A glance at the 32nd International Unity Conference

In this juncture of the history of mankind signs of practical unity can be seen in the Islamic world. The efforts to cause rifts in the Muslim world are failing one after the other and a new chapter has opened in the Islamic world.

Many of the conspiracies of the Global Arrogance and Zionism have been thwarted thanks to the sacrifices of the valorous combatants of the Resistance Front and the pure blood of the defenders of the sanctuary of Ahl al-Bayt in Iraq and Syria. This year, on the occasion of the Unity Week, the 32^nd International Unity Conference was held in Tehran with the participation of a number of dignitaries and thinkers from across the Islamic world.

The International Conference on Islamic Unity is held annually by the International Assembly on Approximation of Islamic Schools in Iran concurrent with the birth anniversary of the Prophet of Islam. During the conference, prominent personalities, ministers and officials of Islamic countries as well as scholars and Shia and Sunni thinkers inside and outside the country present their views on the importance of unity of the Islamic Ummah and the ways to achieve and bolster it among individuals and communities. The 32^nd Conference on Islamic Unity was held in Tehran with the motto of "Quds, Axis of Unity of the Ummah". More than 300 prominent thinkers, politicians and artists from 100 countries took part in the event to announce that the Freedom Front is formed with the axis of the Islamic Republic in the world, and intellectuals and fighters of resistance comprise a single front against the Global Arrogance and Zionism.

In the inaugural ceremony of the conference, President Hassan Rouhani stated: “Even if all Palestinians return to their homes, we must be united. Unity is the basis of our religion. The holy Quran says in ayah 10 of Surah Hujurat,

“The faithful are indeed brothers. Therefore, make peace between your brothers and be wary of Allah, so that you may receive mercy.”

Rouhani added: “If we be united, we will overcome the Zionists and the US. If we call the youths of the Islamic world with a firm word, God will not let us alone. If we move in the path of God, the Prophet will not let us alone; our angels will not leave us alone.”

Reiterating that unity does not mean abandoning one another’s belief, the president noted: "We should recognize each other and not limit the position of religion in its name. We should not seize the realm of Islam in the name of Shia and not take the realm of Islam in the name of Sunni. Religion is defined as religion. Religion is a stream that is the source of Islam. Hassan Rouhani added: “There are so many non-Muslims in the world. Let's make them Muslim. We must recognize each other. The language of recognition and not being brother at heart will not lead us anywhere. "

Creating unity, sympathy, cooperation and integration among Muslims is one of the most important legacies of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) for the Islamic Ummah. Therefore, whenever the conduct of the Muslims has in full compliance with the teachings of the noble Quran, the Messenger of Mercy and his household, unity and solidarity have been remarkable. Religious scholars call Shia and Sunni unity as an element which creates the two wings of the growth of the Islamic world. The abandonment of false judgments pertaining to the issues of Shia and Sunni jurisprudence has been highly stressed by scholars of the two denominations.

At the unity conference, it was emphasized that in order to stand up against the conspiracies of the enemies of Islam, unity is one of the main factors of success and any deficiency in this way will deprive us from the lofty goals and aspirations of Islam. The divine prophets, through divine revelation, always tried to gather people around a single axis; i.e. the word of Tawhid (Monotheism). They exerted their utmost to guide the masses toward servitude and worship of God as the center of unity in the entire universe. They made strenuous efforts to liberate people from the yoke of the oppressive and arrogant rulers.

 The issue highlighted at the International Unity Conference was the Palestinian issue. Thus, the participants unanimously stressed the right to return for Palestinian refugees, their legal rights, the counteraction vis-à-vis every plot related to the Palestinian cause, the reality of the Gaza Strip and the support of the return demonstrations.

Tunisian scholar Abu Saeed Al-Minavi said: “Through Palestine, the world Muslims can recognize their enemies and separate them from their path. The issue of Palestine and Quds is a unifying issue and, if it is separated from the Muslim world, it will go astray. The Palestinian issue is a real compass. Today, the Islamic Revolution has presented us Muslims the gift of getting united on the axis of Quds and Palestine. In Palestine, the rights of Muslims have been wiped out, which must be retaken. The Palestinian issue is the axis of the Islamic Ummah. "

The notorious Deal of Century is a political term and is intended to be implemented by the US. It claims to put into effect the compromise between Palestine and Israel and end the Palestinian-Israeli conflict of more than 70 years. The plan, known as the Great Deal of the Century, agrees to concessions to Israel by forming an independent Palestinian state comprising half of the West Bank, the entire Gaza Strip, and several neighborhoods of Eastern Bayt-ul Moqaddas. According to the plan, the city of Abu Dis will be considered as the capital of Palestine.

During the Unity Conference, the members considered Donald Trump’s proposal as harmful to the Islamic world. Trump has stepped in recognizing the holy Quds as the capital of the fabricated regime in Tel Aviv, but the stiff resistance of the Palestinian people has caused even Americans not to take the subject seriously. Ismail Rizwan, head of conflict resolution commission, deal of the century and normalization, said: "Palestinian people have proved that Islamic countries never permit the implementation of the plan of deal of the century. Now in reaction to the transfer of US embassy to al-Quds, 60 resistance combatants have been martyred and over one thousand people injured in the demonstrations so far."   

The Palestinian writer and analyst, Tayseer Al-Khatib, considered this plan a trap for the Palestinian people. According to him, we must formulate the Palestinian National Plan in order to confront the deal of the century. Because normalization of the Arab-Islamic relations with the Israelis will undermine the Palestinian issue, so all countries must fulfill their duties.

Stating that the issue of the "deal of the century" should not be forgotten, Sheikh Hassan Al-Baghdadi from Lebanon said: "The Zionist regime and the Americans have faced heavy defeats by the resistance in Iran, Lebanon, Palestine and Syria. Trump wants to possess the oil resources of the region through a deal of the century, but this failed with the resistance of Iran and its allies."

He pointed out that the Israelis want to form the Hebrew-Saudi-American coalition, saying: "This is important that Iran has always cut off this passage and did not allow it."

Muslims in the world, despite differences in their national and local culture and customs, are united on the principles and basis of thought. Therefore, the geographical differences of Muslims are not a barrier to their unity. Because their intellectual and ideological commonalities are so deeply rooted that they can be consistent despite being scattered in various regions. Moreover, the main factor of unity, solidariy and consistency is the same intellectual and ideological beliefs. Ayatollah Nouri Hamedani, one of the great sources of emulation, stressed in a message to the conference that: "Lasting unity based on harmony will form internal unity. Otherwise, it will be transient and ineffective. The noble Quran reproaches such unity and says: “You suppose them to be a body, but their hearts are disunited. That is because they are a lot who do not apply reason.”

Part of the message of Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi, another great source of emulation also reads: "The Quran considers dispute and differences as a series of heinous and terrible devastating calamities, such as thunderbolts, earthquakes and volcanoes, and assigns all Muslims that if a conflict occurs between two groups of Muslim brothers for whatever reason, they should end it immediately and become friends with each other. And more strangely, the Quran considers the division among Muslims as effects of polytheism, and the rewards of those who seek to resolve disputes, such as combatant in the way of God. So, with such a brilliant culture, is it deserving to have difference among Muslims?"

It is noteworthy that the guests attending the thirty-second international conference of unity met and conferred with the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Khamenei on the auspicious birth anniversary of the holy Prophet of Islam and Imam Ja'far Sadeq (Blessings of God upon them).

FK/RM/SS