Letter: The West issues its own fatwas

Sir: We wish to refute the unfounded allegations made by Conor Cruise O'Brien ('Blind to the force of the fatwa', 5 August) against the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The fatwa and the recent bombings are two separate issues, although Dr O'Brien has clumsily tried to link them. The fatwa is an entirely Islamic juristic matter. It is an Islamic religious decree, not a governmental one.

Let us consider the issue of 'meddling in the internal affairs of other countries'. It is widely accepted that 'Islam is a way of life', not a mere manner of worshipping the Almighty. Therefore, a comparison may be made between: (a) Islam as a way of life adhered to by Muslims; and (b) the 'Western way of life' (as cherished by people in the West).

For the purpose of the present argument, the fact that (a) is Divine and (b) is secular is immaterial. What matters is that each represents an integrated system consisting of guidelines and directives for all aspects of life. Aside from their immense differences, there are some interesting similarities between them. Here are two:

(1) Both systems regard themselves as 'global', not confined to geo-political boundaries.

(2) Each system has a built-in defence mechanism, a contingency plan, designed to cope with potential or real threats coming from within or without. The single most significant directive in the 'defence mechanism' is: eliminate any person(s) or object(s) that threaten(s) the system wherever they may be.

Orders signed by some Western leaders for 'defensive actions' carried out outside their own territory or jurisdiction in the past few decades were 'decrees' (fatwas, if you like) to kill not just one person but masses of people, mostly innocent civilians.

It is interesting to note that the 'Western way of life' allows itself to feel free from any geo-political boundaries and blatantly interfere in the internal affairs of countries thousands of miles away from it - all in the name of 'defending its freedom and protecting its way of life' - but at the same time creates havoc when an Islamic leader simply reads out the Islamic guideline which forms part of Islam's own defence mechanism against internal or external threats.

Dr O'Brien blames the Islamic Republic of Iran for the recent bombings without a shred of evidence to support such preposterous allegations. In fact, in accordance with Islamic and humanitarian principles, the Islamic Republic of Iran condemns terrorism whatever form, shape or shade it may take.

Finally, Dr O'Brien draws a comparison between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Serbia. The massacre and 'ethnic cleansing' of hundreds of thousands of innocent Bosnians by criminal Serbs is not something that can be easily forgotten by free-minded peoples of the world. This comparison is completely invalid, and even offensive to the people of Iran, who have hosted about four million refugees from neighbouring countries.

One cannot help remembering the oft-quoted legal maxim: 'Everyone is innocent until proven guilty.' Allegations such as those made by Dr O'Brien represent nothing but an attempt to distort public opinion to serve the interests of certain quarters.

Yours faithfully,

MOHAMMAD SAFAEI

Deputy Head of Mission

Embassy of the Islamic

Republic of Iran

London, SW7

11 August