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Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei, Charlie Hebdo, Iran, Irans Supreme Leader, islam, Open Letters, Youth in Europe and North America
I cannot conform the authenticity of a letter written by Irans Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei, ‘To the Youth in Europe and North America’, but it has been printed in many news formats.
I will share it with you…
In the name of God, the Beneficent the Merciful
To the Youth in Europe and North America,
The recent events in France and similar ones in some other Western countries have convinced me to directly talk to you about them. I am addressing you, [the youth], not because I overlook your parents, rather it is because the future of your nations and countries will be in your hands; and also I find that the sense of quest for truth is more vigorous and attentive in your hearts.I don’t address your politicians and statesmen either in this writing because I believe that they have consciously separated the route of politics from the path of righteousness and truth.
I would like to talk to you about Islam, particularly the image that is presented to you as Islam. Many attempts have been made over the past two decades, almost since the disintegration of the Soviet Union, to place this great religion in the seat of a horrifying enemy. The provocation of a feeling of horror and hatred and its utilization has unfortunately a long record in the political history of the West.
Here, I don’t want to deal with the different phobias with which the Western nations have thus far been indoctrinated. A cursory review of recent critical studies of history would bring home to you the fact that the Western governments’ insincere and hypocritical treatment of other nations and cultures has been censured in new historiographies.The histories of the United States and Europe are ashamed of slavery, embarrassed by the colonial period and chagrined at the oppression of people of color and non-Christians. Your researchers and historians are deeply ashamed of the bloodsheds wrought in the name of religion between the Catholics and Protestants or in the name of nationality and ethnicity during the First and Second World Wars. This approach is admirable.
By mentioning a fraction of this long list, I don’t want to reproach history; rather I would like you to ask your intellectuals as to why the public conscience in the West awakens and comes to its senses after a delay of several decades or centuries. Why should the revision of collective conscience apply to the distant past and not to the current problems? Why is it that attempts are made to prevent public awareness regarding an important issue such as the treatment of Islamic culture and thought?
You know well that humiliation and spreading hatred and illusionary fear of the “other” have been the common base of all those oppressive profiteers. Now, I would like you to ask yourself why the old policy of spreading “phobia” and hatred has targeted Islam and Muslims with an unprecedented intensity. Why does the power structure in the world want Islamic thought to be marginalized and remain latent? What concepts and values in Islam disturb the programs of the super powers and what interests are safeguarded in the shadow of distorting the image of Islam? Hence, my first request is: Study and research the incentives behind this widespread tarnishing of the image of Islam.
My second request is that in reaction to the flood of prejudgments and disinformation campaigns, try to gain a direct and firsthand knowledge of this religion. The right logic requires that you understand the nature and essence of what they are frightening you about and want you to keep away from.
I don’t insist that you accept my reading or any other reading of Islam. What I want to say is: Don’t allow this dynamic and effective reality in today’s world to be introduced to you through resentments and prejudices. Don’t allow them to hypocritically introduce their own recruited terrorists as representatives of Islam.
Receive knowledge of Islam from its primary and original sources. Gain information about Islam through the Qur’an and the life of its great Prophet. I would like to ask you whether you have directly read the Qur’an of the Muslims. Have you studied the teachings of the Prophet of Islam and his humane, ethical doctrines? Have you ever received the message of Islam from any sources other than the media?
Have you ever asked yourself how and on the basis of which values has Islam established the greatest scientific and intellectual civilization of the world and raised the most distinguished scientists and intellectuals throughout several centuries?
I would like you not to allow the derogatory and offensive image-buildings to create an emotional gulf between you and the reality, taking away the possibility of an impartial judgment from you. Today, the communication media have removed the geographical borders. Hence, don’t allow them to besiege you within fabricated and mental borders.
Although no one can individually fill the created gaps, each one of you can construct a bridge of thought and fairness over the gaps to illuminate yourself and your surrounding environment. While this preplanned challenge between Islam and you, the youth, is undesirable, it can raise new questions in your curious and inquiring minds. Attempts to find answers to these questions will provide you with an appropriate opportunity to discover new truths.
Therefore, don’t miss the opportunity to gain proper, correct and unbiased understanding of Islam so that hopefully, due to your sense of responsibility toward the truth, future generations would write the history of this current interaction between Islam and the West with a clearer conscience and lesser resentment.
Seyyed Ali Khamenei
21st Jan. 2015
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https://syrianfreepress.wordpress.com/2015/01/24/khamenei-to-youth-eu-usa/
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NOTE: The contents of this article are of sole responsibility of the author(s). The team and the editor of SyrianFreePress.NETwork do not necessarily subscribe every point of view expressed and are not be responsible for any inaccurate or incorrect statement in this article.
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Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei this is what should be ADDRESSED.
this is what is causing the problem and therein lies the problem. for years, decades, centuries many BRAVE have pointed to the problem, but the corrupt ignorant and stupid have let it fester
http://wp.me/p3dxDt-ftV
America’s war in Afghanistan is over …. or is it?
by Catherine Shakdam
“As an imperial power, the US believes that no other country – including those its invades and occupies – can ever impose accountability on Americans. There lies the very essence of imperialism and whether Washington cares to admit it or not, its officials have displayed all its attributes.”
“Former President Hamid Karzai, the very man whom has often been referred to as Washington’ strategic ally in Central Asia highlighted such sentiments in his farewell speech last September when he declared, “The war in Afghanistan is to the benefit of foreigners. But Afghans on both sides are the sacrificial lambs and victims of this war.”
Mohsen Kia, a political analyst based in Tehran believes that Karzai’s virulent critic of the United States actually encapsulate Afghan’s heavy resentment towards western powers. “President Karzai put his finger on an issue which has long troubled Afghanistan. Afghans do not feel in charge of their own fate. Rather they feel trapped by powers greater than own, which play by rules they can neither comprehend nor oppose,” he noted.
He added, “Just as Afghans felt trapped and suffocated under British and Russian rule, they have come to understand the United States as yet another imperialistic power. In all fairness Washington has done little to disperse such sentiments. Everything the U.S. has done over the past 13 years has been done in the Pentagon’s interests, not the Afghans … even though it was sold this way.”
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OUR IRAQ – ditto
Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, we beg to disagree.
we do not think that the west especially the US/UK/Fr are entirely to blame
these insane ignorant thug nations PROFIT and have profited from the absymal POLICIES of Islamic SELF ELECTED DESPOTIC leaders placed in these powerful position by their PIMPS US/UK/Fr
the US educated Afghan leader talks like his yankee goons – FORKED tongue
he says that the cowboy satans are vile disgusting revolting and than he signs agreement giving them the freedom to rape little girls/boys. the pedo brit goons are bugger butcher boys
Our HOLY LAND Iraq – allows the anti-Islamic Islamophobic nations – the Baha Musa torturers and butcher burger boys to come to Iraq and TERRORIZE/RAPE/and destroy
we have the OIC – and they are “Oh I see” – they do not consider the overwhealming Muslim individuals feeling/consideration into account but just hand over OUR WEALTH to the pedophiles/bugger boys thugs
and if you really want to know what we the Muslim think:
a very small but important taste; pls read the full article
http://flyingimam.com/
Why Muhammad Matters
Seeing prophet Muhammad, peace be with him, is making the headlines for all the wrong reasons again, I am reproducing here in full a chapter I wrote for the book Mystics, Scholars and Holy Men (Edited by Troy Southgate), first published in 2014 by Black Front Press, London.
Thank you Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei for the letter sent by you to the young people of the west,this world needs more people like you to care for this world and its people may ALLAH be with you forever salam