RNA – Ayatollah Mohammad-Ali Taskhiri, Ayatollah Khamenei’s advisor in the affairs of the Islamic world and the secretary-general of the World Forum for Proximity of Islamic Thought, spoke at the first meeting of the Centre for Dialogue Between Religions and Civilizations with a group of Christian religious leaders from Kenya.
The theme of their discussion was the role of religious dialogue in the fight against extremist and violence. Ayatollah Taskhiri stated the festival of Eid al-Adha is in reality a “festival for all religions,” and not just for Muslims because the Prophet Abraham, who is revered by Judaism, Christianity as well as Islam, is a model of self-sacrifice and dedication. He added that the Prophet Ishmael is a model of complete obedience to the commands of God.
Ayatollah Taskhiri pointed out the necessity of dialogue between the various religious traditions, stating that dialogue is a human necessity and that due to this necessity, dialogue must include religious issues, despite them often being points of contention. An important issue for all of humanity is the issue of justice and human rights because after discussing these divisive religious issues, those engaged in dialogue can take steps to solve the problems of humanity and have a positive effect on their societies.
His Eminence stated that after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the Islamic Republic of Iran’s first goal was dialogue. “The various religions and sects do not understand each other’s good progress made in the field of interreligious dialogue. Various religions have carried out good campaigns against atheism, but their activities should not stop with this,” he stated.
Ayatollah Taskhiri explained that the world is sick of the violence which is affecting the world and said that this violence is a result of extremism. Extremism has caused diseases in all spheres including religion, knowledge and has even crept in personal worship and has damaged it. He described the growth of Takfiri terrorism as “regional and global tumour” which is the result of extremism and ignorance which has been planned by the global arrogance front of the neo-colonialist empires. “They are taking advantage of the deepest levels of extremism,” he stated.
He emphasized the importance of eliminating the problem of violent extremism, saying that it is a common issue among all religions. Religious leaders must fight against religious extremism. Christianity and Islam have many commonalities in the fight against extremism. Both religions emphasize human nature and human rights as their religious texts emphasize human rights, Ayatollah Taskhiri stated that Christianity and Islam must join together to promote peace and human rights in the world.
In conclusion, he noted that Zionism is known as a symbol of violence and aggression in the world. The Palestinians resist its violence, but are seen as the culprits. Ayatollah Taskhiri stated that we must develop a culture of tolerance among all people and called on all religious leaders to cooperate and preach against violence among all citizens of the world.
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