A statement from a group of leading Shia scholars in the UK including Sayyid Hashem Moosavi, the representative of Ayatollah Khamenei, and Sayyid Murtada Kashmiri, the representative of Ayatollah Sistani, has addressed the World Federation of KSIMC calling upon it to “put an end to such abuses that harm the position of scholars and the religious seminary”.
This comes amidst growing concerns that the rhetoric of Sayyid Ammar Nakshawani, who is frequently speaking from podiums of Jamaats affiliated to the World Federation, has been disrespectful and grossly misrepresentative of the Wali Al-Faqih, Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei.
In a letter to President Safdar Jaffer, the group of leading scholars said that the speech that was delivered at the beginning of Muharram has “offended the standing of some Ulama and Maraji” and calls upon the president to deal with the matter in a manner that safeguards the rights of the Shias.
AIM has also confirmed in a tweet that it has separately written to the World Federation and its president Haj Safdar Jaffer raising its concerns at the disrespect levelled towards Ayatollah Khamenei from a speech delivered at the Khoja Jamaat in Leicester.
The scholar’s letter was signed by the following leading Shia figures in the UK:
Sayyid Murtada Kashmiri, Representative of Ayatollah Sistani in UK
Shaykh Zafar Abbas, Founder of Majlis Ulama-e-Shia
Shaykh Ali Alami, Head of Islamic Universal Association
Sayyid Fadhil Milani, Imam of Imam Khoei Islamic Centre
Sayyid Mohammad Mousawi, Chairman of World Ahlul Bayt Islamic League (WABIL)
Sayyid Ali Raza Rizvi, President of Majlis Ulama-e-Shia
Sayyid Hashem Moosavi, Representative of Ayatollah Khamenei in UK
Sayyid Mohammad Saeed Khalkhali, Imam Ali (as) Foundation