A Syrian young boy walks holding an old rifle as he helps fighters belonging to the "Martyrs of Maaret al-Numan" battalion on June 13, 2013 in the southern Syrian town of Maaret al-Numan in the Idlib province. At least 93,000 people, including over 6,500 children, have been killed in Syria's civil war, the United Nations said on June 13, 2013, warning that the true death toll could be far higher.
DOHA: Calls to boycott Iranian products are gaining support in the region after a meeting of leading Sunni clerics in Cairo urged Muslims to declare a jihad against the Syrian regime supported by Iranian and Hezbollah fighters.
A declaration issued by the meeting also called for a boycott of ‘products, companies and interests’ of Iran. Several Kuwaiti supermarket chains have already begun boycotting Iranian goods.
Representatives of 76 Islamic organisations from the Arab world and some non-Arab Muslim countries, including noted Qatar-based Islamic scholar Dr Yousuf Al Qaradawi were present at the meeting.
“Jihad is necessary for the victory of our brothers in Syria - jihad with mind, money, weapons; all forms of jihad,” said the statement read out by prominent Egyptian preacher Mohammed Hassan.
“What is happening to our brothers on Syrian soil, in terms of violence stemming from the Iranian regime, Hezbollah and its sectarian allies, counts as a declaration of war on Islam and the Muslim community in general,” said the statement, in one of the most strongly worded appeals for holy war against President Bashar Al Assad and his allies, Iran and Hezbollah. The meeting also called on the Syrian rebels to bury their differences and unite “for the interest of Islam”.
The signatories included representatives of the International Union of Muslim Scholars, headed by Qaradawi, Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, Union of Al Sham Scholars and the Union of African scholars.
Clerics from Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Palestine, Libya, Algeria, Sudan Kurdistan, (Iraq) and Jordan, among other countries attended the meeting. A senior scholar from Egypt’s leading religious institution Al Azhar, Hassan Al Shafai was also present.
Qatari media and social networking sites were abuzz with comments on the issue yesterday, apparently inspired by the clerics’ appeal. “We boycotted the Danish products (following the controversial cartoon issue). Why are we not boycotting the Iranian products? They (the Iranians) are also acting against the interests of Islam,” said a commentator on a Qatari social networking site.
“This is a right decision, although it came late. This decision (call for jihad) must apply to oppressed Muslims across the world, in Palestine, Myanmar and other places,” wrote another, reacting to a report on Al Jazeera website.
“Enough is enough. They (Iran and Hezbollah) sent forces and we should also go and fight. Why are they delaying intervention,” read another comment. “I have lost trust in Islamic scholars. Why this jihad in Syria? Why not against Israel? Is this worse than what is happening in Palestine”, wrote another respondent.
The Peninsula
