Iran’s Seminary Director: ‘Zionist regime’s’ plans will be defeated
At an international webinar on Gaza, Ayatollah Alireza Arafi condemned starvation and displacement, invoking Islamic teachings and international law
Qom, PUREWILAYAH.COM - Ayatollah Alireza Arafi, Director of Iran’s Seminaries, told the International Webinar on Gaza and the Scholars of the Ummah that what he called the “Zionist regime’s” occupying and destructive agenda would be pushed back and ultimately defeated. He credited growing awareness across the Muslim world, the resolve of independent governments, and the efforts of activists globally.
The Arabic-language online event gathered scholars and leaders from across the Muslim world under a theme focused on condemning starvation and forced displacement in Gaza. Framing the crisis as both a moral and religious imperative, Ayatollah Arafi cited Qur’anic injunctions to defend the oppressed, quoting the verse:
“And what is [the matter] with you that you fight not in the cause of Allah and [for] the oppressed among men, women, and children…” (Qur’an, Surah an-Nisa, Chapter 4, The Women, Verse 75).
He described the situation in Gaza as among the gravest crimes of contemporary times.
Ayatollah Arafi argued that policies leading to starvation, forced displacement, and attacks on civilians constitute violations of international law. He referenced the Rome Statute, the Genocide Convention, and the Geneva Conventions to assert that such actions amount to war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide.
He also drew on other Islamic texts, reminding his audience that the Qur’an warns against those who “spread corruption in the land” (Surah al-Ma’idah, The Table-Spread: Verse 33; al-Baqarah, The Cow: Verse 205) and invoking teachings from Imam Ali about upholding justice for the weak. Ayatollah Arafi characterised Israel as an instrument of major world powers that has brought conflict and instability to the region, and he accused the United States and other powers of backing its actions.
Pointing to what he described as a failed 12-day incursion into Iranian territory that ended with a “humiliating blow” to Israel, Ayatollah Arafi said it signalled a broader awakening across the Islamic world. He concluded that the regime’s days were numbered and that its plans would be thwarted. (PW)
Source: ABNA