Prominent reform cleric condemns nuclear weapons

Ayatollah Montazeri and Mohsen Kadivar

Ayatollah Hoseinali Montazeri in response to a letter by reformist cleric Mohsen Kadivar announced that building nuclear weapons is “un-Islamic.”

Drawing on his authority as an Islamic scholar, Ayatollah Montazeri maintained: “Investing, producing, harbouring and using nuclear energy in arms technology and in developing weapons of mass destruction by any country is prohibited.” His views that were published through his information headquarters, establish that such nuclear activities will “not only waste national resources, but also threaten neighbouring countries and cause distrust in international relationships.”

Western powers have repeatedly expressed their concerns that Iran may be trying to develop nuclear weapons. These allegations have been denied by Iranian authorities who emphasize that Iran’s nuclear programs are all peaceful. They have also postulated that nuclear weapons “have no place in Islamic defence doctrines.”

Ayatollah Montazeri writes that humanity, especially Muslims must struggle to end the use of nuclear weapons.

In his letter to Ayatollah Montazeri, the progressive cleric Mohsen Kadivar accuses the Islamic Republic government of “lying” and adds that the “hypocritical” confrontation of the government with its citizens has resulted in “an unprecedented increase in the lack of trust in the statements of Iranian leaders at the international level.”

Mr. Kadivar concludes that when a system “easily lies” to its citizens, “why should it be trusted in international relations?”