Simultaneously with Fetr Feast, Dr. Muhammad al-Sayyed Tantawi, Al-Azhar Grand Sheikh, the highest religious Scholar of Sunnis, regarding the PMOI members of Ashraf announced: The Protected Persons should not be aggressed by any means.

According to the Iraqi News Agency, Iraq, September 30, 2008 , the Grand Sheikh of Al-Azhar University, Dr. Muhammad al-Sayyed Tantawi, received the director of Iraqi News Agency (INA), Sarmad Abdul Karim, in his official office in the Al-Azhar University, in Cairo on Sunday 28 September 2008.

Abdul Karim explained to His Eminence about the situation inside Iraq, in general, and the City of Ashraf, the home to the PMOI who are protected persons under the Fourth Geneva Convention, in particular, and added that the Ashraf residents are targeted by the Iranian regime and its agents in Iraq.

INA director stated some news regarding handover of protection of Ashraf City by the American forces to the state forces and its consequences that would threaten the lives of 3500 Muslim women and men who are in fact the guests of Iraqis and Iraq.

His Eminence said in this regard:
“…The respect for protected persons should be observed everywhere and they should not be aggressed by any means; because the respect for protected persons as human beings is a gift bestowed by holy religions, humanitarian morals and enacted laws.
My advice to any person, in general, and to any Muslim, in particular, is to respect the rights of protected persons and no aggression or attack should be carried out against them, and I greet the Eid ul-Fitr to every body.”

The INA director asked: “Do your remarks cover our Iranian and Muslim brothers, the PMOI, who are in a Muslim country? And is aggression against them unlawful?”
His Eminence answered: “I spoke in general, and I was particularly referring to my brothers in Ashraf.”