AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Ayatollah Reza Ramazani, the Secretary-General of the AhlulBayt World Assembly, wrote a letter addressed to the leader of the world's Catholics, expressing appreciation and gratitude for his stance against Trump's warmongering.
He said, "In an era when the world thirsts more than ever for just peace, dialogue, and peaceful coexistence among religions and cultures, any disrespect toward religious symbols is not merely a political misstep but a deep wound on the human conscience. When an individual in the position of the so-called leader of a global power, such as Donald Trump, recklessly and foolishly opens his tongue to insult the highest spiritual authority of millions of Christians, namely Pope Leo XIV, this behavior cannot be analyzed solely within the framework of political disputes or the usual rhetoric of power; rather, it must be seen as a worrying sign of the degradation of the sanctity of religion, spirituality, and a blow to civilizational dialogue."
Ramazani added, "It is evident that Your Eminence's position in the Christian tradition is not merely an administrative or political leader; it is an embodiment of the spiritual, moral, and historical heritage of a church that has carried the message of love, forgiveness, and peace for centuries. Disrespecting such a position is, in fact, disregard for the faith of hundreds of millions of people who, across the world, give meaning to their lives by hoping for transcendent values. This blatant insult, regardless of the speaker's individual motives, is tantamount to a kind of humiliation of religious sentiments and the weakening of humanity's moral capital—capital that we need more than ever in times of global crisis."
He emphasized, "From a deeper perspective, such remarks express a kind of rupture from the tradition of interfaith dialogue that, over recent decades, has been achieved through the efforts of scholars and religious leaders from various faiths. Religious leaders, whether in Christianity, Islam, Judaism, or other religions, have sought in recent years to transcend the boundaries of bigotry and find a common language for peace and understanding. In a world suffering from war, extremism, and injustice, they play the role of 'spiritual mediators.' Disregarding these voices is, in truth, ignoring one of the last moral bastions against violence and hatred."
Ramazani continued, "Insulting rhetoric, especially from politicians, not only pollutes the public space but also contributes to the formation of a kind of 'normalization of disrespect.' When political leaders allow themselves to insult the sanctities of others and normalize desacralization, this behavior is gradually reproduced at lower levels of society, ultimately leading to deep cultural and religious rifts. In such an atmosphere, dialogue gives way to confrontation, and empathy gives way to suspicion, enmity, and selfishness."
The Secretary-General concluded by emphasizing, "Finally, it must be noted that today's world needs the ethics of dialogue more than ever—an ethics built on mutual respect, listening to the other, and accepting differences. Insulting religious leaders is not merely an individual error; it is a sign of a deeper crisis in our understanding of 'the other.' If we cannot respect the sanctity of each other's beliefs, how can we hope for a shared and peaceful future? Therefore, while condemning the childish and impolite behavior of Donald Trump toward Your Eminence and other religious leaders, I believe every insulting voice must be answered with an echo of wisdom, a call to reason, and unequivocal condemnation. For it is only in the shadow of such a responsible approach that we can once again keep alive the hope for peaceful coexistence and interfaith dialogue."
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