Latest news with #Marja
Newsweek
a day ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
Iran Issues Fatwa Against Donald Trump: 'Enemy of God'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Iranian Grand Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi issued a fatwa declaring that anyone who threatens Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is "an enemy of God," state media reported. Makarem was responding to a question about any threats made by U.S. President Donald Trump and the leaders of Israel. A fatwa is a ruling on how to interpret Islamic law issued by a clerical authority. Makarem's fatwa on threats to the Supreme Leader also extends to senior Shiite clerics known as Marja, Iran's Mehr News Agency reported. Trump had said amid Israel's strikes on Iran that he knew where Khamenei was hiding and that the Iranian leader was an "easy target," but also safe "for now". This is a developing article. Updates to follow.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Iran's top Shia cleric issues fatwa against Trump, Netanyahu; calls them ‘enemies of God'
A powerful religious decree has been issued by Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi , one of Iran 's most senior Shia clerics, targeting U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The fatwa — a formal ruling under Islamic law — brands both leaders as 'enemies of God' and calls for Muslim unity in confronting them. The pronouncement follows a deadly 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel that escalated into a regional crisis involving the United States. According to Iranian state-linked Mehr News Agency, Makarem's fatwa declares, 'Any person or regime that threatens the Leader or Marja (May God forbid) is considered a 'warlord' or a 'mohareb'.' Under Iranian law, the designation of mohareb, or 'one who wages war against God,' carries some of the most severe punishments — including execution, crucifixion, amputation, or exile. This interpretation was cited by Fox News, which reported on the legal implications of such a designation under Iran's penal code. Live Events The decree further stated: 'Any cooperation or support for that enemy by Muslims or Islamic states is haram or forbidden. It is necessary for all Muslims around the world to make these enemies regret their words and mistakes.' It also invoked divine reward for any Muslim who suffers loss or hardship in such a campaign, describing it as fighting in the path of God. Context: War, nuclear fears, and American involvement This sharp escalation in rhetoric comes on the heels of a devastating military conflict that erupted on June 13, when Israel launched airstrikes inside Iran, reportedly killing high-ranking military officers and nuclear scientists. Tehran retaliated with a series of missile strikes on Israeli cities, while continuing to deny allegations that it was pursuing nuclear weapons. The violence expanded when U.S. and Israeli forces jointly targeted three nuclear-related facilities in Iran, prompting a fierce response from Tehran. Iran then bombarded an American military installation in Qatar, further deepening tensions across the Middle East. The weight of a fatwa A fatwa, particularly one issued by a Marja — a senior authority in Twelver Shia Islam — holds deep religious and political weight in Shia-majority Iran. While not necessarily legally binding outside Iran, such decrees are often taken seriously by followers, including Islamic governments and individuals across the Shia world. Historically, fatwas have been used by Iranian clerics to call for global action. The most notorious example remains the 1989 fatwa issued by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini against author Salman Rushdie over his novel The Satanic Verses. That edict led to decades of assassination attempts, including a brutal stabbing attack in 2023 that left Rushdie permanently blinded in one eye. As of now, neither the United States nor Israel has officially responded to the decree by the Iranian cleric.
Mint
2 days ago
- Politics
- Mint
Fatwa against Donald Trump? Shia cleric's ‘red line' on US president for ‘threatening' Iran's Supreme leader Khamenei
An Iranian cleric, Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi, a senior Marja in the Shia hierarchy, has declared that anyone who harms Ayatollah Khamenei deserves the death penalty. His statement came in response to a question regarding US President Donald Trump's increasingly aggressive rhetoric towards Iran's Supreme Leader, following the recent 12-day conflict involving Iran, Israel, and the United States. According to Tehran Times, in a written note, Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi has declared, 'Any regime or individual threatening the leaders of the Islamic Ummah and acting on those threats qualifies as a Muharib.' Under Shia Islamic jurisprudence, a 'Muharib' is defined as someone who wages armed rebellion, terrorism, violent crimes, or other unlawful acts that spread fear and disorder in society. The prescribed punishment for such offenses is death. Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi's remarks are being interpreted as a "Fatwa," a religious edict, the Tehran Times report added. Iran's Ayatollah Nouri Hamedani and Iraq's Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani have published similar statements seen as Fatwas. 1. Accusation of Defeat and Denial of Iran's Victory Claims Donald Trump publicly challenged Khamenei's claim that Iran had emerged victorious over Israel and the US, calling it a 'lie' and bluntly stating, 'You got beat to hell.' He accused Khamenei of spreading falsehoods about the war's outcome, insisting that Iran's military and nuclear capabilities were severely damaged by U.S. strikes. Trump repeatedly asserted that US forces had 'obliterated' three key Iranian nuclear facilities (Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz) during the conflict. He insisted these strikes dealt a devastating blow to Iran's nuclear ambitions, despite some intelligence reports suggesting only a temporary setback. In a striking admission, Donald Trump revealed that he knew exactly where Khamenei was sheltering during the conflict and deliberately prevented Israeli and US forces from killing him, stating, 'I saved him from a very ugly and ignominious death.' Trump lamented that Khamenei did not 'thank' him for sparing his life. Donald Trump warned that the US would 'definitely' strike Iran again if Tehran resumed uranium enrichment or nuclear activities that posed a threat. He did not rule out future military action against Iran's nuclear sites if necessary. Trump disclosed that he was working on removing sanctions against Iran to aid its recovery but immediately dropped all efforts after Khamenei's 'statement of anger, hatred, and disgust.' He criticised Khamenei's tone and called it 'blatant and foolish,' blaming it for the collapse of potential diplomatic progress. Trump warned Iran that unless it 'gets back into the world order flow,' conditions would worsen for the country, describing it as 'a burned out, blown up country, with no future, a decimated military, a horrible economy and death all around them.' He urged the Iranian leadership to adopt a more conciliatory approach, saying, 'you often get more with honey than you do with vinegar.' Trump revealed that he ordered Israeli planes to turn back from a planned 'biggest attack of the war,' which he said would have caused significant Iranian casualties. He claimed to have restrained Israel from delivering a 'final knockout' blow to Iran. A Fatwa is an interpretation of Islamic law issued by a Marja. It is binding for all Muslims, meaning that even if Islamic governments are not able to act on it, individual Muslims should ensure its enforcement. A well-known example of states failing to act on a Fatwa, prompting individual Muslims to take matters into their own hands, is the case of Salman Rushdie. On February 14, 1989, Imam Khameini, the founder of the Islamic Republic, issued a historic Fatwa calling for the execution of Salman Rushdie, the British-Indian author of The Satanic Verses, a novel filled with blasphemy against Prophet Mohammad (PBUH). The fatwa stated: "I inform the proud Muslim people of the world that the author of The Satanic Verses book, which is against Islam, the Prophet, and the Quran, and all those involved in its publication who were aware of its content, are sentenced to death. I call on all zealous Muslims to execute them quickly, wherever they find them." Rushdie was forced into hiding immediately after the fatwa was issued. He was placed under 24/7 British police protection and lived in safe houses for nearly a decade. In 1989, a bomb exploded at a London hotel where Rushdie was scheduled to speak. Over three decades after the Fatwa was issued, when Rushdie emerged from hiding and began living more openly, the threat had not faded, contrary to his and the police's expectations. In 2022, Rushdie was stabbed on stage in New York by an attacker allegedly acting on the Fatwa. He has since retreated back into seclusion.
