Bahraini Shi’ah Cleric:

Standing up to moral, social and political deterioration ‘a religious duty’

Rasa – Ayatollah al-Gharifi stressed that standing up to moral, social and political deterioration is a religious duty.

News ID: 426535

Date: 14 January 2017 - 22:05

RNA – In a sermon at Imam al-Sadiq Mosque in the Manama neighbourhood of Qafoul, Ayatollah Sayyid Abdullah al-Gharifi, a senior Bahraini Shi’ah cleric, stressed that standing up to moral, social and political deterioration is a religious duty and said, “Whoever is negligent of their duty or doesn’t perform their duty in this regard has committed a sin.”

He said that it’s certain that some people and groups have sought to hamper such action and spread fear and despair in the hearts of the reformers in order to frustrate their efforts to reform society.

“There is no community which is free of such individuals. Sometimes they appear in the guise of generosity but they pose a great danger to the accomplishment of religious, social and political duties,” he said.

Ayatollah al-Gharifi referred to the practices used by these people and said they sometimes work to increase corruption and say it’s impossible to combat corruption and on the other hand, they downplay the possibilities and power of those who seek reform. The goal of these issues is also to demoralize and defeat those who want to reform society.

His Eminence noted the modern psychological war against the well-wishers in society and said that the targeting the reformers of society through attacks and psychological war against the people and countries as well as religious, social and political groups has increased.

“On this basis, our people and countries have been robbed and killed and groups have been placed under siege,” he added.

The Bahraini scholar said that the intense psychological war against Muslims began with the Prophet Muhammad’s mission and added, “The believers have never been affected by war and have stood against the enemies with strength, patience and stability because they have trust in God and whenever someone has trust in God, they will receive divine assistance.”

He said this faith is the reason for the expansion of security in the world, the preservation of the blood, honour and property of the people and the protection of our countries. “Forms of prejudice, hostility, hatred, violence, extremism, terrorism, sedition and conflict, oppression and corruption are the opposite of faith,” he said.

In another part of his speech, Ayatollah al-Gharifi explained that the demands of the Bahraini people and said, “We don’t seek to establish a religious government based on Wilayat al-Faqih (Guardianship of the Jurisprudent) or a caliphate. We want a government of the citizens which is based on justice, equality and is law-centred where no one has differences with these demands.”

His Eminence pointed out that these disputes can be resolved in the context of dialogue and said if there is no sincere intention in the country we cannot have any hope to reform and change society and the crises in the country will remain.

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