RNA – During his Friday prayer sermon at the Islamic Centre of Hamburg, Ayatollah Dr. Reza Ramezani-Gilani, stated that one of the greatest tragedies of the modern era is the issue of slavery, saying that in relation to the history of slavery, modern-day slavery is a far greater catastrophe and the number of modern-day slaves is far higher.
“This all due to the present economic relations, culture, politics and other aspects of society in the world,” he said.
The German Shi’a scholar said that this has created the conditions that some groups have been able to enslave and colonize others without fear or concern for penalties by any international legal organizations and many people, especially children and women are enslaved through threats, violence, bullying and trickery.
Ayatollah Ramezani-Gilani noted that in the different layers of society, modern-day slavery is traceable in various forms, including people forced to work for free, child slavery, forced marriage and domestic employment.
His Eminence said that the scenes of forced begging in Europe and other Western countries are considered the examples of modern slavery and added that the organized mafia, sex slavery, forcing people to live on the streets and public places and stimulating the emotions of people in regard to beggars and collecting donations for them are other such examples of this phenomenon.
“We all should try to eradicate modern slavery and redouble our efforts. Slavery has jeopardized the lives of millions of people,” he stressed.
Ayatollah Ramezani-Gilani pointed to the continued plight of the children and people of Yemen, saying that children in Yemen are examples of the oppression and genocidal crimes that the world is witnessing every day.
Hamburg’s Friday prayer leader said that since Saudi Arabia and its allies began their war on Yemen in March 2015, 2,360 children have been killed by Saudi Arabia and 7,000 have been wounded. 246,000 homes have been destroyed and over 250 hospitals and health centres, 800 schools and 40 colleges and universities have been destroyed and these crimes even continue during Ramadan, the month of spirituality, by the country which claims to be the defender of the Ka’bah and the servant of Muslims.
His Eminence called these tragic events which occur on a continuous basis by some governments “state-sponsored infanticide.”
Ayatollah Ramezani-Gilani also noted the harassment, abuse and murder of children in Gaza, Yemen, Bahrain, Syria, Iraq and the heartbreaking scenes of refugee children crossing across the seas while the directors and executives of human rights organizations sit in their chairs. “Sometimes, in order to maintain its status, they issue incomplete reports so that they are not accused of negligence,” he said.
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