TEHRAN – Following over a year of Israeli violence in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, and the West Bank, hundreds of Iranian Sunni scholars are urging fellow religious leaders across the Arab world and beyond to issue fatwas supporting Palestine.

In a letter published on Sunday, Iranian Sunni scholars said the religious leadership in the region should take matters into its own hands, as governments and politicians in the region are refusing to do anything in favor of Palestine. 

The scholars specifically urged Jordanian and Egyptian religious leaders to mobilize youth for humanitarian aid to Gaza and further advocated for encouraging armed resistance against Israel, regardless of government pressure.

After over a year of relentless Israeli violence, much of the besieged Gaza Strip now lies in ruins with over 43,000 civilians killed by the regime’s fire. Israel has also spread its war to the surrounding areas including Lebanon, Syria, and Iran. 

Below is the full text of the letter:

Esteemed Scholars of the Islamic World,  

Respected Scholars from the Islamic Lands: The Two Holy Sanctuaries (Saudi Arabia), Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia, Iraq, Syria, Qatar, the UAE, Turkey, and beyond.
 
Today, in the sacred land of the first Qibla for Muslims—Palestine, and particularly in the resilient region of Gaza—we are witnessing heinous crimes perpetrated by the oppressive Zionist regime, with the backing of the Great Satan, America. 

The world now bears witness to ethnic genocide and forced displacement in Gaza, unfolding through a series of tragic and shocking events. Over the past year, since the remarkable Operation Al-Aqsa Storm, your commendable positions as scholars of Islam regarding the events in Al-Quds and Gaza have resonated powerfully. Your protests and cries of indignation have reached far and wide, and for this, we extend our heartfelt gratitude. 

The purpose of this letter is to address the ongoing crimes of the Zionist enemy, armed to the teeth and openly supported by America and a few European powers. These atrocities persist despite protests from Islamic scholars, freedom-seekers, both Muslim and non-Muslim, and even from ineffectual international organizations. This relentless killing machine knows no bounds. It has already extended beyond Gaza and the sacred land of Palestine, spreading violence into the Islamic nation of Lebanon. It is only a matter of time before other Islamic lands are targeted as well. 

Furthermore, the Zionist regime, emboldened by anticipated support from the new U.S. administration, seeks to fully annex the West Bank following Gaza and to dismantle any plans for an independent Palestinian state. 

As Sunni scholars of the Islamic Republic of Iran, we urge you, scholars of the Islamic world, to move beyond issuing statements and take decisive, practical actions. Even if these actions provoke confrontations with Western-aligned puppet governments, they are necessary. Allah has said: 
“You believe in Allah and His Messenger and strive in the cause of Allah with your wealth and your lives. That is best for you if you should know.” 

In this pivotal moment, as disbelief rallies against Islam—reminiscent of the Battle of the Trench—it is an undeniable obligation for Muslims to rise in defense and resist these enemies of Islam. Allah commands: "And fight against the disbelievers collectively as they fight against you collectively.”

It is incumbent upon all free Muslims to take up arms in defense of the lives, dignity, and property of the Muslim community. The steadfastness of the Resistance forces is a testament to this resolve, ensuring that further aggression will not go unanswered. This struggle, undertaken with sincerity, will earn immense reward from Allah, who has said: “Those believers who sit at home, unless they do so out of a disabling injury, are not the equals of those who strive in the way of Allah with their possessions and their lives. Allah has exalted in rank those who strive with their possessions and their lives over those who sit at home; and though to each Allah has promised some good reward, He has preferred those who strive (in the way of Allah) over those who sit at home for a mighty reward.”

In light of this, while expressing gratitude for your fatwas encouraging financial support for the Resistance, the use of zakat for this noble cause, and the prohibition of supporting Zionist goods or the Zionist regime in any way, we present the following requests: 

1. Work alongside believers in Jordan to halt the export of goods to the occupied territories, at least until the war in Gaza ends. Additionally, open the borders of Jordan to allow Jordanian youth to join the defense of Al-Quds. 

2. Stand in solidarity with believers in Egypt at the Rafah border crossing. If possible, open the crossing; if not, stage a sit-in to pressure the Zionist regime until the war ceases. 

3. Issue a fatwa encouraging armed resistance against the Zionists, addressing it specifically to the Islamic Ummah, particularly its youth. 

Finally, while praying for your continued well-being, we affirm that if the scholars of Islam unite, the divine promise of victory for truth and the defeat of disbelief will surely be fulfilled. We conclude with the following verses: “And Our word has already preceded for Our servants, the messengers, [that] indeed, they would be those given victory. And [that] indeed, our soldiers will be those who overcome.”