Chavez Visit Violates Islamic Law

The President of Venezuela Hugo Chavez visited the tomb of Imam Reza in Mashhad with Ahmadinejad. Yet non-Muslims are not allowed to enter such holy places. It is strange that a government that claims to adhere to Islamic principles constantly violates Islam:

Qom representative Ali Banayi expressed his extreme displeasure toward this latest move by the Iranian president. “The trusteeship of the Astan Qods (Imam Reza shrine) is responsible for preventing such illegal entries unless the non-Muslim individual has secretly entered the premises unnoticed,” he said.

“This is a primary decree that does not require a secondary decree to amend it… For instance the requirement of fasting in Ramadan is a primary decree for ordinary circumstances. However, if fasting causes damage to the body and creates problems for one’s health then a secondary decree is required which would lift the fasting order for those whom fasting is harmful.”

“But there is no necessity for a secondary decree in the case of the ban on the entry of non-Muslims [into a shrine]. Therefore no state consideration can be considered to set this religious decree aside.”

Banayi then said, “The same rule applies to Mr. Chavez’s presence in the Imam Reza Shrine. The same [rule applies], unless he goes to the location [of the shrine], where the presence of a non-Muslim is not banned, or he is a Muslim-in-secret and we have not been informed about it.”

“Perhaps the president wants to give him [Chavez] a taste of Islam and in this manner help this communist president embrace Islam.”