Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman, the chief of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Pakistan (JUI-P), said on Sunday that guns taken up against Islam cannot be considered acts of jihad and mosques will keep standing long after terrorism ends.
Rehman visited the Madrassa Haqqania in Akora Khattak following the assassination of Maulana Hamidul Haq. He expressed his deep sorrow and offered condolences to the seminary’s administration, faculty, students, and all those affected by the tragedy.
Addressing the gathering, Rehman stated that the grief over the recent killing of Maulana Hamidul Haq followed closely on the heels of the death of Maulana Sami-ul-Haq, adding to the collective sorrow. He described receiving the devastating news while on Umrah, adding that he could not find words to express his pain and sorrow.
He prayed for the elevation of Maulana Hamid-ul-Haq and all martyrs to higher ranks in the afterlife and for patience for those left behind.
The JUI chief strongly condemned the attack, stating, “The attack on Maulana Hamid-ul-Haq is an attack on my home and my madrasa.” He described Maulana Hamid-ul-Haq as a harmless religious scholar, whose connection to Haqqania was his only “crime”.
“A gun used against Islam is terrorism, not jihad,” Rehman said, citing a Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) highlighting the sanctity of human life, even surpassing that of the Kaaba.
He referenced another recent attack on a religious scholar during taraweeh prayers in Balochistan two days prior, characterizing these incidents as dark storms that will eventually pass, leaving the seminaries and mosques standing.
He labelled those responsible as cruel terrorists, stating, “How can I call my teachers martyrs and the killers mujahideen? That is unacceptable.”
Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman affirmed his commitment to upholding the beliefs and principles of his predecessors, expressing confidence that the seminaries, mosques, and religious scholars will endure, while their enemies will ultimately regret their actions. He was accompanied by prominent figures including Allama Rashid Mehmood Somro, Engineer Zia-ur-Rehman, and Maulana Ata-ul-Haq Dervesh.
A blast had ripped through Madrassa Haqqania right after Friday prayers on February 28. Police later said that a suicide bomber had targeted the seminary’s leader Maulana Hamid-ul-Haq resulting in his death along with five others. No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack.
