Ayatollah Sobhani urges promotion of Islamic unity in Egypt

Rasa – In a meeting with the Consul General of Iran in Karbala, Ayatollah Sobhani said Iran must promote Islamic unity in the most populous Arab country [Egypt], especially with the spread of the Wahhabi ideology there.

News ID: 2591

Date: 26 May 2015 - 18:01

RNA – Grand Ayatollah Ja’far Sobhani has met with Amir-Masoud Hosseinian, the Consul General of Iran in the Iraqi holy city of Karbala and the deputy director of the Middle East and North Africa at the Imam Sadiq Institute.

Ayatollah Sobhani explained that we must try to help Iranian seminarians find a way to be active in the Holy Islamic Seminary of Najaf, adding that there are some people who do not want Iranians present in foreign seminaries.

Ayatollah Sobhani said that the relationship between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Egypt is one of the most important relationships in the region because Egypt is considered the centre of the Islamic world and Iran must promote Islamic unity in the most populous Arab country, especially with the spread of the Wahhabi ideology there.

In regard to the crimes committed by Takfiri terrorists in Iraq, Ayatollah Sobhani said that he is hopeful that the evil atrocities being committed by ISIL against Muslims, especially Shi’as, will end and ISIL will be destroyed, adding that in no previous time have there been so many attacks against Shi’a Muslims as in the present era.

He pointed to the capture of Mosul and al-Anbar provinces by ISIL and stated that the Iraqi government has placed people in positions of power who do not have proper Islamic method of thinking. He added that in order to prevent further damage to the already divided and war torn country, the Iraqi government must “Islamify” itself first and then purify Iraq of Takfiri terrorists.

Ayatollah Sobhani stressed that since currently Shi’as are divided in Iraq, they have to be extra vigilant because of the era of the prominent al-Hakim and al-Sadr families has passed. “Today, we are experiencing an era of great religious importance and thus all Shi’as must return to their roots and think in a religious manner,” he said.

The revered scholar mentioned the recent attack on Shi’a worshippers in the Imam Ali (A) Mosque in the eastern Saudi town of al-Qadih by ISIL terrorists, saying that Saudi publishers propagate countless magazines, lectures and Friday prayers’ sermons against Shi’as.

“On the one hand, they encourage the murder of Shi’as and on the other hand, they encourage anti-Shi’ism, such that I wrote a book refuting the arguments of Uthman al-Khamis’ book,” he said referring to an infamous Kuwaiti Salafi and anti-Shi’a preacher.

He also explained that one of the ways to dealing with the Wahhabi ideology is to rely on the capacities of Shi’a Muslims, encouraging the establishment of an international conference with the participation of representatives of all Muslim sects on the day of Arba’in, fortieth day of the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Husayn.

111/112