Speaking to CNN’s Christian Amanpour, the reformer ayatollah (marja-e taqlid) Sanei said that terrorism was the “biggest crime” in Islam. The grand ayatollah, who has a large following among Shiites, said, “Islam does not allow us to squash even an ant. So how can one say that Islam supports terror or terrorism. But what can we do when great propaganda states are active in support of terrorists and prevent our voice from being heard around the world”.

Rejecting the possible success of terrorists, Sanei said, “The killing of people is the biggest crime in Islam, even if he is a suicide killer. These people are lost in hell and there is no doubt about it. But unfortunately things have come to a point where Islam is presented as a supporter of terrorism.”

Last year too speaking on the even of the month of Moharam ayatollah Sanei denounced terrorism. “These days Islam has become captive to some dogmatic individuals who commit acts of terrorism in the name of Islam, and engage in torture, pressure and cruel acts, and blow up buildings and even force people to stay silent, all in the name of Islam.” He even went further by saying that all who were involved in making public opinion had a duty to defend the innocence of Islam. “The first and foremost lesson of the events of Karbala is that Islam is a religion of peace and reason, and opposes terror, terrorism, violence, which must be told to the world.”

In his talk this year, Sanei referenced the events of Karbala, when some 1400 years ago the third Imam of the Shiites was killed along with his supporters at the hands of the solders from the town of Kufeh, Ibn Ziad. “All of you who commit acts of terrorism in the name of Islam, or call Islam a violent religion, those of you who are regressive and dogmatic in your views and values, those who disregard people as soon as you acquire political power, stop and ponder a bit about this third Imam and that Ibn Ziyad could have been assassinated which would have probably prevented the Karbala events. The imam’s representative in Kufeh, Moslem Ibn-e Aqil, did not do this and when he was asked why not, he said Islam is against terror,” Sanei said.

In another related story, the most senior cleric in Iran, ayatollah Montazeri, who was under house arrest during 5 years because of criticizing Iran’s regime, had similar words when the London terrorist acts were committed last year. “With the unfortunate terrorist events that these days kill innocent people in Iraq, Afghanistan, America, Europe and other places, the image of Islam is being battered for which senior clerics and elite in countries and the Islamic Conference Organization are expected to find a solution,” Montazeri said. He called on the clerics not to be content with mere denouncements but take real measures to uproot the causes of terrorism with Islamic values, reason, and “save the religion from the deviant interpretations of some mercenaries and ignorant people.”