Question: Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khamenei, has called the severance of Islamic countries’ economic relations with the Zionist regime a decisive blow to this regime. In your view, what capacities exist in the Islamic world to achieve this goal and deliver a decisive blow to Tel Aviv?
M. Fekri: Regarding what Imam Khamenei, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, uttered, we should pay attention to the fact that in the face of the usurping, criminal occupying regime, several ways and options should be put on the agenda to stop the expansionist demands of the Zionist regime. This regime does not honor any international, humanitarian, and legal obligations, and it does not respect the values supported by nations around the world. The first approach to deal with the Zionist regime is to focus on the media confrontation to expose the horrific crimes of Tel Aviv. Naturally, the media coverage of the reverberations of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood will play a huge role in this regard. A media encounter with the enemy will play a very impactful role in exposing the criminal actions of the Zionist regime.
The second approach is political confrontation. In this approach, one can benefit from diplomatic measures, among which holding emergency meetings of the heads of Islamic countries or the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the Arab League, and the United Nations can be pointed out. The relations between the countries, especially the Islamic and neighboring countries in the region, should be maintained in such a way that they pressure the Zionist regime to stop its bloody aggression against the Palestinian people, especially the people of Gaza.
Another approach to confront the Zionists, as the Leader of the Revolution has also referred to, is economic confrontation. Islamic countries have many facilities and capacities in the economic and commercial fields. Accordingly, they export some petroleum products, petrochemicals, and all kinds of solid materials and metals to the Zionist regime. On the other hand, some Israeli products are also imported by Islamic countries. This economic relationship based on import and export between the two sides boosts Israel’s economy. In such circumstances, however, the Islamic countries must use this opportunity to exert economic pressure on the Zionist regime and not suffice to just chant slogans.
Here, I do not want to mention the names of those countries in the Persian Gulf, West Asia, or North Africa that have extensive economic and commercial relations with the Zionist regime. In the shadow of these relations, water and food are being exported to the Zionist regime. It is self-evident that exporting water and food to the Zionist regime strengthens it and encourages it to commit horrible crimes and attack the oppressed Palestinian people. Therefore, the objective of the Leader’s advice to cut off the vital lifeline of the Zionist regime is for the Arab world and the Islamic world to cut off their commercial and economic ties with Israel and neither import from it nor export goods that Tel Aviv desperately needs. Such an action would be a fatal blow to the Zionist regime and would pressure it to stop its crimes.
Question: What role can the Islamic world’s elites, especially the scientific and academic elites, play in forcing their governments to cut off relations with the Zionist regime or at least reduce these ties, especially in the economic field?
M. Fekri: Concerning the role of the elites throughout the Islamic world and the Arab world, I must point out that Arab and Islamic countries are still under the influence of the elites, especially ulama [religious scholars] and clerics. Since the beginning of Israel’s occupation in the middle of the previous century, we have clearly seen that ulama and clerics have been the pioneers of proposing the idea of liberating Palestine and reclaiming Palestinian lands. In this regard, many names stand out in history, among whom Izz ad-Din al-Qassam and other Palestinian, Syrian, and Lebanese ulama can be mentioned. Anyway, ulama and clerics have always played a pioneering role in calling for the liberation of Palestine and confronting the occupation of the Zionist regime.
Regarding the effectiveness of the role of ulama, clerics, and elites, two basic points should be considered. The first point is that in the countries of the Islamic world, a large number of Muslims participate in religious ceremonies and rituals held in mosques and holy places and listen to the lectures of ulama. These ulama are also present in the cultural scene of schools, universities, and other scientific centers, and these centers are in turn a bridge of communication between them and the general public. On the other hand, publications, newspapers, and websites are among other tools that the elites of the Islamic world can benefit from in order to communicate with Muslims and influence their approach and attitude. The second point is that, along with ulama and clerics, there are other elites such as thinkers, intellectuals, artists, university professors and students who have the power to directly influence the audience due to their more informed points of view and attitudes than the general public.
Based on what was said, if the ulama and clerics as well as the elites that we mentioned can play their pioneering and positive role in defending the Palestinian cause and providing solutions to this issue, without a doubt, a large strata of the general public would follow their opinions and thoughts to a great extent. This [capacity of the elites] is an invaluable support that Imam Khamenei also mentioned. Therefore, it is necessary for the elite class in the Islamic world to fulfill its role in this field.
Question: If the demands of the elites and scientific elites ultimately lead to the complete or partial termination of the economic relations of the Muslim governments with the Zionist regime, what impact will this have on the collective morale of the Islamic Ummah?
M. Fekri: As I pointed out, if the elites properly fulfill their role in society, they can have a direct impact on the general public. In every society, there are thinkers and theoreticians along with the decision-makers. Yes, perhaps the thinkers and intellectuals in society are not able to bring about practical change, but nevertheless, they can be effective and influential in changing the thoughts and views of the people in society. Therefore, if they support the idea of severing relations with the Zionist regime and oppose the normalization of relations with Tel Aviv, which has no benefit for the Islamic world and the Arab world, then they can also change the views of the society as well. Without any doubt, playing this role creates a kind of direct pressure on the Zionist regime to stop its crimes against the Palestinians. The role that they play may even have more impact and lead to the total annihilation of the occupying regime.
The truth is that the world has become interested in the positions [of the elite], especially after Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. After this operation, the Palestinian case received widespread public attention. Therefore, today the general public is paying attention to the Palestinian issue and is looking for a way to resolve it. If the Islamic world pays attention to the views and thoughts of the ulama and elites of Islamic societies, then we will witness the formation of an Islamic thinking around the Palestinian issue. Undoubtedly, this Islamic thinking would directly affect the attitudes of the general public toward the Zionist regime. This is the outcome that we expect to reach through direct communication between the elites and the general public.
(The views expressed in this interview are interviewee’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of Khamenei.ir.)
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