of the Roznama Ummat editorial

Following the November 13, 2015 coordinated terror attacks in Paris, the leading Pakistani Urdu daily Roznama Ummat published, on November 20, an editorial titled "Daesh [the Islamic State, i.e. ISIS] Can Never Be An Organization Of Muslims" accusing the U.S. and its allies of creating ISIS, to be an excuse for attacking Muslim countries. It states that Osama bin Laden's creation of Al-Qaeda was the result of American expansionism and of the American presence in Muslim holy lands.

The widely circulated Roznama Ummat is a staunch supporter of Islamist political parties such as the Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan and the jihadi groups that work to the benefit of Pakistan, e.g. the Taliban in Afghanistan, and Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Muhammad which have an anti-India agenda.

Following is the text of the editorial, as translated from Urdu:

"Recent History Attests To The Fact That Al-Qaeda Was Formed In Reaction To American Expansionism, Enmity Against Islam, And Killings Of Muslims"

"With regard to terrorism all over the world, Daesh [ISIS] is No. 1. America and its allied countries call Daesh a more savage and brutal terrorist organization than Al-Qaeda and the Taliban, though in the recent past they considered Osama bin Laden's Al-Qaeda the most dangerous, with false and true stories about its members being concocted and spread. Recent history attests to the fact that Al-Qaeda was formed in reaction to American expansionism, enmity against Islam, and killings of Muslims. At first, this organization's [Al-Qaeda's] only demand was that America should close its bases on Saudi Arabia, the spiritual center of Muslims, and withdraw its troops. But [these troops'] presence will continue posing threats to the Haramain Sharifain [the Holy Mosques in Medina and Mecca] and it is feared that anti-Islam and Western culture will flourish in Saudi society.

"It may be clarified that in every country, including Saudi Arabia, embassies not only are the representative of their own countries, but their facilities are not subject to local laws and follow rules and regulations of their own countries. The embassies' limits are considered the boundaries of their own countries. Similarly, Western countries' embassies in Saudi Arabia are totally free from any restriction. In the countries in which their embassies are located, they get opportunities, through interaction with local people, to promote their conspiracies and cultures. Irrespective of whether Al-Qaeda as an organization was right or wrong, its vision about Western countries was not wrong. In response, it was obligatory for the Western world to make the Muslim world believe, through their words and deeds, that they were not the enemies of Islam and Muslims, and that they believed in interfaith solidarity and harmony.

"Similarly, Afghanistan's Taliban movement sought to establish a peaceful society based on Islamic teachings. The Taliban, in their five-and-a-half-year rule [1996-2001], after purging the country of crime and drugs, had set on such a humanistic path that even the Western women who went there to find fault [with the Taliban government] acknowledged this. On returning to their own countries, they [the Western women] reported that they saw peace and respect for humanity in Afghanistan that they had not seen anywhere else in the world. Even a British journalist, Mariam Ridley [aka Yvonne Ridley], was so impressed with the Taliban's etiquette that she embraced Islam."

"[On The Pretext Of 9/11 Attacks] America Committed The Worst Kind Of State Terrorism In Afghanistan, And After That, Extremism Was Born Among The Muslims"

"In the eyes of America and its allies, the Taliban committed two crimes: one, giving protection to Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden on their land, and two, creating an Islamic society in which people enjoyed their basic rights, and which could become an example for other societies to follow.

"The rise of Islam has bothered the non-Muslims for the last 1,400 years. So, on the pretext of attacks on its two cities by unknown terrorists [i.e. 9/11], America committed the worst kind of state terrorism in Afghanistan, and after that, extremism was born among the Muslims, and the terrorism of a few groups was depicted as Islam and all the Muslims were accused of terrorism.  

"The Muslim scholars and public worldwide... condemned the activities of these extremist and terrorist organizations, which emerged in response to America's and its allies' killing of Muslims. They [i.e. the Muslim scholars] proved, with the Koran and the Hadiths [traditions of Prophet Muhammad], that there is no room for terrorism in Islam. In fact, our religion declares that the murder of an innocent person, even a non-Muslim, is as heinous a crime as murdering all of humanity.

"The Western governments and their media, however, continued conducting the worst propaganda campaign against the Muslims. It is possible that a terrorist organization called Daesh may be also a reaction to this.

"From the beginning, its [i.e. ISIS's] acts of mass murder, slitting people's throats and burning them cruelly, were disliked by the Muslims, and the Muslims did not support them. In contrast, all the muftis [who deliver fatwas] and religious scholars issued edicts against Daesh. Though it has not yet been ascertained who was responsible for attacks in France, Daesh is being implicated in them. [The Friday after the attacks], Muslims of France in 2,500 mosques condemn[ed] the acts of November 13 in sermons."

ISIS "Is The Creation Of America And Europe" - It "Threatens The Muslims More Than The Infidels"; With ISIS's "Barbaric Actions As A Pretext [America And Europe] Can Justify Their Attacks And Terrorism Against Muslims"

"Many scholars believe that Daesh is the creation of America and Europe. [But] it threatens the Muslims more than the infidels. Such organizations have no association with Islam. The reality is that Daesh leaders often pardon non-Muslims [and tell them] that they can live in Islamic State by paying jizya [poll tax on non-Muslims under Muslim rule], but the Muslims who do not conform to their views could be murdered after they are declared as idolatrous and apostate. They [Daesh] take pleasure in killing them in a barbaric way, or chopping their heads off, and also issue videos of their brutal actions. It may be remembered that the Muslim Council of Britain, the coalition of hundreds of Muslim organizations of Britain, also condemned the Paris attacks, in the strongest terms.

"And then in India, there have been protests against Daesh at 75 places in various cities, including Delhi, under the auspices of [the leading religious organization] Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind. Western countries' launching of anti-Muslim actions following the suicide attacks in France strengthens the feeling among Muslim scholars and religious leaders that this can be an anti-Muslim act like [after] 9/11. Whether Daesh or [any other] group takes responsibility, in reality this looks like part of a deep and broad conspiracy against Muslims. On this basis, a majority of Muslims believe that this organization [ISIS] is a creation of America and Europe, who, using its barbaric activities as a pretext, can justify their attacks and terrorism against Muslims.

"It is the responsibility of the rulers of the Muslim world, and of Muslim religious leaders, intellectuals, and common people, to comprehend the incessant conspiracies against them and to prepare for combat on intellectual and real grounds. By declaring the Paris attacks to be part of the world war, Pope Francis dropped a hint of war against Muslims - just as former president George Bush did at the time of the invasion of Afghanistan by calling it a a Crusade."

Source: Roznama Ummat (Pakistan), November 20, 2015.

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