Institutionalizing Islamic proximity in the shadow of respecting other denominations

Molavi Nazir Ahmad Salami, prominent leader of Iranian Sunni community, in an exclusive interview with Taqrib News Agency (TNA) related on the necessity of using more influential tools for expanding Islamic proximity as well as the reasons behind disagreements and regional crisis.

Q: How is it possible to apply the meaning of Islamic proximity among people from different denominaitons?

A: Meaning of proximity receives popularity among people only when followers of different denominations respect each other’s religious sanctities. Followers of a certain denominations should not disrespect each other because that would prevent realization of unity.

Q: What is the stance of Takfir in Islamic Fiq’h and how can it impact solidarity among Muslims?

A: Islam stresses,” Do not call he who prays towards Qibla as a non-believer.”; hence, it does not approve those who perform their prayers and fast to be excluded from Islam. To exclude even a true non-believer from Islam is not the mission of Muslims let alone excluding followers of other Islamic schools of thought.

Q: Grand Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) calls the disagreement in Islamic community as a “blessing”. How is it possible to make use of this blessing for promotion of Muslim world?

A: Even disagreement should be moderate. It is permitted in Ijtihad to the point that it is called a blessing which means a particular issue is permitted in one denomination while it is not acceptable for another one. Now if the followers of a denomination are in a case of emergency, then they can follow another denomination to get out of the problem. Therefore, this disagreement is a blessing.

Another reason for calling disagreements as blessings is the potentiality of disagreements to cause promotion. Promotion realizes only in the light of mobility and dynamism and if there is a disagreement among religious clerics, then they will discuss their views and this discussion within the framework of mutual respect leads to scientific and logical development.

Q: To what extent can annual Islamic Unity Conference help expansion of unity among Muslim communities?

A: World Forum for Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought pursues expansion of proximity in two ways, firstly through University of Islamic Denominations and secondly by annual Islamic Unity Conference. If the invited guests in these conferences are not some fixed figures every year, they have a popular stance among their nations, even if they are not in full agreement with us, and they believe in Islamic proximity then this would be quite fruitful.

Improvement of scientific development and the University of Islamic Denominations leave the greatest impact on Islamic proximity. Each one of those who study at this university can be a pioneer of proximity in different countries.

Q: What do you expect the World Forum for Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought to do to boost solidarity and cooperation and uprooting disagreements among different Islamic denominations?

A: World Forum for Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought has its charter, statute and objectives and tries to pave the way to realization of its objectives. It can follow efforts for expansion of proximity and on the other hand pursue extremist activities.

Q: How do you view religious intrigues and recent political crisis in some Islamic countries?

A: They cannot be called under the title of religious intrigues because they have political and social reasons behind them. We have to be vigilant against hostile intrigues by enemies of Islam and foreign elements and the best way for that is informing others.

If our invitation is through wisdom and wise advices then certainly we can lead them all towards moderation and true Islam.