Ayatollah Hadavi Tehrani speaking to Mehr reporter here in Qom said that soft war is one of the modern day phenomena. He added that the third world war had already started with the soft war. Meanwhile, he warned of the existence of a third column and strongly stressed on the necessity of making use of all religious and cultural capacities to confront it. “Given the fact that the modern world has somehow grown smaller, a war-like atmosphere that did not exist in the past has now come into being. What is known today as ‘soft war’ is quite different from other types of wars. In this type of war, different communicational gears and also the media are the main players on the two sides of the confrontation. Sometimes, the soft war is drawn to the diplomatic arena as well.”
Ayatollah Hadavi Tehrani pointed to different levels of a soft war and said that in the overt level of the soft war the two sides of the confrontation propagate against each other openly. Usually their propagations have repercussions and receive media coverage but similar behaviors sometimes take place in a diplomatic atmosphere as well.
Hadavi warned of the hidden layers of the soft war as we get used to seeing the visible layers. “In many cases, the visible layers obstruct us from focusing our attention on the hidden layers whereas the hidden layers are far more destructive and dangerous than the visible layers. When it comes to the visible layers of a soft war, the two hostile sides take an open stance towards each other. The ranks of the enemies are clear from those of the friends but this is not the case with hidden layers of the software in which it is difficult for ordinary and less informed people to distinguish the enemy ranks from those of the friends.”
The president of the Porch of Wisdom added, “In a hidden war the two sides put forth such concepts that actually challenge the intellectual and practical values and infra-structures of each other. Some of these hidden layers become manifest in the media or in scientific and cultural gatherings or in the form a film, play and art works. Sometimes, the hidden layers emerge in more academic environments in the form of articles and scientific websites. Apparently, people involved in the two sides do not launch an offensive on each other but they do target the other side’s intellectual and practical values by presenting a kind of feedback and information.”
Manipulation of Islamic Reference sources an example of hidden layer of soft war
He added, “An example of hidden soft war can be seen today in regards to the Islamic reference sources in the academic studies level. An atmosphere has been created which prompts the researcher to refer to certain sources when he wants to conduct a research about Islam, Shi’ism and/or the Islamic revolution. These sources give specific information to the researcher based on the objectives the enemy pursues. For example, in one of the European countries, the books on the Islamic revolution of Iran have been put in the section concerning terrorism. This by itself sends out a message to readers that the revolution is the source of terror or it has some link with terrorism. Apparently, the information presented in the library seems impartial, scientific and fair but in reality there is an evil motive behind it because it steers the reader’s mind and the mind of an impartial individual in a way such that when he draws out the final conclusion, the conclusion is not correct.”
Ayatollah Hadavi said that Wikipedia is one of the encyclopedic websites that aims to present the concepts on the basis of certain thematic categories in the hidden soft war. “This powerful website is an open encyclopedia which enables all users to upload their articles or edit those that have been uploaded. It has been able to collect a lot of information through its users owing to its being open and available to all.”
The president of the Porch of Wisdom Institute further added, “This is a website which apparently adheres to all scientific and academic standards but in reality the articles uploaded on it are filtered in a very special way. The filtering policy is exercised in a more strict way when it comes to political and ideological maters. The information which is uploaded on this website is adjusted and modified through an intelligent system or mechanism. Finally, things which are not compliant with their policy or thought are changed into something which is compliant.”
“When you search Google to find an article, you see Wikipedia listing on top. That is to steer the researcher in the direction that best serves their interest. They have launched an extensive war through information and management of information without there being an apparent conflict or propaganda on their part against Islam and Iran,” he added.
“Islampedia” launched to take Islamic sources out of malicious management
Ayatollah Hadavi Tehrani the announced that Islampedia website would be launched soon. Elaborating on the purpose behind launching the website, he said, “In order for us to be able to take the Islamic information and its management out of the hand of the managers of Wikipedia which is a website affiliated to Zionism, and put matters in the hand of Muslim experts, we are going to introduce “Islampedia.ir” in Farsi language to the internet users. Hopefully, within six months from now, all the Islamic institutions, Islamic centers and scientific figures of Islam will upload their scientific materials on this website in their own name and with their own management. Thus management of Islamic information will be taken out of the polluted hands and put in the hands of noble Muslim experts.”
The president of the Porch of Wisdom Institute speaking about the causes of soft war, said, “Because of the destructive consequences of hard wars especially the world war I and the world war II, the hard wars have now changed into soft wars in which scientific capability is considered to be an integral part of the war. The hard war which is the actual shooting war and which in the past used to be the simplest and the first solution is now-a-days considered to be the last solution. Today, we have equipments and gears which did not exist in the past thanks to the internet and communicational facilities such as television, radio and internet. If arms and weaponries were considered crucial and vital in the previous wars, today it is the scientific power which is crucial.”
He considered all people in society as soft war targets. “Different levels of a soft war affect different strata of people. The soft war invades the intellectual and scientific infra-structures with no general or power levels being immune to the impacts of the soft war.”
Today’s age is the age of hiding information
Ayatollah Hadavi Tehrani underscored the importance of public attention to information and the process of generating and processing of information. “There are loads and loads of information on the internet making it difficult for you to get access to precise information. If at times it was claimed that it was the age of information, today it is the age of hiding information.”
“We see true information hidden in a load of untrue information. That is why in today’s world we can portray a country like Iran as something different from what it is. After 30 years of its Islamic revolution, Iran is assumed by many people across the world in a way such that it is not in conformity with the 10 percent reality of the country,” he stressed.
He added, “This capability in the soft war created an atmosphere which prevents others from getting near us and benefitting from revolutionary thoughts or perhaps being influenced by those thoughts. This kind of treatment is more or less like the conduct of the unbelievers towards the Prophet (S) who tried the best to prevent others from approaching the Prophet (S). Today, the situation is more complex. They are not doing anything directly and openly; rather they raise so many voices that the voice of justice and truth is not heard.”
Pointing to the enemy’s making use of media and arts, he said, “On the one hand art is the main tool of the media, on the other media is a means for acculturation. All the capacities of mankind over the history in the field of arts or culture, have shown themselves through the media. Today, the media are considered to be a very strong tool that helps serve political and economic ends.”
The president of the Porch of Wisdom Institute said that media are a tool having two edges. “The supporters and proponents of Islam and truth can use the same tool to encounter the soft war. If one day the enemy news-boycotted the 6 day war and avoided to give coverage of it, today with the presence of some free media, the West cannot hide the developments in Bahrain.”
Ayatollah Hadavi said that the world war III has already taken place. “The world war III is the very soft war or media or software war which is underway in the global level. Like the past, it is a war between truth and falsehood. There are different artistic, cultural and scientific tools for presenting their views and opinions. Of course, the falsehood had been apparently stronger and enjoyed more power, but the truth had come out victorious at the end of the battle.”
Warning on fifth column complex activity
Ayatollah Hadavi warned of the fifth column[1] activity in the soft war. “As there is a fifth column in a hard or shooting war and there are people in the ranks of friends preparing the ground for enemy activity by providing them information, there can also a fifth column in a soft war, albeit in a more complex way. One of the projects of a soft war against Islam and Shi’ism carried out through the fifth column is to present a superstitious and irrational image of Islam. The independent activity of these superstitious currents is in fact considered to the fifth column of the enemy in soft war.”
The president of the Porch of Wisdom further said, “The manifestations of the fifth column are too many to be counted. In the same way that a soft war has different complex forms, the activity of the fifth column also acquires very different and complex shapes. Perhaps, at times the examples of some academic activities can be given which put some of the basic concepts of Islam to question. This shows the type of the fifth column activity.
Speaking about the method of confronting the soft war, Ayatollah Hadavi Tehrani said, “As the enemies present their thoughts and ideas in different formats and methods creating some values and destroying others, we should also make use of every means especially the media to confront them. We must use all media, educational and cultural levels in this regard. We must generate sciences with reliance on religious sources, and encounter our enemies by using our religious and cultural repositories. Unfortunately, we are faced with setbacks due to increasing relentless assault owing to the soft war.
Ayatollah Hadavi concluded his points by underlining the necessity of using all cultural and artistic capacities to confront the soft war. We must use religious and cultural assets to confront the soft war. We must not be negligent of various applications of the tools. In fact, different tools have different functions. Today, television has an impact which perhaps a newspaper may not have it, or vice-versa. [2]
Office of Ayatollah Mahdi Hadavi Tehrani
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Related link:
Parsina analytical news website
Hawzah.net
Alborz News Website
[1] - A term used for treachery and treason, among Alaska Natives during the era of Russian conquest and settlement of Alaska. Historical records show that Native informers played an important role in the development and maintenance of Russian authority in its American colony.
[2] - Complete discourse of Ayatollah Hadavi Tehrani with Mehr News Agency