Operation al-Aqsa Flood activated proximity potentials in Muslim world

Hujjat-ul-Islam Hamid Shahriari, in an interview with International Qur’an News Agency (IQNA) said, “Today no one dares to think of building relations with the Israeli regime after more than a year of Israeli genocidal war on Gaza, reported Taqrib News Agency (TNA).

He referred to the dispersion of the Muslim world following World War II and said,” Colonial powers disintegrated the Muslim countries and drew borders to divide the different ethnical groups on the two sides of the border in order to further divide them.”

He expressed regret that the division among the different Islamic nations still exists.

The cleric noted unity among the Ottoman, Indian and Persian civilizations can cover a vast global territory with Islamic ideology and added,” The disunity following the World War II that was sown by the colonial powers brought nothing for the regional nations but conflicts and dispersion.”

According to the cleric, the proposal for establishment of the union of Islamic countries was made by late Imam Khomeini (RA) in the early years after the Islamic Revolution, which sought boosting unity among Islamic countries, prevention of ethnical and religious solidarity and also fraternal relations between Muslims.

“The plan was also pursued by the Leader of the Islamic Revolution leading to the establishment of a new movement”, said the Secretary General of World Forum for Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought and added,” The US-led world arrogant powers found Islamic unity as a threat and endeavored to enhance regional conflicts”, said Hujjat-ul-Islam Shahriari and added,” Creation of disparity has been on top of the agenda for the world arrogant powers, the most important instance of which has been establishment of Israeli regime as a means to pressure the regional countries.”

The senior cleric said,” The diplomacy of unity is being pursued in three layers the first of which is the popular level meaning that the high capabilities of the social networks and cyberspace have been hired to promote our message and the unifying thoughts of late Imam Khomeini (RA) across the globe.”

“The second layer”, according to the cleric,” is the clerical layer that concerns the meetings and discussions between Shia and Sunni scholars.”

He said,” The third layer which is diplomatic concerns political activities, for instance the normalization of relations has been removed as an option.”

The cleric highlighted the capacities of the World Forum for Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought in cultural, practical, theoretical and legal aspects to study the anti-unity or pro-unity factors.

He referred to a considerable promotion of the Islamic Republic of Iran on the Global Peace Index (GPI) saying that the unifying activities of Iran should also be measured according to unity and proximity indicators.

Hujjat-ul-Islam Shahriari said another field that could contribute to Islamic unity is tourism in order for the different nations from different Islamic denominations to meet and enhance tolerance among themselves.

He hailed Iran’s staunch support for the Palestinians in Gaza Strip and said,” In my view, Iran’s support for Palestine has foiled the accusations that Iran is pursuing conversion of the entire Muslim world to Shia Islam.”

The cleric concluded,” We have proved that our main issue is to support the oppressed in face of the oppressors and this is an achievement of the operation al-Aqsa Flood.”