Hosseini Kazemini Boroujerdi is a Shia cleric fighting extremism from inside Evin Prison, please join him!
The tragic incident in Brussels on March 22, 2016, after the bloody Paris attack, has been augmenting Islamophobia in Europe. This becomes more worrisome for Europeans and it triggers many questions such as: Is Islam a threat to the world? Are Muslims dangerous? Are some Muslims good and some bad? How does the world get out of this ongoing crisis?
Surprisingly, it is hard to see a massive presence of Muslims from different backgrounds when it comes to discussions and feedbacks about recent terrorist attacks. Those Muslims who reside in Europe and condemn terrorist attacks try very hard to defend Islam and make their community free from any accusation. However, they need to be included as part of the human community, not excluded as only representing a Muslim community.
There is an expectation from Muslim leaders who call Islam a religion of Peace to be more proactive to alleviate the ongoing crisis. In comparison with other religion leaders; Muslim leaders have a big influence within the Muslim community to the point that some of their followers could sacrifice their life if there would be a Fatwa. Muslim leaders are key factors for creating unity between themselves and peace activists against extremism and violence related to the religion. They need to end the political Islam of the middle ages.
Unfortunately, some Muslim leaders insist on defending Islam instead of creating harmony between the Muslim community and the rest of the world. For better understanding of some Muslim leaders’ perspective, it is important to know about the essence of self- centrism of Islam and its commandments. Also Muslims and their leaders believe in superiority of their religion over other religions and even over different cultures which in the first place brings exclusion to the Muslim community. The Quran and other religious books have lots of evidence about these facts about exclusion of Islam and nobody could deny them. Religious scholars believe in different and contradictory interpretation of Quran and this fact makes its absolute defense impossible. Also there are some evidence in religious texts and Sunnah that makes it difficult to prevent extremism and its dangers. In the time of Prophet Mohammad, extremism was a big issue. Therefore, this matter needs to be addressed by Muslim leaders and not justified. Those religious leaders who are against fundamentalism and extremism have not much access to the media to voice their concern about this worldwide problem.
Hosseini Kazemeini Boroujerdi is a well-known religious Shia cleric leader who fights against religious violence and Islamic fundamentalism. He is a popular religious icon who has been serving a sentence in Tehran's Evin Prison for almost 10 years now and has published several books and pamphlets in regards to separation of religion from State. He emphasizes secularism to decrease the danger of religious conflicts and the inhumane and harsh punishments existing in Sharia. Boroujerdi also insists on the revision of Islamic Laws, as well as cultural and educational modifications of religious texts, to create an Islamic Renaissance. His point of view could not be tolerated by the Islamic Republic of Iran and for this obvious reason he is in prison for such a long time. He has been tortured for many years inside the prison.
Boroujerdi is a household name both inside and outside of Iran as he and his father have been standing up against the political and Jihadi Islam of Khomeini. He suggests ending fundamentalism and its roots by separating religion from state, and without this achievement, peace in the Middle East and the world is impossible.
Boroujerdi thinks religious governments and especially Iran's theoretic- dictatorship government (regime) based on Velayate Faqih are the roots of political unrest in Iran and other parts of the world. He summons world leaders and religious leaders to focus on this important matter and come together to solve the roots of fundamentalism and religious militarism. He has become a victim of the theocratic-dictatorship regime due to his remarks but he has been successful in shedding light on the dark side of the regime. Unfortunately, his remarks and pamphlets have not been acknowledged enough by world leaders and it compromises world peace; because individuals like Boroujerdi with experience of fighting against IRI fundamentalism could be a big factor among peace activists around the world for stopping extremism.
The world needs individuals like Boroujerdi to overcome the influence of fundamentalism on European youth and to end religious extremism. He has wide knowledge of Islamic texts, Sunnah and Quran and he criticizes them without prejudice. Separation of religion from state needs to be overviewed by religious scholars and leaders to move them towards an Islamic Renaissance. At the end, Islam must be demilitarized and move towards real secularism, of separation of Islam and state. Terrorism funding must be stopped and the world needs to get ready for an Islamic Renaissance. Other than that the dream of peace is farfetched.
Hoping peace comes all over the world!
By: Maryam Moazenzadeh, the human rights activist from the Netherlands
Translation by: Mansoureh Nasserchian
Edited by: Sophie Baron
