In a meeting with a group of French thinkers and scientists, Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi stated that Islam is a religion of love and affection. He also noted: “Allah has specified in the Quran the rules for the relations of Muslims with non-Muslims”.
He further continued: “Mohammad Ibn Abdulwahhāb, the founder of the Wahhabi school, created this school of thought around 200 years ago based on violence and extremism. In that era, some non-Muslim states assumed that they could create division amongst the Muslims using this new school and this was why they welcomed it”.
Stating that the Wahhabis know nothing of the teachings of Islam and that their ways are repudiated based on the principles of Islam, Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi noted: “Today, we all witness that the followers of this school have spread insecurity all around the world. Moreover, those non-Muslim states, which supported these people and thought that they could use them just to spread insecurity in Muslim countries, are now watching insecurity caused by the Wahhabis being spread to Europe and the US. Yet, this is not the end and, if these terrorists are not properly dealt with, their supporters will have to prepare themselves for even more insecurity being spread in their own countries”.
Pointing out the fact that a lot of American and European citizens have j o i ned the ISIS terrorist group, Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi stated: “do the European authorities truly realize what will happen when these people return to their countries in Europe?”
Referring to the ‘International Conference on the Takfiri Threats’ held in the holy city of Qom in Iran, his eminence continued: “we believe that the European professors and scientists can play a significant role in enlightening the European youth. We also think that if there is not a firm determination, on an international level, to eradicate the threats posed by this group, this problem will not be resolved”.
Pointing out the fact that we do not consider the Takfiris as Muslims, Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi further stated: “we are truly sorry to see that Islamophobia is being further spread in Europe because of the atrocities committed by a number of people who are not even considered as Muslims. Unfortunately, some Western politicians, who believed that the Takfiris can serve their interests, supported them, while forgetting the true interests of their own countries”.
Stating that the image which is being depicted of Iran and the Revolution of the Iranian people by the Western media is far from the truth, his eminence noted: “today, there are, in effect, two versions of Iran in the world! a reality which you can see for yourselves in Iran, and a false version being depicted in the Western media in order to spread Iranophobia in the world. Thus, it is a duty upon you, as professors and scientists, to enlighten the people of your countries regarding the lies which are being fed to them by the media, and to foil the plots devised for spreading Islamophobia and Iranophobia in the world”.
