Muslim Board condemns Israel, warns Kyrgyz Muslims not to wage jihad

The Spiritual Board of the Muslims of Kyrgyzstan has condemned Israel’s violence against Palestinian civilians. It also warned Kyrgyz Muslims against waging jihad in support of the Palestinians.

The Board’s Ulema (Council of Islamic Scholars) said in a statement on Monday that it “condemns Israel’s actions against Palestine’s peaceful population as a crime against humanity”.

It said that what was happening in Gaza “grieves not only the Palestinians, but Muslims all over the world”.

“The world community condemns the brutality of the war and demands its immediate end,” it said.

The Ulema called on Kyrgyz Muslims to pray for the Palestinian people and help them “morally and materially”.

The statement also said that the Spiritual Board members had seen “various calls on social media related to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict”.

“We have come to the conclusion that our help to our [Palestinian] brothers and sisters should be spiritual and material. We think that going to Palestine with the intention of waging jihad based on an emotional impulse or as part of an organised group is not compatible with Shariah laws,” it said.

The Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry has made two statements since the start of the military escalation in Gaza, calling for a ceasefire, protection of civilians and peace talks.

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