Al-Azhar al-Sharif strongly condemns the continued unjustified Iranian attacks on its Gulf neighbors—represented by the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Bahrain, the State of Qatar, the State of Kuwait, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the Sultanate of Oman—as well as a number of other Arab countries and neighboring states, represented by Jordan, Iraq, Türkiye, and Azerbaijan.Al-Azhar calls upon the Islamic Republic of Iran—as a Muslim neighboring state—to take an immediate decision dictated by Islam and imposed by its Sharia: to cease the attacks on these brotherly Arab and Muslim countries unconditionally, to respect their sovereignty over their lands, and to refrain from infringing upon it in any way, near or far; in order to preserve the lives of the innocent who bear no guilt in these conflicts and have no stake in them whatsoever.Al-Azhar affirms that targeting residential areas, airports, hospitals, and energy facilities in countries that were not party to any conflict constitutes a grave violation of international humanitarian law and a clear departure from what Islam mandates in protecting lives, property, and human dignity. It reminds of the words of Allah Almighty: "And do not kill the soul which Allah has forbidden, except by right" [Quran 17:33], and the cry of the Prophet (peace be upon him) to the Muslims: “All of the Muslim is forbidden to the Muslim: his blood, his wealth, and his honor.”
Notice that Al Azhar has no problem with Iran attacking Jewish civilians.
But Iran was not happy. It published a response by Ayatollah Mohammad Javad Fazel Lankarani that explicitly referred to "Jews" as the targets:
Doesn't Al-Azhar ask itself why the countries of the region have given their lands and airspace to the infidels and Jews?Don't you ask yourselves: What do they aim for with their presence and control over this region?Don't you realize that they seek to plunder the wealth of Muslims and destroy their people and their property?Has Al-Azhar forgotten the various verses that forbid accepting the hegemony of the disbelievers and the Jews?
If there is one thing the Iranians and Al Azhar can agree on, it is that attacking Jews is perfectly fine.
|
"He's an Anti-Zionist Too!" cartoon book (December 2024) PROTOCOLS: Exposing Modern Antisemitism (February 2022) |
 |
Buy