Sunni clerics make joint call for Jihad in Syria

Sunni Muslim clerics on Thursday made a joint call for Jihad (holy war) in Syria to support the opposition forces there against the army of President Bashar al-Assad and its Shiite allies Hezbollah and Iran.

The clerics gathered in Cairo to unify their stance on the Syrian crisis and issued a statement denouncing the “sectarian” regime in Syria.

“We must commit to jihad to support our brothers in Syria by sending them money and weapons, and supplying them with all assistance to save the Syrian people from this sectarian regime,” the clerics said in the statement.

“The blatant aggression of the Iranian regime, of Hezbollah and of their sectarian allies in Syria is tantamount to a declaration of war against Islam and Muslims,” the Sunni clerics added.

Hezbollah has sent thousands of troops to Syria and helped Assad’s forces take control of the border town of Qusayr after days of fighting.

A speech by Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah last month overtly declaring his militia’s involvement in Syria has provoked Sunni clerics across the region.

Qatar-based Sunni cleric Yusuf al-Qaradawi, who had previously defended Hezbollah and Iran, was among the first to denounce Nasrallah’s speech.

Qaradawi slammed Hezbollah for taking part in the killing of Muslims in Syria. Hezbollah in Arabic means “party of God;” Qaradawi described it as “party of Satan.”