AIBAK (Pajhwok): Religious scholars in northern Samangan province on Tuesday asked the government to stop alcohol drinking, gambling, prostitution and drugs.
The scholars attended a gathering at Tanvir-ul-Afkar school of Hazrat Khalid bin Walid in the Zhwandon valley of Aibak City.
More than a 1,000 scholars, students and individuals from different walks of life attended the gathering.
Maulvi Fada Mohammad Fakoor, head of the Tanvir Al-Afkar school, said the gathering was aimed at preventing profiteering, drug use, drinking wine, prostitution, music etc….
He added some organizations and banks lent money to people against interest and the government, instead of preventing this illegal act, was allowing such institutions to operate.
He claimed the government had no intention to fight drugs and as a result the number of addicts was increasing with each passing day.
He said gambling took pace openly as well as prostitution was encouraged.
Maulvi Abdul Halim, deputy head of the Ulema Council, supported the remarks of MaulviMujeebRahman Ansari, head of the Ansar seminary in Herat.
Mohammad AsifAzami, one of the Jihadi commanders, said at the gathering: “We had stopped the music played in weddings and functions in villages of the Zhwandoon valley region, with the help and advice of the ulema.”
The gathering ended by issuing a resolution that called on the government to stop targeted l killings of elites, ulema, mujahideen and members of the media and expose the perpetrators and close shops of those profiteering.
The resolution asked the people of Samangan to take back their lands or houses that had been made available to banks and institutions against interest in the form of rent and lease.
They urged the local government to stand by the law to stop alcohol drinking, gambling, prostitution and drug use.
They said if the government did not implement their demands, they would take action themselves.
SafatullahSamangani, the deputy governor of Samangan province, said Afghanistan’s society was Islamic and now Samangan local officials in cooperation with the hajj and religious affairs department and the Samangan Ulema Council were fighting against such social evils.
He added: “In Samangan province, we do not allow anyone to gamble, drink wine and do other such things in accordance with the law.
About the lending banks in Afghanistan, the supreme court, the presidency can make a decision on the activities of such institutions.”
About Maulvi Ansari’s remarks, he said: “The decisions in this case relate to high-ranking officials of the country, but we in Samangan will not allow anyone to work against the Islamic values.”
sa/ma
