PM Sponsors The Int'l Sufism Conference in Baghdad, With The Participation Of 50 Islamic Countries
Baghdad/ NINA/- Prime Minister Muhammad Shiaa al-Sudani sponsored, this Wednesday morning, the opening of the International Sufism Conference, which is held by the Sunni Endowment Office in the capital, Baghdad, in the presence of Islamic figures from 50 Islamic countries.
Al-Sudani blessed the holding of this conference in Iraq, which was the cradle and incubator for the emergence of Sufism in the first Hijri centuries, as Baghdad became from that day, and still is, a destination for those who have inherited the heritage of the great Sufi sheikhs.
Al-Sudani pointed out “the intellectual value of Sufism in the Islamic religion, which is considered a devotional line followed by many ascetics and worshipers, most notably Imam Ali bin Abi Talib (peace be upon him).”
Al-Sudani recalled what Iraq went through, especially after ISIS invaded its lands, and the Iraqis of all sects were able to overcome the ordeal with their unity and the unity of their word, under the shadow of the fatwa of the supreme authority, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, may his life be long. He also touched on the tragedies that are taking place in the Gaza Strip because of the unjust war waged by the Zionist occupation.
Al-Sudani said in his speech during the conference: “Sufism represents a behavior stemming from the values of Islam, and is full of calls for love, tolerance, and serenity, far from calls for hatred, isolation, and extremism. The land of Iraq embraces the burial places of Sufi sheikhs. Here lie Sheikh Abdul Qadir, Al-Sayyid Al-Rifai, and Sheikh Marouf, Al-Junaid, Al-Hallaj and other major Sufis who left a great legacy that contributed to the sound religious education of society.”
Al-Sudani stressed, “We should invest in the bright stations in our history and beliefs, and make them stations of meeting and unity, and not circles of division and hostility,” noting that “jurisprudential differences are an element of richness and aesthetic diversity, not elements of division or dispersion.”
He pointed out that “the responsibility of clerics is to spread religious behaviors that unite and not divide,” noting that “we are going through a difficult stage in the history of our Arab-Islamic region, and the people of Gaza have been exposed, for more than 3 months, to an unjust war waged by the criminal Zionist occupation forces.”
He added: The major countries have abandoned their responsibilities and are now supporting an outlaw entity that practices various types of murder and crimes, and what is happening pushes us to adhere to our unity and forget our differences in order to be united in the face of the challenges that await us.
He stressed: Iraq emerged victorious over ISIS with the unity of its people, and today it is moving towards development, construction and reconstruction, and we face all circumstances and complications with firmness and wisdom in defense of our security, the sovereignty of our country, and the highest interests of our people, in which we will not compromise or be complacent, regardless of the difficulties and challenges./End
