Members of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) on Sunday held a protest demonstration against the US on the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. The 9/11 attacks were a series of four coordinated suicide attacks on the United States, in New York City and Washington, D.C. in which around 3,000 people died. After the attacks the suspicion quickly fell on Al-Qaeda, and in 2004, the group’s leader Osama bin Laden, who had initially denied involvement, claimed responsibility for the attacks. However, the protestors termed the attacks a planned drama which was staged by the US to wage its war against the Islamic countries without check.
The protestors who gathered in front of the National Press Club held placards and banners inscribed with slogans against American and Pakistani rulers.Speaking on the occasion, JI Leader Mian Muhammad Aslam said “today is not the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks but the 10th year since the American drama was staged to sabotage peace in the Islamic world.” He said under the pretext of a war against terrorism, instigated by the said attacks, the US had killed many innocent people in Afghanistan and carried out bombings on unarmed people. He said he regretted that the Pakistani government had also played its role in the US actions. “85 US flights took off from Pakistani air bases to carry out bombings on innocent Afghanis including women and children,” he said.
He criticized the incumbent government saying that the country representatives elected in the 2008 elections followed the “wrong” policies of former president Musharraf. “Our rulers are still US slaves and they handed over many of their blameless citizens to them including Afia Siddique,” he said. The leader added that the government should be the representative of its public instead of becoming their enemy.
Other speakers on the occasion said the government should reconsider its policies regarding its alliance with the US and that no one including President Zardari, Nawaz Sharif and Prime Minister Gilani should be allowed to enter into US slavery.
JI leader Muhammad Ramzan announced the occasion to be a black day. He further said that Afghani President Qarzai, former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, former Pakistani President Musharraf and America were responsible for this black day and the drama that was enacted on it.
Several other events in other areas of the country were also held on Friday in this regard, declaring the 9/11 attacks to be a condemnable event that changed the world and made a direct impact on the Islamic world, particularly on Pakistan and Afghanistan.
