In Confrontation with Secularism, Both Shia and Sunni Communities Are at Risk

: Religious Scholar in Interview with Taghrib News

In an interview with Taghrib News Agency(TNA), he emphasized that secularism, especially in its neoliberal and liberal forms, targets the essence of religion—not just its rituals or denominations.

“Today, religion is under attack from multiple fronts, particularly from the liberal world,” Ghasemi said. “One of the most serious threats is the secular view of religion, which seeks to reduce faith to a private matter and strip it of its societal role.”

He explained that unlike traditional opponents of religion who openly reject faith, modern secularists often claim to accept religion in public while working covertly to marginalize it. “This duality makes their approach more insidious,” he noted.
Ghasemi stressed that secularism weakens the role of religion in human life. “When liberalism takes hold, religion is reduced to a mere name—or at best, a distant memory,” he said. “That’s why religious scholars and activists must remain vigilant against secular currents.”

He pointed out that secularism does not distinguish between sects; it challenges the very foundation of faith. “In the face of secularism, both Shia and Sunni communities suffer,” he said. “Its proponents adopt aggressive stances toward religion, first under the guise of neoliberalism and later through liberal frameworks, until religion is hollowed out.”

Ghasemi concluded by emphasizing the responsibility of religious scholars—regardless of sect—to confront secularism. “Beyond preaching and teaching, scholars must actively counter secular ideologies,” he said. “It is essential that academic and religious institutions clearly identify and expose these anti-religious currents so that students and clerics are not misled.”