Dr. Ali Al-Ghamdi

 

IN cables sent to Iran’s President-elect Hassan Rohani, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, and Crown Prince Salman Bin Abdul Aziz, Deputy Premier and Minister of Defense, have congratulated him on winning the presidential election held recently in Iran. The eight-year rule of the conservative President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad came to end with the victory of Rohani.



The cables sent by the King and the Crown Prince have contributed substantially in easing the tension that clouded Iran’s relations with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states in general and Saudi Arabia in particular. They welcomed the keenness of the new president to improve relations with neighboring states, especially with the Kingdom. The King and the Crown Prince also expressed their wishes for his well-being and happiness, as well as for the  progress and prosperity of the people of Iran.  



The developments witnessed in the Arab region over the last two years have played a major role in creating a tense situation and allowing a hostile sectarian mentality to gain ground in Arab societies. While confronting each other, Arab societies are disregarding the common enemy of Israel, which continues its killing spree and the displacement of Palestinians as well as the Judaizing of Jerusalem and the demolishing of the houses of its inhabitants. Israel also forces Palestinians to leave the holy city by launching a crackdown on them and making life almost impossible for them, and thus Palestinians have the feeling that there are not many who stand by them because some Arabs and Muslims are engaged in wars among themselves.



Even those scholars who met in Cairo and issued statements calling for a holy war (Jihad) in Syria seem not to remember Jerusalem and the Israeli attempts to Judaize it, obliterate its identities, and drive its local people away. I wish that these scholars could have come forward to lead the masses instead of simply uttering their call for Jihad. But unfortunately, they instead instigate youths who have not received any training and know nothing about the dangers involved as well as the horrors that await them. On the other hand, those who instigate these youths for Jihad move freely together with their families to parks and summer resorts to spend their holidays, away from wars and turbulent situations.



The wars, fighting, conflicts, sectarian violence and differences over schools of thought in the Arab regions only serve Israel’s interests and help it realize its plans and goals. The American writer Fareed Zakaria in his book “The Post-American World,” points out that the most important victory of the US administration in the Middle East was its success in creating hostility between Sunnis and Shiites, and that serves not only its interests but also the interests of Israel. Unfortunately, Arabs and Muslims have fallen into the trap that was laid out for them, with some of them labeling others as infidels while others fight among themselves as if they were not the sons of one homeland.



The cables from King Abdullah and Crown Prince Salman to Hassan Rohani have resulted in the easing of tension among various sections of society. Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al Asheikh also issued a statement in which he said that the division of society is totally unacceptable. “Society can be improved only with the unanimity of words, unity of ranks and by getting rid of division. A split in our society shows our weakness.” The Grand Mufti added: “As Muslims, we are ordered to follow the Holy Qur’an and the Tradition of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and not to deviate from them. We have to refer our differences to the Qur’an and Sunnah, as the Qur’an says: “And if you disagree over anything, refer it to Allah and the Messenger, if you should believe in Allah and the Last Day (of Judgment).”



The Grand Mufti’s statement could be a reaction to the comments made by some extremists who wanted to incite sedition in order to split society into sects and factions which are hostile and which label each other as infidels. Such calls for sedition and creating division in society have been made by some university professors and prominent scholars. They include a university professor about whom prominent columnist Badria Al-Bishr wrote in an article published in Al-Hayat Arabic daily.



The beneficiaries of divisions in our society are the enemies of Islam. In my view, these people should be held accountable because their influence on young people is great. It is unacceptable and illogical that a university professor or school teacher or preacher in a mosque should become a proponent of sedition and hatred and thus be responsible for creating division among members of society.

 

— Dr. Ali Al-Ghamdi is a former Saudi diplomat who specializes in Southeast Asian affairs. He can be reached at algham@hotmail.com