Shaikh Abdol-Hamid Writes to Rector of Shia Seminaries

Shaikh Abdol-Hamid Writes to Rector of Shia Seminaries

Sending a letter to Ayatollah A’rafi, the rector of all Shiite seminaries in Iran, Shaikh Abdol-Hamid referred to his recent remarks over al-Mustafa University’s religious activities.

The most outstanding Iranian Sunni leader has said that his criticism was only for “reformation” and “well-wishing”. He invited the administrators of the seminary for transparency in educational system and called them to change their policies in this field.

A few days ago, Shaikh Abdol-Hamid criticized the al-Mustafa seminary in a video speech, saying that the Mustafa University has been teaching Sunni students for decades without a Sunni teacher.

Shaikh Abdol-Hamid believed that thousands of foreign Sunni students were studying at that seminary who were unaware of their faith.

He also had said in the video statement that Chinses students of Qom are the root cause of Coronavirus in Iran as there was no travel ban between Iran and China during the spread of the virus in China.

Ayatollah Ali Reza A’rafi reacted to Mawlana Abdol-Hamid’s criticism and denied some facts that happen in al-Mustafa international seminary of Qom.

Mawlana Abdol-Hamid presented his evidences of his statement and urged on transparency.

In his letter, the Iranian Sunnis leader said that his proof for his words was the interview of A’rafi with the Mehr News Agency published on 30 July, 2017.
In the interview, A’rafi (the farmer chancellor of al-Mustafa seminary) answered the reporter who asked him that how many people were converted to Shiism through al-Mustafa seminary’s network? A’rafi replied: “Fifty million people converted to Shiism around the world and added that there were around 7 thousand Sunni students in al-Mustafa seminary”.

The president of Darululoom Zahedan said: “Obviously those fifty million were Sunnis; because you explained to the Shiites abroad what services you did for the Shiites. But the question is that are those seven thousand Sunni students still adhering to their faith or they have changed their sect?”

Shaikh Abdol-Hamid said that it could be a proud for al-Mustafa seminary to convert fifty million non-Muslims to Islam.

“It is contrary to the custom of the world that the followers of one religion do not have a master of their own religion in any educational center and they learn their faith from others”, Friday Imam of Sunnis in Zahedan said.

Shaikh Abdol-Hamid presented another of his documents, referring to statements of some ex-students of al-Mustafa seminary who contacted him.

He wrote in his letter that Sunni students were taken to Iran with false promises. When they enrolled at al-Mustafa seminary, they saw the condition was contrary to what they were told. This unpleasant situation made some of them to run away from al-Mustafa seminary. But their passports were confiscated for three years. Some wanted to go back home, but they had no money.

Chief of the Coordinating Council of Sunni Seminaries in Sistan-Baluchistan said: “Many Shiites are turning to us for conversion to Sunnis. Some Shiites beg to enroll them in Sunni seminaries, but we do not do so just to maintain unity”.

Shaikh Abdol-Hamid demanded from Iranian leaders to solve Iran’s economic problems instead of expending money to convert people to Shiism.

He believed that Iran was facing problems such as poverty and unemployment that need to be addressed. So the activities of a seminary with highest budget (more than 7 top national universities of Iran) should be clear as the Taqreeb University.

Shaikh Abdol-Hamid said that Mr. A’rafi knows him well and met with him at many conferences; so he is not an extremist.

The most influential scholar of Sunnis in Iran urged that Darululoom Zahedan (Sunnis biggest seminary in Iran) pursues unity, maintains peace and confronts with the extremism.

At the end of his letter, Shaikh Abdol-Hamid called for peace and justice in Iran and around the world.

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