Statements made by Religious Authorities (Maraja Taqleed) speaking out against the atrocities committed in Bahrain against the local people.
Ayatollah Makarim Shirazi’s Warning to Arab Leaders
At the start of his Kharij lesson on Wednesday, March 16 2011, in the great Mosque of Qum, Grand Ayatollah Nasir Makarim Shirazi said: “The changes and events in Bahrain are a strange calamity. It is strange that a county that is Islamic in appearance can send troops to massacre the people of another country. Everyone knows that the Bahraini protests are peaceful and they are not armed with weapons. Isn’t this matter dreadful?”
While showing regret in regards to this political event and criticizing the West for its hypocrisy in its defense of democracy and human rights, he stated: “For long years, you have been ripping your collar off for democracy, filled the world with these slogans and beaten your opponents down; now that the people of this part of [the world] have risen against their dictators, you have turned your stance 180 degrees and have become a helper of the dictators. You better know that your ranking in democracy is zero and below zero.”
He added: “Was this your slogan in regards to democracy and human rights? After this, will anyone believe your words? Your objective of human rights is so your interests are protected.”
He addressed the leaders of Saudi Arabia and the Emirates and said: “Do not think that this act of yours will be cheap for you. You will have to pay large sums for it. You are the most damage-prone country of all. Arabia has not had even one election until now. With this state, you have sent troops to another country to massacre its people.”
He stated: “There is a proverb that says one who lives in a glass house does not throw rocks at another’s house. You should know that the people of the area will not tolerate your actions. This matter will cost you dearly; remove yourselves from this perilous situation.
“Steps have been taken by the Islamic Republic of Iran, Turkey, and other countries, and these countries will not allow such an act to take place.”
He continued: “It is strange that when the Saudis and Emirates are asked why they are doing such a thing, they answer that we have a defense treaty with each other. Is it defense when you massacre your own people?”
While stating that logic has been destroyed in today’s world, this Religious Authority (Maraja Taqleed) expressed: “It is strange that the massacre of a nation who has legitimate demands falls under a defense treaty and foreign troops enter another county to repress the people. Can a child even accept such logic?”
He articulated: “We are hopeful that with the awakening of people in the area, the evil of the evildoers will turn back on themselves and their hands will be shortened and cut off from the area.”
In another part of his statement, Grand Ayatollah Makarim Shirazi pointed to the frightening earthquake and tsunami in Japan and said: “We are very troubled by this huge catastrophe and I have repeatedly prayed for them and pray that God rescues them.”
He added: “Certainly there is a lesson in these disasters and it is to show that even the most powerful industrial nations of the world are very weak and unable before disasters, of course in the case that we do not become arrogant.”
Ayatollah Jawadi Amuli’s Severe Objection to the Silence of Arab Scholars before the Killing of Muslims in Bahrain
Also on Wednesday March 16, 2011, in his Qur’anic exegesis (tafseer) class in the presences of hundreds of clerics and students, Ayatollah Abdullah Jawadi Amuli stated his analysis and study of present day events based on the Holy Qur’an.
While referring to verse 42:30, “And whatever of afflictions befall you it is because of what your hands have wrought, and He pardons many [of you]”, he attributed most of the hardships of human society to their incorrect actions. He expressed: “Every type of calamity that overtakes nations is because of the evil of those nations’ actions. This is a universal principle of the Qur’an and religion.
This exceptional teacher of the religious seminary of Qum stated: “At times it is possible for someone to object, what are these earthquakes, floods and tsunamis? In reply, it must be said, “That which your hands have wrought.
“God, the Blessed and Exalted, has spread a tablecloth in the size of the order of creation and has placed the earth and heavens full of bounties for man’s use, and God has invited a guest by the name human being and said you are Our representative (khalifah) and We have placed everything under your control.”
He continued: “With all of the apparent advancements that the human has made, but when we assess mankind, we see that almost all of the Earth’s resources are used to kill people – weapon-manufacturing factories which work three shifts and schools that train killers.”
This teacher of the Qum seminary remarked: “A portion of the budget is also spent to spread moral decay and corruptions, and a small part of it spent for food and clothing. This is happening when the sound of the Qur’an reaches everywhere.”
While pointing to the tsunami and earthquake in Japan and the explosions in some of the nuclear facilities of that country, he stressed: “Japan made these nuclear plants for a time when America attacks them so that they can use it against them, but now it has overtaken them. Both the arrogant imperialists and Zionists know that the Islamic Republic of Iran’s intent is not to make nuclear weapons, but it wants to solve its economic and scientific problems with this technology, however they stand in the way of Iran but not others.”
While referring to verses of the Qur’an and hadiths, Ayatollah Jawadi Amuli stressed: “The world is very beautiful and does not have any defects, and if the arrogant powers and Zionists step aside, the world will become a beautiful picture.” He continued by denouncing the killing of the people of Bahrain and stated: “There is a group who claim they are the custodians of the two Sacred Mosques, but the Sacred Mosques have been captured by a group.”
Ayatollah Jawadi Amuli, while stating that the most significant official programs of Islam are from the two Sacred Mosques, remarked: “Those who call themselves the custodians of the two Sacred Mosques deploys troops to another Muslim country and a group of scholars are silent about it. They are devils with closed mouths who are either confirming the statement of these bogus custodians of the two Sacred Mosques, or are preventing the people’s protests. After all of this, your hearts still desire that there should be no earthquakes, floods or tsunamis?”
He said: “In bright daylight in the presence of scholars, they sent troops to kill the Muslims and Shi’as of Bahrain who were reciting Du’a Al-Faraj and wanted to assist God’s religion, and yet their hearts want there to be no earthquakes, no tsunamis.”
This remarkable teacher of Qum’s seminary stated: “Our scholars, great Religious Authorities and officials have stated important points and we will also pray for the release of this country from the hands of the evildoers and arrogant powers.” Ayatollah Jawadi Amuli raised his hands in prayer at the end of his lesson and said: “Lord, we beseech you by the Holy Prophet, the Fourteen Infallibles and the Qur’an to assist the Muslims. Rescue them from the evil of these rulers. Cut the hands of the arrogant powers and Zionists and humiliate America and the arrogant powers.
This Religious Authority brought to mind: “We heard that some Japanese individuals blamed Iran after the earthquake in Bam. Now it becomes clear that everyone is weak before these disasters. This is a message for all of humanity that we must not become arrogant and we must move on the path of truth.”
Ayatollah Ja’far Subhani’s Statement about the Events of Bahrain and Other Islamic Countries
In response to the latest events in Bahrain and other Islamic countries, Ayatollah Ja’far Subhani issued a statement with the verse 4:148, “God does not love the public utterance of hurtful speech except from one who has been oppressed, and God is Hearing and Knowing.” He stated: “The peaceful congregation and demonstrations of the Muslims of Bahrain is one of the manifestations of pleading for one’s rights, which the Qur’an emphasizes. In the aforesaid verse it states, “except one who is oppressed,” meaning the oppressed can state the injustices committed against them by the government or anyone else until they get their rights.
“All the Muslim countries of the world must stand with the people of Bahrain and other countries and be an instance of the Leader of the Believers’ statement where he said to his noble son: ‘Be the adversary of the oppressor and helper of the oppressed.’
“It is very unfortunate that instead of assisting the oppressed and this call to justice, neighboring countries are repressing the oppressed and sending troops to silence this call. Repelling injustice and seeking rights is so important that the Qur’an gives permission to the oppressed to defend themselves: ‘Permission has been given to fight for those who are being attacked because they are oppressed, and surely God is very able to assist them.’ (22:39)
“The sentence ‘because they are oppressed’ shows that the oppressed and tyrannized have the right to seek justice. In these days, the people of Bahrain are peacefully – without breaking any laws and harming any area – presenting their demands so that the world can hear them. If they are given what they are asking for then what is better than that, and if not, God is their helper and He states: ‘Surely God is very able to assist them.’
“We are hopeful that the scholars of Islam in the area will exhort the governments of the area and join hands with all the Muslims and assist the oppressed. In this manner, they will become the source of pride for themselves and their religion.”
All the Muslims of the world are expecting the Islamic Conference Organization to give its decisive verdict and stop the bloodshed and killing, and to take serious action in regards to this matter with a special session.
The Harsh Warning of Ayatollah Saafi Gulpayagani to the Military Campaign of Saudi Arabia
Grand Ayatollah Saafi Gulpayagani, one of the Religious Authorities, in a statement addressed to the leaders of Arabia and the countries in that area – in particular pertaining to the military campaign of Saudi Arabia and Emirates in Bahrain – severely warned them and stated: “The awakening and Islamic uprising of the people who are under the rule of anti-Islamic and imperialist-servant governments, and the end of their patience and tolerance especially in the Arab counties is one of the most important events of present history.”
In his statement, this Religious Authority remarked: “This freedom-seeking movement started in Tunisia and has overtaken the area. Egypt, Yemen, Libya and Bahrain have come under this Islamic-seeking and anti-imperialist call. It has stirred the Imperial leaders, especially America – who has taken the Arab world under its empire with the help of these puppet rulers and has taken control of the natural resources of these countries, including oil – to take hypocritical resources and meddle [in these affairs]. From the viewpoint of the world’s people, it was obvious that with the people’s revolution of Libya, Gaddafi was going to fall in the very first days, but this treacherous virus to Islam has been slaughtering the Libyan people day and night, from land and air, with overt and covert help from the Imperialists.
“We don’t have any expectations from the government of the Emirates. Their true identity is evident to the world. We ask the Saudi rulers, who see themselves as Muslims and helpers of the Muslims: When is your almost century long cooperation with the British and American imperialists going to end? Why don’t you wake up? Will you not return to Islamic honor and independence?
“The Islamic world, especially Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq are overtaken with brothers killing brothers and carnage every day. And the world is aware of its source. We ask you: Does Islam permit you to help the oppressor against the oppressed? Are you unaware that the government of Al-Khalifa, with their limited numbers, have deprived the Muslims, both Shi’a and Sunni, of Bahrain? Is that majority [of Bahrainis] who are almost unanimously demanding their Islamic rights the true owners of Bahrain or those few lackeys and enemies to Islam, for whom you have sent troops into Bahrain under the pretext of assistance but in reality because of the orders of America? Why do you not fear God’s anger and wrath? Why do you not take lessons from the outcomes of others?
“Muslims all over the world have decided to regain their early honor and greatness and to cast out foreign powers from Islamic countries, just as they cast out Bin Ali and Mubarak.”
