Mohammad Khatami

Mohammad Khatami

Former Iranian president

His Excellency Mohammad Khatami served two terms as Iran’s president from 1997 to 2005. He also founded the Tehran-based International Institute for Dialogue among Civilizations and Cultures. The “On Faith” panelist was born into a religious family and studied theology in Iran’s holy city of Qom. He also has a Master’s Degree in education from Tehran University. After Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution Khatami served as chief editor of “Keyhan Daily” newspaper, and was elected a member of parliament. He served as Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance from 1982 to 1992 and later as President of the High Council for Cultural Revolution. Khatami was elected fifth President of the Islamic Republic in 1997, gaining almost 70 percent of the votes cast. He was re-elected to a second term in 2001. Besides Persian, Khatami speaks Arabic, English and German and has written many books. In 1998, he called for a dialogue among the world’s civilizations and cultures, prompting U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan to declare 2001 the U.N. Year of Dialogue Among Civilizations. Khatami presently participates in the High-Level Group of the United Nations’ Alliance of Civilizations. The Group comprises 20 international leaders called together by Annan and the prime ministers of Spain and Turkey to counter the deterioration of relations between societies and nations. The Alliance seeks to establish a relationship of mutual respect between civilizations and rejects religious and political extremism. Close.

Mohammad Khatami

Former Iranian president

His Excellency Mohammad Khatami served two terms as Iran’s president from 1997 to 2005. He also founded the Tehran-based International Institute for Dialogue among Civilizations and Cultures. more »

Main Page | Mohammad Khatami Archives | On Faith Archives


All Must Condemn Violence

Mass murder and the killing of innocent human beings are the most harrowing catastrophes which sadly have attained horrific dimensions in today’s world. The agonizing rampage that just recently shook Virginia Tech and the criminal acts perpetrated on September 11th,...

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Anonymous:

All non-Muslims should note the words "innocent human beings" used above. This is always the expression used by Muslim leaders when discussing such events, because the phrase has special meaning in Islam. The word "innocent" does not include non-Muslims, according to the koran.

According to the koran the only people who can be considered innocent are Muslims. That explains the following verses from the koran (which are NOT taken out of context, as Muslims sometimes claim):

Qur’an Chapter 2 Verse 65:
And well ye knew those amongst you who transgressed in the matter of the Sabbath (Jews): We said to them: "Be ye apes, despised and rejected."

Ishaq: 250
The bestial transformation occurred when Allah turned Jews into apes, despised.

Tabari VIII: 28
When the Messenger approached the Jews, he said, ‘You brothers of apes! Allah shamed you and cursed you.’

Qur’an Chapter 5 Verse 14:
From those too, who call themselves Christians, We did take a covenant, but they forgot a good part of the Message that was sent to them: so We estranged them, with enmity and hatred between one and the other, to the Day of Judgment. And soon will Allah show them what they have done.

Qur’an Chapter 5 Verse 41:
…Jews, - men who will listen to any lie…For them there is disgrace in this world, and in the Hereafter a heavy punishment.

Qur’an Chapter 5 Verse 82:
Strongest among men in enmity (hatred) to the believers (Muslims) wilt thou find the Jews and Pagans.

Ishaq: 262
Some Muslims remained friends with the Jews, so Allah sent down a Qur’an forbidding them to take Jews as friends. From their mouths hatred has already shown itself and what they conceal is worse.

Qur’an Chapter 5 Verse 51:
O you who believe! Take not the Jews and the Christians for your friends and protectors: they are but friends and protectors to each other. And he among you that turns to them for friendship is of them.

Qur’an Chapter 3 Verse 28:
Let not the believers Take for friends or helpers Unbelievers rather than believers: if any do that, in nothing will there be help from Allah: except by way of precaution (prevention), that ye may Guard yourselves from them (prevent them from harming you.) But Allah cautions you (To remember) Himself; for the final goal is to Allah. [This verse teaches Muslims not to make friends with unbelievers, but allows them to feign friendship with unbelievers in order to prevent harm befalling themselves]

Ishaq: 364
Muslims, take not Jews and Christians as friends. Whoever protects them becomes one of them, they become diseased, and will earn a similar fate.

Ishaq: 364
‘I fear this change of circumstance may end up overtaking us.’ So Allah replied, ‘He will be sorry for his thoughts. True believers perform prostrations, they pay the tax, they bow in homage, and renounce their agreements with the Jews. They are Hezbollah—Allah’s Party.’ [Muslims believe they are commanded by Allah to break any agreements they make with the Jews, because of this hadith]

Sahih Bukhari Volume 2, Book 23, Number 457:
Narrated Abi Aiyub: Once the Prophet went out after sunset and heard a dreadful voice, and said, "The Jews are being punished in their graves."

Sahih Bukhari Volume 4, Book 56, Number 679:
Narrated Usama bin Zaid: Allah's Apostle said, “Plague was a means of torture sent on a group of Israelis”

Sahih Muslim Book 041, Number 6981:
…You will fight against the Jews and you will kill them until even a stone would say: ‘Come here, Muslim, there is a Jew (hiding himself behind me) ; kill him.’

Sahih Muslim Book 037, Number 6665:
Abu Musa' reported that Allah's Messenger said: When it will be the Day of Resurrection Allah would deliver to every Muslim a Jew or a Christian and say: That is your rescue from Hell-Fire. [All Muslims are saved from Hell because a Jew or a Christian will go to hell in their place]

Sahih Muslim Book 037, Number 6666:
Abu Burda reported on the authority of his father that Allah's Apostle said: ‘No Muslim would die but Allah would admit in his stead a Jew or a Christian in Hell-Fire’. [Muslims don’t go to hell, because Jews and Christians will be made to suffer for the evil deeds of Muslims]

Sahih Bukhari Volume 4, Book 52, Number 288:
…The Prophet on his death-bed, gave three orders saying, "Expel the pagans from the Arabian Peninsula, respect and give gifts to the foreign delegates as you have seen me dealing with them." I forgot the third (order)" Ya'qub bin Muhammad said…

Malik’s Muwatta Book 45, Number 45.5.17:
Yahya related to me from Malik from Ismail ibn Abi Hakim that he heard Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz say, "One of the last things that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said was, 'May Allah fight the Jews and the Christians. They took the graves of their Prophets as places of prostration . Two deens shall not co-exist in the land of the Arabs.' "

Malik’s Muwatta Book 45, Number 45.5.18:
…the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had said, ‘Two deens shall not co-exist in the Arabian Peninsula,’ and he therefore expelled the Jews from Khaybar.… [Muhammad carried out ethnic cleansing]

Muhammad did NOT consider Jews or Christians to be innocent, and that is why he taught that a Jew or a Christian would be made to pay for the sins of Muslims. Look out for the words "innocent human beings" from Muslim leaders in the future and understand that these are coded words which are understood across the Muslim world, but are not presently understood across the non-Muslim world.

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