'Osama has no authority to issue fatwas'

WASHINGTON, JUNE 18. Taliban's supreme leader, Mullah Omar, has said the `fatwa' issued by the international terrorist, Osama bin Laden, declaring `jehad' against the United States and ordering Muslims to kill Americans is ``null and void'' as he is not qualified to issue decrees.

``Bin Laden is not entitled to issue `fatwas' as he did not complete the mandatory 12 years of Quranic studies to qualify for the position of mufti,'' Mullah Omar said in an interview with the Washington Times in Kandahar.

``Bin Laden is not a mufti and only muftis can issue `fatwas'. Therefore, any fatwas he may have issued are illegal and void,'' Mullah Omar, 41, said in remarks translated by Mr. Rahmatullah Hashimi, a 24-year-old multilingual ``ambassador at large''.

Mullah Omar said Osama was not allowed any contact with the media or with foreign Government representatives. He said the Taliban had suggested to the U.S. and the U.N. that international monitors keep Osama under observation, pending a resolution of the case.

``We also notified the U.S. we are putting Bin Laden on trial last September for his alleged crimes and requested that relevant evidence be presented. But so far we have received no reply,'' Mr. Hashimi said quoting Mullah Omar.

He said the court sat for 40 days but the U.S. never presented any evidence of suspected crimes by Osama, including his suspected involvement in the bombing of two U.S. embassies in Africa, which Omar described as ``criminal acts''.

``Bin Laden swore on Quran he had nothing to do with those terrorist bombings and that he is not responsible for what others do who claim to know him,'' Mr. Hashimi said.

- PTI

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Section  : International
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