A group of Shias who persist on bloodletting for the mourning of Imam Hossein in the Islamic months of Muharram and Safar, are supported by the British government and are given funds to have their office, satellite channel, and missionary school in London. Central missionary schools of Shia clerics and authorities in Qom, Najaf, and Beirut have repeatedly denounced the bloodletting practice. Rituals during which participants cut their scalps with machetes to draw blood are labeled as practices of British Shia by the Shia scholars of the world.
Meanwhile the western media show particular interest in rolling out the photographs of blood-covered mourners as shocking subjects for drawing attraction. The issue has been addressed in an interview released by Taqrib News Agency (TNA).
Here comes the full text of the interview:
Introduction
Massoud Shajareh, head of Islamic Human Rights Commission in an interview with Taqrib News Agency (TNA) detailed his views on the British-style Shia, the plot of the Zionists to expand the ideology and their contributions for the ‘Divide and Rule’ policy of the British government targeting Muslim world.
Please elaborate on what British Tashayu or British-Style Shia means. What are their objectives in general?
I think when we say British Islam or British Shia, we are talking about hijacking the pure ideology of true Islam and diverting it for political interests of colonial powers to loosen rather than empower the Muslim community in order to enslave them. There are different tactics which are being used currently.
How have they expanded their ideologies through the society?
In many ways we see them in Britain. There are different groups being set up to serve that particular purpose. One group of these people are going through roots of liberal so-called Islam, liberalism, and they are basically trying to create a group of people to say we should move away from traditional angel and perspective of Islam and Shia and become liberal and we should, through that process, become supportive of British agenda and implement their foreign, cultural and economic policy and look up to British government and British project internally and externally and see that as a salvation for the Muslim community and Shia community and humanity. That is one aspect which is one trap which has been set up for the young Shia Muslim.
Because they want to cover every aspect then they set up another trap and that is for those traditionalists and what they do is to start looking thinking in an angel that the progressives of Shia which is revolutionary is unacceptable and they are trying to create a Shia who are only involved in cultural aspect and then go extreme in the cultural aspect by using knives and chains with knives at the end of it and eventually reject revolutionary concepts of true Islam brought by Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) which actually considered every aspect of one’s life accommodated within the social and political and economic aspects; therefore, what they say is “we should not be political” and what we should do is to go into these cultural things into extreme to the extent that.
How has this British Shia divided the Muslim community?
Now the enemies use the bloodletting as a mean aspect of these guys’ Islam and then they also promote at the same time a very sectarian concept of Shia when the identity of Shia becomes not a positive identity but becomes a negative identity of “they are Shia because they are against Sunnis ” and not a Shia because of teachings of Ahlul Bayt (AS) and logical conclusion that comes from learning about Ahlul Bayt (AS) rather it turns into ‘they are Shias because they are anti-Sunni’ and then at the time of Muharram or any other time all the focus is on bloodletting and anti-Sunni motifs to the extent that they go into different arenas; one comes and talks about the three Caliphs were terrorists and that is why all Sunnis are terrorists or having celebrations on the death anniversary of wife of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) and ignoring the Qur’anic verses that Allah commands not to say anything bad about the family and particularly the wife of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH).
Then they use these to create conflict and what they do is both of these groups is what they have in common they are anti-revolutionary anti-resistance of the oppressors be it the issue of Palestine be it the issue of being against injustices that are taking place in our lives racism or anything else or against Zionism they actually are Zionist friendly, both of these groups.
Has any other party made contributions for the British Shia to undermine Islamic unity?
What we have seen recently and very clearly is that both of these groups are trying to bring Shia in connection with Zionism. We see through Muharram that they are leading a joint function with the Zionists and say that we share these things with Zionism inviting the outrageous Zionists to talk about Imam Hussein (AS) and the justice of Imam Hussein (AS) then giving the message that the Zionists are standing for justice and Ahlul Bayt but Sunnis and Palestinians are all Nasabiyah and against Ahlul Bayt (AS) because they are all named as Omar and Yazid.
What we saw over these combined functions for Muharram and Ashura is they bring in the fellow Zionists legitimizing them within the Islamic circles and Ahlul Bayt (AS) circles so they will make sure that the youths of today and youths of tomorrow are not going to be involved in boycotting or standing up against injustices of Zionism or going to al-Quds demonstration.
How and to what extent are these anti-Shia groups supported across the globe?
What has happened last week is very telling that Shirazis group that have purchased a 5 million pound center and this center is in the heart of a very prominently Jewish area and therefore some Jewish community members started campaigning against this huge Shia center in London to be established there but that Zionists movements both in Israel, through Zionist media, are actually supporting them and actually speaking against those minority Jews who are trying to stop them establishing their center and that small Jewish campaign against them has tried in Britain to get some articles of support and campaign against them in the Zionist papers.
Thinking of here it is going to be very easy because it is against Muslims and Zionists are always there as forefront campaign against Muslims but here they refused to do so and when these groups tried to finance themselves to do some adverts against establishment of this within the Zionist papers Zionist papers refused even to accept adverts which is paid for by these people so it shows the extent of support that the people are getting while the rest of the Shia community those who standing up for justice those who standing up for Palestinians through al-Quds Day we get 6-8 months of vigorous campaign both in Israel and London by the same papers against us so this actually exposes in reality those who are supporting these groups exposing the ideology of these groups and actually shows very clearly what is happening and indeed what the plan is what the plot is if we as Muslims who follow Ahlul Bayt (AS) and true Islam do not understand what the plot of the enemy, those arrogant powers, is then we would never be able to find ways to be victorious and stop them in their plots.
Unfortunately now we are getting, very clearly, groups of people who have been financed and promoted to support this Zionist identity and destroy the very fabric of Islamic concept which is more prominent within the Ahlul Bayt (AS) teaching than anywhere else, the very concept of standing against injustice the concept of empowering the Momenin (pious believers) the concept of trying to bring a change within this world which is creating a better just society for all and as God Almighty says that we need to stand up for those who are oppressed “how you could not rise for the sake of those oppressed “ men, women and children who are praying and say “Allah, send us from yourself a protector and how could you not rise and fight for them ”.
What are they pursuing in doing so?
They want to completely undermine those commands and they are trying to create in reality what would become a Muslim Zionist and a Christian Zionist. We have some articles from some Muslims who are Muslims and proud to be Zionists and now they want to create a Shia Zionist people who actually promote Zionism and trying to undermine the fabric of our religion. Why is that so? They say we will promote you we are gate keepers and have access to power; we will open up those for you.
Can you elaborate on the relation between these British Shia on one side, and Wahhabism, Daesh, and Takfirist groups on the other side (those who are financially supporting them)?
I think there is one thing that all these groups have got in common. Outwardly, they say they are against one another Takfirists are against people who are abusing the companions of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), household of Prophet (PBUH) in somewhere they have an excuse to kill or bomb and destroy Shia Mosques and say that the reason is because these people have said X Y and Z and those liberal groups who say that they are against these people using knives this and that and they are liberals and this is against liberal Islam but the reality is that they all have got one thing in common from the Takfirists to these people who abuse the companions of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) and a third group which is these liberal home office Muslims and Shias, they are all against revolution, they are against creating an Islam which will bring a change against arrogant powers, a change against colonialism, bring a change against world order which is destroying the lives of people, taking money from everyone and resources from everyone and getting them fight one another.
What is the final achievement for those who follow this British Shia?
They are actually against that concept of bringing change, standing as resistance and I put it to you that we know every single Imam was a part of the resistance and they stood up against the tyrants of their time be it Muslim or be it not they would dare to bring a change to create a better and just society for all as Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) was blessing for the whole world and they were involved in that and in that resistance and indeed this is why they were martyred if they wanted to behave like this people to be friendly with the oppressors with Zionists or the British government then they would become ministers and representatives.
They would be financed to be sent around the world by first class tickets as these guys are then our religion would have been finished and we as Muminin (believers) need to open our eyes to this reality that true Islam, Islam which has come through Ahlul Bayt (AS) is the Islam of resistance against injustice and not becoming party to that injustice.