On Saturday, July 16, 2022, Hojat al-Islam Fazeli Balkhabi, the Friday prayer leader of Balkhab, Afghanistan, and his accompanying delegation met with the Secretary-General of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly in the meeting hall of the Assembly in Qom.
In this meeting, while welcoming his guests, Ayatollah Reza Ramazani stated, “For us, Afghanistan is more than a friend and neighbor. We, (Iranians) and Afghanistan are like one nation.”
Referring to the history of struggle and religious beliefs of the people of Afghanistan, he went to say continued, “During my stay in Austria and Germany, I witnessed the fervent participation of the young generation of Afghanistan in religious ceremonies. We had a close relationship that continues to this day.”
Emphasizing the importance of the unity of ulama of Islam and ulama of Shia in Afghanistan, the Secretary-General AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly added, “It is necessary for ulama of Afghanistan to be united. Ulama should analyze and examine the country’s conditions and be aware of what conditions the current situation is caused by and take appropriate stances accordingly.”
“An inappropriate reaction and stance may cause the killing of Shiites. Muslims should not follow anyone who issued a fatwa for Jihad. Because many innocent people, God forbid, may be killed in this way,” he added.
“Today, we are not allowed to take a step that leads to the killing of a Shiite. Therefore, it is upon us to maintain the security of the Shiites. In the age of Occultation (of Imam Mahdi), the followers of AhlulBayt (a.s.) must follow the views of the sources of emulation,” Ayatollah Ramazani said, emphasizing the preservation of Shia identity by ulama because people follow them.
“According to the hadith “لَيْسَ الْعاقِلُ مَنْ يَعْرِفُ الْخَيْرَ مِنَ الشَّرِّ وَ لكِنَّ الْعاقِلَ مَنْ يَعْرِفُ خَيْرَ الشَّرَّيْنِ” narrated from Imam Ali (a.s.), ‘The wise man is not the one who distinguishes good from the bad, but the wise man is the one who distinguishes between two evils the one that has less harm’,” he continued.
“Ulama should acquaint people with the AhlulBayt (a.s.) and their teachings and way of life,” the Secretary-General of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly stated, addressing the Friday prayer leader of Balkhab, “You are on the front line, so you have to be very cautious. Today, the most important jihad is the jihad of enlightenment.”
It worth mentioning that at the beginning of this meeting, Hojat al-Islam Fazeli Balkhabi, the Friday prayer leader of Balkhab, gave a brief report on the scientific and cultural activities of his office in this city and the situation of Shiites in Afghanistan.