"Mecca and Medina Belong to all Muslims not just Saudi Arabia," pointed out religious cleric Ayatollah Hadavi Tehrani.
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In the wake of Saudi Arabia recent events including sexual assaults on tow Iranian boys in Mecca, Iran's suspension of Umrah (Lesser Pilgrimage) and Saudi Arabia invasion of Yemen, AhlulBayt News Agency held a news conference with Ayatollah Mahdi Hadavi Tehrani, a member of supreme leader's Beseh and a member of the Supreme Council of the Ahlul Bayt World Assembly, in Qom. What follows here is a part of his remarks.
The Background of the Regional Events
Historically, Iran's Islamic revolution happened Just at the time that Western analysts were on this belief that Iran is the safest area for protecting the interests of the West; but this safe place caught in the turbulence which could not be foreseen.
After the victory of Iran's Islamic revolution the country became an independent country that was not under the domination of the West anymore. So some countries in the region have had this opportunity to be a gendarme of the region for serving the interests of West in the Middle East. On the other hand, some countries such as Israel, which had been deprived of the benefits of Iran's last regime, were seeking a replacement for it. At this time a latent partnership created between these two sides; Iran's Shah was gone and there were some opportunities and threats for the both sides.
Islamic Republic of Iran Goes Far Beyond a Religion and Nationality
Iran's Islamic Revolution came to happen for restoring religion in the broad sense and reviving Islam in the narrow sense. Although Iran's people and its leaders were all Shiites of Ahlul Bayt (AS), they were thinking of their revolution as an opportunity for protecting any oppressed people around the world, regardless of their religion. In contrast, the opponents of the Islamic revolution attempted to introduce Iran's revolution as a limited thing which it just worries about the Shiite sect.
Iran's law and its more than three decades experiences indicate that the government of this country is the symbol of coexisting between religions and sects.
The Islamic Awakening Was Inspired by Iran's 1979 Revolution
Iran's Islamic Revolution was exported to the other countries. In fact, ideological-revolutionary thoughts of Islamic revolution were received among the masses through the intellectuals and caused some developments in the region, such as Islamic awakening in recent years.
For example, Tunisia was actually under domination of French. By doing so, they tried to protect their interests. There was a police state during the Presidency of Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali. There was no name of Islam. But this country was the initiator of the Islamic Awakening. Unfortunately, some countries in the region with collaboration of the west diverted this popular uprising from the mainstream, and as a result, various extremist movements grew.
The Influence of Extremist Movements over the Islamic Awakening
The financial supporting of some Arab countries, policies of some Westerns and Israel's conspiracies paved the way for creating extremist movements among Tunisian secular people -who were not even the fan of extremism- to the extent that Tunisia have changed now to a country that provided forces for ISIS terrorists in Syria; as we see Jihad al-Nikah (Sexual Jihad) was started from Tunisia.
The enemies of the Islamic awakening were delighted by their progress in Syria, and were thinking they could reach to their targets very soon. Syria became the birthplace of one of the most dangerous groups in human history called "Da'esh". They occupied some regions of both Iraq and Syria. But Iran's stance on the issue changed the situation and they failed to reach their goals in Iraq and Syria. In Iraq they reached near Baghdad, however with the leadership of ulema, resistance of Iraqi people, management of Iraqi authorities and Iran's support they failed again.
Yemen; The National-Political Movement of Ansarullah
Houthis are a big tribe among the Zaidi branch of Shiite. In the early days they launched a military-ethnic movement against Ali Abdullah Saleh, but their movement gradually has changed into the national-political movement. Finally they were able to get the control of the country. But Saudi rulers were not happy by this change; they were worried that the Ansarullah movement would be a threat to them so started invasion of Yemen.
Death of "King Abdullah" is a factor for Saudi's imprudence in handling the situation and this attack was happened after the death of king Abdullah. When he was alive he came to the conclusion that Takfiri and extremist movements are harmful for the country, so before his death he began to set a limit on the activities of Saudi extremists. But, after his death the rule was changed in Saudi Arabia and extremist resumed their activities again.
Mecca and Medina Belongs to all Muslims not just Saudi Arabia
Mecca and Medina belongs to all Muslims around the world, not just Saudi Arabia. Unfortunately, we see Saudi government, by imposing his religious views, has made lots of problems and lots of limitations for the followers of all sects, not just Shiites. In these conditions Islamic countries or Islamic Cooperation Organization must form a council for managing pilgrimage affairs. This is what Imam Khomeini (RA) stressed in the past and said Saudi regime has no competence to manage the tow holy cities, Mecca and Medina.
