Political Commentator: No Conflicts between Muslim Countries in United Muslim Ummah

TEHRAN (FNA)- Ahmad Haj-Ali, Journalist and Political Commentator said the Muslim countries need to be united against the threats posed by world’s hegemonic powers.

Commenting on the practical steps Islamic countries should take to unite, he mentioned the duty of Muslim spiritual leaders to rise and walk in Imam Khomeini’s path of uniting Muslim nations.

Ahmad Haj-Ali is a Lebanese Moscow-based journalist and political commentator. He attended the 32nd International Islamic Unity Conference in the Iranian capital, Tehran, in late November 2018.

FNA has conducted an interview with Ahmad Haj-Ali on the necessity of unity among Muslims countries and the role Tehran’s Islamic Unity Conference plays to this end.

Below is the full text of the interview:

Q) How do you believe promoting unity and interfaith dialogue among Muslims can counter the onslaught against Islam?

A) Hegemonic powers initiated the crisis among Muslim nations, using a fascist doctrine alien to Islam: the doctrine of “ISIS”, “al-Nusra” and their affiliated groups. Takfiris killed and slaughtered Sunnis as well as Shiites. Hegemonic powers wanted them to dominate the Islamic world, targeting all traditional Islamic schools and sects. The United States, Zionist regime and Persian Gulf so-called kingdoms want to put the confrontation between Sunnis against Shiites. A united Muslim Ummah avoids confrontation between its parts; hence no more conflicts or crisis between Muslim countries.

Q) “Unity cannot be achieved with words and requires collective action.” What steps are needed to be taken to unite the Muslim Ummah?

A) We have to be closer to the spirit of Imam Khomeini’s revolution, to avoid Sunni Vs. Shiite communities. We need every effort to be implemented to fight Takfiris and hegemonic powers. Now, it is the duty of the Spiritual references to do what Imam Khomeini did decades ago. Imam Khomeini’s revolution was neither a Shiite nor Sunni revolution, but it was and still is an Islamic revolution uniting the Muslims. Arab Sunni world should rise and join the axis of resistance. It should get involved in the resistance against world’s hegemonic powers.

Q) Some Arab countries pay billions of dollars buying arms from the US, which in return, regard them as a milk cow which had to be milked. Why do they get the support of the West rather than a united Islamic nations to guaranty their security?

A) As far as the Arabic capitals and economic assets all over the world are in the hands of the United States and the Zionist lobbies, these marionettes so-called Arab Kings and princes are slaves to their western masters. So, majority of Arab leaders are not free in their political choices.

Other Muslim countries should break the western economic hegemony, for instance, by using their national currencies instead of US dollars. There will be some tough years, but it will bring freedom of political choices as well as freedom of our future generations.

Q) What role did Tehran 32nd International Islamic Unity Conference play in uniting Muslims? What was the significance of the conference?

A) In spite of the US-imposed sanctions, the Unity Conference witnessed more and more people attending the event, 32 years after it was first launched. The attendants were leaders of the Islamic world and well-known activists with progressive ideologies. They are part of the global resistance against the unipolar globalization and hegemony.

 The conference got more significance after Americans and Saudis threatened the guests of this round of the conference not to travel to Tehran; however, the attendants came to say they are a part of Imam Khomeini’s revolution and a support to meet his call to free Palestine.

Q) Is there room for non-Muslim countries to have ties with a united Islamic Ummah?

A) We have to work for unity not only among Muslims, but also among all conscious powers opposed to hegemony. Muslims have their allies all over the world, in all continents. Any resistance to the unipolar globalization can rely on the Muslim Ummah’s help and collaboration.

An instance is Russia, with the population of over 10 million Muslims. They were attacked by Wahhabi ideologies after the fall of the Soviet Union. Later, Russian Muslims started to realize the danger of Wahhabism. This made the historical pivotal event which was when the Russian Air Force came to the field to fight along with powers of resistance against the same enemy in Syria. Russian Muslims are partners in victories against Takfiri groups in Syria and Iraq.

Iran holds no resentment towards Saudis: analyst

TEHRAN, Dec. 01 (MNA) – A political analyst has rejected the idea that Iran is an enemy of all Saudis and by extension all Sunnis.

“This long held belief that Iran is an enemy of all Saudis and by extension, all Sunnis is a lie,” Catherine Shakdam, researcher at al-Bayan Centre for Planning and Studies, tells the Tehran Times.

Shakdam says Iran as a country holds no anger and no resentment towards the Saudi people.

She also lauds Iran’s call for unity among Islamic nations, saying thanks to Iran’s efforts “bridges are being built and old prejudices are melting away.”

The following is the full transcript of the interview:

The 32nd edition of the International Islamic Unity Conference was held in Tehran on November 24-26 with the aim of laying the ground for unity and solidarity in the Islamic world. How do you evaluate the measures taken and speeches made during the conference with respect to its objective?

I’d like to begin by saying that Iran is the only country over the decades to have worked so tirelessly towards the promotion of Islamic unity, and beyond that the need for all communities to respect each other, as beyond all differences we all remain equal in our humanity.

I believe readers will benefit from knowing that amid the rise of sectarianism and Wahhabi-led religious radicalism across countless continents and region, Iran has held true to its calls for unity and solidarity for the sake of peace and justice.

It serves the purpose of the ongoing geo-political debate to clearly affirm Iran’s Islamic Republic as a nation dedicated to unity, cooperation, and peaceful collaboration in strengthening respectful bilateral relations. I believe Imam Khomeini set the tone for such a dialogue. Today it is his vision which continues under the leadership of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

As far as the conference goes I would say that Palestine remained, of course, a rallying call for action. It is difficult to imagine it could be any different when Palestine sits a constant reminder of how innocent can so easily be crushed under tyrants’ feet.

Many if not the majority of the tensions experienced throughout the Islamic world, and in particular of course, the Greater Middle East are tied up to the Palestinian dossier. It is impossible to divorce the many conflicts that have sprung across the region and throughout the decades without pinning back to the time of Al Nakhba, when Zionism declared war on Palestine and invaded its land.

What remains clear from the conference is that Iran’s call for the formulation of a united narrative for the benefit of all people is finally taking hold. Bridges are being built and old prejudices are melting away.

Of course such endeavor requires time and much patience, but I believe the path was set and minds ambition to such goals of unity. To refuse unity is to empower tyrants and encourage foreign meddling; to embrace unity however is to assert one’s sovereignty and right to political self-determination, freedom of religion, and freedom of speech.

What issues are the most important ones that the Muslim world faces today? And how can they be overcome?

As I mentioned earlier Palestine sits at the core of most matters. That being said I think Yemen has become such an embodiment of the principles and values of Resistance one cannot help but look towards Yemen and see what devastation disunity leads to. As so many great personalities have noted before me, Yemen is a modern-day Karbala – a brilliant example of a people rising in defense of their rights against the fury of authoritarianism. 

How can we not look upon Yemen and draw lessons from such a stand? Yemen is fighting for its very future with the fury and certainty of one’s righteous stand. I would like to think we have lessons to learn from Yemen – both in terms of sacrifice and determination to hold true to individuals’ right to choose. 

Yemen is many beliefs and many different communities, and yet all stand together under the Resistance’s flag. Many would argue that Yemen’s ability to resist was made possible through such unity.

I believe Ayatollah Khamenei has often encouraged all to rise above their differences so that they could be made stronger in their support of others. I believe such conferences to act powerful reminders to such calls.

Addressing the participants of the conference, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said certain countries in the region obey the US instead of Islam and the Quran. How does this issue threaten the unity among Islamic nations?

Well to identify as an Islamic country infers that one matrix is that of the Quran and Islamic principles. To identify as an Islamic country and yet exist in contradiction to Islam and the Quran is to exist in a state of cognitive dissonance that can only lead to tragedy. 

To accept Islam is to recognize that no other authority can take precedence. And today many countries have betrayed such covenant. I believe Ayatollah Khamenei’s remark to be both a warning and an invitation to mend attitudes so that harmony could be restored.

If we were to return to our common denominator: Islam, many disagreements could be overcome and old upsets disappeared.

War needs not to be a legacy we pass on to our children if only we could recognize our past mistakes for what they are: a betrayal against our collective interests for the sake of egocentrism and greed.

President Hassan Rouhani said during his speech that “we are ready to make every effort to protect the interests of Saudi people against terrorism and superpowers, in the same way that we helped the people of Iraq, Syria andAfghanistan.” How would such a message resonate with Saudi people? And what could be derived from Rouhani’s message, especially with regard to Iran’s policies toward other countries in the region?

Allow me to start with the second part of your question. I think it’s clear that Iran as a country holds no anger and no resentment towards Saudis. If anything Saudis are victims of the regime. For decades they have been robbed of their rights, their cultural identities, their ability to choose, think, believe and question. For decades they have lived under the thumb of a family whose very name was imprinted on the people it claims to rule over.

Saudis are but commodities to be disposed of and owned by Al Saud royals. 

Why would Iran hold any animosity towards such people when it itself knows all too well how bitter the bite of oppression is?

This long held belief that Iran is an enemy of all Saudis and by extension all Sunnis is a lie Riyadh has been only too keen to perpetuate and spread to justify its own existence.

All Iran has ever ambitioned is to empower Saudis against their despots, while all Al Sauds have done has been to destroy, murder, imprison and persecute. I believe the difference is stark.

Now, as far as helping Saudis against the threat of terrorism I believe President Rouhani wanted to warn against the insidious perversity of Wahhabism as it preaches bloodshed and persecution as the base of its doctrine.

Wahhabism literally gave birth to radical movements across the MENA region, plunging communities in the fires of war. If not for Iran’s intervention many communities would still suffer under such fires, and so it stands to reason for Iran to extend a friendly hand to those living under Wahhabism’s abominable rule.

President Rouhani is speaking peace and assistance to all Saudis. As for the regime, well I believe the recent murder of Jamal Khashoggi speaks volume of the nature of Al Saud’s system of governance.

Interview by: Mohammad Homaeefar

Iran opens 32nd International Islamic Unity Conference with a harsh attack on U.S.

by Abdus Sattar Ghazali 

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Saturday (Nov 24)  called for Muslim unity and resistance against what he called “hostile” policies of the United States and Israel.

“Muslims have no way but to remain united in order to achieve victory over the US and fight its blatant oppression,” Rouhani told  the 32nd International Islamic Unity Conference which kicked off in the capital Tehran earlier in the day.

“Submitting to the West headed by America would be treason against our religion … and against the future generations of this region,” Rouhani told the international conference.

In an apparent reference to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states which have close relations with the United States, President Rohani said:  “We have a choice to either roll out red carpets for criminals, or to forcefully stand against injustice and remain faithful to our Prophet, our Koran and our Islam.”

Iran and Saudi Arabia are presumed regional rivals as they supported opposing sides in conflicts in Syria and Yemen and different political factions in Iraq and Lebanon.

“We are ready to defend the interests of the Saudi people against terrorism, aggression and the superpowers… and we don’t ask for $450 billion to do it,” Rouhani said, referring to Saudi Arabia’s contracts with the United States.

“You gifted them $450 billion to guarantee your security; you purchased $110 billion worth of weapons. You were told you were a milk cow which had to be milked. They told you without them you would not last two weeks.”

“Today, the Muslim world is alone and Muslims should join hands. Relying on outsiders is the biggest historical mistake,” he said adding:

“Today, there is no way for Muslims except unity and solidarity and if we unite, we can undoubtedly score a victory against the Zionists and the Americans.”

President Rouhani said unity and brotherhood among Islamic countries must be assumed as a duty. Unity, however, cannot be achieved with words and requires collective action, he said.

The 32nd International Islamic Unity Conference began in the Iranian capital under the motto “Quds, axis of unity among Ummah.”

The event is held annually on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammad in a bid to lay the ground for stronger solidarity among Muslims and provide appropriate solutions to their problems.

According to Xinhua news agency, high-ranking political officials and religious figures, including 10 ministers and 40 Muftis, most senior religious scholars, were participating in the Nov. 24-26 international event.

The First International Islamic Unity Conference was inaugurated in 1987 in Tehran, Iran. After holding the 4th Islamic unity conference which was organized by Islamic Promotions Organization of Iran, then Ayatollah Khamenei as the supreme leader of Iran ordered to establish “the World Forum for Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought”, since then, the conference is organized by the mentioned forum.

Abdus Sattar Ghazali is the Chief Editor of the Journal of America (www.journalofamerica.net) 

Leader reassures Muslim leaders victory will be for Palestine, Yemen

TEHRAN, Nov. 25 (MNA) – Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Khamenei rebuked crimes against humanity in Yemen and Palestine, saying that the ultimate victory will finally be in the hands of Yemenis and Palestinians.

The Leader made the remarks during a meeting on Sunday with heads of government branches, a group of government officials, ambassadors of Islamic countries and participants in the 32nd International Conference on Islamic Unity currently underway in Tehran.

“Why do the rulers of some Islamic countries support such crimes [by the US] in Palestine and Yemen? They should know that the victory will be finally for Yemeni and Palestinian people,” Ayatollah Khamenei said.

Impoverished Yemen has been wrecked by violence since 2015, when Saudi Arabia, the United States and their allies launched a devastating air campaign against the Arab country. Ongoing violence in Yemen has destroyed much of the country’s infrastructure, prompting the UN to describe the situation as one of “the worst humanitarian disasters of modern times”.

The Leader went on to say that “today, some regional countries follow the principles of the US and its tyranny, instead of God’s rules, while the US, in return, humiliates them."

He advised them to "grasp to the principles of Islam,” instead, stressing that the US’ principles and tyranny will finally be of no help for them.

Ayatollah Khamenei also addressed the oppressed people of the war-torn countries, saying "resistance is the only way to win the war against tyranny."

The Leader then stressed the significance of uniting around the light of Prophet Muhammad to overcome challenges in the world and among Muslim, saying: At a time when the world was immersed in the darkness of ignorance and deceit, God bestowed upon the entire mankind the light of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Today too, if we follow this light, it will lead us to prosperity and salvation. If humanity achieves the maturity to accept the prophet’s invitation, all of its calamity will be resolved. Today, as a result of the oppression practiced by the domineering powers, the world is in darkness like that day. Today, humanity is encountered with afflictions; this is not only the case in the Muslim World; rather countries that are apparently developed, are also suffering from afflictions. Islam can fulfill all these needs.

The Leader of the Revolution pointed to the obsession of the government of the United States with the South West Asian region and its concern regarding the rise of Islam and held “The US is obsessed about our region because the nations of our region incline to Islam. Wherever Islam has come to power, Arrogant Powers have been slapped in the face.”

Ayatollah Khamenei praised the resistance that exists in the region against the domineering, imperialist powers and stated “there is a movement of resistance against oppression in the world, and this resistance relies on the name of God and Islam.”

He assured Muslims that with the power of Islamic awakening, the enemies will be defeated in the region. “Wherever Islam has conquered the hearts of the people, the Front of Arrogance has been repelled. I strongly hold that the Arrogance will be slapped in the face, once again, by the Islamic awakening in our region. I advise Muslim nations to strengthen the movement of Islamic awakening as much as possible; for by strengthening the Islamic awakening, the region will be saved.”

Ayatollah Khamenei invited heads of the Islamic countries to follow the rule of Islam rather than the arrogant powers and said “I recommend the rulers of the Islamic countries to turn their attention to the rule of Islam; the rule of the US and the tyrannical system will not serve them. Today, some of the countries of our region follow the US, rather than the rule of Allah. The US— acting as the arrogant power it is, on its Arrogance-derived instinct—humiliates them.”
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution slammed Saudi regime for giving into US President Trump’s humiliating blusters about them, asserting that “You have heard the ranting US president analogized the Saudi rulers to ‘milking cows’. If the Al-Saud is not offended by these insults, we do not care. However, this humiliation targets the people of that country and other Muslim nations as well.”

Ayatollah Khamenei criticized Muslim states that ally with the United States in matters concerning Palestine or Yemen, and stated “why should Muslim rulers side with the US in its criminal acts against Palestine and Yemen? These rulers must know that in the two fronts, victory will be for the people of Palestine and Yemen, and the US and its allies will be defeated.”

He referred to declining power of the US regime and the abating of the Zionist regime, adding that today, the US is clearly much weaker in our region, compared to ten years ago. The Zionist regime is evidently weaker. A few years ago, the Zionist regime fought against Lebanon's Hezbollah for 33 days and was defeated. A couple of years later, it fought Palestinians for 22 days and was defeated. A while after that, it fought against the oppressed people of Gaza for 8 days and was finally defeated. In the confrontation erupting last week, the Zionist regime was once again defeated in just two days. This reveals the increased declining of the Zionist Regime.

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution praised the strong resistance by the Yemeni people in the face of atrocities by the Saudi regime, backed by the United States and held that the people of Yemen are undergoing the most severe tortures on the part of the Saudi regime, supported by the US Nevertheless, the people of Yemen and Ansar-Allah will be victorious. Those nations that rely on God and resist, will be assisted by God: this is a divine tradition.

Ayatollah Khamenei described resistance as the only way forward to victory over enemies, adding that “the only solution is resistance, and what has frightened the U.S. and its allies today is the resistance of the Muslim nations—which will soon bear fruit.”

He glorified Iranian people’s resistance in the face of animosities by the US and other major powers as an example of resistance being the only way to defeat the enemies and attain prosperity. He went on to say “the Iranian nation has been resisting for forty years. We were a fragile and small sapling at first, and we resisted thanks to blessings of the name of the prophet (PBUH) and the leadership of Imam Khomeini. We endured many hardships on this path and have had many martyrs. But, today the Iranian nation is a strong tree. Today the US and the Zionist Regime won’t dare to threaten the Iranian nation. Their threats and animosity have been defeated so far, and will be defeated in the future; the sanctions will also be defeated thanks to the resistance.”