Velayati: Islamic Awakening to Focus on Supporting Palestine, Countering Extremism


TEHRAN (Tasnim) - A senior adviser to the Supreme Leader said the Islamic Awakening movement feels bound to deal with the Muslim world’s overriding priorities, namely the issue of Palestine and the fight against extremist and Takfiri moves.

Addressing, the opening ceremony of the 6th meeting of the Islamic Awakening Supreme Council in Tehran on Monday, Secretary General of the Islamic Awakening Assembly Ali Akbar Velayati said the Islamic Awakening movement should remain vigilant in the face of the plots hatched by the enemies to draw the public attention away from the issue of Palestine.

He warned against the ongoing plots to change the Islamic world’s priorities, and added, “The Islamic Ummah (community) will not allow the issue of Palestine to drop from the list of its priorities, and will keep supporting Palestinians and resisting against the Zionist regime (of Israel).”

As regards the other topics that the Islamic Awakening movement covers, Velayati pointed to the initiatives for unity among Muslims and confronting extremism.

“The Islamic Awakening counters any kind of extremist or Takfiri move, and safeguards the unity of the Ummah,” Velayati, who is also the head of the Strategic Research Center of Iran's Expediency Council, pointed out.

He further cautioned against the enemies’ ploys to foment sectarian and ethnic strife among the Muslim nations, expressing the hope the current meeting in Tehran would contribute to the unity and solidarity of Muslims all over the world.

More than 50 leading figures and influential personalities in the Islamic Awakening movement from various countries have attended the gathering.

The participants are expected to exchange views on the latest developments in the Islamic Awakening movement and the steps required to be taken.

The ongoing meeting is held under the chairmanship of former Iraqi prime minister, Ibrahim al-Jafari.

Over the past few years, Iran has hosted several international conferences on the Islamic Awakening including “Islamic Awakening and Youth,” “Women and the Islamic Awakening” and “Muslim University Professors and Islamic Awakening”.

The Islamic Awakening movement, which started in 2011 in Tunisia, has swept into several other countries in the Middle East and North Africa including Egypt, Libya and Yemen.