Horizons of Thought

Hakimeh Biria / Ph.D. in American Studies, University of Tehran
Received: 2020/01/14 - Accepted: 2020/05/01

Abstract
The present article is an attempt to analyze the significance and implications of the two letters of Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei in correspondence with the young people in Western countries in light of his theory of the confrontation between the forces of jahiliyyah and the forces of prophetic guidance and his theory of power, both of which have Qur’anic roots. The leader’s call on Western youth to base their understanding of Islam on the Qur’an and the personality of the Prophet of Islam directly addresses the Western powers’ tactics for manipulating both non-Muslim’s and Muslim’s interpretation of Islam, namely instigating wide scale Islamophobia and promoting secular/liberal Islam. Given Western activists’ outcry against the perils of such an approach to Islam, the wisdom of the leader’s appeal to the young people in the west becomes more evident. These letters mark the beginning of an awakening jihad in which Muslim thinkers and activists need to play a central role.
Keywords: Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei, letter, Western youth, Islam, Islamophobia.