Ahmadinejad Mentor Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi’s view on Martyrdom Operations

Mehran Riazaty: Iran Analyst

“We offer and design the cultivation of culture of Martyrdom in our society”.

Hojatol-Islam Ahmad Mazani, head of Iran’s office of the Islamic Republic martyr research foundation

“If any generation does not believe in a Culture of Martyrdom, definitely will not achieve a great victory”

Mehdi Chamran, head of Tehran’s city council

Ayatollah Khomeini’s wish to export his revolution is coming true--- not by war as in the Iran-Iraq war, but by soft diplomacy backed by the culture of Martyrdom throughout the world.

Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi, an ultra-conservative cleric in city of Qom, who is political and religious ideologue mentor of Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, on July 2005, for the first time, openly published classified ad in his weekly newspaper Parto Sokhan to recruit volunteers for suicide operations.

On February first 2006- Ahmadinejad said that selflessness and martyrdom-seeking is the only way to save mankind. He also said: "We are all obliged to keep alive the culture of martyrdom-seeking in the society."

The following questions were asked from Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi on martyrdom operations. READ MORE

Question 1:

Some people say that martyrdom operations are considered suicide and that they are haram (religiously prohibited) because they contradict Islam. They quote ahadith (narration about the life of the Prophet (saas) or what he approved - as opposed to his life itself), which such as this one by Imam Ja'afar As-Sadeq (a.s.): "A Muslim may fight and get killed [by the enemy] but will never shed his own blood" or "Do not kill yourselves, for Allah is compassionate towards you. Whoever does so, in transgression and wrongfully, We shall roast in a fire, and that is an easy matter for Allah" (An-Nisaa 4:29-30). They say this even about the martyrdom operations against the military targets such as the ones used by Hizbollah Lebanon or the ones used by the Iranian Army against Saddam's army (as I was told). The question, are martyrdom operations where a person detonate himself into the army of the enemy haram (religiously prohibited)? Is it suicide? Why or why not? Please answer this question as there is lots discussion and confusion about this?

Answer:

It is regrettable that the propaganda of the enemies of Islam has influenced the Muslim `Ummah (people) so much that Muslims instead of planning for the uprooting of the Zionist regime and its arrogant supporters have occupied themselves with questioning and discussing the legitimacy of the Palestinian's self-defence which is carried out under the most oppressive conditions imaginable. For sure, when protecting Islam and the Muslim `Ummah depends on martyrdom operations, it not only is allowed, but even is an obligation (wajib) as many of the Shi'ah great scholars and Maraje', including Ayatullah Safi Golpayegani and Ayatullah Fazel Lankarani, have clearly announced in their fatwas. Consider the following from the prophet of Allah (SA) who said: "Whoever is killed in defense of his belongings, he/she is Shahid." (Wasa'il al-Shi'ah, v.15, p.121)

Question 2:

Now about targeting civilians in the Zionist state, some people say that according to the teaching of Ahlul Bayt(a.s.) and the Quran it is haram (religiously prohibited) to target civilians in any case. They also say that Israelis are civilians like any other people while others believe they are settlers and usurpers not civilians. Are the operations done by Hamas and Al-Jihad against Israelis "civilians" haram? Why or why not? How about the Israeli children killed in such attacks? If it is not haram, what is the answer to those who quote the hadith about not targeting non-combatants?

Answer:

Muslims should not attack those civilians of the occupied territories who have announced their opposition to their government's vicious crimes, except for situations in which they are used as human shield and fighting the aggressors depends on attacking those civilians.

Question 3:

About civilians in general, given the fact that there are mass destruction weapons and that it is not always easy to prevent civilians death in wars like at the old times, what would be the ruling about attacks that unintentionally kill civilians in wars (as in the case of the Iran-Iraq war)? Also, say we live in a Muslim country, and there is another country which attacked one of our cities with nuclear weapons and wiped it out. Then this country announced it will destroy our cities one by one using nuclear weapons. Supposing that country had all their nuclear weapons in one of their cities, would it be ok for the Muslim country to attack this city and destroy the nuclear weapons there before they are used to annihilate the Muslims even though that would mean lead to the death of the enemies' civilians in that city. This is supposing that this is the only way to protect the Muslims' life? With Du'a (pray) for Allah to protect the Ayatollah.

Answer:

In the case of conflict between two Muslim nations, Muslims should assist the oppressed against the oppressor. But before the war is waged, initiating attacks for the purpose of prevention depends on permission from Valyy-i Fagih (religious guardianship). With prayers for your success.

Dr. Ali Shariati, Iranian political theologian and philosopher defines Martyrdom as a mixture of a refined love and a deep, complex wisdom. The main question is that does a 17- or 20-year-old suicide bomber really understand the meaning of martyrdom, or do they have deep and complex wisdom of what they are about to do! Or they have been emotionally manipulated by some of religious leaders such as Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi.

Mehran Riazaty: a former Iran analyst for the Central Command of the Coalition Forces in Baghdad.