Hawzah News Agency- In a statement, Hojatoleslam Taqi Abbas Razavi, Vice President of the Ahlul-Bayt (peace be upon them) Foundation of India, emphasized that preserving genuine Shia identity requires strengthening religious knowledge, cultural awareness, and timely intervention by scholars and social elites. He said such efforts are essential to protecting the religious and social foundations of the Shia community, particularly among the youth.
Razavi warned that in recent years, there have been growing attempts to strip Shiism of its practical, ethical, and social dimensions and reduce it to a collection of rituals and outward customs. He cautioned that continuing along this path would weaken moral and religious foundations and inflict long-term damage on the intellectual and spiritual outlook of the coming generation.
Addressing internal challenges within the Shia community, the Indian cleric pointed to the escalation of intellectual and media disputes, noting that the spread of conflicting narratives has intensified divisions among different groups. He said such polarization, whether intentional or unintentional, has contributed to confusion and fragmentation within the community.
On the external front, Razavi criticized certain movements that promote practices alien to Shia teachings, including the imitation of non-Islamic ritual forms under the guise of cultural expression. He said presenting such practices as symbols of Shia pride and identity amounts to a deviation from the core principles of Shiism and risks distorting its true message.
Highlighting the responsibility of religious scholars and public figures, Razavi warned that silence or tolerance toward such deviations—often justified under the banner of “freedom of expression”—can lead to widespread misguidance. He said this negligence carries serious consequences, particularly for younger generations seeking clarity and direction in matters of faith.
The cleric called for a firm and principled response to exaggerated, misleading, and unbalanced interpretations of religious teachings. He stressed that protecting the religious, historical, and cultural values of Shiism in India is a collective duty, especially for scholars and intellectuals, and that failing to confront distortions would pose a serious threat to the community’s integrity.
In his remarks, Razavi underscored that Shiism is not a regional ideology or a political construct, but a divine and universal framework rooted in the Holy Quran and the teachings of the Ahlul-Bayt (peace be upon them). He warned against attempts to reshape Islam and Shiism according to personal desires, social trends, or transient cultural pressures, saying such efforts undermine the faith’s moral and spiritual foundations.
Citing sayings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and Imam Muhammad Taqi (PBUH), Razavi cautioned that approving or remaining indifferent to wrongdoing carries shared responsibility and consequences for both individuals and society. He said accepting deviation, even passively, contributes to the spread of moral and intellectual corruption.
The Indian religious scholar also warned about the negative impact of certain activities in cyberspace, urging Shias to remain vigilant against the spread of misinformation, distorted religious teachings, and harmful propaganda on social media platforms. He called for the promotion of Shiism’s authentic, rational, peace-oriented, and universal teachings through responsible and informed engagement.
Concluding his statement, Razavi emphasized that the most effective way to counter ideological distortion is through proper education, particularly of the younger generation. He stressed the importance of teaching core moral and religious values such as obedience to God, piety, modesty, tolerance, peace, and mutual respect, saying that targeted and principled education can strengthen social harmony and pave the way for peaceful and sustainable coexistence in Indian society.
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