Muslims and especially Shias, witnessed two appalling moments in the past two weeks. Thursday 2nd of May, the tomb of Hujr Ibn Uday, 660 AD in Al-Raqa province of Syria was desecrated and his body was exhumed by the Al-Qaeda linked terrorist group called Jabhat Al-Nusra.
Uday was one of the companions of Prophet Muhammad and Imam Ali, the first Imam of Shia and fourth Khalifa for Sunnis. Sunnis pay him respect for being one of the companions of the Prophet and Imam Ali.
Not so long after the spread of this news, Extremist Takfiris destroyed “Jafar Tayyar’s” tomb in Kirk city of Jordan, in an arson attack. Jafar Tayar was the brother of Imam Ali and also one of the famous companions of the Prophet Muhammad.
Jordan hasn’t yet commented on the attack.
Iran’s Foreign Minister, Ali Akbar Salehi headed to Jordan today to “discuss a political breakthrough from Syria crisis,” according to a statement by Ramin Mehmanparast, spokesman of Iran’s Foreign Ministry.
Syria’s Holy Shrines being attacked in the same time frame as the Israeli attack on Damascus
The Muslim world (mostly Shias) was in a rage. People, governments, scholars and Shia groups held demonstrations around the world, especially in Iran. They blamed the US and Israel for these calamities.
The “US and Israel are behind these desecrations,” Said Sayyed Hussain Naghavi, spokesman of the National Security Commission in Iran’s Majlis in an interview with Iran’sView.com.
He believes that every Islamic group respects Prophet Muhammad and his companions, so those extremists who desecrate Muslims’ sanctity have no place in the Islamic world.
“Because those who perform these anti-religious acts are mercenaries who are paid by Zionists, this was an insult to the all of the Islamic world, not just the sanctity of a particular creed.”
“We are against desecration of sanctity of any different creed of Islam and anyone who insults others’ belief will be punished according to Iran’s law.” added Naghavi.
Religous leaders strongly condemned these calamities and reiterated the need for unity between Shias and Sunnis.
They blamed “Takfiri terrorists who were provoked by Zionists and their slave states in the region.”
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad also accused western powers of being the main culprit in the desecration in Syria.
234 Iranian MPs condemned the desecration of Hujr Ibn Uday’s tomb. The Parliamentary party of the Iranian Sunnis also condemned the desecration of Prophet Muhammad’s companion’s tomb.
Muhammad Reza Naghdi, a senior IRGC official and the commander of the Basij force commented differently. He said, “the desecration was a hasty response by the US to the Ulama conference in Tehran, because this conference has affected US plans in the region.”
Some analysts believe that Syrian army achievements in Aleppo, Damascus and some areas in Al-Qasayr which are on the border with Lebanon forced the opposition extremists to retaliate.
“It seems that the recent desecrations and the Israeli missile attack on Damascus are meant to put political and psychological pressures on Syria, so the country and its foreign supporters will lose focus. Armed Syrian oppositions believe this will work for their benefits,” Muhammad Darabi, a West Asia analyst told Iran’sView.
“These actions were carried out to pave the way for the demolition of other Islamic symbols especially Masjid Al-Aqsa in Quds ( Jerusalem). We will see a strong answer from Muslims and especially Shias because they can’t take in any further desecration,” Darabi who has been working in study centers on Syria and Lebanon added.
Following these attacks, Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah, the Secretary General of Hezbollah, said the group will be defending Zaynab shrine to prevent any attacks from Takfiris.
Ayatollah Sayed Mojtaba Husseini Iran’s Supreme Leader representative in Syria also warned against any attacks on Zaynab and Roqayeh shrines. “We would respond firmly to any desecration at any time,” he said.
