The outstanding Iranian Sunni leader, Shaikh Abdol-Hamid Isma’eelzahi, alluded to the ongoing crises in the Muslim world urging on dialogue and negotiation to resolve the crises instead of violence and fight.
Talking to tens of thousands worshippers on Eid al-Fitr day gathered to offer Eid prayers on July 29, 2014 in Zahedan, he said, “Muslims must not kill each other destroying houses of each other. Violence and warfare cannot be solutions of any problem; instead Muslims should resolve their disputes and differences by dialogue and open-mindness. It is the way to get rid of the ongoing crises.”
“All Muslim sects and communities should tolerate each other whenever they live; they must avoid vilification and insulting each other’s sanctities. It is not allowed to offend even non-Muslims’ religious sanctities when there is possibility of fitnah, because carrying out any act that leads to commotion (fitnah) is Haram in Islam,” he underlined.
The rector of Darululoom Zahedan called disputes ‘damaging’ for any society and said, “Differences, whether they are ethnic, religious or political that ends to enmity and dispute, stop development in any region and society.”
“Disputes damage the morals; nowadays the biggest threat to the Muslim world is differences which lead Muslims to fight with each other. Some super powers and international Zionism movement want to propel the Middle East and other regions into fights and disputes; their interests can be ensured in such clashes,” he added more.
The member of the International Union for Muslim Scholars urged, “The enemies of Islam are afraid of the power of Islam and Islamic awakening as they know well the influence of Islam in the lives of people.”
“It makes people prone to profanity to shed blood of innocent men and women. There is no doubt, if somebody declares blood of any Muslim worthless and Halal, he is a ‘Kafir’. So Muslims should take their religion firmly resisting illegal activities,” Shaikh Abdol-Hamid pointed out.
Muslims protect geographical borders of their countries
Khateeb of Sunnis alluded to the changes take place in the Middle East and said, “Muslims in the states like Iraq and Syria must not allow their countries go prone to division. Territorial integrity of the Muslim states is very important. Secession of Muslim states is the wish of anti-Islam sides.”
“Muslims should not allow secession of their countries in favor of the Zionists. We have been witnessing how the Zionist army assault Gaza ruthlessly. The Western countries and Security Council kept silent and finally they just asked for ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian fighters. Such issues prove Muslims need to be united more and they must resolve their problems by mutual understating and dialogue,” Shaikh emphasized.
National interests should not be sided by force of the ‘pressure groups’
The most influential Sunni leader in Iran addressed the Iranian government in the Eid gathering of Sunnis in Zahedan city and said, “The government of Mr. Rouhani should give priority to the national interests on the personal views and understating of individuals. The government should not come under the pressure of any pressure group.”
“The government of ‘discretion and hope’, especially the president Rouhani, are expected to go ahead in accordance with the national constitution; they should work hard to ensure full execution of the constitution and provide all citizens their basic freedoms including religious, social and political liberties,” he further said.
He asked the Iranian government to take serious steps to implement the national constitution in order to strengthen national unity and security of Iran.
The government should resolve the matter of Sunnis’ prayers forever
Khateeb of Sunnis alluded to some obstacles for Sunnis’ Friday and Eid prayers in some cities and said, “The government should resolve the issue of Sunnis’ prayers in different cities and towns legally; it will forbid others to create problems for Sunni citizens. Sunni Muslims have the right to establish their five-time prayers as well as Friday and Eid prayers without any hesitation.”
It is noteworthy more than two hundred thousand worshippers took part in the main gathering of Sunnis for Eid prayers in Zahedan where the governor of Sistan-Baluchistan and city governor of Zahedan, provincial capital, also participated the gathering of Sunnis for Eid prayers.