Imam Khamenei

The youth will witness the Palestinian peoples return to Palestine

The following is the full text of a speech delivered on June 5, 2019, by Ayatollah Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, in a meeting with government officials and the ambassadors of Islamic countries in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The meeting was held on the occasion of Eid ul-Fitr.



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 pure, immaculate and infallible household, especially the one remaining with Allah on earth

I would like to congratulate all you dear brothers, the honorable participants and the esteemed ambassadors of Islamic countries who are present at the meeting, on the auspicious Eid ul-Fitr. Also, I would like to congratulate the great people of Iran who really and truly deserve to be respected, admired and congratulated on this eid. Our people went through a warm, enthusiastic and meaningful month of Ramadhan. By Allah’s favor, today – the day of Eid ul-Fitr - they will receive divine rewards, mercy and kindness towards themselves. I also wish to congratulate the Muslim Ummah.

I insist on reviving and highlighting the phrase “The Muslim Ummah” in the minds of all Muslims, in particular Muslim officials. This is because the enemies of Islam and Muslims have always tried to consign the phrase “The Muslim Ummah” to oblivion so that we forget that this great approximately 2-billion group of people in tens of Islamic countries are a single unit. And the enemies have unfortunately succeeded to that end.

Today, if you look at our region, you will see that instead of deploying forces between Islam and kufr, and between believers and transgressors, the deployments are between Muslims themselves. An Islamic country with Muslim people but with evil – in the true sense of the word – rulers which stand beside the usurping Zionist regime instead of showing enmity towards it. It works, speaks and chants slogans in favor of that regime. That is while it fights against an Islamic country. The enemies have unfortunately succeeded in doing this: they have created deployments and rows among Islamic countries and among brothers. The world of Islam should remedy this.

Notice that a usurping enemy has shown an active and criminal presence in the center of Islamic countries – that is to say, Palestine. This makes it necessary for all Muslims to be sensitive towards this matter, to deploy their forces against this enemy and to prevent him from committing his crimes. However, instead of doing so, some people in the world of Islam compromise with him and engage in wrestling, fighting and fighting with their Muslim brothers, scratching their faces and creating discord. The problem is this.

Eid ul-Fitr is the Eid of the Islamic Ummah and therefore, we should think of unity among the Islamic Ummah. I would like to offer words of advice to the countries and governments which forget what the Quran has requested from them. They have forgotten this. The ayahs which were recited here say, “And those who are with him are strong against unbelievers, but compassionate among each other.” [The Holy Quran, 48: 29] However, those individuals are strong against believers, compassionate to unbelievers. They are the opposite. Are they Muslims?

Whenever English policies which occurred in the past – and American policies today – infiltrated and entered into Islamic countries, such cases of fitna showed up. They create discord, hatred and hostility both among Islamic countries and inside a country. Notice what is happening in Libya. Why should two groups shed each other’s blood in a Muslim country while both groups come from the same country, the same soil and the same waters and while their interests are intertwined? Who is provoking them to do so?

Why should the mosques, bazaars, hospitals, primary schools and infrastructure in a country like Yemen be bombarded? Why? They are bombarded by whom? They are being bombarded by those who claim to advocate Islam. This is committed by a country which is Islam and whose people are Muslims. They work and endeavor on the basis of the whims and desires of the enemies of Islam and in the heart of the world of Islam. This is where our problem lies.

Today, the issue of Palestine is among the most important issues of the world of Islam, actually, it is the most important one. That is while they organize a summit in Bahrain, at the command of the US, on destroying the issue of Palestine. The rulers of Bahrain should know that they are pulling the rug from under their own feet. They should not be deceived by the Saudis. They, as well as the Saudis, are pulling the rug from under their own feet and this will end in their own disadvantage: “And so will they continue to spend, but in the end they will have only regrets and sighs.” [The Holy Quran, 8: 36]

They spend money and work hard, but it will end in their own disadvantage, despite what they had hoped for. The Quran says this in a decisive way. All these measures will end up in their own disadvantage, but they do not understand. Unfortunately, they do not understand. They can return because the path to return is open. They can repent because the path to repentance is open: “Except those who repent and make amends.” [The Holy Quran, 2: 160] They should make amends and make up for the corruption that they have caused.

Today, the world of Islam needs this. The problems of the world of Islam will be resolved if Muslims cooperate in harmony with one another. We should work to that end. The intellectuals of the world of Islam are responsible. The ulama of the world of Islam are responsible.

We in the Islamic Republic have accepted the price for defending Palestine. We have declared that we would defend Palestine. The world of arrogance stood against us then and delivered blows, but we showed resistance and we stood firm and we will continue to stand firm. We are certain that the final victory will belong to the Palestinian nation.

Unlike what the old Arab leaders said – they said, “We will throw the Jews into the sea” – we are not interested in throwing the Jews into the sea. We are only saying that the all-out endeavors of the Palestinian nation – political, military, moral and cultural endeavors – should continue until those who have usurped Palestine give in to the votes of the Palestinian nation. The opinion of all the people of Palestine – including Muslims, Christians, Palestinian Jews and those who have been exiled outside Palestine – should be sought through a poll and they should determine what kind of system should rule in Palestine. Then, everyone should abide by it. The fight should and will continue until that time.

By Allah’s favor and grace, the Palestinian nation will win in this peaceful and humanitarian cause which is accepted by all sensible and reasonable conventions in the world and the country of Palestine will be given back to the people of Palestine.  And by Allah’s favor, you youth will see that day.

Dear God, by the blessedness of Muhammad and his household, associate the immaculate soul of our magnanimous Imam, who familiarized us with this path and this goal, with his saints. Associate the martyrs of the path of Islamic dignity with the Holy Prophet.

Greetings be upon you and Allah’s mercy and blessings