Tunisian Sunni Scholar:

Wilayat al-Faqih revived to eliminate Sunni, Shiite gap

Rasa – A Tunisian scholar emphasized that although Wilayat al-Faqih is an old theory, but Imam Khomeini renewed it in order to eliminate the gap between Sunnis and Shi’ites,”

News ID: 2716

Date: 11 June 2015 - 21:16

RNA – In an exclusive interview with Rasa News Agency, Ahmad al-Abyadh, a Tunisian Sunni scholar and professor of social psychology at the University of Tunis, stated that the theory of Wilayat al-Faqih (Guardianship of the Jurisprudent) was the most important issue explained by Imam Ruhollah Khomeini.

“Although, this is an old theory, but Imam Khomeini renewed it in order to eliminate the gap between Sunnis and Shi’ites,” he explained.

He added that Wilayat al-Faqih can help limit the sedition and conflict in the region and throughout the Islamic world.

al-Abyadh explained that Islamic countries must not trust the United States and the West, saying that Western nations only think about their own interests and whenever Islamic countries progress, the West, due to its selfishness, seeks to dominate and oppress Muslims, and prevent their progress.

The Tunisian scholar explained that Imam Khomeini emphasized that Muslims must resist the arrogant powers of the world. “Imam Khomeini emphasised independence from the foreign powers and progress in various fields and cut the West’s hands in the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

Some Muslim and non-Muslim rulers also follow in the footsteps of Imam Khomeini and stand up to the arrogant power,” al-Abyadh said, but added that some Islamic rulers have allied themselves with Israel. He criticized this approach, saying that Imam Khomeini insisted that the Palestinian issue is a fundamental issue for the Islamic world and stressed that Muslims follow this issue. “Israel does not just seek to occupy this territory, but they seek to use it as a means to create division among Muslims,” he explained.

The Tunisian university professor stated that Muslims must change their approach to the Palestinian issue, lamenting that at the beginning of the Israeli occupation of Palestine, all Muslims realized the Palestine issue was a conflict between Islam and Zionism, but over time this view changed and the issue was seen as a Arab-Zionist conflict instead. Now, it is only seen as an issue between the Palestinians and Israelis.

al-Abyadh stressed that the Islamic Republic of Iran, regardless of the Islamic world’s approach to Palestine, continues to support this oppressed nations and maintains hope for its liberation.

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