KABUL (Islamweb & News Agencies) - The spiritual leader of Afghanistan's ruling Taliban movement on Sunday called an urgent meeting of senior Islamic leaders to discuss the defense of his nation and he appealed to Muslim countries for help.
The people of the landlocked and conflict-ravaged land that has given refuge to prime terror suspect Osama bin Laden braced for war, with residents fleeing Kabul or stocking up on food, sending prices soaring and the Afghani currency sliding.
``As regards the possible attack by America on the sacred soil of Afghanistan, veteran honorable ulemas (religious leaders) should come to Kabul for a Sharia decision,'' Mullah Omar said in a statement broadcast on the Taliban's Voice of Shariat radio.
``The valorous nation can defend Islam and their country in the light of their verdict,'' he said.
Information Minister Qudratullah Jamal told Reuters the meeting would take place by Wednesday and Omar, who rarely ventures outside the southern city of Kandahar, would not attend. Up to about 1,000 delegates could be there.
In a sign of mounting nervousness among the Taliban, the movement appealed to the Organization for Islamic Conference (OIC) and Muslim states for help in case of an attack by the United States, a Taliban official in Kandahar told a Reuters reporter in the western Pakistani city of Quetta. (Read photo caption below)
The decision to appeal for help from the OIC was taken at a special meeting of the Supreme Council of the Taliban convened in Kandahar late on Saturday with Omar in the chair, the official said. The OIC does not recognize the Taliban.
``We should unite against our enemies who want to crush us because we are Muslim,'' the official quoted Omar as saying.
PHOTO CAPTION:
Taliban supporters rally in Rawalpindi, outside Islamabad, Pakistan, Sunday Sept. 16, 2001. The rally was against the Pakistani government's cooperation with the United States, following the terrorist attacks on the United States Tuesday. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)
- Sep 16 11:28 AM ET