Rouhani calls for Muslim unity, denounces violence in name of Jihad
President Hassan Rouhani inaugurated the 29th session of the International Islamic Unity Conference here on Sunday. Addressing the three-day event, with the participation of hundreds of Shia and Sunni scholars as well as ministers of Muslim countries, Rouhani said violence, which takes its root from a mentality and is a way of thinking, is translated into rhetoric and then gradually develops into a discourse, according to the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).
“Different interpretations come from human nature and this can be accepted but should not mean conflict and confrontation,” he stressed.
He stressed that the real danger starts when this kind of discourse is based on violence and extremism.
He said if people fail to follow a fair, moderate tone of discourse that is far from any kind of extremism, the practical output will only be violence.
Elsewhere in his remarks, he said Takfiri thoughts are definitely caused by lack of moderation and are products of dogmatic minds.
The Iranian President further said the enemies have always been trying to depict Islam as a religion of violence while regretfully a small group from within the Islamic Ummah is now helping them prove their point claiming Jihad.
In what seems to be an implicit reference to Saudi intervention in Yemen, the Iranian President went on to regret that today the world is witnessing a situation where a Muslim country is using the flag of Islam to shower Muslims with bombs.
“Who is to benefit, If Syrian streets and ancient sites are destroyed and Syrian oil is stolen and sold to others, weakening a country that has stood against the region’s aggressor, namely Israel? Will weakening Syria be in the interest of the world of Islam and the country’s Muslim neighbors and help Turkey, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and UAE thrive or just make Israel happy?” asked President Rouhani.
However, he stressed, the Islamic world is not going to stop looking at the Zionist regime as the main aggressor.