Focusing on Minorities’ Rights, Best Policy

Shaikh Abdol-Hamid alluded to the challenges of the Muslim world in his speech of Eid al-Fitr in Zahedan city of Iran on July 6, 2016 and called ‘focusing on the rights of minorities’ the best policy.

Talking to more than 200 thousand worshipers in Zahedan, the outstanding Iranian Sunni leader said, “There was a time when Muslims were acting upon Islam and Shari’ah laws, it was the time of honor and pride for them. But when they showed negligence on acting upon Shari’ah, they lost their respect.”
“Now Muslims have reached to a point that the world despises them and others plan for their fate. Stability and peace of many Muslim states with long civilization have been destroyed; they are prone to separatism movements,” he added more.
Khateeb of Sunnis in Zahedan, southeastern Iran, said, “The rival groups in the Muslim countries are Muslims; the both sides chant slogans of Allah-o-Akbar and open fire on each other. It is regretful that Muslims cannot resolve their problems and crises by dialogue, foresight and tolerance. Why Islamic tendencies and schools of thought cannot tolerate each other?”
Addressing the leaders of all Muslim states, the prominent Iranian Sunni scholar said, “We call on all Muslim leaders to make Muslims in one line and implement justice. There should be special attention to the rights of minorities; even in some cases they need more attention. Their problems should be resolved; minorities become umbrageous sooner. Focusing on the rights of minorities is the best and most advanced policy.”
“Extremism in the Muslim world is the natural result of some reasons. Many [of the powers] see those reasons, but they condone just because of their interests. They want to see Muslim nations entangled in the waves of extremism terming each other ‘disbeliever’,” he underlined.
The rector of Darululoom Zahedan, the biggest Islamic free learning institute of Sunnis in Iran, pointed out, “I do not see it appropriate to disclose the names, but I can tell you by evidence that a particular country has been entangled in problems and challenges or the enemies have brought a country inside another country to weaken it.”
Mawlana Abdol-Hamid counted ‘Islamic perspicacity’, ‘tolerance’ and ‘foresight’ the solutions for the ongoing challenges of Muslims and said, “The only remedy is that Muslims should look at the matters with perspicacity, foresight and tolerance; they should examine the root causes of problems and then fight against them.”
“The best way is to distribute power and constitute national and inclusive establishments with the presence of all ethnic groups, sects and religions. This policy can ban the opportunist powers and extremists from gaining chances to destabilize peace and security in the Muslim world,” Shaikh Abdol-Hamid underlined.

Iranian Sunnis should enjoy their legal freedoms
In another part of his speech to the ‘brilliant record’ of Sunnis in Iran and their demands, saying, “By the blessings of Allah, Iranian Sunnis despite of many problems and obstacles, have been tolerating crises and they have not paid attention to the exciting acts of the enemies just to protect unity and fraternity.”
Expressing the demands of the Iranian Sunnis, the outstanding Iranian Sunni leader said, “We expect the Supreme Leader and respectable president to focus more on our problems and work hard to remove discriminations. Sunnis should be employed on higher positions and different departments, especially in the armed forces.”
“Allah forbid, if in any time our country is attacked, we ensure you all of us will be in the front line to defend our country’s territorial integrity. History is a witness that our people never betrayed their country; particularly Sunnis who live around the country near borders,” he urged.
The Hadith and Tafseer professor at Darululoom Zahedan said, “Our freedoms in the national constitution, especially regarding the religious affairs, should be recognized. Stop the extremists of both Shia and Sunni communities. As the supreme leader denounced insult of the Mothers of the Believers, we need such views in the rest of officials.”
He concluded his points, “We want that Sunni Muslims in Iran should have freedom to offer prayers without any hesitation and worship Allah in any corner of Iran. We only want our legal rights.”