The director of Prince Abdullah Al-Tanukhi College wrote in his speech, Sheikh Hadi Al-Aridi
In the name of God, the most gracious, the most merciful
Praise be to God, praise worthy of His majesty and great power, everlasting praise, and may blessings and peace be upon the best of His creation, upon all of His family and companions, and upon all of His honorable prophets and messengers.
“And who is more unjust than he who is reminded of the signs of his Lord and then turns away from them?” (Al-Kahf: 57)
Talking about the identity of this sect is not talking about something urgent, nor about a description that changes according to circumstances, positions, and reactions. Rather, it is talking about a solid belief, a connected history, an inherited heritage, and a deep-rooted culture, which over the centuries has shaped the features of this group, its identity, and its affiliation.
This sect is rooted in its Islamic depth and its Arab origins, and its historical origins bear witness to this, and the path of the Arab tribes that came from the Arabian Peninsula and settled in the Levant in well-known historical stages, and contributed to protecting the borders and defending the nation, then its roots extended into this Arab East, becoming an integral part of its history and civilization.
This affiliation confirms the essence of the faith itself. Monotheism is the foundation of this doctrine and the axis of its spiritual and intellectual structure, and the testimony of monotheism is present in its belief, path, heritage, culture, and customs, and in what has been transmitted and preserved by generations, making monotheism an integral pillar of its identity and Islamic extension.
The specificity of this religious and cultural sect is an integral part of its being, and has been shaped through its history, belief, heritage, behavior, and what has been established in its culture and customs. It is the right of this group, and even its duty, to preserve and preserve this particularity, and to protect what distinguishes it and expresses itself, without dissolving and losing its features, and without denying its roots, origins, and historical extension.
Privacy does not mean separation, just as belonging does not mean dissolution. Rather, a balanced identity is based on combining two things: preserving the privacy that has distinguished this sect throughout its history, and at the same time adhering to its religious, cultural and historical roots. Hence, we affirm that the identity and affiliation of this sect are not the property of an individual or group, and are not subject to redefinition according to current positions or calculations. No person, no matter how high his status, and no group, no matter how influential it is, has the right to change the facts of history or reformulate identity in a way that contradicts its principles and constants.
If this sect has been exposed to injustice or unfairness in some stages of its history, then demanding justice and redressing grievances is a legitimate right. However, injustice, no matter how harsh, does not justify reversing facts, denying one’s roots, or changing one’s identity. Confronting injustice is done with truth, awareness, and preserving dignity, not by reformulating oneself under the influence of pain or reactions.
Identity is not a reaction, nor a passing position, nor is it built on personal whims or opinions, or on what some social media users promote, without relying on the facts of history and the constants of belief. It is the result of belief, history, heritage, culture and collective memory accumulated over generations, and it cannot be reduced to an individual opinion or a temporary position.
Accordingly, we adhere clearly and firmly to the fact that this sect, with its monotheistic faith, heritage, behavior, culture and customs, and with its roots and historical extension, is an integral part of Arab Islamic Doha.
In conclusion, it is stated in the Holy Book: “Not a word does he utter but there is a watcher by him, ever present” (Q: 18).
So let everyone who speaks out about this group fear God Almighty, fear God in his words, stance, and actions, and remember that what we say and do is a responsibility for which we will be questioned before God Almighty. Doctrine is a trust, identity is a trust, and history is a trust. Let our position be based on honesty, piety, and awareness, and on preserving the truth and adhering to what we have been commanded to preserve, and preserving what our faith and principles are based on, without change or distortion.
God is the Grantor of success, and God is sufficient for us and is sufficient.
