Muslim Scholars should avoid dependence on authoritarian rulers

Hojjat al-Islam Hamid Shahriari, on Friday morning, October 20, speaking at the 11^th webinar of the 35^th International Conference on Islamic Unity, while congratulating the birth of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and his Household and Imam Jafar Sadiq (as) pointed out that today we are witnessing war, bloodshed, assassination, conflict and insult in the Islamic world. Because of these problems in the Islamic world, we have made the subject of this conference "Islamic Unity, Peace and the Avoidance of Division and Conflict in the Islamic world.

He added, although the basic order of Islam is peace and cordiality among the believers, but problems in the Islamic world have led to these troubles. Here are some of the most important problems and I recommend practical way to deal with them:

1. Global arrogance led by the United States and the plundering West are always trying to justify their presence in the region by creating war, division and conflict in the Islamic world. This is the main source of conflicts, killings and looting within and among Islamic countries.

2. Some traitorous statesmen and their affiliated scholars in some Islamic countries, who provide a favorable environment for the presence of these oppressors in Islamic countries, have tied their interests to the interests of the enemies of Islam and provide a good foothold for their presence and promote normalization of relations with the enemies of Islam.

3. Some wide-ranging historical and epistemological differences in theology, religious beliefs and Shari'a among the followers of the various Islamic schools of thought, which is a leeway for the activation of the enemies of Islam.

4. Ignorance or betrayal by some extremist sects and religions, both Shiites and Sunnis. One incites strife by insulting the sanctities of the other, and the other prescribes murdering and plundering the assets of Muslims by excommunicating them and promoting violence against other.

5. Lack of religious democracy in some Islamic countries and state decision making by a family clan and violation of citizenship rights and legitimate demands of the people.

6. Ethnic, sectarian and nationalist outlook - similar to the period of ignorance at the outset of Islam among some tribes, clans and Islamic nations as well as blind prejudices.

7. Opposing groups and parties in some Islamic countries and creating and promoting an atmosphere of slander and suspicion towards each other and resorting to sabotage, force and other irreligious acts in order to secure party and group interests and adapting the policy of elimination of the opposition.

8. Competition among Islamic countries in forging alliance with other countries and using the enemies of Islam to overcome against their rivals.

The Secretary General of the World Forum for Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought then said we have to find a suitable solution to each of these problems and sufferings.

Generally speaking, the followings can be mentioned to solve these problems and sufferings:

1. Resisting global arrogance by creating strong governmental, military, security, economic and cultural establishments. We must be strong against the hegemony of the world-plundering America.
It is a Qur'anic command. We must stand against the excesses by the enemies of Islam with a resilient popular organization. This was our experience in the imposed war and in the fight against ISIS, which was gained thanks to the blood of the martyrs of the Islamic Revolution.

2. The Muslim scholars should refrain from dependence on tyrannical governments that are affiliated with the oppressors and enemies of Islam, and follow the example of the Messenger of God (PBUH), in practicing the commandment of enjoining the good and the forbidding of the evil towards their rulers, and be harsh in dealing with infidels and promote mercy among Muslims.

3. We should prescribe ijtihad (independent reasoning) in religions and observe the etiquette of differences in handling dispute over Ijtihad questions within each religion, and Muslim jurists should excuse each other for not reaching the truth.

4. Enlighten the ignorant is one of the duties of scholars and exposing the traitors to the Islamic Ummah is one of the duties of the revolutionary media. These two tasks must also be pursued closely.
5. Islamic communities should pursue their rights in authoritarian regimes and claim their rights as peacefully as possible.

6. Ethnicity, sectarianism and nationalism are against Islam and all Islamic nations should free themselves of these factors and resort to Islam, the holy Qur'an and the Holy Prophet and take piety and Divine guardianship as the criterion of superiority within the Islamic Ummah.

7. Opposition groups and parties within each country must pursue rational methods for resolving disputes and use religious democracy as the final means to seize power and prevent internal strife.

8. Competition between Islamic countries is not a wrongdoing, but a good practice. This competition, instead of being destructive and leading countries to war and conflict, can be constructive and form a healthy competition between Islamic countries so that each of them can offers their own model of success to the world and in case of conflict of interests, use Islamic sources, namely the Qur'an and the Sunnah and the lineage of the Prophet (PBUH), and rational and internationally accepted methods, to resolve their differences.

Hojjat-al-Islam Shahriari concluded his speech by thanking all who helped holding of the conference and thanked the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran who granted audience with the guests of the conference and asked God Almighty to prevail just peace and rational tolerance throughout the world.