Hawzah News Agency- The head of the Iranian centers of scholarship, Ayatollah Arafi, has issued a statement condemning the recent bloody attack on Shias of Parachinar, urging the Pakistani government to protect the oppressed minority against extremist terrorism.

The full text of His Holiness’s message follows below:

The news of martyrdom of a large number of Muslim people and true followers of the school of Ahl al-Bayt, peace be upon them, in the Parachinar region of the state of Pakistan in the hands of a terrorist takfiri band directed by the American Arrogance and the Zionists was a source of great pain and sorrow.

Doubtlessly the enemies of Islam and the opponents of the unity among Muslims are trying, via criminal mercenary groups, to sow religious division and discord among the Shia and Sunni Muslims of Pakistan.

The government and security authorities of the state of Pakistan must deliberate and find solutions for supporting and protecting the defenseless and oppressed Pakistani Shias against oppression and atrocities by terrorist groups, and prevent recurrence of these crimes, not allowing the enemies of the unity of the nation of Pakistan and the criminal mercenaries to subject innocent and poor Muslims to oppression and victimization in the hands of ignorant and extremist groups.

This soul on his own part and on the part of the centers of scholarship of the Islamic Republic of Iran strongly condemns this tragic crime which resulted in death and injury of a number of oppressed Shia Muslims, and expresses his condolences to the Pakistani religious and cultural authorities and the Muslim people of Pakistan, especially the families of those dear ones, and ask the Supreme God the highest ranks for the martyrs, immediate healing for the wounded, and ‘beautiful patience’ for the kin.

Alireza A’rafi
The director of centers of scholarship (hawzahs)