What non-Muslims Say about Imam Husain

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muharram

Charles Dickens

“If Husain fought to quench his worldly desires, then I do not understand why his sisters, wives and children accompanied him. It stands to reason therefore that he sacrificed purely for Islam.”

Dr. Rajendra Prasad

The sacrifice of Imam Husain is not limited to one country, or nation, but it is the hereditary state of the brotherhood of all mankind.

Dr. Radha Krishnan

Though Imam Husain gave his life almost 1300 years ago, but his indestructible soul rules the hearts of people even today.

Swami Shankaracharya

It is Husain’s sacrifice that that has kept Islam alive or else in this world there would be no one left to take Islam’s name.

Rabindranath Tagore

In order to keep alive justice and truth, instead of an army or weapons, success can be achieved by sacrificing lives, exactly what Imam Husain did.

Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru

Imam Husain’s sacrifice is for all groups and communities, an example of the path of rightousness.

Mrs. Sarojini Naidu

I congratulate Muslims that from among them, Husain, a great human being was born, who is reverted and honored totally by all communities.

Reynold Alleyne Nicholson

“Husayn fell, pierced by an arrow, and his brave followers were cut down beside him to the last man. Muhammadan tradition, which with rare exceptions is uniformly hostile to the Umayyad dynasty, regards Husayn as a martyr and Yazid as his murderer.”

Robert Durey Osborn

“Hosain had a child named Abdallah, only a year old. He had accompanied his father in this terrible march. Touched by its cries, he took the infant in his arms and wept. At that instant, a shaft from the hostile ranks pierced the child’s ear, and it expired in his father’s arms. Hosain placed the little corpse upon the ground. ‘We come from God, and we return to Him!’ he cried; ‘O Lord, give me strength to bear these misfortunes! ‘ .

Faint with thirst, and exhausted with wounds, he fought with desperate courage, slaying several of his antagonists. At last he was cut down from behind; at the same instance a lance was thrust through his back and bore him to the ground; as the dealer of this last blow withdrew his weapon, the ill-fated son of Ali rolled over a corpse. The head was severed from the trunk; the trunk was trampled under the hoofs of the victors’ horses; and the next morning the women and a surviving infant son were carried away to Koufa. The bodies of Hosain and his followers were left unburied on the spot where they fell.

For three days they remained exposed to the sun and the night dews, the vultures and the prowling animals of the waste; but then the inhabitants of a neighbouring village, struck with horror that the body of a grandson of the Prophet should be thus shamefully abandoned to the unclean beasts of the field, dared the anger of Obaidallah, and interred the body of the martyr and those of his heroic friends.”

Sir William Muir

“The tragedy of Karbala decided not only the fate of the caliphate, but of the Mohammedan kingdoms long after the Caliphate had waned and disappeared. ”

Peter J. Chelkowski

“Hussein accepted and set out from Mecca with his family and an entourage of about seventy followers. But on the plain of Kerbela they were caught in an ambush set by the . caliph, Yazid. Though defeat was certain, Hussein refused to pay homage to him. Surrounded by a great enemy force, Hussein and his company existed without water for ten days in the burning desert of Kerbela.

Finally Hussein, the adults and some male children of his family and his companions were cut to bits by the arrows and swords of Yazid’s army; his women and remaining children were taken as captives to Yazid in Damascus. The renowned historian Abu Reyhan al-Biruni states; “. then fire was set to their camp and the bodies were trampled by the hoofs of the horses; nobody in the history of the human kind has seen such atrocities.”

Simon Ockley

“Then Hosein mounted his horse, and took the Koran and laid it before him, and, coming up to the people, invited them to the performances of their duty: adding, ‘O God, thou art my confidence in every trouble, and my hope in all adversity!’. He next reminded them of his excellency, the nobility of his birth, the greatness of his power, and his high descent, and said, ‘Consider with yourselves whether or not such a man as I am is not better than you; I who am the son of your prophet’s daughter, besides whom there is no other upon the face of the earth.

Ali was my father; Jaafar and Hamza, the chief of the martyrs, were both my uncles; and the apostle of God, upon whom be peace, said both of me and my brother, that we were the chief of the youth of paradise. If you will believe me, what I say is true, for by God, I never told a lie in earnest since I had my understanding; for God hates a lie. If you do not believe me, ask the companions of the apostle of God [here he named them], and they will tell you the same. Let me go back to what I have.’ They asked, ‘What hindered him from being ruled by the rest of his relations.’ He answered, ‘God forbid that I should set my hand to the resignation of my right after a slavish manner. I have recourse to God from every tyrant that doth not believe in the day of account.”

Edward G. Brown

“a reminder of the blood-stained field of Kerbela, where the grandson of the Apostle of God fell at length, tortured by thirst and surrounded by the bodies of his murdered kinsmen, has been at anytime since then sufficient to evoke, even in the most lukewarm and heedless, the deepest emotions, the most frantic grief, and an exaltation of spirit before which pain, danger and death shrink to unconsidered trifles.”

Ignaz Goldziher

“Ever since the black day of Karbala, the history of this family . has been a continuous series of sufferings and persecutions. These are narrated in poetry and prose, in a richly cultivated literature of martyrologies – a Shi’i specialty – and form the theme of Shi’i gatherings in the first third of the month of Muharram, whose tenth day (‘ashura) is kept as the anniversary of the tragedy at Karbala. Scenes of that tragedy are also presented on this day of commemmoration in dramatic form (ta’ziya).

‘Our feast days are our assemblies of mourning.’ So concludes a poem by a prince of Shi’i disposition recalling the many mihan of the Prophet’s family. Weeping and lamentation over the evils and persecutions suffered by the ‘Alid family, and mourning for its martyrs: these are things from which loyal supporters of the cause cannot cease. ‘More touching than the tears of the Shi’is’ has even become an Arabic proverb.”

Edward Gibbon

“In a distant age and climate the tragic scene of the death of Hosein will awaken the sympathy of the coldest reader.”

Thomas Carlyle

“The best lesson which we get from the tragedy of Karbala is that Husain and his companions were the rigid believers of God. They illustrated that numerical superiority does not count when it comes to truth and falsehood. The victory of Husain despite his minority marvels me!”

Dr. K. Sheldrake

“Husain marched with his little company not to glory, not to power or wealth, but to a supreme sacrifice and every member of that gallant band, male and female, knew that the foes were implacable, were not only ready to fight but to kill. Denied even water for the children, they remained parched under a burning sun, amid scorching sands yet no one faltered for a moment and bravely faced the greatest odds without flinching.”

A 9-month Old Shiite Girl Slains at Imam Hussain Majlis in Karachi

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When children are killed in the hail of virulent hatred there is a special kind of barbarity. Children have no agency, not even the slightest shred of the responsibility or complicity that adults to one degree or another may possess for their beliefs. They are not yet old enough to question the choice their birth forced on them.

When children are attacked and lose their lives or their little legs, their arms, their eyes it is everybody’s tragedy and everybody’s burden.

According to their pronouncements, traits, situations, motivations, and actions – only Wahhabi-inspired takfiri militants are capable of such intent in today’s world.

A minor Shia Muslim baby embraced martyrdom and nine people, mostly women, have been injured in a blast perpetrated by takfiri nasbi terrorists of banned Sipah-e-Sahaba (ASWJ) near an Imam Bargah (Shia religious place for mourning) in Karachi on Tuesday night.

AIG Karachi Police Ghulam Qadir Thaibu said terrorists riding motorcycles threw a cracker near Islamic Research Center near Ayesha Manzil Bus Stop and fled the scene.

The cracker was lobbed near the entry-exit point of the Imam Bargah situated in the premises of Islamic Research Centre when mourners of Imam Hussain (AS) were leaving the Imam Bargah at the end of majlis.

The injured were rushed to the hospital for treatment. A 9 month old baby namely Kiran Fatima alias Batool breathed her last at a private hospital. Some of the injured were identified as Waqar Abbas son of Wafa Abbas, Ali Hassan, Zahra, Faiza and Sana Zaidi.

The blast angered Shia Muslims who complained that the blast occurred due to lack of security by the police and rangers near the Imam Bargah and on the road bridge in front of the Imam Bargah.

Shia parties and leaders condemned the blast that police and rangers considered either cracker or hand grenade. They said that eminent Shia leader Allama Hassan Zafar Naqvi was addressing the majlis-e-aza at the Imam Bargah and the terrorist attack was a veiled threat to Shia leader hence security officials need to make fool proof security arrangements to avoid such attacks at any place in future.

Majlis Wahdatul Muslimeen (MWM) has condemned the attack, seeking more security to Shia mourners during the holy month of Muharram. “We demand full security to the mourners from Sindh government,” said Allama Raja Nasir Abbas of MWM.

He also demanded a swift arrest of the culprits behind the attack.

On Sunday, police in Karachi claimed that they killed nine suspected extremists, who according to them were planning to target Muharram related events.

Main Ashura procession among other Muharram events have been attacked in Karachi in the past as well.

Every year during Muharram, Shia Muslims across the globe mourn the martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Hussain, the grandson of Prophet Mohammad, and his 72 followers in the battle of Karbala.

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Campaign in Germany about Imam Hussein’s (AS) Uprising

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A campaign has been launched by a number of lecturers and students of the Islamic Studies Center in Hamburg, Germany, to introduce the objectives and features of Imam Hussein’s (AS) uprising.

72 lecturers and students of the scholarly center have planned sessions with the aim of disseminating the teachings of Ashura uprising.

The campaign began on the first night of Muharram, the first month in the lunar Hijri calendar, and will continue for five nights.
The organizers plan to hold the sessions in five great cities of Germany in next year’s Muharram.

Islam is the largest minority religion in the country. The large majority of Muslims in Germany are of Turkish origin followed by smaller groups from Pakistan, countries of the former Yugoslavia, Arab countries, Iran and Afghanistan.

Every year, millions of Muslims around the world mourn the martyrdom of Imam Hussein (AS) and his 72 faithful companions on Ashura, the tenth day of Muharram.

Ashura ceremonies symbolize eternal and unwavering stance of truth against falsehood and humanity’s struggle against tyranny realized by Imam Hussein (AS).

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Pakistan Must Act to Stop the Genocidal Campaign Against Shia Muslims

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More than three dozen Shia Muslims have been killed by terrorists in Pakistan this month, pushing the number of victims over three hundred so far in 2014. This epidemic of suicide bombings, bomb explosions and targeted assassinations against the Shia community has extended to Karachi, Hyderabad, Khairpur, Rahim Yar Khan, Quetta, Peshawar, Kohat, and Gilgit, together with the main pilgrim routes.

Since 2008, extremist terrorists have openly declared on the social media that they intend ultimately to exterminate the whole Shia population of the country, numbering between 17 and 30million – unless they convert to the fundamentalist brand of Sunni Islam the terrorists espouse. Thousands have been murdered already, and their properties and places of worship destroyed. This campaign of religious cleansing also extends to other minorities, strikingly similar to what the Daesh are doing in Iraq and Syria. Its time the international community joined the dots, and recognised that we have to contend not only with the territorially based pseudo-caliphate in the Middle East, frightening as that is to all civilised people, but also with its metastasising growths in other vulnerable states, of which Pakistan is the main example.

Malik Ishaq, the leader of the most notorious anti-Shia extremist group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) says that Shia Muslims are “the greatest infidels on earth” and demands that the Pakistani state “declare Shia non-Muslims on the basis of their beliefs”. The LeJ is officially banned, yet Ishaq was released from prison in May when the prosecution failed to produce evidence against him and he was acquitted of charges including the master-minding of a bomb attack on Shias in Quetta which killed 90 people. Not a single one of the genocidal killers of the LeJ and other terrorist groups has been finally convicted and put behind bard: some are arrested and spend a few months in custody, but somehow they all get away with their heinous crimes in the end.

Ahle Sunnat wal Jamaat, the parent organisation of the LEJ, which was banned by Pakistan in March 2012, has nevertheless been staging public rallies in Quetta, Karachi and other cities by the Nawaz Sharif government, fomenting religious intolerance and extremism. At the same time the Army Chief General Raheel Sharif has launched an operation against the terrorists in North Waziristan, the lawless province in the northwest of the country bordering Afghanistan which is the cradle of terrorist activity. The government doesn’t see any inconsistency between giving terrorism a free rein to commit atrocities and spread their doctrine of hate in the main centres of population, while attempting to root them out in one remote area.

The same double-standard is the hallmark of Asif Ali Zardari, co-chairman of Pakistan Peoples’ Party, which has ruled Sindh since 2008. Addressing a gathering in Lahore, he says: “now there is a security threat to Sindh I am looking into it”. He has turned a blind eye for six years to the targeted killings of Shia Muslims in Karachi, now a daily occurrence. The construction of several thousand seminaries without permission is in full swing, aimed at radicalising the population of Sindh. What on earth is Zardari looking at and how long will he ignore the threat to the very existence of Pakistan as a democratic state?

Imran Khan, leader of the opposition, advocated negotiations with the terrorists during the election. He denounced them briefly as enemies of Islam in the early months of 2014, but lapsed into silence since then. He too fails to recognize that extremist outfits with an ideology almost identical to that of the Daesh in Syria and Iraq present an existential threat to Pakistan.
Today is the start of the holy month of Muharram, which has seen an upsurge of violence against traditional Shia ceremonies across the nation in recent years. The politicians should forget their differences and come together for once, appealing to their followers of whatever belief to join the processions as they used to do in the old days, in an act of defiance against the anti-Islamic merchants of hate.

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Bahrain regime suspends activities of Al Wefaq National Islamic Society

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In a seriously concerning step, the Bahraini regime has suspended the activities of Al Wefaq National Islamic Society (the largest political group in Bahrain) for a period of 3 months.

Al Wefaq considers the measure irrational and irresponsible. Al Wefaq said the tyrannical dictatorship in Bahrain is ruling with an iron fist and moving to destroy the political and social life by blocking the people out. The regime is heading to a unilateral life and replacing the people with sham foundations and projects.

Al Wefaq will continue in its struggle for democratic transition and justice to build a democratic state for all Bahrainis and end the totalitarian rule that is excluding the people through harsh sentences and security measures that violate fundamental human rights.

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Brothers Hussam and Mahmood Suroor Targeted for Freedom of Expression in Bahrain

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Americans for Democracy Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB), the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) and the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD) express their concern over the Bahraini government’s ongoing campaign of targeting photographers, journalists and artists for documenting abuses and human rights violations committed by the government and security forces. The government arrested 17-year-old photographer Hussam Mahdi Suroor on 4 September 2014. His 26-years-old brother, artist Mahmood Suroor, was arrested and detained on 10 October 2014.

(Top photo: From right to left: Photo of the photographer Suroor; his brother, and artist, Mahmood.)

Suroor’s family told BCHR that security force stopped Hussam’s car near Duraz at approximately 22.00 on Thursday, 4 September 2014. Hussam and his friend were taken to an unofficial torture centre, known locally as ‘Khayala’, where security forces subjected them to severe beatings before transferring them to the Criminal Investigation building. Five days after the arrest, Hussam was finally permitted to contact his family. The government has ordered his detention for 60 days pending investigation, a practice now permissible due to the internationally condemned anti-terrorism law. Hussam is an amateur photographer who has risked government reprisal to document and publicize daily protests and human rights violations in Bahrain. He was previously arrested and tortured in 2012 before being released without charges.

Photographs of the ill-treatment and torture Hussam was subjected to during his arrest in 2012

On 10 October 2014, masked civilian forces accompanied by police raided Mahmood Suroor’s house without providing any a search warrant. Suroor, a 26-year-old artist, (1) was arrested and had his phone, camera, laptop and external hard drive confiscated. Security forces also searched Mahmood’s car before leaving the house. Mahmood was subjected to enforced disappearance for five days before being transferred to the Dry Dock prison. The Public Prosecution ordered his detention for 60 days pending investigation.

 

Photographs of the aftermath of the security forces illegal search of the Suroor household.

              

These ongoing reprisals against all forms of dissent have received international condemnation. In a recent statement, (2) Reporters without Borders condemned what they called revengeful acts against peaceful activists for documenting and exposing human rights violations. Bahrain 19, an organization that monitors violations of freedom of expression, demanded the release of the Suroor brothers and all those who have been detained for exercising their free speech rights.(3) As a result of such reprisals, Freedom House categorized Bahrain as one of the least free countries in the world in terms of civil liberties and political rights for five years in a row. (4)

The signed NGOs note the Bahraini government’s ongoing campaign of suppressing dissent by targeting freedom of expression stands in violation of international covenants and charters endorsed and signed by Bahrain. Specifically, such acts constitute a violation of Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states that: “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” (5) 

Americans for Democracy Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB), the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) and the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD) call on the United Kingdom, the United States and all of Bahrain’s allies to pressure the Bahraini government to:

  1. Immediately and unconditionally release Hussam and Mahmood Suroor and to drop the charges against them, especially those directly related to their right to freedom of expression;
  2. Stop the systematic targeting of photographers, journalists and activists.

Bahrain’s allies must take action to free human rights defenders

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The undersigned 40 organisations call on the international community to publicly condemn the ongoing crackdown on human rights defenders, who face harassment, imprisonment, and forced exile for peacefully exercising their internationally recognised rights to freedom of expression and assembly. With parliamentary elections in Bahrain scheduled for 22 November, the international community must impress upon the government of Bahrain the importance of releasing peaceful human rights defenders as a precursor for free and fair elections.

Attacks against human rights defenders and free expression by the Bahraini government have not only increased in frequency and severity, but have enjoyed public support from the ruling elite. On 3 September 2014, King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa said he will fight “wrongful use” of social media by legal means. He indicated that “there are those who attempt to exploit social media networks to publish negative thoughts, and to cause breakdown in society, under the pretext of freedom of expression or human rights.” Prior to that, the Prime Minister warned that social media users would be targeted.

The Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR) documented 16 cases where individuals were imprisoned in 2014 for statements posted on social media platforms, particularly on Twitter and Instagram. In October alone, some of Bahrain’s most prominent human rights defenders, including Nabeel Rajab, Zainab Al-Khawaja and Ghada Jamsheer, face sentencing on criminal charges related to free expression that carry years-long imprisonment.

Nabeel Rajab, President of the BCHR, Director of the Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR), and Deputy Secretary General of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), was arrested on 1 October 2014 and charged with insulting the Ministry of Interior and the Bahrain Defence Forces on Twitter. Rajab was arrested the day after he returned from an advocacy tour in Europe, where he spoke about human rights abuses in Bahrain at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, addressed the European Parliament in Brussels, and visited foreign ministries throughout Europe.

On 19 October, the Lower Criminal Court postponed ruling on Rajab’s case until 29 October and denied bail. Rajab’s family was banned from attending the proceedings. Under Article 216 of the Bahraini Penal Code, Rajab could face up to three years in prison. We believe that Rajab’s detention and criminal case are in reprisal for his international advocacy and that the Bahraini authorities are abusing the judicial system to silence Rajab. More than 100 civil society organisations have called for Rajab’s immediate and unconditional release, while the United Nations called his detention “chilling” and argued that it sends a “disturbing message.” The United States and Norway called for the government to drop the charges against Rajab, and France called on Bahrain to respect freedom of expression and facilitate free public debate.

Zainab Al-Khawaja, who is over eight months pregnant, remains in detention since 14 October on charges of insulting the King. These charges relate to two incidents, one in 2012 and another during a court appearance earlier this month, where she tore a photo of the King. On 21 October, the Court adjourned her case until 30 October and continued her detention.

Zainab Al-Khawaja is the daughter of prominent human rights defender Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, who is currently serving a life sentence in prison, following a grossly unfair trial, for calling for political reforms in Bahrain. Zainab Al-Khawaja has been subjected to continuous judicial harassment, imprisoned for most of last year and prosecuted on many occasions. Three additional trumped up charges were brought against her when she attempted to visit her father at Jaw Prison in August 2014 when he was on hunger strike. The charges are related to “entering a restricted area”, “not cooperating with police orders” and “verbal assault”.

Zainab’s sister, Maryam Al-Khawaja, was also targeted by the Bahraini government recently. The Co-Director of the GCHR is due in court on 5 November 2014 to face sentencing for allegedly “assaulting a police officer.” While the only sign that the police officer was assaulted is a scratched finger, Maryam Al-Khawaja suffered a torn shoulder muscle as a result of rough treatment at the hands of police. She spent more than two weeks in prison in September following her return to Bahrain to visit her ailing father. More than 150 civil society organisations and individuals called for Maryam Al-Khawaja’s release in September, as did UN Special Rapporteurs and Denmark.

Other human rights defenders recently jailed include feminist activist and women’s rights defender Ghada Jamsheer, detained since 15 September 2014 for comments she allegedly made on Twitter regarding corruption at Hamad University Hospital. Jamsheer faced the Lower Criminal Court on 22 October 2014 on charges of “insult and defamation over social media” in three cases and a verdict is scheduled on 29 October 2014.

While the government of Bahrain continues to publicly tout efforts towards reform, the facts on the ground speak to the contrary. Human rights defenders remain targets of government oppression, while freedom of expression and assembly are increasingly under attack. Without the immediate and unconditional release of political prisoners and human rights defenders, reform cannot become a reality in Bahrain.

We urge the international community, particularly Bahrain’s allies, to apply pressure on the government of Bahrain to end the judicial harassment of all human rights defenders. The government of Bahrain must immediately drop all charges against and ensure the release of human rights defenders and political prisoners, including Nabeel Rajab, Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, Zainab Al-Khawaja, Ghada Jamsheer, Naji Fateel, Dr. Abduljalil Al-Singace, Nader Abdul Emam and all those detained for expressing their right to freedom of expression and assembly peacefully.

Signed,

Activist Organization for Development and Human Rights, Yemen

African Life Center

Americans for Democracy and Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB)
Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI)
Avocats Sans Frontières Network

Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR)

Bahrain Human Rights Observatory (BHRO)

Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD)
Bahrain Salam for Human Rights
Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights (BYSHR)

Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE)
CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation

English PEN

European-Bahraini Organisation for Human Rights (EBOHR)
Freedom House

Gulf Center for Human Rights (GCHR)

Index on Censorship

International Centre for Supporting Rights and Freedom, Egypt

International Independent Commission for Human Rights, Palestine

International Awareness Youth Club, Egypt

Kuwait Institute for Human Rights

Kuwait Human Rights Society

Lawyer’s Rights Watch Canada (LWRC)

Maharat Foundation

Nidal Altaghyeer, Yemen

No Peace Without Justice (NPWJ – Italy)

Nonviolent Radical Party, Transnational and Transparty (NRPTT – Italy)

PEN International

Redress

Reporters Without Borders

Reprieve

Réseau des avocats algérien pour défendre les droits de l’homme, Algeria
Solidaritas Perempuan (SP-Women’s Solidarity for Human Rights), Indonesia

Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA)

Syrian Non-Violent Movement
The Voice of Women

Think Young Women
Women Living Under Muslim laws, UK

Youth for Humanity, Egypt

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Ayatollah Safi-Golpaygani: “One cannot preach Islam if he isolates himself from society”

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Grand Ayatollah Lotfollah Safi-Golpaygani has met with Ayatollah Mortaza Moqtadaei, the director of the Higher Council for the Islamic Seminary, and Hujjat al-Islam Ahmad Farrokh-Fal, the director of the Islamic Seminary of the Province of Qom.

During the meeting Ayatollah Safi-Golpaygani appreciated the two scholars services and efforts in the Holy Islamic Seminary of Qom. He referred to the importance of the Islamic Seminary of Qom and the importance of its educational programs. “If students start their seminary studies with correct and precise planning and study well, it will be beneficial strengthen their knowledge when they reach the higher levels of study. Thus, the managers of the seminaries must give greater attention to introductory seminary courses,” His Eminence advised.

“The facilities of the seminaries are much better now than they were previously [but] we also must work harder and support the seminarians more than previously,” Ayatollah Safi-Golpyagani added in reference to the hard work that the managers of the seminary have been accomplishing.

In reference to the beginning of his own studies, the 95-year old source of emulation stated that at that time there was no encouragement to study in the seminary but rather there were many barriers to study Islamic sciences. He stated that it was said to seminarians: “Why do you study religious sciences? The time has passed for this type of studies!”

His Eminence explained that some wealthy benefactors even offered to pay to send him to study in London. Only some his local benefactors encouraged him to study in the seminary. He stated that we are very blessed that many youth are joining the seminary but due to this, we need to plan well and precisely so that the seminarians can take full advantage of their studies.

Ayatollah Safi-Golpaygani added that it is very important that seminarians become good preachers and missionaries for the sake of Islam and not isolate themselves from the people. “The true mystic is one who preaches the religion and saves people from going astray. A mystic is not someone who isolates themselves and chooses the name of mysticism for himself,” he explained.

At the beginning of the meeting, Ayatollah Moqtadaei and Hujjat al-Islam Farrokh-Fal delivered a detailed report on behalf the director of the Islamic Seminary of Qom in regards to the seminary’s curriculum, extracurricular studies as well as theological and ethical classes and training camps for preachers. Ayatollah Safi-Golpaygani thanked them once again for their efforts.

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Lebanon’s Coalition of Muslim Scholars: “Takfiri groups do not represent the Sunnis of Lebanon”

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Lebanon’s Coalition of Muslim Scholars have stressed that the guerrilla warfare waged by Takfiri groups in Tripoli is a battle by terrorists against the Lebanese state. “These terrorists want to seize the land and property of the people and to take them as prisoners of their [Takfiri] political orientation. We call on all citizens to stand alongside the [Lebanese] army in this battle,” they said in a statement released.

They pointed out that the Takfiri groups fighting in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli, which is predominantly Sunni, do not represent the Sunnis of Lebanon. Their actions are not in defence of the Sunni people of Lebanon as they claim, but rather in service to the American-Zionist project which does not just affect Lebanon, but  it affects the region as a whole. It is a political battle and not sectarian-based.

The Coalition offered their full support to the Lebanese army and asked them to proceed with the uprooting of these groups from their bases and to eliminate them in order to preserve the security and peace of Lebanon for its citizens. The Coalition also offered their deepest condolences to the army’s martyrs, and prayed that God Almighty grant their families patience and fortitude and grant the wounded a speedy recovery.

They pointed out that it has became clear to everyone that the Takfiri project in Lebanon aims to control parts of the country so that they can gain access to the sea. Foreign donors are providing these groups with money and weapons and manpower so they can continue their fight for the establishment of a Takfiri state, as they have declared in Iraq and Syria. The ISIL terrorists consider Lebanon a legitimate target as the nation is historically considered part of the Levant.

The Coalition of Muslim Scholars added that these groups are working for the annexation of Lebanon to the so-called Islamic State. They emphasized that this un-Islamic State was created with the help of the United States, Turkey, the Zionist entity and their Arab puppets in the Persian Gulf.

It was due to the intervention of the Islamic Resistance [Hezbollah] that the Takfiri terrorists were defeated in Tripoli. Due to the efforts of the Lebanese and Syrian armies, the Takfiris were rooted out of Arsal and Qalamoun and their evil project was foiled and aborted in these regions. They sought to gain control over the strategic Beqaa Valley and then gain control of coastal areas so they would have access to the Mediterranean Sea. The Coalition stated that some Lebanese politicians are blind to these facts and certain politicians seek to give immunity and protection to these Takfiri groups instead of fighting against it.

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Iran Supreme Leader stresses unity among Muslim states

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Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has underscored the need for unity among all Muslim countries amid enemy plots to create rift in the Islamic Ummah.

Addressing a group of Iranian Hajj officials in Tehran on Tuesday, Ayatollah Khamenei described Islamic unity as “the Islamic Republic’s fundamental slogan”, which means that Muslim states should set aside enmities and stand by each other vis-à-vis important global issues.

The Leader further described Hajj pilgrimage as an opportunity that must be seized in order to foil enemy plots, which are hatched to separate Iran from the rest of the Muslim world.

“Raising a barrier between the Islamic Republic [of Iran] and the rest of the Muslim world is one of the ploys [used by] the enemies of unity in the Islamic Ummah,” the Leader stated, adding that every Muslim is obligated to make efforts to help raze this “fake barrier.”

Ayatollah Khamenei also warned of false enemy propaganda aimed at spreading illusions about Iran and Shia Islam.

The annual pilgrimage of Hajj brings millions of Muslims together from a variety of nationalities, races and sects.

Hajj, as one of the world’s largest gatherings, is a demonstration of the solidarity of the Muslim people and their submission to God. Hajj rituals take place during six days (8th-13th) of the Islamic lunar month of Dhul-Hijjah.

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