President Rouhani Urges Unity Among Muslims

Tehran – President Hassan Rouhani on Thursday urged Muslims to follow guidlines of Quran and be united.

President Rouhani made the remark while addressing the opening ceremony of the 5th International Holy Quran Competition for Muslim Students. 

President Rouhani said the Holy Quran shows the path of guidance, progress, development, civilization, fraternity and unity.

Rouhani further underlined close communion with the Quran especially among the youth, academics and university students.

The Iranian chief executive also said that the Quran is the only divine book that has remained undistorted and is a source of blessings not only for Muslims but for people of the whole world.

The 5th International Holy Quran Competition for Muslim Students began at Tehran’s Milad Tower on Thurday and will continue for four days.

Representatives of 47 countries will compete in the competition’s two categories, namely, Quran recitation and memorization of the entire Quran.

The opening ceremony was attended by Iranian cultural, religious, and political officials, Quranic figures, ambassadors of a number of countries to Iran and the contestants and members of the competition’s jury panel.

Senior cleric calls for freedom of Bahraini opposition leader

On the other hand,  Grand Ayatollah Nasser Makarem Shirazi in a statement released on Thursday called for freedom of the secretary general of Bahrain’s main opposition party, al-Wefaq National Islamic Society, Sheikh Ali Salman.

Bahrain rulers should avoid complicating the political situation in the country, he noted.

The cleric asked the Bahrain rulers to respect Bahraini nation’s rights.

In the meantime, Foreign Ministry Deputy for Arab and African Affairs, Hossein Amirabdollahian, has warned about security consequences of arrests and crackdowns in Bahrain.

Amir abdollahian called recent arrest of Sheikh Ali Salman, an ‘ill advised and thoughtless’ action.

Continuation of crackdown of people in Bahrain can provoke the democratic opposition to give up its peaceful approach and it can challenge the country’s security, he noted.

Several individuals as well as political groups in their statements condemned the arrest of Sheikh Ali Salman.

They have called on the United Nations and the Arab League to have the Bahraini regime immediately release Sheikh Salman.

The arrest of Sheikh Ali Salman on 28 December marks a further step in the confrontation between a part of the opposition and the authorities of the Kingdom of Bahrain that carries the risk of jeopardizing an already difficult political and security situation, there.

Al Khalifa authorities detained Sheikh Salman on Sunday after long hours of investigation.

IRNA

R.S