The Imamia High Council of Clerics on Thursday urged the Afghan warring parties--the Afghan government and the Taliban--to engage in political dialogue, saying the current war in the country has no religious legitimacy.

The council said that while the US  troops and their allies are on their way home from Afghanistan, no one should shed the blood of the Afghan people in the name of jihad or of defending Islam. They also said that religion should not be exploited for political and personal interests.

“I want to address both the Taliban and the Afghan government: Now that the foreigners have let, what justification remains for this war to be fought in the name of Sharia (Islamic law)? For the shedding of the people's blood?” said Mohammad Hussain Jaffari Kunduzi, the head of the Imamia High Council of Clerics.

“The Ulema (religious scholars) should keep their unity stronger now than at any other time and observe their responsibility,” said Sayed Jaffar, a cleric.

“You must consult your conscience, what is the justification of this war against the Muslims?” asked Mohammad Daud Mohammadi, a cleric.

“We call on the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the United Nations to help Afghanistan achieve peace,” said Ali Reza, a cleric.

The clerics call for peace as the scale of the war has dramatically increased in Afghanistan following the announcement by the US to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan by August 31.