Iran: Qom Friday Prayer Imam calls covid-19 ‘secular virus trying to lead religious countries astray toward atheism’
July 28, 2020 1:00 PM BY ROBERT SPENCER
Here we see yet again a Muslim cleric framing the coronavirus crisis in Islamic terms, holding out devout observance of Islam as the only true antidote. This will get people killed, not just from coronavirus, but from devoutness in Islam leading to involvement in jihad activity, as we have seen in so very many instances around the world.
“Prayer Imam In Iran Says Coronavirus Is Secular, Corrupting Religious Countries,” Radio Farda, July 24, 2020 (thanks to The Religion of Peace):
Qom’s Friday Prayer Imam, Abbas Mousavi Motlaq, says some people are unduly warning that the coronavirus outbreak threatens upcoming Muharram religious ceremonies, and commemorating third Shiite Imam in October.
Dismissing coronavirus as a “secular virus,” the mid-ranking clergy reiterated, “With its destructive effects coronavirus is trying to lead religious countries astray, and toward atheism.”
The Friday Prayer Imam of Qom, the largest center for the Twelver-Shiites seminaries in the world, insisted that coronavirus is “secular,” and people should only follow religious experts’ instructions for holding Muharram ceremonies.
In recent days, several clerics have criticized the continuation of coronavirus-related restrictions as the Shiites’ holy months of Muharram and Safar approach.
This is not the first time religious leaders in Iran have spread strange conspiracy theories about the pandemic. A hardliner cleric claimed in March that “over-rating the threat of the epidemic is a conspiracy by enemies.” He added that the coronavirus epidemic is part of “the clash of civilizations” instigated by secular Western powers against Islam and Muslims…. |
