The leading Sunni figure in Iran termed attacks on Masjids and religious places ‘obvious examples of extremism’ and contrary to Islamic Shari’ah.
Talking to thousands of Sunni worshippers in Zahedan on Friday, 3rd July 2015 (Ramadan 16), Shaikh Abdol-Hamid alluded to the recent attack on a Shia mosque in Kuwait and said, “The attack on a Shia mosque in Kuwait was really shocking and painful where fasting Muslims were attacked.”
“Extremism is very perilous; nowadays it is the biggest threat and a challenge for the Muslim world. Some people who are Muslims apparently blow themselves up in worship places. They do not think Masjids are the houses of Allah and they are respectable; affronting Muslims and their worship places is against the divine commands,” he added more.
The rector of Darululoom Zahedan further said, “Extremists kill innocent people in worship places. It has not happened only in Kuwait but in some other countries Masjids and religious centers have been targeted and destroyed too. While Islam strongly denies and refuses such attacks as we see indiscriminate bomb explosions. But if someone commits murder, s/he deserves the same, but killing innocent people is extremism.”
He concluded his points by saying that unfortunately extremism has prevailed in the Muslim world. All should be vigilant admonishing society and youth over any kind of narrow-mindness and extremism. Extremism from any side and in any shape is dangerous and condemnable.
Iranian Sunnis should have the right of establishing prayers
Khateeb and Friday Imam of Sunnis addressed the Iranian authorities in the final part of his sermon and said, “The officials and Shia and Sunni brothers should be alert as the enemy wants to create insecurity in peaceful countries including Iran. We should end the potentials of problems and extremism.”
“The Sunni community of Iran has been active in all national events and fields. They [Sunnis of Iran] want their due rights; the authorities should not allow anyone to confine their legal freedoms and rights. There must not be any obstacle for Sunnis to establish prayers in prayer-rooms in metropolises and wherever they live in the country. The president has taken an oath to implement the constitution and take care of the rights of the nation; he and other authorities have responsibilities in this regard.”
The chairman of the Coordination Council of Sunni Seminaries in Sistan-Baluchistan made it clear, “Unity does not mean unification and contraction of two sects or their prayers. There are some juridical differences; so all should be free to offer prayers in accordance with their jurisprudence.”
“Although there are many things in common between Shia and Sunni Muslims, but due to some diversities in Fiqh Sunnis should have the right to establish independent congregations for Friday and Eid prayers. We are afraid that creation of problems and obstacles in the society may cause the outbreak of extremism in the society,” Shaikh Abdol-Hamid Isma’eelzahi underlined.
At the end of his speech, he alluded to demise of “Yar-Mohammad Akhund-Nadhari”, a prominent Islamic scholar in Golestan province of Iran and “Mawlana Abdol-Shakour”, an eminent scholar of Khaaran, Balochistan, Pakistan.
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