RNA – In his Friday prayer sermon to a large and fervent crowd of believers in Qom’s Qods Prayer Hall, Ayatollah Ali-Reza Arafi praised the vigilant Iranian nation for participating in the rites of the holy month of Ramadan, including the International Day of al-Quds rallies and said, “The presence of the young generation and the awakened people in the religious, revolutionary, religious and social ceremonies is a source of thankfulness in the divine forefront.”
The head of the Islamic Seminaries of Iran emphasized the fight against narcotics and addiction and added, “In the world, between 200 and 300 million people are users of illegal narcotics and in Iran, the census has stated that there are between 1.5 to 3 million users. Even in places like Qom this social scourge exists and it’s not a small issue and everyone should fight this scourge.”
He pointed out, “Everyone is expected to make efforts to fight against social damage. The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution [Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei] has targeted eleven aspects of social damage and this year, five of them has been given top priority, one of which is the problem of narcotics. Also, the cultural, social and economic damages of this scourge are many.”
Ayatollah Arafi added, “Unfortunately, the discussion of narcotics is reaching into the younger generation and into the schools, which is very dangerous. The spread of this problem among women is also very dangerous and addiction is part of the cultural, social and economic context of the community itself.”
He added, “In order that this danger is taken seriously, cultural activities and awareness must be raised to prevent, treat and cure this problem. In the Sixth Five-Year Economic, Cultural and Social Development Plan [for 2016-2021] this damage is expected to decrease by 25%, which requires a lot of effort and we are currently seeing growth.”
The member of the Society of Seminary Teachers of Qom pointed out that in various meetings during the holy month of Ramadan, the Supreme Leader addressed the crucial cultural, social, political and economic issues and highlighted many important issues. The expectation of society for its officials and statesmen, is to form a new government to take this series of statements and orders seriously.”
He added, “The judiciary, the Islamic Consultative Assembly, the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution, the cultural apparatuses of the Islamic system and all the apparatuses are responsible for executing the orders of the Supreme Leader. One discussion was the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution annulled.”
Referring to the June 26-July 3 American Human Rights Week, which is an effort to shame the US’ human rights violations throughout history, Ayatollah Arafi said, “Today, every aware and conscientious person knows that the United States is the axis of the violators of human rights in the world and is a criminal. The US is based on a system of poverty, corruption and universal alienation.”
The head of al-Mustafa International University continued, “Governments and terrorist groups are under the control of the US of which the Zionist regime is a symbol of and the Takfiri terrorist phenomenon is supported by the US.”
Referring to US President Donald Trump’s May trip to Saudi Arabia, he said, “The same place where they danced with swords is the birthplace of terrorism which is supported by the US. The US is a major factor for terrorism in the world. These hypocrites have martyred 17,000 people and are always under the protection of the Americans and today, Daesh and the terrorists today are in this position.”
Qom’s Friday prayer leader said, “On American Human Rights Week, we clearly announce that we will stand up to oppression and will resist and the cry of ‘Down with America!’ is the slogan of the Iranian nation against the violations of human rights by the Americans in all its obligations.”
Ayatollah Arafi said, “Due to divine grace, the governments and people of Iraq and Syria, the Islamic Resistance Front and the Popular Mobilization Forces and advisors of the Quds Force have defeated the important bases of the terrorists, Mosul has been liberated, Aleppo is on the verge of final liberation, the Islamic Resistance Front stands up and resists and turns the dreams of the imperialists into disappointment.”
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