How to Confront the Ugly, Difficult Problem of Israel?

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2012/08/11

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Palestine and Islamic Unity

"The mere existence of such an enemy [Israel] in the heart of the Islamic World should bring together Muslims, and cause them to establish a united front and a united command. " 25

Without doubt, one of the chief reasons, and perhaps the most fundamental reason for the formation and growth of social reform movements (religious revival movements) which were founded by thinkers who were born and bred into the indigenous and Islamic cultures, has been the shameless onslaught of oppressive world powers to colonize, exploit, and rob Muslims of the their resources and lands.

The most clear and barbaric aggression against innocent Muslims " and the longest example of occupation and denial of all rights of a people " is the brutal Zionist occupation of Palestine which has been accompanied with endless murders and expulsions of Muslims from their ancestral, historical lands.

This brutal aggression on Muslim lands and its extremely tragic consequences left a deep scar in collective Muslims psyche and in turn caused basic religious values, such as "Islamic unity", "the necessity of safeguarding Islamic boundaries," and "the need for reviving Islamic glory and greatness by returning to people-based structures and religious tenets," to be earnestly discussed in various circles and gatherings of Muslim thinkers and their followers in the masses. A good example of such movements is the Ikhwan ul-Muslimeen (the Muslim Brotherhood), which was formed to revive pure Islamic thought and culture throughout the Islamic World.

"The Muslim Brotherhood was initially founded with a special stress in its ideology on the comprehensiveness and multi-dimensional nature of the Islamic religion, and also emphasized the urgent necessity of returning to the early, true Islam and Islamic teachings; the Brotherhood ideology also included a deep belief in the practicality of true Islamic rule at all times, and throughout the Islamic world." 26

"In the first decade, the Muslim Brotherhood concentrated on cultural, social and reformist activities. But when the issue of Palestine became more serious and the threat of Zionism intensified, the group openly entered political activities and … this was a turning point in the history of its activities." 27

Early on in this sad saga, the late Imam spoke of the issue and the effect of the Palestinian tragedy on Muslim nations, and in giving an impetus to the revival of the Islamic ideology, especially among the Muslims of the occupied Palestine:

"Now that revolutionary and valorous Palestinian Muslims, who upon hearing the Divine call in the land of the Ascension of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), have risen up en masse, and have urged other Muslims to also rise up and get united... how can anyone stand before the Almighty God, and how can any awake human conscience, offer a viable excuse for being indifferent on such an issue of importance to [the world of] Islam?" 28

These words clearly demonstrate the effect the Palestinian uprising has had on sensitive souls and on waking up Muslim nations. On another occasion, the late Imam adds these words on the matter:

"Not only our nation, but all Islamic nations and the oppressed of this planet are proud that their enemies " who are also the enemies of the Almighty God, the Holy Quran, and all that our dear Islam stands for " are predators who do not stop at any crime or treachery in order to achieve their sinister, criminal goals ... and are led by the inherently terrorist Unites States leaders, who have joined hands with the International Zionism." 29

And the Leader of Islamic Revolution, speaking on the subject says:

"Fortunately, now that the heroic Palestinian nation has risen, it has lightened and brightened the future horizons to a large extent ... and whether the forces of oppression and arrogance agree or not, and whether the Unites States and world Zionism find it to their liking or not, Islam has now re-awakened." 30

The Leader has also addressed other aspects of this issue, i.e., the effects of the Palestinian resistance on strengthening, growing, and blossoming of the culture of religion, and a better comprehension of its fundamental values such as "sacrifice" and "martyrdom":

"The Palestinian nation ... and the Palestinian resistance organizations ... have all reached one result " they have found the path of sacrifice, and have realized that the path to salvation and freedom for Palestine passes through the realm of readiness to sacrifice all that they hold dear. They have also experienced martyrdom and realized that the enemy is powerless when faced with the power and culture of martyrdom." 31
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25. Ayatollah Khamenei, Speech, June 11, 1998.

26. Movathaqi, Ahmad, The Strategy of Unity in Islamic Political Thought, Vol. 2 (Qom: Daftar Tablighat Islami, 1992), p. 110.

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