Hawzah News Agency - Islam, a religion of compassion and mercy, has no enmity with other religions and other nations. Islam only shows enmity against the oppressors and those seeking to dominate the world. History testifies that the Jews and Christians who have lived under Islamic rule have always lived in peace. But the oppressors and Arrogant Powers have tried to distort this fact and show the opposite to be true by means of their propaganda machines and military domination. Khamenei.ir is publishing excerpts, including historical examples, from Imam Khamenei's statements in this regard.

Islam indeed does pose a threat to the domineering goals and hegemonic objectives of the arrogant powers. However, Islam poses no threat whatsoever to non-Muslim nations. The arrogant powers are insinuating the opposite in their negative propaganda. By using artistic and political means and through their media they are insinuating that Islam is hostile to other nations and to other religions. This is not true. Islam is not antagonistic toward other religions.

When Islam dominated non-Muslim regions, the followers of other religions were grateful to Muslims for their Islamic mercy. They told Muslim rulers that they treated them more kindly than those who ruled them prior to Muslims. When Muslims conquered Syria, they showed kindness toward the Jewish and Christian residents of the region.

Islam is the religion of kindness. It is the religion of mercy. It is a blessing for the entire humanity. Islam tells Christianity that "come to an equitable agreement between us and you" (The Holy Qur'an, 3: 64). It stresses the commonalities that they share.   Islam is not hostile to other nations or to other religions. Islam is opposed to compulsion, oppression, arrogance and domination. Those seeking predominance over nations and the oppressors and arrogant powers are trying to portray the opposite of this reality to the world by utilizing all their resources, from Hollywood and propaganda means to arms and weapons and military forces. [Apr 6, 2007]

During the early Islamic era, when Muslims commanders used to enter other countries, they used to treat the people in an ethical and pious way in spite of the fact that the defeated nations had treated them with utmost severity. This was the case even until the Crusades - several centuries after the introduction of Islam. The Christians of Europe used to enter Jerusalem and massacre Muslims, but when Muslims defeated them, they treated Christians in a completely different way: they used to treat Christians in a kind way. You know that the Crusades lasted for nearly two hundred years.

During the early Islamic era in Shaam, which belonged to the Eastern Roman Empire, there was a Jewish minority. When Muslims conquered Shaam, the Jewish minority swore on the Torah that Muslims were the best people who had ever ruled them: what they said has been quoted exactly in history books. And this was a fact. This was because of religious restrictions. In the absence of religion, victorious nations used to pressure defeated nations. Victorious nations used to destroy the religion, culture, ethics, honor and pride of defeated nations. I do not want to mention the names of certain domineering governments. Of course America and the west oppress other nations and commit crimes, but they are not the only ones who are doing these things: the same is true of certain other countries. In certain places, these countries gained victory and they gave rise to so much savagery that reading about their actions and brutality makes one's hair stand on end. [Oct 5, 2011]