The
following is the full text of the speech delivered on January 9, 2015
by Ayatollah Khamenei, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, in a
meeting with government officials and foreign participants of the 28th
Conference on Islamic Unity. The meeting was held on the occasion of the
birthday anniversaries of the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) and Imam Sadiq
(a.s.).
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
I would like to congratulate all the honorable participants on the occasion of the auspicious birthday anniversaries of the Holy Prophet of Islam and Imam Sadiq (peace and greetings be upon them). The officials of the country, the dear guests of Unity Week and the honorable ambassadors of Islamic countries are present in this meeting. I would like to congratulate all of you on this blessed and great Eid.
I would like to extend my congratulations to the people of Iran, Islamic nations, the entire Islamic Ummah and all liberated people throughout the world - those for whom the issue of freedom and human values is very important. Today is the birthday anniversary of the prophet of knowledge, wisdom, morality, mercy and unity. He was the prophet of all great human virtues. Anyone who is attached to these human virtues loves the Prophet of Islam (s.w.a.).
You and I - the Muslims who claim and feel proud to follow this great personality and who are prepared to show resistance, lay down our lives and spend money on his path - need to follow his teachings and make efforts on this path. The message of Islam includes this obedience and learning - that is to say, the knowledge, wisdom, acumen, mercy, unity, morality and other human characteristics that the Holy Prophet's (s.w.a.) message promoted and that Hazrat Abi Abdullah Ja'far ibn Muhammad al-Sadiq (peace and greetings be upon him) made the most efforts to promote and establish. Today, this is the responsibility of all Muslims. Of course, the masses of the people follow the officials of countries. It is governments, outstanding personalities, intellectuals, ulama, politicians and other such personalities who have the main responsibility in this vast arena.
Today, when I take a look at the issues of our own society and the issues of the world of Islam, I see that although all these great matters - including knowledge, wisdom and morality - are important for the world of Islam, the thing that is of primary importance is unity. We Muslims have drifted away from one another to a great extent. Unfortunately, certain policies have been successful in separating Muslims and the hearts of Muslim groups from one another. Today, we need unity.
In this vast region - which forms a great portion of the population of the whole world - if Muslim nations join hands in general orientations, not in details, then the world of Islam will achieve progress and transcendence. If they are seen together, this will exert great influence. If heads and outstanding personalities of Islamic countries speak against one another, this emboldens the enemy and gives him hope. Today, this is the way things are. If we stay together even in our statements, this brings about greatness for the world of Islam and for the personality of the Islamic Ummah. Whenever we witnessed instances of this unity and gathering - even if it is a mere gathering of bodies - its reflection in the world brought about dignity for Islam, for Muslims and for the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.).
When we read Eid ul-Fitr prayers together, we say, "You Who have turned this day into an Eid for Muslims. You Who have turned this day into a source of dignity, greatness and abundance for Muhammad (God's greetings be upon him and his household)" [al-Iqbal, page 289]. Even the mere gathering of bodies during prayers is a source of dignity for the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.). It is a source of pride and respect for the Islamic Ummah. The same is true of the gathering of Hajj.
This year, you witnessed that during Husseini Arbaeen, millions of people gathered. People all over the world bowed down in respect to this great movement which was launched by a group of Muslims - of course, it was not particular to Shias and Sunnis too participated in this rally - and which sent waves throughout the world. They considered it to be the greatest rally in the world. Who had such an opinion? Those who follow Islamic issues.
I deem it necessary to thank the government, people and different tribes of Iraq who made sacrifices, rendered services and showed greatness of character in this very important test. This year's Arbaeen of Karbala was an astonishing event. The enemies of Islam and Ahlul Bayt vainly thought that they had blocked the path of Muslims. Notice what a great movement was launched. When even bodies stay together, it has such a reflection. If we stay together, if Islamic governments and Muslim nations - whether Shia or Sunni or different denominations of Shia and Sunni - are honest with one another, if they are not suspicious of one another, if they do not insult and have malevolent intentions against one another, notice what will happen in the world and what great dignity will be brought about for Islam. Unity, unity!
Today, some elements both among Sunnis and Shias are working at separating Muslims from one another. If you trace these elements, you will see that all of them are connected to espionage and intelligence services of the enemies of Islam - not the enemies of Iran and Shia Muslims, rather the enemies of Islam. The kind of Shia which works with the MI6 of England and the kind of Sunni which is a mercenary of the CIA of America are neither Shia nor Sunni. Both of them are against Islam. It is 35 years now that we in the Islamic Republic are letting out this cry. We do not only speak, rather we act. The Islamic Republic's assistance to its Muslim brothers has mostly been given to Sunnis. We have stood beside the Palestinians. We have stood beside the religious people of regional countries because we know that today, the issue of unity is at the top of Islamic issues.
I advise and I insist that well-known ulama, outstanding personalities and politicians of the world of Islam do not speak so much about discord and disunity. Some people in the world are spending money in order to promote Islamophobia and damage the reputation of Islam. And we ourselves are trying to damage one another's reputation and frighten people of one another. This is against wisdom and politics.
I have heard that some regional governments have based their foreign policy on confronting Iran. Why should they do this? This is against reason. This is against wisdom. This is an idiotic course of action. Why should someone make such a great mistake? On the contrary, we have based our foreign policy on camaraderie, brotherhood and friendly relationship with all Muslim and regional countries, whether those which are our neighbors and those which are not. This is our policy. We have acted in the same way until now and we will act in the same way in the future.
Thankfully today, the people of Iran have gained such a deep awareness that they know the future interest of their country depends on Islamic unity with other Muslim nations and countries. Of course, some people are trying very hard to create obstacles in the way of this unity, to arouse suspicions and to temp the people, but our people have thankfully understood this today. The cry of our magnanimous Imam (r.a.) - both before the victory of the Revolution and after the formation of the Islamic government - about the issue of unity paid off and our people became aware.
This is the responsibility of everyone. Today, all Muslims throughout the world should think about the Islamic Ummah and Islamic unity. If we think of the Islamic Ummah, the interests of our countries will be safeguarded as well. The interest of the enemy lies in separating us from one another. His interest lies in attacking one country and raising an army with the help of another country. His interest lies in this. We should not allow him to do this. Who is the enemy? The enemy is American capitalism and global arrogance which is headed today by America and the Zionists. The Zionist government in occupied Palestine is part of the dangerous group and the deadly cancer which the Zionists have created in the world. We should stand up against them. We should refer to Islam and Quranic texts in order to stand up against them.
Sometimes, one takes a look at some writings and sees that some people write certain things which are not based on Quranic ayahs. The Holy Quran says, "Say you: ‘We believe in Allah, and the revelation given to us, and to Ibrahim, Isma'il, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and that given to Moses and Jesus, and that given to all prophets from their Lord'" [The Holy Quran, 2: 136]. After the Holy Quran speaks about the conditions that Muslims should believe in, it says, "So if they believe as you believe, they are indeed on the right path" [The Holy Quran, 2: 137].
Islam does not believe in pluralism. Those who promote the idea that Islam believes in pluralism because it has praised Hazrat Moses and Hazrat Jesus should refer to the Holy Quran and Islamic texts. They put forward this idea without enough information and out of ignorance. This is Islam: "So if they believe as you believe, they are indeed on the right path. But if they turn back, it is they who are in schism, but Allah will suffice you as against them" [The Holy Quran, 2: 137]. This is the meaning of the Holy Quran. It says about the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.), "Ardently anxious is he over you. To the believers is he most kind and merciful" [The Holy Quran, 9: 128]. He is kind to believers and "those who are with him are strong against unbelievers, but compassionate amongst each other" [The Holy Quran, 48: 29].
You should be strong against those who show enmity to you and who are your enemies. You should be firm against them. You should not be like a soft earthwork which the enemy can infiltrate easily. You should stand firm against the enemy, but you should be compassionate among yourselves. You should be honest with and kind to one another. Names should not be able to separate you. Geographical borders should not arouse hostility among you and they should not be able to pit nations against one another. This is one of the lessons of the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.). Today - which is the birthday anniversary of the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) - we should learn his lessons. Mere praise of that great personality is not the only thing that is expected of us today. We should learn his lessons. We should achieve what the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) was sent for. As I said, the primary thing in today's world of Islam is unity. I hope that Allah the Exalted helps us to succeed in doing what we say.
Dear God, make the world of Islam and the Islamic Ummah stronger and more successful on a daily basis.
Greetings be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings