Statements in Meeting with Officials of the System and Guests of the Islamic Unity Conference

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 Muhammad and his pure family and chosen companions, and those who follow them with goodness until the Day of Judgment.

I congratulate you on the great birthday of the noble Prophet of Islam (peace be upon him and his family) and the great Imam Ja'far Sadiq (peace be upon him). The greatness of this day is as great as the birth of the Prophet of Islam; we must appreciate this day and similar great days. The noble Prophet of Islam is the first and the greatest human being created by the Lord; among all the prophets, all the saints, and all the creatures of the world throughout history, the noble Prophet of Islam is superior, higher, and more magnificent.

The Prophet is the pinnacle of existence and the highest point of the realm of possibility. The Quran describes itself as "light"; in the Quran, one of the expressions used about itself is "light": Indeed, there has come to you from God a light and a clear book; the Quran is light. It has been narrated from the noble wife of the Prophet of Islam that when asked about the Prophet, she replied, "His character was the Quran"; meaning he was the Quran embodied; thus, the Prophet is also light. Light is the means of illumination and the means of human life; the Prophet is the means of illumination and life for human societies. These are things that humanity will gradually come to realize. Truly, the sacred existence of the Prophet is light, as that Arab poet says, "The guide was born, and the universe became radiant"; this is truly the case. "And the mouth of time smiled and praised"; God willing, the Islamic world will be like this; on the day of the Prophet's birth, there will be smiles on the lips of the Islamic world, and sorrow and grief will not settle; this is our wish.

I have noted two or three points that I would like to mention. One is about the Week of Unity. In the Islamic Republic, we have designated this week, from the twelfth to the seventeenth of [Rabi' al-Awwal], as the Week of Unity. This is not merely a designation; it is not just a political and tactical move; it is a heartfelt belief and faith. The Islamic Republic is genuinely committed to the necessity of the unity of the Islamic Ummah. This [effort] has a history; it is not specific to our time and the era of the Islamic Republic. A great authority like the late Ayatollah Borujerdi, who was the reference for the entire Shia world during our youth, was a serious advocate of Islamic unity, a serious supporter of the approximation of Islamic sects; he interacted and engaged in dialogue with the great scholars of the Islamic world and the Sunnis; this is a belief, a deep and heartfelt conviction. Some people imagine or pretend that this is a political tactic; no, it is not like that; this is a heartfelt faith; we believe in this and believe that the Almighty God has asked this of us.

Of course, unity has levels; the unity of the Islamic world has levels; the lowest level is that Islamic societies, Islamic countries, Islamic governments, Islamic ethnicities, and Islamic sects do not attack each other, do not oppose each other, do not harm one another; this is the first step. Of course, higher than this is that the Islamic world, in addition to not harming each other, should unite against the common enemy, have real and sufficient unity, and defend one another. This is also a step higher; even higher than this is that Islamic countries and nations should synergize. Islamic countries are not at the same level in terms of science, wealth, security, and political power; they can help each other, synergize, and those who are higher in any field should extend a hand to those who are lower; this is also a stage of unity. The higher stage is that all of the Islamic world should unite towards achieving a new Islamic civilization. This is what the Islamic Republic has set as its ultimate goal: to reach an Islamic civilization, but a civilization appropriate for this time, a new Islamic civilization. These are the levels of unity.

Now, observe what the lowest of these levels was? It was that Islamic countries do not attack each other and stand together against the common enemy; if we had adhered to this today, there would not be so many calamities in the Islamic world. If, in the case of Palestine, which is the greatest calamity of the Islamic world - because a nation has been expelled from its home, from its homeland, and others have been brought in and settled there, and the homeowners are under this pressure; you see the situation in Gaza and the crimes of the Zionists, this is the situation on the other side of Palestine and the West Bank - if the Islamic world had committed to the lowest levels of unity, these events would not have occurred, and the enemy would not have dared to act. You see what events have occurred in the Islamic world, bloody wars; the situation in Yemen, various issues in the western region, North Africa; all of these are due to the fact that we did not pay attention to the minimum level of unity that Islam has asked of us; this is a very heavy responsibility. We mention this for the enlightened and prominent thinkers. Thanks be to God, the Islamic world is endowed with prominent individuals, thinkers, who should seriously pursue this. The youth, the Muslim nations are interested, but there are divisive hands that must be stood against. Today, from North Africa to East Asia to Myanmar, Muslims are under pressure; in the East and West of the Islamic world, Muslims are under pressure.

Regarding Palestine, I would like to mention this point; our position on the issue of Palestine is a principled position; a definite and principled position. From before the victory of the revolution, from the early days of the movement, our great Imam emphasized the danger of the influence of Zionism and the intervention and oppression of Zionism; from the very beginning of the revolution, we have been in this position. The first action that the Islamic Republic took was to take the Zionist center in Tehran, which belonged to the previous regime, from them, expel them, and give it to the Palestinians; this was a real act and also a symbolic act, and until today we remain in our position. We have supported Palestine, helped the Palestinians, and will continue to help; we have no reservations or hesitations in this matter. All of the Islamic world must help Palestine.

Repeatedly in the statements of Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified) and the statements of the officials of the Islamic Republic, the annihilation of the Israeli government has been mentioned; the enemies misinterpret this; the annihilation of the Israeli government does not mean the annihilation of the Jewish people - we have nothing to do with them - [it means] the annihilation of that regime, the annihilation of that imposed regime. "Annihilation of Israel" means that the Palestinian people, who are the true owners of that land - whether they are Muslims, Christians, or Jews - should choose their own true government; they should remove the foreigners and scoundrels like Netanyahu and others who are truly scoundrels, and manage their country themselves; the annihilation of Israel means this, and this will happen. Some find it improbable that how, for example, after seventy years [Palestine will become independent]; countries in the Balkans and some other countries also became independent after sixty or seventy years of being under the control of others, returned to their nations; it is not improbable at all. And this is not difficult for God; this will happen. We are supporters of the Palestinian people, we are supporters of the independence of Palestine, we are supporters of the liberation of Palestine, we are not anti-Semitic; in our country, there are some Jews who live with complete security. So this is another point.

The next point is that we, who seek unity and care for unity, must know that this thought, this desire and goal, also has fierce enemies; at the head of these enemies, currently in this era, are the regime of the United States of America and the fake Zionist regime; these are the enemies of Islamic unity. America is not only the enemy of the Islamic Republic; some think that the conflict is only between the Islamic Republic and America; yes, the Islamic Republic, because it is active, faces more enmity, but they are enemies of the Islamic world and Islamic countries; they are enemies of Palestine, of the nations of West Asia, of the nations of North Africa, of the entire Muslim community; the reason lies in the essence of Islam; because Islam negates oppression, negates domination, negates global arrogance. The system of domination - which is currently headed by America; once it was headed by England or others, today it is headed by America - opposes the logic of Islam, the identity of Islam, the meaning of Islam. Of course, they oppose the Islamic Republic more; they are also opposed to Saudi Arabia; some think that Americans are enemies of the Islamic Republic and friends of the Saudis; no, they are also enemies of them; when America explicitly says that the Saudis have nothing but money, is that not enmity? What does this statement mean? It means that they have money, and we should go and seize their money! Is there any greater enmity than this? Well, they should understand! Their allies should understand the enmity; they should understand what the duty of an honorable person is in the face of this enmity and what Islamic honor, Islamic zeal, and Arab zeal require in the face of such an insult; they should understand their duty; they do not understand. [They are] enemies of all.

America's presence in our region has brought nothing but evil and corruption; they stepped into this region and brought with them evil and corruption. Wherever they step, there is either insecurity or civil war or things like the creation of ISIS; we want the true face of America to be seen, so that the Muslim nations understand what the true face of America is and who it is, and what lies behind these appearances of support for democracy and human rights and the lies and hypocrisy they speak; the people must understand this.

In our view, America's main weapon in this region, which we in the Islamic Republic are vigilant about, is influence - influence in sensitive and decision-making centers - creating division, creating instability in the national resolve of nations, creating distrust among nations, between nations and governments, manipulating the calculations of decision-makers, and making them believe that the solution to problems is to go under the banner of America and submit to America and accept what America says and act on it; this is the solution to problems; they want to implant this in the mentality of decision-makers of Islamic nations and countries; their weapons are these, which are more dangerous than hard and military weapons. Truly, what one observes in their actions is the same hypocrisy that the Holy Quran has described: How [can there be a covenant] for them, when if they gain the upper hand over you, they do not regard any kinship or covenant with you; they please you with their mouths, but their hearts refuse; this is how they are; the Almighty God has described them.

The next point is that the remedy for this enmity is nothing more than "So stand firm as you are commanded"; steadfastness [is the answer]. The Almighty God told His Prophet in the face of these problems: So stand firm as you are commanded, and whoever repents with you; steadfastness, standing firm. Of course, steadfastness has its difficulties; it is not easy; but surrendering has even greater difficulties; the difference is that in the path of steadfastness and resistance, every hardship you endure will be rewarded by the Almighty God: That is because they do not suffer from thirst or fatigue or hunger in the way of God, and they do not tread on any ground that angers the disbelievers, and they do not gain any advantage over the enemy, except that it is written for them as a good deed! Every hardship you endure is a good deed; while if you surrender to the enemy, your hardships have no reward before the Almighty God, but rather submitting to oppression has punishment. The Quran instructs this way: do not oppress, nor submit to oppression.

The last point is about good deeds: it is written for them as a good deed! I say that today in the current world, every movement, every action, every word that is in the direction of the political independence of countries and nations, in the direction of the cultural independence of countries and nations, in the direction of the independence and economic growth of countries and nations, in the direction of unity, in the direction of the power of the Islamic Ummah, in the direction of promoting science in the Islamic world, in the direction of empowering the youth of the Islamic world, every movement in this direction is a good deed, a virtuous act. If you are working in the field of science, in the field of research, in the field of nuclear energy, it is a good deed. Nuclear energy is a need of nations; tomorrow, all nations will need peaceful nuclear energy; the Western monopolists want to keep this to themselves and give it to nations drop by drop in exchange for the dignity of nations, in exchange for the independence of nations. The reason they oppose the nuclear movement of the Islamic Republic is because of this; otherwise, they themselves know that we are fundamentally, religiously, and ideologically opposed to nuclear weapons. They want this knowledge, this industry, this capability, to not exist; the same goes for us and others; they say buy from us, do not enrich yourself. Any movement towards acquiring this power is a good deed; any significant economic activity is a good deed; any movement to help people, help the oppressed, help the poor is a good deed; any movement to promote truths and counter falsehoods is a good deed.

You intellectuals of the Islamic world and religious scholars of the Islamic world, who, thanks be to God, some of you are here - guests of the Week of Unity - and many from the Islamic world are present here, there are intellectuals among you, there are religious scholars among you, see today what a vast arena is before you for good deeds! How much good you can do! Write, pen down, defend the truth, shield yourselves and do not fear the enemy: Those who convey the messages of God and fear Him and do not fear anyone except God, and sufficient is God as a reckoner. The reckoning is with God; God will reckon, and He will reward you. I tell you that the Islamic world, by God's grace, one day, and that day is not far away, will witness the realization of all these aspirations by God's power and might.

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