Regarding the situation of Shiites in Europe after the victory of the Islamic Revolution of Iran, the Secretary of the Supreme Council of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly said, “With the victory of the Islamic Revolution of Iran, the West fully recognized Shiism, turned to Shiism and recognized it as a school, religion and ritual. Of course, before the Islamic Revolution of Iran, the West considered Shiism to be non-Twelver. With its strong presence of Ismailis, the West thought that the Shiites were only Ismailis. But after the victory of the Islamic Revolution of Iran, Shiism was fully introduced. So that today, thanks to the Islamic Revolution of Iran, the West knows the Shiite, Iran, and Velayat-e Faqih, and fully interacts with them.”
On Saturday, March 5, 2022, on the first anniversary of Hojat al-Islam Sayed Moghtada Hosseini Abhari, the specialized conference “The situation of Shia in the West” was held.
In this conference, the president of the University of Religions and Islamic Denominations stated, “The late Sayed Moghtada Hosseini Abhari worked hard in Lugano, Switzerland, and provided valuable services by establishing an Islamic center there.”
In defining the meaning of “West” Hojat al-Islam Sayed Abolhassan Nawab said, “The West, refers to the Greek and Roman civilizations. Greek civilization is one of the ten known civilizations. Greece has a history of more than 2,500 years and 25 centuries of civilization. In the time of Aristotle and Plato, Greece was a great civilization that did a lot of service to humanity. This is the ancient West, which was one of the great civilizations. Then, Roman civilization was created. In this civilization, we see the history of the Crusades and the great hostility to Islam.”
“Islam in the West has a history coinciding with the formation of the West. The entry of Islam into the West has happened twice. This entry was first made near the beginning of Islam from the Strait of Gibraltar and the Arab Maghreb, i.e., Morocco. The Islam that entered Europe through Andalusia was the Islam that came from the Idrisid dynasty of the Maghreb. The Idrisids were one of the region’s Shiite governments. Islam also entered central Europe through the Ottoman Empire and led to the establishing a government in present-day Bosnia and Herzegovina, centered in Sarajevo. In this way, Islam entered Bosnia, Macedonia, part of Serbia, Kosovo, Sanjak and part of Albania,” stated the Secretary of the Supreme Council of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly, regarding the roots of the presence of Islam in the West.
“Both of these Islams that entered Europe were associated with Shia. Of course, Shia here, does not refer to the today’s common Twelver Shia. The Shia that entered Albania was an extension of the Ottoman presence in the Balkans that had happened six centuries ago. The Islam that entered southern Spain was also derived from the Idrisid dynasty of the Maghreb. Both of these cases of Islam were with the love of the AhlulBayt (a.s.). In this sense, it can be said that the presence of Shiism in the West generally, is ten centuries old, and Shiism in the Balkans is six centuries old. This fact is accepted by the Europeans themselves,” continued the president of the University of Religions and Islamic Denominations.
“The re-entry of Shiism into Europe began two centuries ago by immigrants. Immigrants from Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, India, and Afghanistan settled in Europe in the last two centuries and were able to establish Shiism in the parts of the West,” he said, regarding the entry of Shiism into Europe in recent centuries.
“With the victory of the Islamic Revolution of Iran, the West fully recognized Shiism, turned to Shiism and recognized it as a school, religion and ritual. Of course, before the Islamic Revolution of Iran, the West considered Shiism to be non-Twelver. With its strong presence of Ismailis, the West thought that the Shiites were only Ismailis. But after the victory of the Islamic Revolution of Iran, Shiism was fully introduced. Also, after the fall of Saddam, the widespread migration of Iraqis to European countries, as well as the presence of Ayatollah Sistani in the Iraqi political scene, once again led to the presence of Shiism in the West. Today, thanks to the Islamic Revolution of Iran, the West knows the Shiite, Iran, and Velayat-e Faqih, and fully interacts with them,” Nawab said about the situation of Shiites in Europe after the victory of the Islamic Revolution of Iran.
“We commemorate the late Sayed Moghtada Hosseini Abhari. I also appreciate the great center that he built in the name of Imam Ali (a.s.) in Lugano, Switzerland. I appreciate his services and efforts and thank his noble son for continuing his father’s path. The son of the deceased, with the establishment of a magazine called “Solidarity of Religions” continues this movement more diligently and better than before. God willing, he will continue the path of his noble father more vigorously, and with an attitude towards other religions and attention to others Islam will be introduced in that region clearly,” he stated in the end, about the character of the late Sayed Moghtada Hosseini Abhari.
It should be mentioned that the commemoration of late Hojat al-Islam Haj Sayed Moghtada Hosseini Abhari, and the specialized conference “The situation of Shia in the West” was held virtually by the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly, the Imam Ali (a.s.) Center of Lugano, and the Office for the Defense of the Rights of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) followers in Switzerland.
University of Religions and Islamic Denominations, Swiss International Association for the Religions Studies, AhlulBayt (a.s.) News Agency - ABNA, Foundation for Iran-Netherlands Friendship and Developing Relations, Islamic and Cultural Foundation of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) Geneva, Europersia University of International Interaction, Secretariat of Iranian Theologians, Coordination of Islamic Organizations in Switzerland (KIOS), Islamic Confederation of Shiites in Italy, Al-Bayan Institution for Connection and Establishing, The World Center for Shiite Studies, AhlulBayt (a.s.) Islamic Cultural Center of Zurich, Imam Ali Cultural Center of Milan, and Scientific Association of Shiite sects, participated in the conference.
المجمع العالمي لأهل البيت عليهم السلام، منظمة غير حكومية وعالمية شيعية تعنى بنشر معارف أهل البيت عليهم السلام وترسيخ الوحدة الإسلامية والعمل على اكتشاف وتنظيم أتباع العترة الطاهرة (ع) وتعليمهم ودعمهم.
أنشئت المنظمة علي يد نخبة من الشيعة ويشرف عليها الولي الفقيه والمرجعية الشيعية العليا.
قد قامت المنظمة منذ تأسيسها بدور إيجابي في المستوي العالمي في ترسيخ أسس الوحدة بين مختلف المذاهب الإسلامية.