The 188th Session of the Ahlul-Bayt World Assembly's 'Supreme Council' was held in the Holy City of Mashhad on December 12th & 13th, 2019.

The participants in the two-day meeting included "Mohammad Hassan Akhtari", "Seyyed Abolhassan Navab", "Reza Ramazani", "Mohsen Qomi", "Mohammad Ali Taskhiri", "Ali Akbar Velayati", "Seyyed Ahmad Khatami" , "Mahdi Hadawi Tehrani", "Mohammadi Araqi" and "Ali Abbasi" (from Iran), "Hussein al-Matuq" (from Kuwait), "Hassan Hamada" (from Lebanon), "Morteza Morteza Al-Ameli" (from Africa) "Nader Jafar" (Representative of the World Federation of Khoja Shia Ithna-Ashari) and some other authorities of the Ahlul-Bayt World Assembly.

At the end of the session, the participants issued a statement.

The full text of this statement is as follows:

IN THE NAME OF GOD, THE COMPASSIONATE, THE MERCIFUL

"Those who deliver the messages of Allah and fear Him, and do not fear anyone but Allah; and Allah is sufficient to take account…" [Surah Al-Ahzab: Verse 39]

At the first meeting since the tenure of the new Secretary General of the Ahlul-Bayt World Assembly, Supreme Council members congratulated Hujjat ul-Islam Akhtari (Head of the Supreme Council) and Ayatollah Ramazani (Secretary-General) on their new appointment and wished them success in their new posts.

They also commemorated the remembrance of Ayatollah Mohammed AsefMohseni, the late member of the Supreme Council and Allameh Sayyid Jafar Morteza al-Ameli, the late member of the General Assembly of the Ahlul-Bayt World Assembly.

Then, the most important events of the Shiite World were discussed, and members emphasized the need to review the aims and strategies of the Assembly to play a useful role in events related to the followers of the Ahlul-Bayt (AS).

At the end of the meeting, it is necessary to declare the positions of the Ahlul-Bayt World Assembly on the current situation in the region and the world as follows:

1- The Supreme Council of the Ahlul-Bayt World Assembly reaffirms the guidelines advised by the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei to the new Secretary-General, and assures its full support and readiness to assist him in achieving a transformational approach appropriate to present sensitive international conditions and the important position of the followers of the Ahlul-Bayt.

2. The latest situation of the followers of Ahlul-Bayt in different countries is a major concern for the members of the Supreme Council. Today, because of the inhumane plots of the United States around the world - supported by Zionist lobbies and backed by the reactionary rulers' oil dollars - the Muslims in Bahrain, Yemen, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nigeria, Kashmir and Myanmar are subject to numerous religious, political, security and economic pressures.

3. The oppressed people of Iraq, after centuries under the yoke of foreign rulers, British colonialists, and Baathist oppressors, were looking forward to a period of prosperity after the fall of Saddam's regime; but the successive conspiracies of the arrogant powers - such as creating the terrorist group of ISIS - as well as internal corruption and inefficiencies in that country frustrated those expectations.

Evidently, the first infrastructure for progress within any society is its 'security'. What we have been witnessing in Iraq for the past three months, proves that insecurity threatens the lives and properties of its citizens and is not a positive step towards the prosperity and development of Iraq. Therefore, the Supreme Council of the Ahlul-Bayt World Assembly declares support for the highest religious authority (Grand Ayatollahs) and the Iraqi nation, and emphasizes the need for national unity of all parties, groups and strata of the people; and calls on them to maintain security and peace in the country and confront the conspiracies of Americans and Zionists by coming under the banner of Grand Ayatollahs.
The Iraqi people should pursue their demands through legal procedures in order to prevent the plots of the enemies of Muslim Ummah for bringing Iraq back into the dark years of dictatorship.

4. Members of the High Council express their grave concern over the humanitarian, social and health conditions in Yemen caused by the continuing brutal attacks of the Saudi Coalition; and call for the immediate stop of barbaric actions as well as holding dialogues between Yemeni groups to establish a fair and inclusive government.

5. We strongly condemn the continuation of the deplorable situation of dear people inKashmir, which has deeply hurt the feelings of Muslims and freedom-loving people all over the world. We expect the Indian Government to compensate the material and spiritual losses of Kashmiri people while respecting their basic human rights.

6. Imprisonment and deteriorating health condition of Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaki, the most reverend cleric in Nigeria, has raised the concerns Muslim communities and freedom-seekers around the world. The Nigerian government is expected to be alert about the Zionist intrigues, and to end the unlawful detention of the Sheikh and provide freedom of action in his religious and social activities.

7. Members of the Supreme Council also express concern at the continued incarceration of the former President of the Republic of Comoros, His Excellency Seyed Ahmad Sambi, and urge the Nigerian governmental authorities to release him as soon as possible and let him undergo medical treatments.

8. Finally, we appeal to international and regional institutions, human rights organizations, leaders of different religions and intellectuals throughout the globe not to remain silent in the face of the above-mentioned oppressions; but to warn their perpetrators to prevent the continuation of such crimes.

"And there is no power and no strength but through God, the Most Exalted, the Most Great"

Source: Abna24