Qom Friday Prayer Leader:

Ethics in the elections should not be sacrificed for momentary greed

Rasa – Ayatollah Arafi said that in the upcoming elections, we must consider security, power, transcendental values and Islam. “Ethics in the elections should not be sacrificed for momentary greed,” he noted.

News ID: 429281

Date: 28 April 2017 - 22:13

RNA – In his Friday prayer sermon to a large and fervent crowd of believers in Qom’s Qods Prayer Hall, Ayatollah Ali-Reza Arafi said that the believe in Imam al-Mahdi is rooted in history and like other beliefs, Mahdism has been subject to deviation, “Some individuals have given te belief in the awaited return of Imam al-Mahdi a secular meaning.”

The head of the Islamic Seminaries of Iran added that instead of describing “waiting” and “Mahdism” in terms of “enjoining a duty,” “rising up” and “resisting” in the way of God they describe Mahdism in terms of secularism and this is a great deviation which is still ongoing.

“Waiting and Mahdism must be revolutionary and stand against the tyrants and oppressors,” he added.

Referring to the efforts of the enemies and arrogant powers to create deviation in regard to the concept of Mahdism and its related issues, he said, “The rejection of the public representation of the Shi’ah religious authorities and the system of Wilayat al-Faqih is one of one of the enemies’ plots. Today, they are striving hard to strike at the foundations of the religious authorities and Wilayat al-Faqih and to weaken these foundations.”

Ayatollah Arafi said that the holy month of Sha’ban is the month of Imam al-Mahdi and stressed, “During this holy month, we must strengthen the foundations of Mahdism and awaiting his reappearance and we must strive to protect society from corruption.”

In other remarks, he condemned the massacre of ten Iranian border guards by Pakistan-based Takfiri terrorists in Iran’s southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchestan on Wednesday and said, “Several soldiers were martyred in a surprise attack which was carried out from a position of fear and cowardice. We call on the government of Pakistan to pursue this issue with greater seriousness.”

The head of al-Mustafa International University also called on Iranian politicians to strengthen the country’s defense capabilities in its border regions and to decisively react to this event, saying, “To those who want to create insecurity in Iran and to the United States, and the Zionists and terrorists, we say that the Iranian people are awake and brave and will never succumb to their cowardly acts.”

“Islamic Iran will never be appeased due to such actions and our positions are revolutionary and anti-imperialist. The enemies must know that all of those who are on the path of confrontation and invasion against the Islamic Revolution will be defeated,” he stressed.

Ayatollah Arafi said that Iran’s May 19th presidential and city council elections are a manifestation of the authority of the nation and a symbol of religious democracy and added, “The maximum and glorious participation of the people in the elections is an important principle that must not be neglected. We all have an obligation to call on all sectors of society to participate in the election and the health of the elections is regard to human rights is considered as important.”

The member of the Supreme Council of Seminaries said that in the elections, we must consider security, power, transcendental values and Islam. We must be able to respond in the presence of God. “Ethics in the elections should not be sacrificed for momentary greed,” he noted.

The Iranian cleric stated, “Servants, activists and that those who stand by Islamic and revolutionary values should be elected. It’s necessary to adhere to the law during the election period so that the country doesn’t fall into the trap of sedition, such as that which befell the country in 2009.”

Ayatollah Arafi stressed that presidential and city council candidates must not make irreverent or humorous statements against imamate or religious sanctities as such statements are not correct and we must not consider such individuals as candidates and the people and officials must renounce such statements.

112/930/627