An Iranian cleric, Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi, a senior Marja in the Shia hierarchy, has declared that anyone who harms Ayatollah Khamenei deserves the death penalty. His statement came in response to a question regarding US President Donald Trump’s increasingly aggressive rhetoric towards Iran’s Supreme Leader, following the recent 12-day conflict involving Iran, Israel, and the United States.
Fatwa Against Donald Trump?
According to Tehran Times, in a written note, Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi has declared, “Any regime or individual threatening the leaders of the Islamic Ummah and acting on those threats qualifies as a Muharib.”
Under Shia Islamic jurisprudence, a “Muharib” is defined as someone who wages armed rebellion, terrorism, violent crimes, or other unlawful acts that spread fear and disorder in society. The prescribed punishment for such offenses is death.
Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi’s remarks are being interpreted as a “Fatwa,” a religious edict, the Tehran Times report added. Iran’s Ayatollah Nouri Hamedani and Iraq’s Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani have published similar statements seen as Fatwas.
Trump’s ‘Threats’ Against Iran’s Khamenei
1. Accusation of Defeat and Denial of Iran’s Victory Claims
Donald Trump publicly challenged Khamenei’s claim that Iran had emerged victorious over Israel and the US, calling it a “lie” and bluntly stating, “You got beat to hell.” He accused Khamenei of spreading falsehoods about the war’s outcome, insisting that Iran’s military and nuclear capabilities were severely damaged by U.S. strikes.
Claims of Obliterating Iran’s Nuclear Sites
Trump repeatedly asserted that US forces had “obliterated” three key Iranian nuclear facilities (Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz) during the conflict. He insisted these strikes dealt a devastating blow to Iran’s nuclear ambitions, despite some intelligence reports suggesting only a temporary setback.
Saving Khamenei’s Life from Assassination
In a striking admission, Donald Trump revealed that he knew exactly where Khamenei was sheltering during the conflict and deliberately prevented Israeli and US forces from killing him, stating, “I saved him from a very ugly and ignominious death.” Trump lamented that Khamenei did not “thank” him for sparing his life.
Threat to Bomb Iran Again if Nuclear Activities Resume
Donald Trump warned that the US would “definitely” strike Iran again if Tehran resumed uranium enrichment or nuclear activities that posed a threat. He did not rule out future military action against Iran’s nuclear sites if necessary.
5. Halting Sanction Relief Due to Khamenei’s Statements
Trump disclosed that he was working on removing sanctions against Iran to aid its recovery but immediately dropped all efforts after Khamenei’s “statement of anger, hatred, and disgust.” He criticised Khamenei’s tone and called it “blatant and foolish,” blaming it for the collapse of potential diplomatic progress.
6. Warning Iran to Rejoin the World Order or Face Worse Consequences
Trump warned Iran that unless it “gets back into the world order flow,” conditions would worsen for the country, describing it as “a burned out, blown up country, with no future, a decimated military, a horrible economy and death all around them.” He urged the Iranian leadership to adopt a more conciliatory approach, saying, “you often get more with honey than you do with vinegar.”
7. Ordering Israel to Abort a Major Planned Strike
Trump revealed that he ordered Israeli planes to turn back from a planned “biggest attack of the war,” which he said would have caused significant Iranian casualties. He claimed to have restrained Israel from delivering a “final knockout” blow to Iran.
What is a Fatwa and how serious is it?
A Fatwa is an interpretation of Islamic law issued by a Marja. It is binding for all Muslims, meaning that even if Islamic governments are not able to act on it, individual Muslims should ensure its enforcement.
A well-known example of states failing to act on a Fatwa, prompting individual Muslims to take matters into their own hands, is the case of Salman Rushdie.
On February 14, 1989, Imam Khameini, the founder of the Islamic Republic, issued a historic Fatwa calling for the execution of Salman Rushdie, the British-Indian author of The Satanic Verses, a novel filled with blasphemy against Prophet Mohammad (PBUH).
The fatwa stated: “I inform the proud Muslim people of the world that the author of The Satanic Verses book, which is against Islam, the Prophet, and the Quran, and all those involved in its publication who were aware of its content, are sentenced to death. I call on all zealous Muslims to execute them quickly, wherever they find them.”
Rushdie was forced into hiding immediately after the fatwa was issued. He was placed under 24/7 British police protection and lived in safe houses for nearly a decade. In 1989, a bomb exploded at a London hotel where Rushdie was scheduled to speak.
Over three decades after the Fatwa was issued, when Rushdie emerged from hiding and began living more openly, the threat had not faded, contrary to his and the police’s expectations. In 2022, Rushdie was stabbed on stage in New York by an attacker allegedly acting on the Fatwa. He has since retreated back into seclusion.