Rasa News Agency reports – Ayatollah Mohsen Araki, the secretary-general of the World Forum for Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought, spoke at ceremony marking International Mosque Day held at Tehran’s Milad Tower on September 1.
Ayatollah Araki stressed the need to pay attention to mosques, saying that all departments and institutions linked to mosques should be evaluated and mosque construction projects should be closely evaluated. He also noted the importance of the role of mosques in urban architecture, saying that all public areas must be connected to mosques. Urban developers must take the role mosques into consideration when planning a city.
In regards to the specific conditions which exist in our world, His Eminence stated: “The enemies seek to drive a wedge between different religions by inciting sectarianism, and we have witnessed the fanatical campaign waged by the Zionist entity on the Gaza Strip, who even attacked mosques there. These actions of the usurping Zionist regime against the Palestinian people represent severe enmity to Islam.”
Ayatollah Araki congratulated all Muslims on International Mosque Day, which is in commemoration of an attempt to destroy Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa Mosque by a Christian terrorist, who on August 21, 1969, set the mosque on fire. This fire devastated the south-eastern wing of the building, the area known as the Haram al-Sharif, or Noble Sanctuary. The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) designated this day as International Mosque Day to strengthen solidarity with the Palestinians.
Ayatollah Araki stated that al-Aqsa Mosque is a particularly holy mosque because it was one of the first mosques built and it was prepared for the leadership of the Islamic community, saying: “We have to realize that mosques are centres for the building of Islamic civilization; because they are the headquarters of the righteous servants of God, and the best place to educate the community and prepare the youth as mosques are a place of contemplation and purity.”
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