Getting photographed, democracy un-Islamic: Sufi Muhammad

Lahore, May 4 (ANI): Tehreek-e-Nifaz-e-Shariat-e-Muhammadi (TNSM) chief Sufi Muhammad has declared it un-Islamic for anyone to be photographed, and added that democracy, communism, socialism, fascism are un-Islamic systems of governance.

Sufi said any duplicated image of a person, whether a "still picture or video" was un-Islamic.

Referring to the various systems of governance, he said democracy; communism, socialism and fascism were all un-Islamic, the Daily Times reported.

Sufi also said there was no need for a constitution in the country in the presence of the Quran and Sunnah, adding these were the "biggest laws" available to humanity. Focusing on democracy, he said it was un-Islamic, as infidels invented it.

"I would not offer prayer behind anyone who would seek to justify democracy," he said, adding this was why he had refused to offer prayers behind Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Qazi Hussain Ahmad and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Fazlur Rehman.

"How can people who believe in democracy be expected to enforce the ideals of sharia," he said. Sufi said the struggle for Kashmir was to obtain land where Muslims could move about freely rather than seeking the implementation of shariat.

Sufi said the sharia system of governance not currently in force anywhere in the world, not even Saudi Arabia or Iran. "Only the Taliban had enforced sharia when they were in power in Afghanistan," he added.

He said he had gone to Afghanistan to conduct jihad, and not to cater to Mullah Omar or Osama Bin Laden. "Jihad was obligatory at the time because the US wanted to end sharia in Afghanistan," he added.

He said Muslims could not wage jihad until the enforcement of sharia, adding jihad becomes obligatory on Muslims only after infidels attempt to eliminate the sharia system of governance. (ANI)

Commenting on the status of women in a Taliban-run society, Sufi said women were not allowed to come out of their house for any reason other than to perform Haj. However, he added, a female patient was allowed to visit a male doctor to seek a cure for her ailments. (ANI)