'No place for war and killing in Islam': Afghan official condemns suicide bombing that killed 14
The attack came soon after some of the country's top clerics issued a ruling against suicide bombings
At a large religious gathering in Afghanistan on Monday, some of the country's top clerics issued a bold ruling known as a fatwa: that suicide bombings were violations of Islam.
Soon after that statement, an explosion went off. It was a motorcycle suicide bomber. The attack killed at least 14, including some of the clerics at the gathering.
ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Javid Faisal is a former official spokesperson for the Afghan government, and is now running for office in Kandahar. He spoke with As It Happens host Carol Off about the attacks from Kabul.
Mr. Faisal, I want to start with the bombing yesterday in Kabul at the Ulema council. What have you heard about how this suicide bomber was able to get into that gathering?
He blew himself outside, like in the first door up the gathering. That was a time when people were coming out.
And what do you know about who did it? Tell us about the attack.
[From] the experience that we have from the past of such attacks, it is the Taliban and their affiliates and associates [who] are behind such attacks in Afghanistan.
Yesterday, the Ulema had a message of peace. They were telling Taliban and other groups to join peace.
They declared the war un-lslamic and inhumane in Afghanistan. But these terrorists, these extreme groups, they don't want the right message of Islam or peace to be given out to the people of Afghanistan.
The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for this bombing in Kabul. And this ... happens as the clerics were issuing this fatwa against these kinds of attacks — against suicide bombs. Why was that fatwa being issued yesterday? Can you tell us about that?
All these terrorist groups, these 20 terrorist groups, they are all against peace.
They are misusing the message of Islam. There is no place for war and killing of innocent people in Islam, but they are bringing that wrong message of it to the people.
Did the clerics suspect or worry there might be this kind of attack if they issued this statement, if they issued this fatwa?
I think this is not something new. We have been losing clerics, religious leaders, the moderate Muslims to terror in the past couple of years.
So mullahs know this, society know that the people who are preaching for peace and for stability and for a better tomorrow for Afghanistan, they get targeted by terrorist groups whose programs have been dictated by foreigners.
Yesterday was a particularly bloody day, wasn't it? Because I know you were in Kandahar where there was another religious scholar also assassinated. Can you tell us about him?
Yes, I was in Kandahar. [Maulavi Mohammad Haq Khatib]. He has been the imam of that mosque ... for over 23 years. That leader, he was preaching for peace. He was preaching for unity. He was preaching for construction for the good future of this country.
And he was targeted by terrorists.
It was a bloody day for us, and for the clerics, and for the country. But unfortunately that's the sad truth, that terrorists have no faith in peace.
It was a bloody day for us, and for the clerics, and for the country.- Javid Faisal
Does it seem that sometimes these days that the terrorists are gaining a lot of control, gaining a lot of territory? We're hearing so many horrible stories of this nature and all kinds of stories of places where it seems that terrorist groups are very powerful. How concerned are you about that, Mr. Faisal?
There is no respect the terrorists shown for the Afghan lives, not only Afghan lives but also our institutions, also for our country.
But we are committed. We are having a very strong will that we are moving forward. We have made progress. And this progress that we have today, it's an example of the good work and the joint work by the Afghan international community in Kandahar.
I can specifically talk about the Canadians. They have provided a lot. I was raised there. I went to school there and when I lived there we had the support of our international partners, many Canadians.
How risky is it for you to actually be running for office in Afghanistan, especially in Kandahar?
There are points when it's very risky, when it's threatening. But this is our country. We have to make this a better place.
Again like I said, the support given to local Kandahar, to the government, to the people by Canadians was instrumental. It has made lives matter and we are thankful for the blood and treasure of the Canadians in Afghanistan.
Written by Sarah Jackson. Interview produced by Chris Harbord. Q&A edited for length and clarity.