Ijtihad Network Being Wise and Faithful Muslim in the Contemporary World
Senior Iranian Shia cleric Grand Ayatollah Hossein Nouri Hamedani has penned a letter to Pope Leo XIV, sharply criticizing the ongoing silence of global religious leadership amid the deepening humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.
In the letter, delivered by Iran’s ambassador to the Vatican and published by Hawzah News Agency, Ayatollah Nouri Hamedani posed a piercing question: “If Jesus (PBUH) were alive today, would he tolerate the horrific conditions in Gaza and the war crimes of the Zionist regime?”
The senior cleric emphasized that divine religions—including Islam, Christianity, and Judaism—place human dignity at the heart of their teachings, condemning all forms of racial, ethnic, and class discrimination. He called on religious leaders, particularly the Pope, to unite in defense of innocent lives and condemn the “unforgivable crimes” perpetrated against the besieged population of Gaza.
“From the standpoint of divine religions, depriving people of food, water, and medicine is not just unjust—it is a grave crime against God’s will,” the Grand Ayatollah stated.
Referring to the Israeli-imposed siege on Gaza as an unprecedented humanitarian disaster, Ayatollah Hamedani described the deliberate starvation of civilians and the obstruction of humanitarian aid as not only a violation of moral and religious values, but also as clear war crimes under international law.
He pointed out the shared values among the Abrahamic faiths regarding compassion, justice, and the defense of the oppressed, asserting that “every innocent person, regardless of nationality, religion, or race, deserves a life of dignity.”
Commending recent remarks by the Pope expressing concern for Gaza’s humanitarian situation, Ayatollah Hamedani urged more decisive and practical steps to halt what he described as an ongoing genocide.
“What is unfolding in Gaza cannot be justified by any religious, humanitarian, or moral standard,” the letter reads. “If Prophet Moses, Prophet Jesus, and Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon them) were present today, would they remain silent in the face of such atrocities?”
The senior cleric further urged religious leaders and faith institutions to reject the instrumentalization of religion for violence, referencing eight decades of Israeli crimes committed under the pretext of establishing a “Jewish state.”
In conclusion, Ayatollah Nouri Hamedani called for an immediate and united response from the world’s religious communities to demand an end to Israel’s crimes in Gaza and to defend the oppressed in accordance with the true teachings of the divine messengers.
Source:hawzahnews
