Taqrib News Agency (TNA): Speaking in the 2nd international peace and unity conference which was held in Scotland, Head of the World Forum for Proximity of the Islamic Schools of Thoughts Ayatollah Araki put accentuation on the telling role of unity and rapprochement. What comes in the following in the grand Ayatollah’s speech delivered in the event:
In the name of Allah the Most Beneficent the Most Merciful
I would firstly like to thank all the individuals who have worked hard for organising this conference, and I ask Allah (swt) to grant them evermore success, Inshallah.
According to What Allah (swt) has stated in the Holy Quran, all the divine religions been sent to the people for the purpose of establishing justice.
Allah (swt) states in Chapter Hadeed, Verse 25:
لَقَدۡ أَرۡسَلۡنَا رُسُلَنَا بِٱلۡبَيِّنَـٰتِ وَأَنزَلۡنَا مَعَهُمُ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبَ وَٱلۡمِيزَانَ لِيَقُومَ ٱلنَّاسُ بِٱلۡقِسۡطِۖ وَأَنزَلۡنَا ٱلۡحَدِيدَ فِيهِ بَأۡسٌ۬ شَدِيدٌ۬ وَمَنَـٰفِعُ لِلنَّاسِ وَلِيَعۡلَمَ ٱللَّهُ مَن يَنصُرُهُ ۥ وَرُسُلَهُ ۥ بِٱلۡغَيۡبِۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ قَوِىٌّ عَزِيزٌ
Indeed We have sent Our Messengers with clear proofs, and revealed with them the Scripture and the Balance that mankind may keep up justice. And We brought forth iron wherein is mighty power (in matters of war), as well as many benefits for mankind, that Allâh may test who it is that will help Him (His religion), and His Messengers in the unseen. Verily, Allâh is All-Strong, All-Mighty.
In addition to this, according to what has been stated in the Holy Quran, all the Prophets brought one single religion to mankind, and called upon mankind to practice oneness (or unity or unification) and empathy.
Allah (swt) states in Chapter Showra, Verse 13:
شَرَعَ لَكُم مِّنَ ٱلدِّينِ مَا وَصَّىٰ بِهِۦ نُوحً۬ا وَٱلَّذِىٓ أَوۡحَيۡنَآ إِلَيۡكَ وَمَا وَصَّيۡنَا بِهِۦۤ إِبۡرَٲهِيمَ وَمُوسَىٰ وَعِيسَىٰٓۖ أَنۡ أَقِيمُواْ ٱلدِّينَ وَلَا تَتَفَرَّقُواْ فِيهِۚ كَبُرَ عَلَى ٱلۡمُشۡرِكِينَ مَا تَدۡعُوهُمۡ إِلَيۡهِۚ ٱللَّهُ يَجۡتَبِىٓ إِلَيۡهِ مَن يَشَآءُ وَيَہۡدِىٓ إِلَيۡهِ مَن يُنِيبُ
He (Allâh) has ordained for you the same religion (Islâmic Monothesim) which He ordained for Nûh (Noah), and that which We have revealed to you (O Muhammad SAW), and that which We ordained for Ibrahîm (Abraham), Mûsa (Moses) and Isa (Jesus) saying you should establish religion, and make no divisions in it. Intolerable for the Mushrikûn, is that (Islâmic Monothesim) to which you (O Muhammad SAW) call them. Allâh chooses for Himself whom He wills, and guides unto Himself who turns to Him in repentance and in obedience.
Elsewhere in the Holy Quran, disagreements and divisions between religions has been noted as a result of oppression and falsification (or distortion), and those who cause divisions in religions are considered as offenders.
Allah (swt) states in Chapter Ale-Emran, Verse 19:
إِنَّ ٱلدِّينَ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلۡإِسۡلَـٰمُۗ وَمَا ٱخۡتَلَفَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبَ إِلَّا مِنۢ بَعۡدِ مَا جَآءَهُمُ ٱلۡعِلۡمُ بَغۡيَۢا بَيۡنَهُمۡۗ
Truly, the religion with Allâh is Islâm. Those who were given the Scripture (Jews and Christians) did not differ except, out of mutual jealousy, after knowledge had come to them. And whoever disbelieves in the Ayât (proofs, evidences, verses, signs, revelations, etc.) of Allâh, then surely, Allâh is Swift in calling to account.
And in Chapter Rum, Verse 21 to 22, He says:
وَلَا تَكُونُواْ مِنَ ٱلۡمُشۡرِڪِينَ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ فَرَّقُواْ دِينَهُمۡ وَڪَانُواْ شِيَعً۬اۖ كُلُّ حِزۡبِۭ بِمَا لَدَيۡہِمۡ فَرِحُونَ
And be not of Al¬Mushrikûn (polytheists, idolaters the disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah). Of those who split up their religion (i.e. who left the true Islâmic Monotheism), and became sects, each sect rejoicing in that which is with it.
In this verse, division in religion and the dividing of the people of religion into different sects has been considered as polytheism, and it has been strongly rejected.
Wars, bloodshed, social oppression, and discriminations all stem from distortion of divine religions and have caused sectarianism and enmity between people and specially the followers of divine religions.
Today we face the phenomenon of sectarianism and war amongst the followers of different religions and faiths. If this situation continues it will soon spread all across the world, and will turn the communities of mankind into a battle ground of war, oppression and bloodshed.
Unfortunately, a few politically influential capitalists and wealthy entities in some countries, keep intensifying the division and discord among different faiths in order to profit from the sale of arms to extremist groups.
Today, the humanitarian duty of all of us is to correct the misunderstandings between religions by familiarising ourselves with the true teachings of different religions and faiths, so that we can prevent the distortion of the true teachings of different religions and to eliminate any grounds for creating discord or conflict among religions.
Furthermore, through cooperation and collaboration, we must prevent and reject those profiteers who wish to profit from selling weapons or seek to dominate the wealth of other nations by means of causing sedition and division among nations.
It is necessary to establish combined universities of religions and faiths, which promote and teach the correct and true teachings, beliefs and thoughts of followers of different religions and faiths from reliable sources of each religion.
Also, it is a necessity to establish groups and gatherings comprising of the followers of different religions, for the purpose of resolving problems and disputes which emerge in certain regions.
In addition to these, the establishment of councils consisting of leaders and scholars of different religions and faiths, for the purpose of cooperation and solidarity between different religions and faiths is absolutely essential.
The World Forum for Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought is prepared to support all the mentioned initiatives. We are prepared to provide our services, our thoughts, and our facilities to those who make efforts towards creating unity and proximity between different religions and faiths.
We hope that this conference takes effective steps towards this cause.
/SR
