Says, Time & Place Determine Mode of Resistance
SRINAGAR: Iranian ambassador to India, Gholam Reza Ansari Wednesday said that Islam was facing serious threats from terrorist groups like DAISH who have embarked on a dangerous mission to vilify its peaceful message.
The envoy told a seminar in Srinagar that DAISH or ISIS wave black flags bearing the Islamic declaration of faith, but beneath it they chop the heads of people and publicize the images worldwide to frighten people away from Islam.
Beneath the black flag with shahada written on it, they chop heads of people and commit other bone-chilling atrocities and portray this as new image of Islam and Muslims, Ansari said at the seminar organized at SKICC to mark the 26th anniversary of architect of the Islamic revolution Imam Ruhullah Khomeini.
Ambassador Ansari said this wrong portrayal of religion was the biggest danger to Islam and Muslims facing today as these actions were utterly contrary to the Islamic values and teachings.
Urging upon Muslims to give top priority to education in order to break the shackles of slavery, the envoy highlighted the achievements made by the Islamic Republic in the fields of science and technology despite years of sanctions and imposed wars.
Ansari said this progress by a Muslim nation was not being digested by the global powers. Iran is being portrayed as a Shia power instead of an Islamic one in order to prevent Muslims in general from imbibing the success story of revolution.
“Imperialist powers tried their best to destabilise the Islamic Republic but failed. Now, they have hatched a conspiracy against Islam by creating groups like Daish who are carrying out heinous and barbaric acts under the guise of Islam and this is being portrayed by the Western media as a Shia-Sunni conflict.
Let me tell you DAISH has killed and displaced more Sunnis than any other community, he informed.
Iranian envoy stressed upon Muslims to take into account the significance of time and place before deciding about the course of action to achieve their goals.
In an indirect reference to Kashmir conflict, Iranian envoy said: The mode of resistance changes according to the time and place. While giving examples, Ansari said the conflict in Palestine and Bahrain cannot be equated.
“While Palestinians and Bahrainis both live under oppressive regimes, yet the mode of resistance has to be different.
While he advocated armed resistance in Palestine, Ansari said the situation in Bahrain demanded peaceful resistance.
He also called for strengthening of the economic and cultural ties between Iran and Kashmir.
“During my meeting with the chief minister of Kashmir, we have decided to soon organise Iran-Kashmir cultural week to revive our age-old relations,” he said.
Speaking on the occasion, Hurriyat Conference (M) chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq hailed Imam Khomeini as a symbol of resistance against oppression who championed the cause of the oppressed and described him as an Islamic revivalist.
Stressing the need for unity among Muslims, Mirwaiz said that the great tribute to Imam Khomeini would be to follow his teachings.
“I think Imam’s message of unity and integrity has much more meaning today because right now the Muslim community is going through turmoil. As Muslims, we have to stand united for our rights and against oppression he said. I believe through conferences like this we can send across the message from Kashmir that Muslims in Kashmir are united and ready to foil any anti-Muslim conspiracies.”
Mirwaiz praised Iran for steadfastness in the face of challenges which, according to him, has given it a prestigious status among Muslim nations.
Mirwaiz said that the biggest issues facing the Muslim world today were those of Palestine and Kashmir.
“Efforts must be made to resolve these issues. With regard to Kashmir, I urge Iran, since it shares good relations with both India and Pakistan, to act as a mediator to ask both the countries to start a result-oriented dialogue process to resolve this issue,” he added.
Former speaker of Iranian Parliament and an advisor to Iranian supreme leader, Ali Akbar Nateq Noori, who was chief guest on the occasion, said in his speech that Iranian revolution was the best example of interfaith unity.
“The revolution was made possible by the sacrifices made by Shias, Sunnis, Christians, and Jews, who had unflinching faith in the charismatic leadership of Imam Khomeini. If Iran has emerged as a regional superpower today despite sanctions, it is because we have upheld Imam’s idea about unity,” he said.
Speaking on the occasion, President Ittihadul Muslimeen, Moulana Masroor Abbas Ansari, said that Imam Khomeini revived the essence of Islam and taught the oppressed people that they can be the rulers of their destiny.
Addressing the conference, Aga Syed Hasan, president of Anjuman-e Sharie Shiayan, said that Iran’s Islamic revolution was the watershed moment in history that turned around the whole discourse about the connection between religion and state. He said Imam Khomeini proved that Islam was the guiding principle for those who aspire to run the government and work towards the welfare of citizens.
Justice Bashir Kirmani said Imam Khomeini was one of the pioneers of Muslim unity.
“Imam Khomeini very patently and visibly made a very serious effort of unity between Muslims. He contributed a lot towards Muslim unity at large and laid a very strong basis in taking this idea forward,” he said.
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