Sermon on Good Words and Respectful Speaking

Translation:

Tehran's Friday Prayer leader speaking on Good Words and Respectful Speaking:

"In the battle of Siffin, Amirolmemenin [The leader of the faithful – the prophet's cousin and son-in-law, Ali, the first Shiite Imam and fourth Sunni Khalif] saw some of Islam's early disciples, some distinguished disciples in fact, I don't want to name names, were insulting Moavieh's [opposing side of the battle of Siffin] disciples, the Amir told them not to, he said 'I don't like you to be vulgar and shout obscenities at others, instead of hurling profanites at them lets show them the wrong path they have taken, there is no need to use foul language'.

At the end of this however, I have to say that to clarify one's position is not the same as uttering profanities, chanting Death to America and Death to Israel is not profanity as some people suggest, it is declaring where we stand, It says it in the Koran itself, 'Death to the unbelievers' or 'May the unbelievers be damned forever' is a statement on where one stands, no one should interpret these as bad language, this is not profanity, this is in the holy Koran, Death to America is a statement of distancing ourselves from unbelievers, because a Muslim must seek friendship with the faithful and keep his distance from the unfaithful. Meaning a Muslim has both holy compassion and holy rage at the same time. And so this was my talk on speaking good words and respectful speaking"