Statements in Meeting with Officials of the System and Ambassadors of Islamic Countries

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Thanks be to God, the Lord of the worlds, and peace and blessings be upon our master and prophet, Abu al-Qasim al-Mustafa Muhammad, and upon his pure, virtuous, and infallible family, especially the Awaited One among the people of the earth.

I congratulate all of you dear brothers and sisters, esteemed attendees, and the honorable ambassadors of Islamic countries present at this meeting on the occasion of the blessed Eid al-Fitr. I also extend my congratulations to the great nation of Iran, which truly deserves to be honored and respected, and to whom this Eid should be congratulated. Our nation has passed through a beautiful and meaningful month of Ramadan, and God willing, today, which is the day of Eid, they will receive divine rewards, divine mercy, and divine grace.

We insist that the title and concept of "the Muslim Ummah" should be alive and prominent in the minds of all Muslims, especially among Muslim officials; because the enemies of Islam and Muslims have sought to erase the title of the Muslim Ummah from our memories and make us forget that we are a vast population of one and a half billion or nearly two billion in dozens of Islamic countries, considered as one unit. Unfortunately, the enemies have succeeded. Today, if you look at our region, you see that the alignments are not between Islam and disbelief, between believers and aggressors, but rather among Muslims themselves. An Islamic country with Muslim people, yet with rulers who are truly negligent, is found siding with the usurping Zionist regime instead of opposing it, working for its benefit, speaking in its favor, and giving slogans in its favor, while fighting against another Islamic country. This is the unfortunate success of the enemies, who have created alignments and conflicts among Islamic countries and among brothers. This must be addressed by the Islamic world.

Today, you observe a usurping enemy actively committing crimes in the heart of Islamic countries, in the center of Islamic countries, namely Palestine, which necessitates that all Muslims be sensitive to this issue, align against this enemy, and prevent it from its crimes. However, instead of this, some in the Islamic world collaborate with it, while they engage in fighting and creating conflicts among their fellow Muslims; this is the crux of the problem.

Eid al-Fitr is the Eid of the Islamic Ummah; and we must think about the unity of the Islamic Ummah. We advise those countries and governments that forget what the Quran has asked of them, that forget these verses that have been recited: "And those who are with him are stern against the disbelievers, and merciful among themselves." Are they "stern against the believers and merciful with the disbelievers"? This is the opposite; are they Muslims? Wherever the policies of England, and today America, have entered Islamic countries, they have caused these instigations; they create divisions among Islamic countries, sow hatred and discord, both within a country. Look at what is happening in Libya! Why should two groups in a Muslim country spill each other's blood while both belong to the same country, the same land, the same water, and their interests are intertwined? Who is inciting them? Why should a country like Yemen have its mosques bombed, its markets bombed, its hospitals bombed, its schools bombed, and its infrastructure bombed? Why? By whom are they being bombed? By someone who claims to be Islamic, a country that is also an Islamic country, whose people are Muslims. They work according to the false pretexts of the enemies of Islam within the Islamic world; this is where our problem lies.

Today, the issue of Palestine is among the first issues, indeed the foremost issue of the Islamic world, and yet in Bahrain, they hold a conference at the behest of America against the issue of Palestine, aimed at destroying the issue of Palestine! The rulers of Bahrain should know that they are digging their own graves; they should not be deceived by the Saudis. They themselves and the Saudis are also digging their own graves, which will ultimately be to their detriment: "They will spend it, then it will become a regret for them." They spend money, they exert effort, but it will turn against them contrary to their desires; this is what the Quran definitively states. And this will also turn against them, but unfortunately, they do not understand. If they return, the path of return is open; if they repent, the path of repentance is open: "Except for those who repent and rectify." If they correct the corruptions they have created. Today, the Islamic world needs this. The problems of the Islamic world will be solved through the cooperation of Muslims, through the solidarity of Muslims; efforts must be made for this, and the intellectuals of the Islamic world are obliged, the scholars of the Islamic world are obliged.

In the Islamic Republic, we have accepted the costs of defending Palestine. We said we will defend Palestine; the global arrogance stood against us and struck us, but we persevered, we stood firm, and we will continue to stand firm, and we are certain that the ultimate victory belongs to the Palestinian nation.

We are not like some old Arab leaders who said they would throw the Jews into the sea; we are not of the disposition to throw Jews into the sea. We say that the comprehensive struggles of the Palestinian nation - political struggles, military struggles, moral and cultural struggles - must continue until those who are the usurpers of Palestine submit to the will of the Palestinian nation. All Palestinians, whether Muslim, Christian, or Jewish, and those who have been exiled from Palestine, should be consulted, and they should determine what system should prevail in Palestine, and all should submit to it; the struggle must continue until this time and will continue, and by God's grace and divine assistance, the Palestinian nation will prevail in this peaceful, human struggle that is accepted by all rational norms of the world, and the land of Palestine will return to the Palestinian people; and with God's grace, you youth, God willing, will witness that day.

O Lord! Join the pure soul of Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified), who acquainted us with this path and this goal, with his friends; and join the martyrs of the path of the dignity of Islam with the Prophet.

Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings.