Ahle Hadith Andolon Bangladesh (Ahab), an Islamic organisation whose many leaders has alleged link with the banned militant outfit JMB, yesterday said killing of innocent people in the name of Islam is forbidden.

“These are terrorist activities. Islam does not allow killing of innocent people. It is completely forbidden,” said Ahab Amir Asadullah Al Galib replying to a query about their position on the recent secret killings and terror attacks. 

He was addressing a press conference at the capital's Jatiya Press Club. Galib was arrested in February 2005 as many arrested JMB militants named him as their spiritual leader. He was implicated in at least nine cases. He came out on bail in September 2008. 

Alluding to Jamaat, Galib said political vengeance and ideological difference of an Islamic party in the then ruling 4-party alliance was responsible for his and his men's arrests. “Ahab has no connection with militancy,” he said.

Replying to a query that many of the JMB men were from the Ahle Hadith community including two of the Gulshan café attackers, Galib said though many of the militants are followers of Salate Rafadani, a prayer ritual many follows, which is practiced by the Ahle Hadith community, they are not following the belief system of Ahab.

Besides, the organisation will not shoulder an individual's responsibility, he said. But the executed JMB supremo Abdur Rahman and his deputy Bangla Bhai and many other leaders  were from the Ahle Hadith community.

The Ahab chief said they are waging  an anti-militancy campaign, but when asked whether the Ahab leaders were among the signatories of over 1 lakh alem-ulema in a recently delivered anti-militancy fatwa, Galib said as the organisers did not approach them, they did not put signatures on it.