Human Dignity, Justice, Security Pillars of Islamic Unity: WFPIST Chief
Secretary General of the World Forum for Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought (WFPIST) Hojat-ol-Islam Hamid Shahriari made the remarks in a speech before this week’s Friday prayer sermons in Tehran, stressing that Islamic unity at the national, regional, and international levels must be strengthened to resist American unilateralism.
He congratulated the worshippers on the arrival of the Islamic Unity Week, saying the WFPIST has pursued this valuable concept in the Islamic world during the 38 editions of the International Conference on Islamic Unity and has conveyed the message of unity to the world.
This year, coinciding with the 1,500th anniversary of the birth of the Holy Prophet (PBUH), the 39th Islamic Unity Conference titled “Prophet of Mercy” will be held from Saturday to the end of the week, he noted.
Elaborating on the concepts of unity, he said at least three Islamic values lie at the heart of unity, and unity is formed on the axis of these absolute values.
Unity is a universal concept, and the whole world seeks to establish unions to increase their power and authority, he noted.
Emphasizing that the first value of unity is human dignity, Hojat-ol-Islam Shahriari said God Almighty has endowed all human beings with dignity: “And We have indeed honored the children of Adam.” (Verse 70 of Surah Al-Isra)
Dignity is not specific to Iranians, Muslims, or even divine religions; every human being is worthy of dignity and should be respected, he emphasized. “Humans are respected and have dignity because they are human. This is the first value on which unity is built, and human society will be united based on this divine dignity.”
The cleric introduced the second value as justice and added, “Humans have rights that they must be respected.
“These rights include the right to life; that a person be allowed to live and not be killed by oppressors. Another right is to live freely; that a person can live without restrictions or sieges. The next right is housing; to have a home and to be able to choose it for oneself. The right to nutrition and access to food and the right to water are also among the basic rights of every human being. Respecting these rights is a requirement for justice.”
The third characteristic of unity is security, he stated. “All human beings have the right to live in security; whether at home or school, in the mosque or hospital, or at work. Any oppressor who deprives them of this security has committed an act of hostility against human unity.”
He added that if Palestine has become a reference for unity today, it is because the three values of dignity, justice and security have been violated there.
“These three characteristics are understandable to all human beings and that is why even non-Muslims defend Palestine. Defending human dignity, justice and security is not exclusive to Muslims; therefore, in the streets of Western countries, people also take to the streets in support of Palestine and against Israel.”
Read More:
He further highlighted a verse from the Holy Quran “And hold fast to the rope of Allah, all of you, and do not become divided,” (Verse 103 of Surah Al Imran) and said anything that causes division is forbidden.
Sunnis and Shias must stand against the enemies by holding fast to the strong rope of Allah, he said.
Regarding the necessity of regionalism in Islamic unity, he stated, “We must pay special attention to neighboring and Islamic countries; countries like Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt are very important. We must strengthen the sense of brotherhood with these countries. Especially Egypt, which at one point brought 20 Islamic countries with it to condemn the (Israeli regime’s) attack on Iran (in June). These are the capacities of the Islamic world, and the united nation must rely on the rope of Allah to prevent the enemy’s infiltration.”
The 17th day of Rabi al-Awwal, which falls on September 10 this year, is believed by Shia Muslims to mark the birth anniversary of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), while Sunni Muslims regard the 12th day of the month (Friday, September 5) as the birthday of the last prophet.
Read More:
The interval between the two dates was declared the Islamic Unity Week by the late founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Imam Khomeini, in the 1980s.
4303434
