First Sermon
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, Whom we praise, from Whom we seek help, to Whom we repent, and Whom we rely on, and peace and greetings be upon His beloved and noble one, the best among His servants, the protector of His secret, the promoter of His message, the harbinger of His mercy, the warner of His chastisement, our Master and Prophet, Ab-al-Qassem al-Mustafa Muhammad, upon his immaculate, pure and chosen household especially the one remaining with Allah on earth, and greetings be upon the leaders of Muslims, those who guide the oppressed and those who support the faithful.
I would like to invite all you dear brothers and sisters - who have participated in these glorious Friday prayers – and myself to observe piety. On the basis of a Quranic ayah, the purpose of fasting in the month of Ramadan is to observe piety and to increase this spiritual provision in our hearts and souls.
This month is the month of a divine feast. God’s catering His servants in this month – which is a spiritual catering – means opening the gates of mercy and forgiveness and increasing the rewards for the good deeds that His servants do in this month. The days of the month of Ramadan are among the meals of this great divine feast. They are a source of refinement for one’s soul and they prepare the ground for fasters’ sincere purity. In a sermon, Imam Sajjad (God’s greetings be upon him) said: “It is the month of cleansing oneself and liberation from sins” [Sahifa al-Sajjadiyyah, Dua 44].
Ramadan is the month of the purity of one’s heart and it is the month of forgiveness. This is because in this month, Allah the Exalted shows more kindness to forgiveness compared to other months of the year. It has been said in a narration that “If you are not forgiven in Ramadan, then when will you be forgiven?” [Bihar al-Anwar, Vol. 8, page 183]. If someone fails to achieve divine forgiveness and mercy in the month of Ramadan – during which the gates of divine mercy and forgiveness are open to humans – when will they have the blessing to do so?
Another meal which is served in this divine banquet and feast is the Night of Qadr. Today and in the first sermon, I would like to speak a little about our responsibilities towards the Night of Qadr. God says, “The Night of Qadr is better than a thousand months” [The Holy Quran, 97: 3]. A night that has been known as the Night of Qadr – there is some doubt about which night in the month of Ramadan is the Night of Qadr – is better and loftier than a thousand months. The believing servants of God should make the most of the hours of the Nights of Qadr. The best act at this night is praying. I will discuss with you brothers and sisters certain points about praying as well.
The purpose of keeping a vigil is to pray, to supplicate and to engage in dhikr. Daily prayers too – which are one of the mustahab acts during the Nights of Qadr – are in fact the manifestation of dua and dhikr. It has been said in a narration that “Praying is the brains of worshipping” [Bihar al-Anwar, Vol. 90, page 300]. The brains of worshipping – or as is common among us, the soul of worshipping – is praying. What does praying mean? It means speaking to Allah the Exalted. In fact, it means feeling God close to ourselves and opening up our hearts to Him. Prayers either include a request, a word of praise or an expression of one’s kindness and respect. All these things form prayers. Praying is one of the most important acts that a believing servant of God and a person who wishes to achieve salvation and bliss performs. Praying has such a role in purifying our souls.
What are the achievements of praying? When we speak to God, we feel Him close to us, we consider Him to be our addressee and we talk to Him. These achievements are among the advantages and products of praying. Keeping God alive in our heart will wipe out ignorance which is the mother of all deviations, digressions and corruptions for humans. So, praying wipes out ignorance from our hearts, it helps us to remember God and to keep His remembrance alive in our hearts. The greatest loss that those who deprive themselves of praying make is that God’s remembrance will disappear from their hearts. Forgetting and ignoring Allah the Exalted is very damaging to humans. In the Holy Quran, there are several ayahs in this regard and many things can be discussed on this matter.
The second achievement of praying is the reinforcement and establishment of faith in one’s heart. The characteristic of praying is that it stabilizes and establishes faith in one’s heart. Faith can be dwindled in the face of different events in the world, difficulties, pleasures, joys and different states that might occur to individuals. It is in the danger of destruction in the face of such things. You know people who used to have faith, but in the face of material wealth, power, physical pleasures and mental lusts, their faith was lost. This is wavering and unstable faith. One of the characteristics of praying is that it establishes and stabilizes faith in our hearts, thus minimizing the danger of losing faith. This is achieved through praying and paying attention – in a continuous manner – to Allah the Exalted.
The third achievement of praying is that it breathes the spirit of sincerity in us. Speaking to God and finding ourselves close to Him gives us a spirit of sincerity. Sincerity means carrying out tasks for the sake of God. All tasks can be carried out for the sake of God. God’s good servants carry out all their ordinary and daily affairs with the intention of getting close to God. They have the capability to do so. There are some people who cannot carry out the easiest and most basic religious tasks – such as performing daily prayers – for the sake of God. Lack of sincerity is a great disaster for humans. Praying breathes the spirit of sincerity in humans.
The fourth achievement of praying is edifying ourselves and growing moral virtues in our hearts and souls. By paying attention to God and by speaking to Allah the Exalted, you can strengthen moral virtues in yourselves. This is the normal and natural characteristic of getting close to God. Therefore, praying is a ladder to our transcendence towards perfection. Similarly, praying washes away immoral qualities and traits from us. It drives away greed, arrogance, egotism, enmity towards’ God’s servants, weakness, cowardice and lack of insight from individuals.
The fifth achievement of praying is engendering kindness towards Allah the Exalted. Praying revives love of Allah the Exalted in our hearts. The manifestation of all beauties and good things is the Holy Existence of God. Praying, getting close to Allah the Exalted and speaking to Him engender such kindness in one’s heart.
The sixth achievement of praying is breathing the spirit of hope in individuals. Praying gives us a power of resistance in the face of challenges in life. Anyone faces certain incidents and challenges throughout their life. Praying gives us power and capability and it strengthens us in the face of different events. This is why praying has been described as a weapon in a narration. The Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) has been quoted as saying, “Do you want me to introduce to you a weapon that saves you from your enemies?” He says that he will introduce a weapon that is a source of liberation for humans: “Pray to your God day and night because the believers’ weapon is praying” [Bihar al-Anwar, Vol. 90, page 295].
In the face of different events, paying attention to Allah the Exalted is like a sharp weapon in the hands of a believer. In the arena of war, the Holy Prophet of Islam (s.w.a.) used to carry out all necessary tasks: he used to organize the army, put soldiers in their formation, give them the necessary tools and instruments, offer them words of advice and do his commanding duties, but at the same time, he used to kneel in the center of the arena, engage in supplication, speak to Allah the Exalted and ask Him for different things. Such a relationship with God strengthens one’s heart.
Another achievement of praying is that one’s needs and requests are fulfilled. One of the achievements of praying is that when we make requests before Allah the Exalted, He fulfils them. Of course, this is not the only characteristic of praying. This is only one among the many characteristics of praying. The Holy Quran says, “Ask Allah of His grace” [The Holy Quran, 4: 32]. You should ask Allah the Exalted for the things that you need.
In Dua Abu Hamza al-Thumali, Imam Sajjad (a.s.) has been quoted as saying, “My Lord, it is not in Your Nature to order people to make requests and then to deny those requests. Indeed, You are very Generous when it comes to bestowing blessings on the servants of Your dominion.” It is not possible that You order Your servants to make requests from You, but You decide not to fulfill them. When Allah the Exalted orders us to make requests from Him, this means that He wants to give us what we want. There is a narration that says, “It is not the case that God opens the gate of gratitude for His servants and then closes the gate of increasing His blessings. And Allah is too generous to do that.”
Now, what prayers should we say that are followed by fulfillment? Sometimes, we ask God for things and we feel that they have not been granted on the face of it. The important condition for the fulfillment of our requests is that prayers are said in the true sense of the word and by observing the necessary conditions. The first condition is that prayers are said with a fresh and sincere heart such as the hearts of the youth. This is why the possibility that the prayers of the youth are answered is higher than that of others. Sometimes, some people ask me to pray for their youth. Of course, we always pray for all the youth, but in fact, it is youth whose prayers are more likely to be answered if they appreciate the value of their sincere and fresh hearts.
Another condition for the fulfillment of our prayers is that we say them by having full knowledge of their effect. In other words, we should know that we are saying these prayers and making these requests to one who has the power to do what we want. This means that we should believe in the effect of prayers. Imam Sadiq (peace and greetings be upon him) was told, “We pray, but our prayers are not answered.” In response he said, “This is because you pray without understanding.” There is a narration about understanding praying that says, “Do they know that I am able to give them what they ask for?”
You should have lofty aspirations when praying. You should make lofty requests. You should ask for bliss in this world and in the hereafter. You should not say that such requests are too great and too extravagant. These requests are nothing for Allah the Exalted. The main point is that you should make requests to Allah the Exalted in the true sense of the word and by observing these conditions. And Allah the Exalted will grant those requests. Sometimes, we do not know that the thing that has happened is an answer to our prayers. Sometimes, we ourselves do not know this.
Another condition for saying prayers is avoiding sins and repenting. These nights are the nights of repentance. All of us are subject to sins and wrongdoings. Wrongdoings are of small and big kinds. We should apologize to Allah the Exalted, ask for His forgiveness and repent and return to Him. We should be determined not to commit sins. Sometimes, we decide not to commit sins, but later on, we show negligence and make mistakes. And the result is that we commit sins. Once more, we should repent and apologize to God. However, our repentance should be serious and genuine. Avoiding sins should be a real and serious decision.
There is a narration about praying and fulfillment of one’s prayers that says, “Anyone who wants his prayers to be answered should liberate themselves from the wrongdoings that they have committed towards other people.” There is another narration in which Allah the Exalted says to Hazrat Musa (a.s.): “Oh Musa, call me with a pure heart and with a sincere tongue.” You should speak and pray to Allah the Exalted with a pure heart and with a truthful tongue. Under such circumstances, your prayers will definitely be answered.
Another condition for the fulfillment of prayers is the presence of one’s heart and humility. As we said, praying means that you speak to God, feel Him in front of you and consider Him to be Omnipresent. If you say something and make a request out of habit – for example, “God, forgive us, forgive our parents” – without really wanting this in your heart, this is not praying, rather it is uttering some words: “Allah the Magnificent and the Mighty will not answer a prayer that is empty of heart and soul.” If an ignorant, indifferent and careless heart engages in praying, Allah the Exalted will not answer it. How can corrupt hearts, which are drowning in lusts and selfish desires, pray? How can we expect God to answer our prayers in such circumstances?
Some people postpone praying, worshipping and repenting until they become old. This is a grave mistake. If they are told to repent, they say that there is plenty of time for that. First of all, it is not clear whether we will have time for that or not. Death does not inform us of its arrival. This is the case for all age groups. Let us assume that we really have time for praying. In other words, we know that we will reach an advanced age. Even so, if someone thinks that they can spend their youth indulging themselves and drowning in lust and later on engage in repentance with peace of mind, they have made a grave mistake. Our state for praying and repenting is not something that occurs to us whenever we want it. Sometimes, we want it to occur, but it does not. We want to have the feeling of repenting, but we cannot have it: “This is because of the deeds which your hands sent forth” [The Holy Quran, 22: 10].
A person who has not prepared the ground, in his heart and soul, for paying attention to God and returning to Him, cannot knock at His door whenever they wish to do so. As you witness, some pure hearts – often the hearts of youth – can easily relate to God, but some people cannot establish a relationship with Him no matter how hard they try. Those people who have the opportunity to do so and who can keep their hearts soft should appreciate the value of this and preserve their relationship with God so that they can knock at His door whenever they want.
The last point about praying is ma’thur prayers. These are the prayers that the Imams (a.s.) have said and they are the best prayers. First of all, certain requests have been expressed in these prayers which do not cross the minds of people like us. Through the words of the Imams (a.s.), people can make those requests to God. In Dua Abu Hamza, Dua Iftitah and Dua Arafah, the best requests and needs have been expressed. If individuals can ask God for these things and manage to get them from Him, this can be a valuable resource for them. Second, in such duas, there are materials for humility and supplication. In these duas, the point is expressed with a language and tone that softens and humbles one’s heart. Love, passion and enthusiasm flow in these duas with articulate and eloquent words. We should appreciate the value of these duas and benefit from them.
Of course, we should understand the meaning of these duas as well. Fortunately, there are good translations in the present time. Mafatih al-Jinan and different other duas have been translated. You should pay attention to the translation and read them carefully. Of course, as far as we know, no translation has managed to reflect the beauties of the words in these duas. However, it is clear what these duas mean. You should read these duas by paying attention to the translation. Those who recite these duas in chorus should at least translate some parts of them. Of course, the lower level of appreciating these duas is that if someone does not understand them, they at least feel that they are speaking to Allah the Exalted with a language that is passionate and vehement.
I hope that during the auspicious Nights of Qadr that are ahead of us, Allah the Exalted will bestow upon us the blessing to benefit from these nights. My dear ones, you should pray. Praying is not particular to the time when we have a problem. We should pray all the time. Some people assume that they should pray only when they have a problem and when a disaster befalls them. This is not the case. Even when you are living your ordinary life, you should pray and preserve your relationship with God. As a narration puts it, you should familiarize your voice for angels in heavens. Praying is always necessary.
You should ask God to grant your requests and the requests of believing brothers and all Muslims throughout the world, to resolve the issues and the problems of the country, and to facilitate the path of outstanding achievements for the country and the Islamic Republic. The greatest advantage of praying is the one that reaches you performers of prayers and that is: establishing a relationship with Allah the Exalted and having a feeling of kindness and enthusiasm about getting close to the God of the world. This is the most available achievement of praying that belongs to you performers of prayers. The issue of the fulfillment of one’s prayers is another issue.
These days are the days of mourning for the Commander of the Faithful (a.s.). I would like to say a few things about this great disaster for the world of Islam. I want to describe what this disaster is. On the eve of the 19th, this great disaster occurred. While he was praying, the Commander of the Faithful – the embodiment of justice – rolled in his own blood because of fighting on the path of justice, equality and divine rules. His blessed beard was colored with the blood of his head. I will read and translate for you part of a narration so that we feel close to that great personality. It has been narrated that “When Imam felt the stroke, he did not let out any cry and shout. He waited and then he fell with his face downwards. He said, ‘In the Name of God, for God and for the Ummah of the Messenger of God.’” Just like Hazrat Abi Abdullah who said when he fell on the ground in that murdering ground, “In the Name of God, for God, in the way of God and for the Ummah of the Messenger of God.” The people were hurriedly looking for the murderer so that they could arrest him. “And they did not know where they were going out of fear and because of the severity of the event.” Because this event was so terrifying, the people were very confused and frantic. They were running hurriedly to find the murderer. “Then, they surrounded the Commander of the Faithful. He himself was dressing the wound while blood was trickling down his blessed face and beard. And while he was stopping the flow of blood, he said, ‘This is what God and His Messenger promised. And God and His Messenger are truthful.’” The Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) had said that this would happen.
Imam Hassan (Greetings be upon him) arrived. He held his father’s head, washed the blood and dressed the wound: “And he was looking at the sky from the corner of his eyes. And his tongue was whispering praise of God.” Then, he became unconscious and Imam Hassan began to cry: “He kissed his father’s face, what was between his eyes and where he usually lay prostrate. Some drops of his tears fell on the Commander of the Faithful’s (a.s.) face. Then, Hazrat opened his eyes and saw him crying. He said, ‘Oh Hassan, why are you crying? Oh son, after this moment, your father will never have any worries. This is your grandfather. This is Khadijah, this is Fatimah and this is Hour ul-Ayn. They have surrounded me, waiting for your father to step there. So, stop crying and wipe your tears.’” He said to him that he should not cry. “God’s greetings be upon you Oh Commander of the Faithful. God’s greetings be upon you Oh Holy Prophet’s household.”
Dear God, by the blessedness of these holy days and nights and by the blessedness of the Commander of the Faithful (a.s.), familiarize our hearts with Your dhikr. Dear God, strengthen love of and kindness towards You in our hearts on a daily basis. Dear God, make us love divine deeds. Make our hearts hate and drift away from satanic deeds.
In these nights of mercy and forgiveness, bestow Your mercy and forgiveness on us. Dear God, bestow Your mercy and forgiveness on our parents, on our predecessors and on our forefathers. Dear God, make the people of Iran dear and dignified.
Dear God, untie all the knots for the great Islamic Ummah. Dear God, defeat and crush the enemies of Islam and Muslims. Dear God, make the holy heart of the Imam of the Age (a.s.) satisfied and pleased with us. In these Nights of Qadr, help us to benefit from the good prayers of that great Imam.
“In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
Say: He, Allah, is One.
Allah is He on Whom all depend.
He begets not, nor is He begotten.
And none is like Him” [The Holy Quran, 112].
Second Sermon
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, and peace and greetings be upon our Master and Prophet, Ab-al-Qassem al-Mustafa Muhammad, and upon his immaculate and infallible household, especially upon the Commander of the Faithful, Siddiqat al-Tahirah, Hassan, Hussein – the master of the youth of paradise - Ali ibn al-Hussein, Muhammad ibn Ali, Ja'far ibn Muhammad, Musa ibn Ja'far, Ali ibn Musa, Muhammad ibn Ali, Ali ibn Muhammad, Hassan ibn Ali and Hujjat al-Qaem al-Mahdi, Your representative among Your servants and trustworthy ones in Your land. And greetings be upon the Imams of Muslims, supporters of the oppressed, and those who guide the faithful.
I advise you servants of God to fear God.
In the second sermon, after advising you to observe piety which is the responsibility of everyone – this advice should be offered in all Friday prayers and I hope that Allah the Exalted will help us to act on this advice on a daily basis – I would like to briefly discuss two, three matters about domestic and international issues. One issue is about the affairs of the administration and the responsibilities of all of us. Another issue is about the nuclear issue, another is about the issue of Palestine and Quds Day and the last one is about the issue of Iraq.
As for the administration, what I deem necessary to discuss is that our administration is thankfully a fresh administration that is prepared to work. What I feel and see up close is that these brothers are prepared to carry out the responsibilities that the law has entrusted them with and to implement the slogans that have been highlighted. I feel that they are determined to work and to take action. Now that a short time has passed since the formation of this administration - two, two and a half months – we see those people who waited five, ten years and said nothing in the case of some issues, are now showing impatience in these past two, three months. They stamp their foot and complain why such and such a thing did not happen and why such and such a task was carried out in a particular way. However, the administration should be helped. Those individuals who are busy working in the middle of this arena of big challenges should be assisted and they should be given the opportunity to carry out their duties.
Of course, if –God forbid – some negligence is shown, I will be the first one to criticize them. However, if we put on trial an administration that has been formed no longer than two, three months and constantly criticize it for some affairs, this is unfair. You know well that the enemies of the Islamic Republic have always been opposed to all our administrations although they might express their approval of them in words. Deep in their hearts, they have always been opposed to them.
However, in the present time, even some of our enemies are expressing their opposition openly. This is because they are unhappy that the main slogans of the Revolutions have been presented to the people of Iran in an enthusiastic and comprehensive election and that a large and impressive number of the people are following these slogans. Well, it is clear that this is unpleasant for global arrogance. That is why they promote and spread rumors. Unfortunately, some people are repeating these rumors inside the country. We hear ridiculous rumors about the administration. Of course, they used to spread such rumors during the time of the elections as well. For example, they used to say, “The future administration is going to build walls on the streets.” And they spread other such rumors. In the present time too, they are spreading the same rumors with the purpose of corrupting the minds of the people and disappointing them.
These acts of spreading rumors are harmful. Both the people and the Islamic Consultative Majlis should trust this administration so that, by Allah’s favor, it can carry out tasks. Of course, government officials should preserve their seriousness. This is their main responsibility and they should pursue tasks in a serious way. Of course, as we said before and we would like to say again that pursuing tasks in a serious way does not mean doing things in a hasty and careless manner. They should carry out tasks by studying, consulting others, paying attention and showing acumen but in a constant, persistent, nonstop and completely serious way. I hope that by Allah’s favor, tasks will be pursued in this way.
As for the nuclear issue, what the people of Iran say is clear. Officials too have said many times what should be said. The issue is that the people of Iran are a talented, great, capable, enthusiastic and young people with a rich culture. Such a people do not wait for others to give them the permission to make such and such scientific and technological achievements. On the contrary, they enter the arena on their own, they break and cross the borders of science and they show their mettle. If foreigners, our rivals and our enemies see that such a thing did not happen a hundred years ago – in the pre-revolutionary era – they should know that in those days, they did not allow the people of Iran to launch their movement the way they deserved it. Otherwise, the people of Iran have always been a talented people.
We are a people who were ahead of all Muslim nations – without exception – in all Islamic eras. We were ahead of all Muslim nations in all sciences and fields of knowledge – in philosophy, science and even in those fields that are related to the Arabic language. The greatest linguists, grammarians and scholars in the field of Arabic are Iranians. Even the best and most prominent books in the same field have been written by Iranians. These people have always been as advanced as others – and even more so – in philosophy, in different fields of knowledge and in natural sciences. These are the same people and they do not wait, as they are not waiting in the present time. And they have managed to achieve the nuclear sciences in the present time.
What we have today is both nuclear science and nuclear technology, but what we do not have – because they have prevented it and they have created obstacles – is the formation of the pieces and components of this technology. In other words, you acquire a science, create a technology on the basis of that science, discover the secret to utilizing this science in developing such and such a product and build the necessary tools at a minimum level, but when you want to reproduce and make optimum use of it, they do not allow you and they prevent it. This is what has happened. What the people of Iran say is that in international relations, one should not act in a selective manner. That one allows such and such a country to achieve nuclear science and forbids such and such a country from achieving it with stupid reasons is not acceptable to the people of Iran.
What is being done in the country in this area – whether in the area of the international challenge related to the nuclear energy or in the area of the nuclear energy itself – is something that is being pursued in a wise and consultative manner. The people of Iran should know this. Sometimes, some people express their concern lest an ill-advised course of action is adopted and personal decisions are made in this regard. This is not the case. Fortunately, the officials of the country have similar viewpoints in this regard. From the beginning – in the last two and a half years, this has been the case as well – the task has been carried out in a wise and collaborative manner and we have progressed in this way. From now on too, the same will be true.
Some people should not frighten the people that the task might be carried out individually and in a hasty manner. This will not be the case. The task is being carried out in an accurate, wise and comprehensive manner and by considering different aspects of the issue. The issue is that the people of Iran have a right that they are asserting. This is completely understandable to people all over the world and to governments as well, but the main protester on this issue is the government of America. Even the positions of European governments are under the influence of American pressure. Each government that is closer to America adopts a harsher and stricter position. An example is the government of England. Of course, the people of Iran have a long history with the English government. The issue between the people of Iran and the English government is not an issue that is related to the present time and to the immediate past. In the present time too, all of them – ranging from their leader to different officials – are adopting very bad positions. They are adopting one of the worst positions.
However, the main opponent and protester is the U.S. government. American officials claim that Iran is after building atomic weapons. They themselves know that they are lying. Those people who listen to these speeches and who clap for them know that they are lying as well. The same is true of the time when they speak about human rights. When the President of America speaks about democracy and human rights on the issue of Iraq and the like, they know that they are lying. The only thing that they do not think about is human rights and democracy!
The audience that listens to these statements and claps for them know too that they are lying. Their goals are clear to themselves. They are after domination. They do not attach the slightest significance to human rights. On the issue of the Hurricane Katrina, the government of America did not help the victims just because they were black. This is what the people of America themselves said and proclaimed, let alone blacks. Their behavior towards prisoners – particularly the prisoners in Guantanamo Prison – their behavior in Iraq’s Abu Ghraib and their behavior towards the people of Iraq and towards the women and children who live in their own houses show that from the viewpoint of the Americans, the issue of human rights is only a myth. They themselves know that they are lying. They are concerned about two things:
One is that creating crises in the world is [for them] often a necessary ideal and tactical measure. They have always needed this so that they could divert the attention of the people of America from domestic issues to foreign issues. This has always been the case. In the present time too, the administration that holds office in America is an extremist and warmongering administration. Their interests dictate that they create problems here and there in the world, magnify issues, create crises and portray small events as crises to their people.
Another issue is that the U.S. administrations – more than all, the present warmongering and extremist administration – are after establishing an empire and a global imperialism. This imperialism is not only aimed at the Middle East. Of course, they are speaking about the “Greater Middle East”, but they are not satisfied with the Middle East either. Their European partners know very well that the day when America dominates the Middle East, Central Asia and sensitive regions in the world, they will not leave Europe alone either. This is not something that is hidden to them. They are after their interests. One of the most important regions is the Middle East though: a sensitive region that is the bridge between the east and the west. It is the region of oil and very sensitive sea passages with nations that have rich cultural backgrounds and many resources. All these things exist in this region.
The U.S. government needs such things for its domination in the world. In this region, a government that is outspokenly opposed to domination and that is standing up against them in a serious manner is the government of the Islamic Republic. It is natural that such issues emerge. So, the main opponent is the U.S. administration.
What the Islamic Republic is saying that these people – who have launched the Revolution, who have faced and tackled different events and incidents in the past 27 years since the formation of the Islamic Republic, who have managed to move towards their goals on all issues, who are mainly comprised of youth and whose students, university professors, scientific and technological personalities are increasing in number on a daily basis – are a people who are future-oriented and whose hearts are full of hope. These people are not a people who give in to American and non-American bullying and imposition. As the officials of the country said, our goal has nothing to do with nuclear weapons and deviation from this scientific and technological movement. The people of Iran will not forget about this technology. This is the main thing that we want to say. It is the officials of the country who develop the diplomatic methods and who deal with international relations on this matter.
As for the issue of Palestine and Quds Day, this day is close. Quds Day is the day of a great test for Muslim nations. Quds Day is the day when Muslim nations speak their mind without the help of officials. This year too, Quds Day is of great significance both because of the event of Gaza – retreating from Gaza was really a great defeat for the Zionists – and for the plot that is being hatched by the Americans, the Zionists and their allies after the defeat of Gaza – in fact, this plot is for the sake of making up for that defeat. This plot is to entice some Islamic and regional governments into considering relations with the Zionist regime as normal, but they should not accept this. With different excuses and for the sake of gladdening the heart of America, Islamic governments should not normalize relations with this treacherous, oppressive and usurping regime that is a danger for the entire region and for all nations and governments.
They should not smile at this regime for the sake of America because this is an inappropriate course of action. The reason why this course of action is inappropriate is that those who normalize these relations hide it from others, at least in the beginning. That they are hiding it shows that this is an inappropriate course of action. Inappropriate acts should not be committed, let alone hiding it. Therefore, by Allah’s favor, Quds Day rallies will be held more enthusiastically than ever.
The last issue is about Iraq. The referendum to pass a constitution was a great feat. It was a blessed feat. This is the first constitution that is being passed by the people of Iraq themselves. This is never in the direction of the Americans’ wish although the Americans like to portray it as such. They are lying and this is not the case at all. They were after other things in Iraq. In the present time too, they are pursuing other things. What is of primary significance after establishing this constitution is the future elections in Iraq. We have certain words of advice for our Iraqi brothers that we will offer in Arabic. This is a very sensitive election. The occupiers of Iraq are busy working on it from now!
The wound that exists today in Iraq is the discord between Shia and Sunni. Such discord is being reinforced by an extremist group that knows nothing about Islam. It cannot be said that they are Sunnis. They are neither Shia nor Sunni. They are both the enemies of Shia and Sunni. They are the enemies of Islam. Those individuals who explode a Shia mosque – these days, Saddam is being condemned for murdering 150, 160 Shias in a village – are not different from Saddam. They too are planting bombs and are killing 100, 150 Shias in Hillah, Baghdad and different other areas. They are like Saddam as well. So, it cannot be said that they are Sunnis. The policy of the enemies of Islam is to create discord between Shias and Sunnis and this is one of the ways to do so. Anyone who helps reinforce this serious discord is, in fact, helping those goals. It is necessary for all Iraqi groups to condemn these moves and to express their hatred of it. Fortunately, the great personalities of Shia have acted in a wise and good manner. They have advised Shias not to respond. This is a very important measure.
“In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
To you, have We granted the Fount of Abundance,
Therefore, to your Lord turn in Prayer and Sacrifice,
For he who hates you, he will be cut off” [The Holy Quran, 108].
Greetings be upon you and Allah’s mercy and blessings
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