Ayatollah Makarem-Shirazi writes letter to Pope Francis

Rasa - Ayatollah Naser Makarem-Shirazi has written a letter to Pope Francis, the leader of the Roman Catholic church, in which he condemned the crimes of the Takfiri terrorists.

News ID: 1030

Date: 21 August 2014 - 16:11

Rasa News Agency reports – Ayatollah Naser Makarem-Shirazi has written a letter to Pope Francis, the leader of the Roman Catholic church, in which he condemned the crimes of the Takfiri terrorists. He urged the Vatican to demonstrate their opposition to the Takfiri terrorists’ crimes and atrocities that have been occurring in the world.

His Eminence wrote that recently the Vatican had asked various Muslim scholars about their stance in regard to the brutal attacks by the so-called “Islamic State” on Christians in northern Iraq. In his message to Pope Francis, Ayatollah Makarem-Shirazi made clear that the inhumane actions of the Takfiri terrorists are condemned by all Muslims, writing: “The actions of this extremist minority must not be considered as Islam.”

Ayatollah Makarem-Shirazi called Takfiris “the greatest scourge of mankind today, regardless of their religion or nationality.” He said that Muslim scholars have been condemning Takfirism for many years and that three years ago he met with the head of the Vatican’s Pontifical Council and pointed to the threat of Takfirism.

“The Holy Quran stipulates that the Prophet Muhammad (S) is a ‘mercy for all the worlds.’ Unfortunately, many political and religious leaders of the world, were not only silent in response to the Takfiri phenomenon, but sometimes they supported and confirmed the actions of these terrorists,” wrote Ayatollah Makarem-Shirazi, who is one of the greatest scholars of the Shi’ah school of thought.

In response to the Western support of the Takfiri terrorists, His Eminence wrote: “If some of the Western governments would stop sending financial and logistical support and weapons, the Islamic State would be able to continue their bloodshed and crimes and would cease to exist.”

Ayatollah Makarem-Shirazi requested that the Vatican issue a more explicit statement of condemnation of the injustice and atrocities which are occurring around the world, whether the injustice done is against Christian minorities in Muslim countries or Muslim minorities in Western countries.

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