Dr Ali Larijani:

Ignorance of other religions and sects leads to war and fanaticism

Rasa – Dr Ali Larijani, the speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly of Iran, emphasized the importance of peaceful dialogue between the various religions and sects in a speech at Qom’s University of Religions and Denominations celebrating Islamic Unity Week and the birth anniversary of the Prophet Muhammad.

News ID: 1977

Date: 08 January 2015 - 19:54

RNA – Dr Ali Larijani explained that the establishment of the University of Religions and Denominations alongside the Islamic Seminary of Qom shows that the Islamic Seminary is dedicated to the study of religions and denominations, which is an important development for the holy city of Qom.

The University of Religions and Denominations is a teaching and research centre focusing on the study of religions and Islamic sects, and was founded by a group of scholars from the Islamic Seminary of Qom in 1995. Students can choose from a variety of fields, including Sunni, Sufi and Shi’ite Islam, Abrahamic and non-Abrahamic religions, mysticism and philosophy.

Pointing to the necessity of the study of religions and describing ignorance of others’ faith’s a “shame,” Dr Larijani stated that most religious conflicts throughout history have been based on ignorance and misperceptions about other religions. These have led to wars and fanaticism and still today, we witness ignorant prejudice and bias when in contact with other religious groups.

He explained that many of the roots of the conflicts in the region today are a return to factionalism, ignorance and misunderstandings of other religions. “Faced with this situation, we find that the research and study of [other] religions is of crucial importance but the major religions of the world have a lot in common and this capacity should not be ignored,” he explained.

Dr Larijani emphasized that the current situation in the region is due to the wasted energies of many Islamic countries. He stated that the inter-religious strife in the region is in “the interest of the usurper Zionist entity and the United States” and added that: “The actions of the Takfiris are leading toward the depletion of capacities of the region and ISIL was formed based on ignorance and warmongering with an aim at igniting wars in the region.”

He explained that one of the most important pillars of religious thought is understanding, with reason, the belief systems of other people and why people have been guided to such a belief. He emphasized that religious commonalities should be given importance as all religions have certain elements in common. “The foundation of religious thought is based upon peaceful coexistence and not division,” Dr Larijani emphasized.

“From a social perspective, in today's world inter-religious and inter-sectarian denominational dialogue is necessary. There must be a rapprochement between ideas, religions and creeds and all voids and misunderstandings must be resolved [through peaceful dialogue],” he concluded.

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