According to Ahlul Bayt News Agency (ABNA), after fourteen month of constant scientific effort and investigation, the 'World Congress of Extremist and Takfiri Movements in View of Muslim Scholars' started at 9.15 today, Sunday 23rd November.
As the first speaker of the congress, Grand Shia cleric 'Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi' stated that: I welcome all of you and appreciate your participation in this congress. Currently we should study and investigate their motives and understand the beliefs of this deviant group and then root them out.
Grand Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi pointed out the crimes of Takfiris around the World and stated: How long should we stand silent and witness their crimes?
"Today, we have gathered here to discuss one of the biggest issues of the World of Islam and find a solution for this issue and Takfiri's hideous crimes" he added.
The renowned source of emulation stated: Islam is religion of kindness and compassion even to non-muslims. We must prove to the world that their approach is irrelevant to Islam and we must separate the deceived youth from Takfiris. It is necessary to combat them though it is not enough. Also It is necessary for Muslim scholars to jointly root them out.
Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi then addressed the audience in Arabic language. Below is the translation:
"We have three important objectives: Firstly; with the consensus of Muslim scholars we should say to the world that the Takfiri crimes have nothing to do with Islam. Islam is the religion of kindness and compassion which orders to co-existence of all religions".
The second objective is to save the youth who have joined the Takfiri groups from the fire of hell; as the Holy book of Quran says: 'And whoever kills a believer intentionally, his punishment is hell; he shall abide in it' An-Nisa Verse No:93.
"وَمَن يَقْتُلْ مُؤْمِنًا مُّتَعَمِّدًا فَجَزَآؤُهُ جَهَنَّمُ خَالِدًا فِيهَا"
The third objective is to discuss and find a solution for the Muslims to tackle this situation.
We have three red lines: first, avoidance from different political and extremist religious issues.
Second, avoidance from any statement of religious disagreement, not even a word. However, We must unite.
Third, respect to all Islamic creeds.
Afterwards, Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi pointed out the dangers of the Takfiri groups and stated: unfortunately, Takfiri crimes have given the enemies of Islam and excuse to introduce Islam as an aggressive religion.
His eminence also pointed at the use of the fake name “Islamic State of Iraq and Syria” by Daesh and stated: Daesh is neither a “state” nor “Islamic”. But the enemies of Islam repeatedly use it to introduce Islam wrongly.
His eminence continued: "we must eradicate the extremist evil from Islam. I wrote a letter to Pope and directly announced these heinous acts are prohibited (Haram) and you should not just condemn the attacks on Muslims. however you must defend Muslims and Christians alike. In response, in a letter the Pope appreciated our stance".
His eminence mentioned the roots of Takfiris and stated: First: prejudice; Takfiris virtually have restricted the understanding of holy Quran and Sunnah to themselves and say concepts of polytheism, faith, innovation and recourse are the same as ours; while many eminent Sunni scholars dissociate and disagree with them and they call these scholars as heretic too. Second: belief in some verses and ideas while ignoring the others; They use some verses that match their ideas and ignore the ones that contradict their personal ideas.
Ayatollah Makarem added: with these wrong assumptions from the holy verses of Quran, they say that anyone who solicits from Prophets and holy figures is heretic and [they] do not differentiate between them and the “Jahil” heretics and even consider them worse. While the issue of polytheism and faith is very clear in holy Quran’s verses and polytheist is one who assumes an associate for God and considers others on the same level as Holy Quran.
Now we ask if there is any Muslim who associates Prophets and holy Imams with God? Or one who thinks of them as the same level as God? or think of them the same in essence? Do they not believe that the miracles and Munificence of the prophets are all God’s providence?
We just express the problems and pains while we should look for solutions and remedies to remove all the ideas that have caused these problems. This will unite all Muslims.
Holy Quran considers division an act of polytheism and says: "Do not be like the pagans who have divided themselves into various religious sects"
This year is named ‘the year devoid of aggression and extremism’. But we see a lot of bloodshed and looting of people’s properties and families while Western and Arab countries only think of military solutions but we have to seek the roots of the ideology.
In the end his eminence proposed a practical plan for finding the roots and suggested that the permanent secretariat of this congress be established and its site be in one of the important cities of Islam so that great institutions and scholars of Islam become members of it and study the ways to root out the extremist movements.