The National Commission for Human Rights in Libya (NCHRL) has denounced the escalation of statements uttered by "Madkhalists" in Benghazi after they had recently called the Libyan Public Scout and Girl Guide Movement as well as Sufis non-believers.

NCHRL said on Monday that the imam of Al-Arqam bin Abi Al-Arqam mosque in Benghazi described the Public Scout and Girl Guide Movement last Friday as the byproduct of the "infidel west" and its "non-believing laws" warning of allowing children to join the movement.

"We denounce and reject this description and the verbal horrification and incitement that is part of the terrorist ideology used by the Madkhalists via mosques, fatwas and other manners." NCHRL added.

It remarked that Madkhalist groups took advantage of the absence of state institutions that would in normal times educate people on the perils such an ideology as theirs can create in the society and its freedom of thinking, religious practices and political practices as well.

"This is also a violation of international conventions and the International Declaration for Human Rights as well as a form of ideological terror." NCHRL indicated.

It accused Madkhalists of spreading an imported ideology inside the Libyan societies and thus jeopardize peacefulness and security in the country.

Madkhalism - a form of Salafism - has been on the rise in Libya especially in the areas under Khalifa Haftar's control as many of the sect's followers had joined the armed groups in there, let alone the violence-harboring fatwas made by sheiks of the sect in Libya and Saudi Arabia against Haftar's opposition.

Earlier, the east-based Awqaf Authority was involved in controversy and exchange of accusations with many parties in Libya; the latest was the eastern Interim Government, due to extremist fatwas made by imams and religious clerics calling social and religious figures across Libya infidels.