Sat, 25 Feb 2006 00:51:00 The Beloved Peacemaker, Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Ali al-Sistani of Iraq, Presents his View
by Amena Umer, Saleha Lodhi, and Ayesha Umer
 Grand Ayatulloh Sayyed ALi Al-Sistani. |
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Rages over cartoons of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) exploded in protests across the Muslim world with demonstrators demanding revenge against Denmark and death for those they accuse of insulting Islam.
Perhaps the greatest act of all leaders was shown in the intellectual and civilized behavior of Ayatulloh Sayyed Ali Al-Sistani's response to the cartoon defamation of the beloved Prophet Muhammad Ibn Abdullah (saw) of Islam by Danish bigots while, simultaneously being critical of those within Islam who fuel such acts as well. Ayatulloh Sayyed Ali AL-Sistani 's main contention was that if we are going to condemn those who hate us and defame our beloved Prophet Muhammad Ibn Abdullah (saw) we must simultaneously condemn those so-called Muslims who defame Islam such as Osama bin Laden, Saddam Hussein, Salman Rushdie and a list of others around the World too. Tens of thousands of angry Muslims marched through Palestinian cities, burning the Danish flag and calling for revenge against European countries where cartoons of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) were published. In Washington, the State Department criticized the drawings, calling them "offensive to the beliefs of Muslims." Muslims in Turkey, Pakistan, Indonesia and Malaysia reacted in the exact way those who deliberately printed the disgusting material expected which is with great anger, causing deaths to themselves and showing the World how violent Islam is supposed to be as believed by those who created the cartoons in the first place. In Iraq, Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Ali al-Sistani, condemned the publications as a "horrific action." Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Ali al-Sistani, condemned the drawings but did not call for protests because he knew that it would spark exactly the reaction those intolerant towards Islam was hoping for just as the recent paranoia in the purchase of American Ports facilities with a particular Middle Eastern country did, which proves intolerance towards Muslims and Arabs. If we are going to stop intolerance it has to start with us, with our own end to defaming Islam, with our actions towards reaching out to Non-Muslims in showing them tha when they defame our Prophet (saw) it is the same as defaming Prophet Isa (Jesus)(AS) or Prophet Moses(AS) for as Muslims, we make no difference among the Prophets (AS), we respect all as Representatives of Allah on earth to explain His message to all Human beings. Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Ali al-Sistani has taken an unusual approach to the cartoon argument. Although he too condemns publication of the "Muhammad cartoons" as a "despicable act," he also criticizes Muslim extremists, as mentioned by specific names above, who he says are partly responsible for Islam's poor image in the west. "Misdirected" and "oppressive" parts of Muslim society, he adds, contribute to a distorted image of Islam.So, liberation and a clear understanding of Islam can only begin with us, Muslims, first denoucing the terrorists who use Islam as a cover to launch their ungodly attacks, who use Allah's words from the Holy Quran to pretend somehow that we, as Muslims, confirm and agree with such inhumane acts which we simply do not!
Ayatollah Sayyed Ali al- Sistani, a Persian (Iranian) by birth, was probably referring more to the leadership of the al-Qaida terror network, Saddam Hussein, and other Muslim leaders who conveniently use Islam to relay their evil intentions on hurting, murdering and harming the Holy Sites of Islam as the Grand Ayatulloh said about shots to Imam Ali's (AS) and Imam Hussein 's (AS) tombs by both the American army and Sayyed Sadr's forces collectively. This objective stand, this honorable position, this position of a true man of peace reflects the highest level of thinking and rule of law that even the United Nations has not even addressed since too many resolutions keep passing in favor of those who violate the laws of the UN and International Law, too many times cheeks are turned when nations lie about issues that could compromise nation's right to self defence in the concept of sovereignty of nations or in their right to seek Nuclear Power for peaceful means. Simply put, Grand Ayatulloh Sayyed Ali AL-Sistani stands above even the highest leader in the West because he addresses situations based on the Charter of Rights and Freedoms of Nations, of International Law, of clear jurisprudence that is the height of Islam's excellence and by the simplicity of honor and doing what is right among truly civilized nations. The Grand Ayatulloh Sayyed Ali AL-Sistani said: "Enemies have exploited this... to spread their poison and revive their old hatreds with new methods and mechanisms."
Nevertheless, Iraqi Minister of Transportation Salam al-Malaki announced in Baghdad that Iraq is freezing all economic agreements with Denmark and will no longer accept any reconstruction aid from Denmark and Norway. Such action is expected since not a single member of the Danish Government has condemned the cartoons and the Newspaper which ran those horrible depictions on grounds of "freedom of the Press," yet, when it comes to cartoons depicting Jesus (AS) in a bad way as cartoons were recently submitted to them and shown on 60 Minutes this weekend, they rejected those cartoons instantly. Now, who shows clear double standards? This is why the Iraqi Government took the actions they did and this is why Denmark will remain sanctioned in the Muslim World as long as it continues to encourage this defamation; in the same way, honorable Muslims will continue to condemn Osama bin laden and Western inspired created Al Qaida Organization simultaneously for both are wrong in the eyes of the Muslim World and both defame Islam and Allah's most favored final Messenger, Prophet Muhammad Ibn Abdullah (saw). May Allah guide those who are astray and know not to borrow a line from the Christian Holy Bible, "know not what they do."
In conclusion, the enemies of Islam expected all Muslim leaders to react with anger,rage and without proper judgment; this was not the case with Grand Ayatulloh Sayyed ALi Al-Sistani. He acted instead with compassion for the legacy of the Ahlul; Bait(AS) in following their footsteps by simultaneously denouncing not just the instigators of the rage vis a vis the cartoons, but those who defame Islam who are themselves called "Muslims' but in fact, have nothing to do with Islam at all.Such, is an objective judgment worthy of only a great leader who has controlled the worst in Iraq up till this day and still holds out for peace where, even the most neutral and peace loving have given up. |
