Chicago – April 16, 2025
At the National Palestine Conference in Islamabad, Muslim governments were urged to launch a military jihad against Israel. Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani, a leading Islamic scholar in Pakistan and a former judge at the Federal Shariat Court, stated that it is an obligatory duty for all Muslim nations to engage in military jihad against Israel.
Speaking at the event, Usmani criticized Muslim countries for failing to adequately support those defending the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. “What is the purpose of Muslim armies if they do not participate in jihad?” he questioned.
The conference, attended by renowned scholars from across the country, concluded with an official statement aligning with Usmani’s remarks, declaring military jihad against Israel a religious obligation for Muslim nations.
Usmani also called on Muslims to reconsider spending money on voluntary pilgrimages like Umrah, urging instead that these funds support the Palestinian resistance. Reflecting on the past year, he noted that while conferences had been held in solidarity with Palestine, no substantial actions had followed. He cited Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, who regarded Israel as an illegitimate state and emphasized that Pakistan’s position should remain unchanged, regardless of Israel’s power.
Pakistan, founded in 1947, has historically opposed Israel’s establishment and has never recognized its statehood. Many scholars at the conference criticized the Pakistani government for not formally declaring war on Israel.
Around the same time, Ali al-Qaradaghi, secretary general of the International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS), urged Muslim nations to intervene militarily, economically, and politically to halt the “genocide and widespread destruction.” His appeal, supported by 14 other prominent scholars, included a call for Muslim countries to reassess peace treaties with Israel and encouraged American Muslims to pressure then-President Donald Trump to act on his campaign promises regarding the conflict.
