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Zarqawi slams Muslim scholars
24/11/2004 16:16 - (SA)
Baghdad - An audiotape purportedly made by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi lashed out on Wednesday at Muslim scholars for not speaking out against US actions in Iraq and Afghanistan, saying they have "let us down in the darkest circumstances".
"You have ... handed us over to the enemy... You have quit supporting the mujahedeen," al-Zarqawi purportedly said on the tape. "Hundreds of thousands of the nation's sons are being slaughtered at the hands of the infidels because of your silence."
On the tape, the authenticity of which could not be confirmed, al-Zarqawi addressed his comments to the "ulama" - senior Muslim religious clerics. Escaped from Fallujah
Al-Zarqawi, who leads al-Qaeda in Iraq, is believed to have escaped from his headquarters in Fallujah during the massive US-led assault earlier this month.
"You made peace with the tyranny and handed over the countries and the people to the Jews and Crusaders. ... when you resort to silence on their crimes, when you refused to hold the banners of Jihad and Tawhid, and when you prevented youth from heading to the battlefields in order to defend the religion," he said.
"Instead of implementing God's orders, you chose your safety and preferred your money and sons. "You left the mujahadeen facing the strongest power in the world," he said. "Are not your hearts shaken by the scenes of your brothers being surrounded and hurt by your enemy?" Search for al-Zarqawi continues The audio message appeared as US and Iraqi security forces continued their search for al-Zarqawi after reports that he was in the region north of Baghdad. The US has placed a $25m bounty on his head.
His group, formerly named Tawhid and Jihad, is believed responsible for dozens of deadly bombings and beheadings of foreign hostages.
About 5 000 US, Iraqi and British forces launched a major offensive on Tuesday to clear insurgents from an area known as the "triangle of death".
The series of raids and house searches was the third large-scale military operation this month aimed at suppressing Iraq's Sunni Muslim insurgency ahead of crucial elections set for January 30. The assault aims to stem an increase of violence in an area that has been notorious for months as a danger zone.
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