Shiaphobia in East Asia

Takfiri currents within Muslim societies became widespread after the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran.

The rulers of some Arab states embarked on hostility with the structure of the Islamic government in Iran with its lofty values based on the teachings of the holy Quran and practice of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA). This came as the Islamic Republic of Iran has stretched the hand of friendship towards all Muslim states and called for unity of Muslim states against the archenemies of the Islamic nations and the entire humanity; namely the United States of America and the fabricated regime in Tel Aviv called Israel.

Unfortunately, most of the rulers of the Arab world have rejected the hand of friendship extended by the Islamic Republic and through allying with the enemies of Islam have been seeking to deal blow on Iran. This enmity appeared in various shapes against the Islamic Republic of Iran. Iranophobia and Islamophobia has been the axis of this enmity and spite. Iranophobia and Islamophobia were spearheaded by the Saudi rulers through generously spending petrodollars. The Saudi rulers spent much money with the goal of forming a coalition against the Islamic Republic of Iran. They tried through excommunicating Shias to portray Shia school of thought as disbelief and a threat to the Muslim communities. Actually the source of Takfiri terrorist currents lies in the Wahhabi ruling system of Arabia; the current which not only is a danger to discord among Islamic schools but it has become a threat to the world security with its support for the savage acts of cannibalistic elements who style themselves as Islamic state. Due to their hostility to the Islamic Republic of Iran, western regimes have defined the terrorism rising from Saudi-backed Takfiri and terrorist currents as good terrorism and they have nothing to do with it. The Saudi-backed Shiaphobia is not restricted to West Asia and Africa but the Muslim nations in East Asia have also turned into the scene of wide activities of Wahhabi currents. Unfortunately, some of their religious officials and organs accompany the anti-Shia poisonous activities in their countries.

With mounting tension in the relations of the Islamic Republic of Iran with Saudi regime, the Saudi rulers visited various Muslim nations including those of East Asia in a bid to hoodwink them into forgetting the archenemy, the Zionist regime of Israel, and consider Iran as the main enemy.

Some media released figures of spending multi-hundred million petrodollars for encouraging those countries to limit their relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran.   

The Takfiri Wahhabi current has defined Shiaphobia as the core of its mission in Muslim nations. Promoting the backward and savage Wahhabi ideas, the west portrays Islam as the spreader of violence and barbarism. The Shiite school promotes the high justice-seeking teachings of the holy Quran, the Prophet and Ahl al-Bayt (Blessings of God upon them). The enemies of Islam in the west do not want the message of Islam to reach their public opinion. On the one side, Wahhabism by promoting violence and barbarism and supporting the Takfiri and terrorist groups provides anti-Islamic groups and elements to depict Islam as the enemy of culture, civilization and tolerance. Furthermore, with Shiaphobia in Muslim nations, Wahhabis prevented reaching of genuine Islam to the public opinion.

Shias are minorities in some of the Muslim countries and in many countries they face with many restrictions. The very restrictions caused by the western regimes in Muslim nations have been more intensively created among Shias of Malaysia and Indonesia. They treat Shia minorities as non- Muslims. About three years ago, the Islamic Law’s consultative committee of Pahang state in Malaysia prohibited Shia propagation. The council for protecting Islamic and Malaya traditions in Pahang welcomed this decision for preventing the spread of Shia school of thought in this state.

Unfortunately, Indonesia with the largest Muslim population in the world has been the scene of anti-Shia ideas and the Shias face with many restrictions and threats. In certain cases, even the houses of Shias are set on fire and its residents have been massacred. Promoters of Wahhabism in East Asia repeatedly stress that the Shias have distorted the holy Quran and they do not believe it. Both of these allegations have nothing to do whatsoever with Shia beliefs.

The Wahhabis made these allegations due to their enmity and hostility to the Shias and the followers of Ahl al-Bayt. Unfortunately these ideas have affected some communities that have information of Shia ideas through adverse propaganda funneled by Saudi petro-dollars. This comes as through a brief research in the internet and reference to Shia sites one can realize the real ideas of the Shias.  The sources of Shia school of thought are the holy Quran, the Prophet (SAWA) and his infallible successors (Ahl al-Bayt) as well as consensus and intellect.

Actually the holy Quran is the main source of Islamic jurisprudence. One of the most famous ayahs of the holy Quran regarding the holy Prophet and his household is ayah 59 of Surah Nisa which says:

“O you who have faith! Obey Allah and obey the Apostle and those vested with authority among you.”

This ayah stresses obedience of God and his Prophet as well as those who have been granted the divine authority among Muslims. The exegetes of the holy Quran throughout history, both Shias and Sunnis, are unanimous in that the purpose of those vested with authority means the Ahl al- Bayt (peace upon them).

The holy Prophet of Islam, during the last moments of his blessed life invited people to mosque and reminded them of important points. The most important point has been known as Hadith Thaqalayn. Both Shia and Sunnis unanimously believe that the event was on the lofty status of Qur’an and the progeny of the Prophet. The holy Prophet’s Hadith reads:

"Verily, I am leaving behind among you two precious things: the Book of God and my progeny, Ahl al-Bayt); for indeed, the two will never separate until they come back to me by the Pond (Kowthar)."

The rulers of some Arab states embarked on hostility with the structure of the Islamic government in Iran with its lofty values based on the teachings of the holy Quran and practice of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA). This came as the Islamic Republic of Iran has stretched the hand of friendship towards all Muslim states and called for unity of Muslim states against the archenemies of the Islamic nations and the entire humanity; namely the United States of America and the fabricated regime in Tel Aviv called Israel.

Unfortunately, most of the rulers of the Arab world have rejected the hand of friendship extended by the Islamic Republic and through allying with the enemies of Islam have been seeking to deal blow on Iran. This enmity appeared in various shapes against the Islamic Republic of Iran. Iranophobia and Islamophobia has been the axis of this enmity and spite. Iranophobia and Islamophobia were spearheaded by the Saudi rulers through generously spending petrodollars. The Saudi rulers spent much money with the goal of forming a coalition against the Islamic Republic of Iran. They tried through excommunicating Shias to portray Shia school of thought as disbelief and a threat to the Muslim communities. Actually the source of Takfiri terrorist currents lies in the Wahhabi ruling system of Arabia; the current which not only is a danger to discord among Islamic schools but it has become a threat to the world security with its support for the savage acts of cannibalistic elements who style themselves as Islamic state. Due to their hostility to the Islamic Republic of Iran, western regimes have defined the terrorism rising from Saudi-backed Takfiri and terrorist currents as good terrorism and they have nothing to do with it. The Saudi-backed Shiaphobia is not restricted to West Asia and Africa but the Muslim nations in East Asia have also turned into the scene of wide activities of Wahhabi currents. Unfortunately, some of their religious officials and organs accompany the anti-Shia poisonous activities in their countries.

With mounting tension in the relations of the Islamic Republic of Iran with Saudi regime, the Saudi rulers visited various Muslim nations including those of East Asia in a bid to hoodwink them into forgetting the archenemy, the Zionist regime of Israel, and consider Iran as the main enemy.

Some media released figures of spending multi-hundred million petrodollars for encouraging those countries to limit their relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran.   

The Takfiri Wahhabi current has defined Shiaphobia as the core of its mission in Muslim nations. Promoting the backward and savage Wahhabi ideas, the west portrays Islam as the spreader of violence and barbarism. The Shiite school promotes the high justice-seeking teachings of the holy Quran, the Prophet and Ahl al-Bayt (Blessings of God upon them). The enemies of Islam in the west do not want the message of Islam to reach their public opinion. On the one side, Wahhabism by promoting violence and barbarism and supporting the Takfiri and terrorist groups provides anti-Islamic groups and elements to depict Islam as the enemy of culture, civilization and tolerance. Furthermore, with Shiaphobia in Muslim nations, Wahhabis prevented reaching of genuine Islam to the public opinion.

Shias are minorities in some of the Muslim countries and in many countries they face with many restrictions. The very restrictions caused by the western regimes in Muslim nations have been more intensively created among Shias of Malaysia and Indonesia. They treat Shia minorities as non- Muslims. About three years ago, the Islamic Law’s consultative committee of Pahang state in Malaysia prohibited Shia propagation. The council for protecting Islamic and Malaya traditions in Pahang welcomed this decision for preventing the spread of Shia school of thought in this state.

Unfortunately, Indonesia with the largest Muslim population in the world has been the scene of anti-Shia ideas and the Shias face with many restrictions and threats. In certain cases, even the houses of Shias are set on fire and its residents have been massacred. Promoters of Wahhabism in East Asia repeatedly stress that the Shias have distorted the holy Quran and they do not believe it. Both of these allegations have nothing to do whatsoever with Shia beliefs.

The Wahhabis made these allegations due to their enmity and hostility to the Shias and the followers of Ahl al-Bayt. Unfortunately these ideas have affected some communities that have information of Shia ideas through adverse propaganda funneled by Saudi petro-dollars. This comes as through a brief research in the internet and reference to Shia sites one can realize the real ideas of the Shias.  The sources of Shia school of thought are the holy Quran, the Prophet (SAWA) and his infallible successors (Ahl al-Bayt) as well as consensus and intellect.

Actually the holy Quran is the main source of Islamic jurisprudence. One of the most famous ayahs of the holy Quran regarding the holy Prophet and his household is ayah 59 of Surah Nisa which says:

“O you who have faith! Obey Allah and obey the Apostle and those vested with authority among you.”

This ayah stresses obedience of God and his Prophet as well as those who have been granted the divine authority among Muslims. The exegetes of the holy Quran throughout history, both Shias and Sunnis, are unanimous in that the purpose of those vested with authority means the Ahl al- Bayt (peace upon them).

The holy Prophet of Islam, during the last moments of his blessed life invited people to mosque and reminded them of important points. The most important point has been known as Hadith Thaqalayn. Both Shia and Sunnis unanimously believe that the event was on the lofty status of Qur’an and the progeny of the Prophet. The holy Prophet’s Hadith reads:

"Verily, I am leaving behind among you two precious things: the Book of God and my progeny, Ahl al-Bayt); for indeed, the two will never separate until they come back to me by the Pond (Kowthar)."

This Hadith indicates the purification of Ahl al-Bayt (Peace upon them) which places them equal to the holy Quran and resorting to them beside the Quran as a means of preventing deviation in history forever. So resorting just to one of them will mislead us. Creation of restriction for the Shias in some of the Muslim countries is the result of misinformation about the Shia beliefs. Further activity on the side of the Assembly for Proximity of Islamic Schools and presence of Muslim scholars from all denominations can nullify the enemies’ conspiracies to cause discord among Muslims. Differences between Shias and Sunnis are not new. They have always been discussed in seminaries and amongst experts. But neither of them has considered the other side as unfaithful or polytheist. Muslims from various schools have had peaceful life throughout history. Now, too, in most of the Muslim nations followers of various sects live peacefully beside each other without any problem. The noteworthy point is that despite the broad anti-Shia propaganda by the Wahhabis, tendency to the school of Ahl al-Bayt and Shia school of thought has grown more than ever.
FK/RM/EA