Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Nourmifidi in an Interview with IRNA: The Coincidence of the Insults to the Prophet (PBUH) and the Normalization of Relations of Islamic Countries with Israel Cannot Be Accidental

On Sunday, speaking to an IRNA reporter, Professor Seyyed Mojtaba Nourmifidi emphasized that these two issues are interconnected, adding: “The insults to the Prophet (PBUH) could be a scenario designed to divert the attention of the Islamic Ummah from the issue of normalization and the protests against it.”

He added: “The normalization of relations by Islamic countries basically serves a domestic purpose for the ongoing US elections; meaning, they want to imply that in light of this gentleman’s programs, the major threat and problem in the Middle East has been resolved.”

He continued: “I am not optimistic about the long-term effectiveness of this normalization. Examples of such actions have occurred in the past, but now they are acting in a somewhat more widespread manner to remove its stigma.”

Emphasizing that any such attempt must be met with sensitivity and attention by Muslims, Professor Nourmifidi said: “If Israel is recognized and these transactions and relations develop, Israel will strike its blow against Islamic countries at the first possible opportunity. They will pursue the dream of ‘from the Nile to the Euphrates’ that they have historically chased, and they will show no mercy to any of these countries.”

The teacher of advanced jurisprudence (Kharij) at the Qom Seminary, referring to the insults to the Prophet (PBUH) in France and the crimes committed in the name of Islam, added: “Everyone knows how beloved the personality of the Prophet of Islam (PBUH) is within the Islamic Ummah. In the past, insults have been made against this great figure of Islam, drawing fierce reactions from Muslims.”

He noted: “The West considers insulting the Prophet (PBUH) as freedom of expression, justifying any insult against the followers of other religions, yet in certain instances of their own, they do not permit any criticism.”

The Qom Seminary professor added: “The personality of the Prophet is revered and respected by Muslims to such an extent that they will not tolerate the slightest insult against him. All strata of society, including scholars, writers, speakers, artists, and all individuals, must make their voice of protest heard by the world.”

He added: “This protest must be widespread and at all levels, and a movement must be initiated across Islamic countries to legally block the path to such insults and offensiveness toward the sacred threshold of the Prophet (PBUH) and the revered figures of all religions.”

He also stated: “The killing of the French teacher was carried out by individuals nurtured by Takfiri groups, who have become a scourge upon the Islamic world. These groups, created with the funding and support of the United States and European intelligence services, have now turned against them and are the founders of extremism and violence.”

Professor Nourmifidi asserted: “It is regrettable that instead of the West being held accountable for its responsibility regarding these violent, anti-human groups, it today assumes the role of a claimant and presents Islam in a way that instills fear in the hearts of the people.”

He continued: “The leaders of European countries are to blame for these incidents and violence. They themselves support this violence in the Middle East, Islamic countries, and Africa; yet as soon as this violence affects them directly, they raise such an uproar.”

He emphasized: “Violence and killing are by no means endorsed by the religion of Islam. The foundation of Islam is built upon friendship, affection, empathy, assistance, and alleviating the grief and difficulties of all human beings.”

According to IRNA, the French magazine Charlie Hebdo recently repeated the publication of offensive caricatures of the Prophet of Islam (PBUH) for the second time since 2015. This action was justified under “freedom of expression,” whereas according to international law documents and considering the definition of freedom of expression and its limits, insulting the beliefs of other religions and nations is by no means considered part of freedom of expression.

The President of France also recently declared insolently that France will continue to publish offensive caricatures against the Holy Messenger of Islam (PBUH), calling it a defense of the values of secularism—an act that has provoked a sharp reaction from Muslims.

According to IRNA, on September 26, 2020 [Mehr 5, 1399] (historically noted as September 15, 2020), the compromise agreement between the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain with the Zionist regime was officially signed in Washington in the presence of US President Donald Trump.

The Zionist regime has normalized its relations with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, and these two countries, along with Saudi Arabia, have permitted Zionist aircraft to use their airspace—an issue that many have called a betrayal of the cause of the Palestinian nation.

Now, regional experts refer to the normalization of relations between certain Arab countries and Israel as “unveiling” (bringing secret relations into the open), believing that these relations have been ongoing for the past 25 years and have only now been made public