Islamabad, April 10, 2025 – In a highly anticipated address during the opening session of the National Palestine Conference in Islamabad, Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani, Grand Mufti of Pakistan and former judge of the Federal Shariat Court, declared that military action against Israel has become an obligatory duty for all Muslim governments under Sharia law. He emphasized that the continued atrocities against Palestinians necessitate a shift from diplomatic protests to compulsory armed jihad as a religious imperative.
The conference, convened under the theme “Palestine and the Responsibility of the Muslim Ummah,” took place at the Jinnah Convention Centre and attracted thousands of religious scholars, representatives of Islamic institutions, retired jurists, politicians, and social activists from across Pakistan and abroad. The event was broadcast live to audiences in the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia, highlighting the widespread regional interest in the evolving diplomatic and humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
During his speech, Mufti Usmani invoked recent casualty figures to challenge complacency, stating, “If you can watch over 50,000 of your brothers and sisters being killed before your eyes, and you cannot move to action to help them, then what use are your weapons? What use are your armies?” His remarks were met with repeated chants of “Allahu Akbar” from the assembly, signaling strong approval for his call to action.
He sharply criticized Islamic governments for “failing to provide sufficient support to those fighting to protect” Al‑Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, one of Islam’s holiest sites, underscoring its centrality to Muslim identity and collective memory. The Grand Mufti warned that neglecting the defense of Al‑Aqsa would represent a profound dereliction of religious duty, eroding the moral authority of Muslim leadership.
Providing historical and humanitarian context, Mufti Usmani recalled that Israel’s military operations against Gaza, which began in October 2023, have resulted in the deaths of more than 50,000 Palestinians—primarily women and children—and displaced hundreds of thousands. He lamented that despite widespread international sympathy, practical assistance in terms of military, logistical, and medical support has remained woefully inadequate.
In addition to his call for armed jihad, Mufti Usmani advocated economic measures, including a comprehensive boycott of Israel and its international backers. He outlined a multipronged strategy: “Sanctions and boycotts must accompany any battlefront. While weapons confront bullets, economic pressure can undermine support systems that fuel continued aggression.” He described these nonviolent tactics as complementary to the proposed military imperative.
The fatwa was co-signed by influential Pakistani figures, including Maulana Munib-ur-Rahman, head of the Wifaq‑ul‑Madaris seminary network, and former government minister Maulana Fazlur Rahman. Their endorsement solidified the declaration’s standing among diverse schools of Islamic thought in Pakistan, bridging sectarian divides and uniting the country’s religious establishment behind the call for obligatory jihad.
Not all reactions were supportive. Egypt’s Grand Mufti, Nazir Ayyad, publicly rebuked the calls for military jihad as “irresponsible,” cautioning that armed intervention risked exacerbating regional instability and further endangering civilian populations. He argued that moral and humanitarian support must not cross the threshold into actions that could provoke wider conflict and undermine efforts for a negotiated settlement.
International legal pressure has also intensified. In November 2024, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli leaders on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza, signaling a judicial reckoning for ongoing hostilities. Some analysts believe that an ICC framework for accountability could provide legal justification for collective military measures should diplomatic avenues fail to secure a ceasefire.
Simultaneously, mass pro‑Palestine demonstrations have erupted in capitals from Algiers to Damascus, with protesters chanting “The people demand jihad” and carrying placards urging their governments to deliver on the fatwa. Online campaigns using hashtags #DefendAlAqsa and #JihadObligatory have trended across social media, reflecting widespread public endorsement of both military and economic pressures on Israel.
As delegates departed the Jinnah Convention Centre, the resonance of Mufti Usmani’s declaration was palpable. Observers predict that this bold fatwa may reshape defense and foreign policy debates in Muslim‑majority states, compelling governments to weigh theological obligations alongside geopolitical considerations. Whether this call to obligatory jihad translates into concrete state action remains uncertain, but its rhetorical impact underscores the deepening crisis of faith and governance at the heart of the Palestine question.
