The cultural and scientific atmosphere of the country must be spiritual

Grand Ayatollah Noori Hamedani referring to FATF cautioned Iranian authorities about trusting hegemonic and tyrannical powers. He also said that the authorities need to have proper understanding of the consequences of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Enghelab Farhangi

In a meeting with the general secretary of the Supreme Council of Cultural Revolution and his accompanying delegates, Grand Ayatollah Noori Hamedani underscored the need for paying careful attention to the issue of culture in the Islamic society. He quoted late Imam Khomeini (ra) as saying, "Every prophet who was appointed by Allah had a book in his right hand and the gears of Jihad (armed struggle) in the other. The divine prophets first changed the people's culture and then went to war against the oppressive and unjust rulers of their times."

He further noted, "Once when I was in Italy, I met with a church bishop and I told him that there is a lot of bloodshed, killing and plundering taking place in the world, why don't you ever react to these happenings? He could not answer my question. However, as for the Iranians, they embarked on a revolution which is unique in the world, a revolution which we must consolidate and strengthen in every aspect."

"The revolution helped people live Islamic lives. It spread the message of Islam across the world. Today, however, the revolution which took place in the early period of Islam must be revived in the society and that the atmosphere of the country especially that of the universities must be characterized by spirituality and piety," he added.

Referring to the verse 113 of Chapter Hud of the Quran (And do not incline to those who are unjust, lest the fire touch you), Grand Ayatollah Noori Hamedani touched on the issue of FATF by saying, "Today, the government authorities must not trust the oppressive and tyrannical powers. The Supreme Leader (of Iran) stressed that the international conventions are designed by the hegemonic powers so as to prevent Iran from making any progress. That is why the authorities must heed the consequences of JCPOA and must not trust the enemies."

His Eminence further stressed, "The opponents of FATF must understand that they should avoid creating tension and anxiety in the society as they need to pursue their demands within the framework of law and logic."

This great religious authority of the Shia world concluded that the Islamic revolution originated from the seminaries. "Just as the scholars played an efficient role in launching the Islamic revolution, they too must be present and make sure they do everything they can to solve problems and deal with the spurious arguments."