Rohani: From the Rejection of the Shiite Crescent to Regional Discourse

Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, stated on Saturday at the sixth general assembly of the World Assembly of Ahlulbayt in Tehran that contrary to those who seek to sow discord in the region, we do not have a Shiite crescent but rather a moon and full moon of Islam. Mr. Rouhani also emphasized the unity and solidarity of all Muslims against what he termed infidelity and hypocrisy. The term 'Shiite crescent' was first used by King Abdullah of Jordan, referring to Shiites living across Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, and Bahrain. Hassan Farashtian, a religious scholar, stated: 'The exaggeration of the Shiite crescent has been by those who intended to promote Shiaphobia. On the other hand, Iran had also been tempted in previous decades, believing it could create such power in the region.' He added that the unity of Shiites, or what is known as the Shiite crescent, has practically occurred, noting that the region where most Shiites live is somewhat allied. However, the exaggeration of the Shiite crescent has been from those who intended to promote Shiaphobia. Iran currently plays a leading role in these areas. Mr. Rouhani's call for Islamic unity is very logical and correct for creating stability in the region, but the gap between words and actions is another discussion. Mr. Rouhani is trying to prevent a crisis that could flare up in the coming years, and I think this is a good statement if it reaches the stage of action. In May, Iranian media reported that Mohammad Ali Jafari, the commander of the IRGC, spoke about the formation of the Shiite crescent, but the IRGC's public relations immediately denied this, claiming that the mention of this term was a failed scenario by Israel and the U.S. against Iran. Jafari emphasized the formation of the Shiite crescent at a congress of three thousand martyrs in Semnan province and defended a Shiite-centered alliance among Iran, Iraq, Yemen, Bahrain, Lebanon, and Syria. Rouhani also warned against allowing Islam to be portrayed as a source of violence, stating that Islam only uses the sword out of necessity. He then referred to the rights of Sunni minorities in Iran, stating that the rights of minorities are preserved in Iran and brotherhood exists among Shiites and Sunnis. Earlier, Sunni Online reported that a Sunni prayer house in the Punak area of Tehran was demolished on July 29 by municipal forces with the support of police and military forces. The demolition of this Sunni prayer house provoked reactions from various Sunni groups and figures as well as the World Assembly for Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought. Farashtian responded to the question of whether the demolition of the Sunni prayer house in Tehran could be attributed to anti-government groups by saying: 'They are generally not outside the power of the central government. This action cannot be attributed to Ansar Hezbollah or motorcycle groups that are often considered rogue forces. In this specific case, the government is obligated to support the rights of minorities, and if something happens, the government plays a role in it, and if it does not have a role, it should prevent it. Mr. Rouhani speaks very well when he says that Sunnis in Iran are our brothers. However, we Shiites, as the elder brother, have not respected the rights of our smaller brothers over the years, and we still do not.' Farashtian also stated: 'I think Mr. Rouhani's government has been negligent regarding minority rights. Part of this negligence is due to security and political issues, and some security elements in Mr. Rouhani's government have either been involved or remained silent on this issue. However, we cannot ignore the role of the government in this matter. The government is the main culprit, and part of this is due to Mr. Rouhani's desire to align traditional sectors with his political future. The injustices against Sunnis are not only related to security and political forces; part of this injustice stems from the views of traditionalists and clerics who demand that the government not allow Sunnis to operate.' Regarding regional discourse, Rouhani also stated that the Iranian government announces its power globally as being based on logic. He said that Iran's power lies in its ability to negotiate and engage in new discourse, not in brute force and weaponry. The Iranian President also assured that Iran's scientific, spiritual, and political power is not against any of the neighboring Muslim countries. On Friday, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister, announced the holding of a comprehensive meeting between Iran and the Gulf Cooperation Council countries to discuss regional issues. Hussein Alizadeh, a former diplomat, commented that Rouhani's statements aim to assure that the conflict is not a Shiite-Sunni dispute. He noted that the Syrian crisis is one of the issues that Rouhani's government is grappling with in foreign policy: 'It was clear that after the nuclear issue, Rouhani would turn to Syria to resolve the crisis there, to the extent that Iran has now proposed a meeting of the seven, meaning Iran and six Gulf countries, which is set to take place by September.' Alizadeh stated that Rouhani's remarks signal an intention to alleviate the proxy wars occurring in the Middle East and added: 'Rouhani's statements aim to assure that the conflict is not a Shiite-Sunni dispute. The Shiite crescent is portrayed as a threat by some Arab countries accusing Tehran of seeking Shiite expansionism and attempting to rebuild the Persian Empire. Rouhani's statements after the nuclear issue seem to be aimed at dispelling these accusations against Iran and apparently laying the groundwork for reconciliation in the severely damaged Syrian file. Relations between Tehran and some regional countries, such as Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, are at one of their most tense times. Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's Foreign Minister, previously called for de-escalation between Iran and the Gulf countries in an article published in several Arab publications.