Assad: Essence of Thought Is Religion As It Enters All Aspects of Life

By Staff, SANA

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said on Monday that the essence of thought is religion as it enters all aspects of life, in mentality, behavior and passion, in the past, present and also in the future, so it is enough to ruin this thought in order to ruin societies.

“This has been taking place since nearly a century or more, and overall, after a hundred of years, enemies of those societies have achieved large successes in this domain… and the religion which has been descended to be as a tool for the development of societies, instead, has been used to be as a tool to ruin those societies…” al-Assad said during an expanded meeting held by the Ministry of Endowments for scholars at al-Othman Mosque in Damascus.

He added that what defines the capability of societies to face the destructive storms are the factors of stability and fortifying them from mental infiltration.

Assad further underlined that the measurement of the society’s adherence to religion will be through measuring the morals of society and the behavior of its citizens.

He went on to say that let us start with our responsibility, normally, when those offenses happen, to offend our beliefs and symbols, the first natural response to any assault or offense is a decisive condemnation and decisive stance.

Assad affirmed that “We are in a state of war… this war might be economic, or it could be military, and it would be in thought which goes towards beliefs, but if we want to confront, we have to be like a solider in his post, the soldier must take the right position, direction and method in order to win the war.”

“Anger would achieve nothing, we have to confront, how and where to start the confrontation… the confrontation starts by knowing the real enemy and its whereabouts… the fact is that the first enemy doesn’t come from outside which means that whatever they have offended or plotted, they can’t,” Assad said.

He added that the danger always comes from within, the danger comes from extremism, backwardness and the inability to the have correct and right mentality.

“As for terrorism, I didn’t talk about it and didn’t say that terrorism constitutes danger because terrorism is a mere result, not a reason,” he noted.

“Terrorism is not an Islamic product, the Western society has stirred terrorism in the region, and the most important point is that part of terrorism, which strikes there in Europe, has no relation to the terrorism existed in our region, they have brought in the Wahabbi mentality in turn for the petro-dollar, in turn for money and they are paying the price now.”

“So, confrontation starts from knowing the danger and it also starts from knowing the points of weakness… defining the identity of the real enemy… this is the problem,” Assad underscored.