Alluding to the attack of the Nigerian army on a Shia cleric, Shaikh Abdol-Hamid termed the incident ‘shocking’ in his Friday sermon of Dec. 18, 2015.
Talking to thousands of Sunni worshipers in Zahedan, southeastern Iran, the Friday imam and Khateeb of Sunnis said, “There is no any threat more dangerous than dispute and sectarian clashes. Whoever creates sectarian dispute among Muslims, whether he is a Shia or Sunni, he is unforgivable. Disputes and differences, especially religious ones, are very dangerous.”
Addressing the Nigerian officials, he said, “The Nigerian army and government should not forget that all Nigerians, including Muslims, Shias, Sunnis, Jews and Christians, are parts of the Nigerian nation. Governments should defend their nations preventing domestic disputes. The Nigerian army and government have responsibilities regarding scuffles among the nation.”
Mawlana Abdol-Hamid added more, “We may not know correctly what has taken place in Nigeria, but it is a fact that none of governments is allowed to assault on any minority just because of their faith. Regrettably, minorities in all parts of the world suffer from injustice and discrimination. While according to wisdom, traditions, laws and the accepted conventions by states minorities must enjoy full freedom and their rights should be protected.”
“I’d like to call on all governments, including the authorities of Nigeria, to pay attention to the rights of their minorities. Even the minorities in any country should be noticed, respected and given attention more than other classes. The Nigerian government should get the pleasure of the Shia minority, realize their rights and implement justice,” the rector of Darululoom Zahedan underlined.
Shaikh Abdol-Hamid, the member of the Executive Board of the MWL, pointed out, “Educated and civilized nations and sane governments consider the rights of their minorities better and more than others. If a government or regime fails to protect its minorities from assaults and their religious places are targeted, it is the sign of their weakness and intellectual inability of that government and nation.”
He concluded his points by saying, “It is indisputable that extremism and terrorism are the effects of some reasons like pressure, violation of rights and oppression and tyranny.”
In the last part of his sermon, the outstanding Iranian Sunni leader alluded to the shutdown of the Iranian nuclear weapons probe in IAEA and said, “By the grace of Allah, the nuclear weapons probe of Iran has been closed in the International Atomic Energy Agency. Due to massive talks, the world nations have concluded Iran had no intention to produce nuclear weapons.”
“Reaching to this great achievement is a big victory for the Iranian nation, the government and the Supreme Leader who supported the nuclear talks. Hopefully, the effects of the decision made by the IAEA and shutdown of all economic sanctions will be visible soon for the nation,” he pointed out.
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