Author:
Publication: Outlook
Date: October 22, 2001
Maulana Fazlur Rehman, chief of
the pro-Taliban Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI), has been put under house arrest
in his hometown Dera Ismail Khan for leading protest rallies against the
US and the Pakistani government. Asim Hussain managed to speak to him on
telephone, till the lines were disconnected by the military authorities.
Q.: What is your response to the
situation in Afghanistan?
A.: The attack by the US and its
allies on Afghanistan is terrorism against humanity. It's yet another display
of US barbarism. We'll launch jehad against them and their 'stooges' in
Pakistan. The jui cannot sit idle and see the entire world, particularly
Pakistan, being taken hostage by the US in its Afghanistan mania. The Musharraf
regime will have to face dire consequences for becoming a tool in the hands
of the Americans.
Q.: Will you target the US troops
if they land in Pakistan?
A.: Yes, we can't allow our soil
to be used against our brothers.
Q.: What about the army you said
you'd raise to help the Taliban?
A.: We'll not put anything on record.
Q.: Are you mobilising world opinion?
A.: All countries, particularly
the Muslim states, are committing "suicide" by blindly following the US
in its onslaught on Afghanistan. It is like giving a sword to a maniac
who can use it against anyone anytime. The US is implementing a conspiracy
to replace Afghanistan's Islamic government and to control other potential
Muslim powers of the region. The US has virtually pushed the entire world
against Muslim countries. It only needs a spark to begin World War III.
Q.: Don't you think the Taliban
should display flexibility in its stance?
A.: It is foolish to believe that
this war is just about capturing Osama bin Laden. Even after 10 years,
Iraq is still being punished for becoming a Muslim military power. Taliban
chief Mullah Omar has clarified that the Osama issue could be solved through
international law and bilateral dialogue. Without giving any proof of allegations
against bin Laden and without laying down any reasonable definition of
terrorism, the Bush administration, its allies and the entire western media
have put the label of terrorism on Muslim resistance movements against
oppressive, illegitimate regimes.
Q.: Your advice to the US?
A.: It must analyse the root causes
of terrorism, which is directly linked to its unjust policies and its hysteria
to rule the world. It must remove the anomaly between its words and deeds.
Q.: Did the Pakistan government
have any other option?
A.: Rulers must realise that the
demands of the US would keep swelling until Pakistan has been denuded of
its nuclear power, jehadi groups, religious institutions and its Islamic
identity.
Q.: Do you believe the US will keep
its promise of financially bailing Pakistan out?
A.: I doubt any real help will
be given to Pakistan as long as it has the potential of becoming a Muslim
military power that could threaten US interests.
Q.: Why are anti-US rallies successful
only in Pashtoon-dominated areas?
A.: It's a misconception. I led
rallies countrywide and elicited immense public response. The strike in
Karachi was so successful that not a single shop or roadside kiosk opened.
Large rallies were also taken out in interior Sindh, Baluchistan, Punjab
and the nwfp.
Q.: Are you in contact with bin
Laden?
A.: No, but I have good relations
with the Taliban government.
