Hawzah News Agency (Qom, Iran) - The message of Ayatullah Arafi, Head of the Islamic Seminaries on the occasion of the terrorist attack against New Zealand mosques:

انالله وانا الیه راجعون

We belong to Allah and to Him do we indeed return

Once again, the ignorance and blind bias reflected in racism and malice and caused a terrorist crime and made the blood of some believers inside two mosques in New Zealand flow while they were engaged in worship, and led to martyrdom and wounding of a group of innocent Muslims.

Undoubtedly, these terrible terrorist attacks are the result of the poisoned propaganda of Islamophobia and the hostility of global arrogance and international Zionism toward Islam and Muslims.

These brutal attacks reveal the need for respect towards others' opinions, the protection of human dignity, the fight against violent and terrorist ideas, the importance of interreligious dialogue and holding meetings and conferences on the framework of religious and cultural teachings in the world and also reveal the importance of shaping the common front of divine religions and monotheism.

The Hawzah Islamic seminaries condemn this crime and called for the prosecution of its perpetrators and urge all states and nations to work for protection and support of peaceful coexistence and interaction between religions and denominations in order to counter the racist ideas and ideologies of Islamophobia around the world and protect the mosques, Hussainiyas, worshipers and prayers and preserve the rights of prayers and pious believers for performing religious rites in complete safety.

We express our deepest condolences for this appalling tragedy to the followers of divine religions and Muslims in the world, especially to the people, the government and Muslims of New Zealand and the families of the victims, and we ask Allah’s forgiveness for the martyrs of this terrorist attack, and patience for the survivors and immediate healing for the wounded.

Alireza Arafi

Head of the Islamic Seminaries

The holy city of Qom