We are pleased to make the following recommendation to the conference to adopt in their resolution. We recommend that Takfir be declared as sinful as Shirk.
Iran is holding the first conference on Takfiri movement that is those individuals who declare fellow Muslims to be not Muslims. It is a good first step, and we need to make resolutions and the decisions to reach out to common Muslims, who will not give currency to such calls.
The biggest sin in Islam is Shirk, i.e., diluting God’s authority over creation, preservation and destruction of the world. He alone is the master of the Day of Judgment, and he alone knows what is in one’s hearts, and he alone can judge about ones’ faith. No one but him (it, or her) has the authority to do that.
A Muslim is someone who subscribes (or submits) to that idea and practices it.
Takfiris are individuals who push themselves to become representatives of God and make decisions in his behalf – like giving an opinion that Sunnis, Shias or Ahmadiyya are not Muslims.
I recommend to the conference that they consider declaring Takfir amounts to Shirk – and spread the word. Hopefully it will mitigate the conflicts within the Muslim communities.
Shamefully the bastions of Shia and Sunni Islam; Iran and Saudi Arabia respectively are engaged in this cold war for their political reasons, obviously it is not a religious reason, the looney clergies in both nations need to be restrained or their certifications be stripped.
Mike Ghouse
World Muslim Congress
www.WorldMuslimCongress.com
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The International Congress on Extremist and Takfiri Movements
Pictures of the conference: http://www.abna.ir/english/service/pictorial/archive/2014/11/24/653703/story.html
The International Congress on Extremist and Takfiri Movements in the Islamic Scholars’ View closed its works in the presence of Prominent Muslim scholars from 83 countries on Monday Nov 24. 2014 in Qom city of Iran.
According to the Secretary of the World Forum for Proximity of the Islamic Schools of Thought, Ayatollah Mohsen Araki, the conference was an intellectual and scholarly event in which Muslim world scholars gather to discuss their views on extremism.
This was one of the few occasions where top Muslim Shiite and Sunni clerics and scholars from across the world were seen under one roof to exchange views on a subject which has turned into the biggest challenge for the world of Islam next to the issue of Palestine.
The event was titled the world congress on extremism and Tekfiri movements in the Islamic scholars’ view. Jointly organized by two of Iran’s prominent religious clerics Grand Ayatollah’s Makarem Shirazi and Grand Ayatollah Sobhani the congress is centered on the role of top Muslim clerics or Ulama, in uniting the Islamic world against Tekfiri terrorists.
Some scholars believe that barbaric acts of decapitating prisoners by groups like the ISIL are an Israeli project aimed at diverting the public opinion towards the suppression of Palestinians by Israeli.
Needless to say, more than 1000 abstract papers and 700 full papers had been submitted to the conference and 200 Shi’ah scholars and 100 Sunni scholars including muftis and prominent figures were present at the international gathering.
The holy city of Qom hosted this one of a kind event on November 23-24 which was held under the auspices of two grand sources of emulation Ayatollah Naser Makarem-Shirazi and Ayatollah Ja’far Sobhani.
Link- http://www.abna.ir/english/special-issue/congress-takfiri/archive/2014/11/25/653892/story.html
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Grand Ayatollah Sobhani: Takfiris misrepresent Islam as violent religion
Takfiri groups are seeking to tarnish the image of Islam, a senior Iranian cleric says at an international conference on the threats of Takfiri movements.
Grand Ayatollah Ja’far Sobhani made the remarks in a closing speech of the World Congress on Extremist and Takfiri Movements in the Islamic Scholars’ View, which kicked off in the Iranian holy city of Qom on Monday.
“Takfiris represent an (image of) Islam that is completely violent,” Ayatollah Sobhani said, adding that a remedy should be found for the malady of Takfiris who have entangled the Islamic world in a serious problem.
“Islamic scholars should use appropriate methods to counter Takfiris’ propaganda,” he added.
The senior Iranian cleric said Islam promotes peace and unity, while Takfiris foster fear and ferment sedition and violence.
Ayatollah Sobhani also called for the elimination of some elements in religious textbooks that breed Takfiri ideology.
More than 600 Muslim scholars from over 80 countries attended the two-day event. 40 percent of the participants were Shias and 60 percent Sunnis.
Iran’s Grand Ayatollah Nasser Makarem Shirazi was the chairman of the congress, and Grand Ayatollah Ja’far Sobhani was the gathering’s scientific secretary.
Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi said during the opening ceremony that the gathering is aimed at finding ways to counter the threat of Takfiri ideology and extremism.
He said Takfiris harm both Islam and the human society, adding that efforts must be made in order to root out the extremist ideology of the Takfiris.
http://www.abna.ir/english/special-issue/congress-takfiri/archive/2014/11/25/653889/story.html
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Sunni Imam calls for vigilance against ISIL reappearance
Molla Qder Qaderi, Sunni prayer leader of Paveh in Kermanshah Province, hailed the efforts to hold The World Congress on Extremist and Takfiri Movements in the Islamic Scholars’ View and said the meeting aims at announcing the moderate view of Islam and that it is the religion of blessing.
He rejected extremism and overstatement in Islam and demanded the participating clerics to enlighten the people on the threat.
Molla Qader Qaderi expressed regret over the youth fighting in Iraq and Syria for DAESH and urged for shedding more light on the true identity of extremist movements.
He said,” DAESH has entered Syria and Iraq with the policy of threat and extremism therefore out Friday prayers can disclose their identity.
Iranian cleric called for more vigilance so that DAESH ideology does not appear in another form and said,” DAESH is the result of Islamophobia and they want Islam not to spread across the globe, a thought promoted by the US and its allies throughout the globe.”
Friday prayer leader of Paveh referred to the background of peaceful life of Shia and Sunni communities in Iran and said,” In spite of the problems, our country is one of the most secure and comfortable regions in the world and that peace is due to the wise leadership of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution and also the unity and convergence of the Shia and Sunni clerics.”
http://www.abna.ir/english/special-issue/congress-takfiri/archive/2014/11/25/653832/story.html
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Grand Ayatollah Makarem: Necessity of Islamic unity in confrontation with Takfir
Grand Ayatollah Nasser Makarem Shirazi, met with a group of Sunni participants in “The World Congress on Extremist and Takfiri Movements in the Islamic Scholars’ View” and hailed the participation of Muslim world clerics with different nationalities saying that all participants in this event share a unified view.”
Iranian cleric expressed hope that the congress will be effective beyond the two-day event and continues till the extremist moves are completely uprooted.
Muslim clerics in this meeting expressed their gratitude over the efforts of the cleric for holding the event and said maintaining solidarity among the Islamic nation is one of the most important solutions out of this challenge
http://www.abna.ir/english/special-issue/congress-takfiri/archive/2014/11/25/653835/story.html
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Azerbaijan Grand Mufti: Desecration of Al-Aqsa Is Outcome of Discord among Muslims
Sheikh ul-Islam and Grand Mufti of Azerbaijan and the Caucasus said the Zionist regime’s desecration of al-Aqsa Mosque is because there is discord and disunity among Muslims.
Addressing the “Extremist and Takfiri Groups in View of Muslim Scholars” conference in Qom, Allahshukur Pashazadeh underlined the need for Muslim unity and said Takfiri and terrorist groups like ISIL are seeking to foment disunity in the Islamic world.
He described Takfiri groups as a great threat to humanity and the Islamic Ummah, saying that the enemies use these groups to distort the image of Islam.
The “Extremist and Takfiri Groups in View of Muslim Scholars” conference kicked off Sunday morning in the holy city of Qom.
Prominent Sunni and Shia Muslim scholars from 83 countries are taking part in the international event, which aims to raise awareness about different aspects of the threat of Takfir and extremism.
http://www.abna.ir/english/special-issue/congress-takfiri/archive/2014/11/24/653633/story.html
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