The following is the full text of the speech delivered on August 11, 2007 by Ayatollah Khamenei the Leader of the Islamic Revolution in a meeting with government officials on the occasion of Mab'ath.
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
I would like to congratulate the entire Islamic Ummah, the religious and noble people of Iran and you dear participants including officials of the country, dear guests and ambassadors of Islamic countries on the occasion of this great and auspicious Eid. I should congratulate the entire humanity on this Eid because the Last Prophet's (s.w.a.) be'that opened the door to liberation from ancient and chronic pains for the entire humanity. A number of people responded to the call of the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) and they benefited from the advantages of this. Some people rejected this call and they suffered the consequences.
In our opinion, even today humanity is in great need of the message of be'that and the teachings of the great divine prophets. All these teachings have been included in the teachings of Islam and the Holy Quran in a comprehensive way. At the top of the list of Islamic teachings, there are three things which are more important than all other things. These things have been mentioned in the ayahs of the Holy Quran. These things are: knowledge and wisdom, purity and morality and justice and fairness.
If we pay close attention, we will realize that even today humanity is in need of these three things. Today, humanity has made progress in terms of knowledge, but it is confined to a specific area. Humanity has made progress in the natural sciences which are related to the materialistic life of people. But humanity needs to learn spiritual teachings which broaden the mind of human beings regarding the beginning of creation and monotheism and guide the hearts of human beings towards the thing for which they have being created. Islam's call to acquiring knowledge is an all-embracing call. Today, the issue of morality and moral and spiritual purity is even more important than this. The problems of humanity result from ignoring the issue of moral purity.
Primarily, these statements are addressed to outstanding personalities in different countries. If political, scientific and cultural personalities, who stand on the peak of importance in human communities, have morality and purity, these sources of blessing [morality and purity] will reach the foot of the mountain and people will be blessed with morality too. Primarily, these statements are addressed to officials of Islamic countries. Love of the world, pursuit of carnal desires, indulgence in animal desires, the kinds of friendship and hostility which are rooted in animal and materialistic desires, the kinds of warmongering which result from seeking power and having the desire to increase one's materialistic power, the kinds of insecurity which result from the wickedness of politicians in different countries are the main sources of trouble for humanity.
Moral purity is really necessary for a country. Kindness, fairness, understanding and mercy towards one another are the things which bring peace to people's lives. If we see that the world is being destroyed because of insecurity, this insecurity stems from developing weak policies, seeking power, behaving in an immoral way and drifting away from piety. Today, insecurity is the biggest disaster for humanity or, at least, it is one of the biggest disasters for humanity. Human beings are not secure inside their homes and in their social lives. They do not have security inside their own country. Islam invites us to purify ourselves. This is one of the main teachings of Islam. "We have sent among you a Messenger of your own, rehearsing to you Our Signs, and sanctifying you, and instructing you in Scripture and Wisdom" [The Holy Quran, 2: 151]. The Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) recites the Holy Quran and he purifies and instructs people.
Another issue is justice. Administration of justice is the advice of all divine prophets. Allah the Exalted said that all the prophets and the scriptures He sent and all the efforts that prophets and their followers made was for this: "That men may stand forth in justice" [The Holy Quran, 57: 25].
Dear brothers and sisters, by engaging in Islamic activities our goal has been to create a community which enjoys such characteristics. The Islamic Revolution was not carried out to give power to a certain group of people or party. The Islamic Revolution was carried out by the Muslim people of Iran. The goal of this Revolution was to create an Islamic society. These are the main characteristics of the Islamic society it wanted to create: knowledge, morality and justice. Everyone should try to achieve these. These are the principles that we are committed to. These are the values for which the Islamic society has been created. And these are the things which can provide us - in a thorough way - with welfare, political and international dignity and security. Everybody should try to build a society which enjoys knowledge, morality and justice. This is the responsibility of governments, officials and managers in different sectors. And this is the dream of all people. This is what they ask officials to do: creating a society which enjoys knowledge, morality and justice.
Since the beginning of the Revolution until today, whenever we carried out our Islamic duties, respected divine obligations, showed a commitment to our duties, we managed to move forward. Whenever we were preoccupied with different considerations, whenever we backed off from these main Islamic principles and glamorized the common materialistic schools, we were defeated and frustrated.
Today, the current materialistic schools in the world and the things which politicians in charge of foreign affairs in powerful countries say cannot help humanity achieve happiness. Besides, the slogans which are chanted by the leaders of global powers are not genuine slogans.
Today, humanity suffers from two big disasters. One is the path that is shown to humanity which is a materialistic path. It is a wrong path. And another is the fact that those who manage the affairs of people are not righteous people. Take a look at the general conditions in the world. Take a look at the oppression that nations and the Islamic Ummah suffer. Take a look at the oppression that people in Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan suffer. See how they treat Islamic obligations. Those people who are the source of terrorism, corruption, war and bloodshed accuse Islam of terrorism. They accuse Islam of being reactionary. These are the people who want to impose their totalitarian regime on the entire humanity. Today, the United States of America - this taghuti, satanic and arrogant power - wants to swallow the entire world.
It wants to extend its power to all areas of people's lives. Nevertheless, they claim to support democracy and protect human rights. The most corrupt people have raised the flag of bringing about change in people's lives. This is a big source of trouble for humanity.
And today, our Islamic Ummah can benefit from a great historical heritage. We have nothing to do with others now. Let us take a look at the Islamic Ummah. The Islamic Ummah benefits from the Holy Quran. It benefits from Islamic obligations. In the Holy Quran, it can find a clear path which leads to the happiness of humanity. The Islamic Ummah can stand up against the wave of arrogance, which destroys all foundations of human life, by reunifying with itself and returning to its identity. It can do it if it shows a firm determination. The Islamic Ummah should show a firm determination. Primarily, these statements are addressed to officials of Islamic countries. They should show a firm determination.
Islamic solidarity means that Muslim countries should appreciate the value of the great Islamic Ummah. We do not at all benefit from separation. We do not at all benefit from hostility towards one another. We do not at all benefit from increasing tribal and sectarian discord and increasing differences between Shia and Sunni and Arab and non-Arab. The Islamic Ummah is a great network with many resources and with many capacities, but the western world has made us separate into pieces. It has pitted us against one another. It has used ethnicities as a tool to make us confront our Muslim brothers. And we have accepted this plot unknowingly and mindlessly and we have fallen into this trap. We should pull ourselves together.
It was not a mere ceremony when we said that this year is the year of "Islamic Solidarity". We can see the plots that are hatched against the world of Islam. We can see the efforts that are made and the money that is spent in order to pit Muslim brothers against one another. They want to use us to harm one another. They want to prevent us from moving forward. We suffer from serious backwardness. The world of Islam suffers from serious backwardness. We should move forward in scientific and technological arenas. More important than that, we should move towards self-education. We should move forward.
The kind of democratic government that westerners offer today is not in fact a democratic government. Democratic government was introduced by Islam. In Islam, the relationship between officials or executives and the people in a country is based on faith and kindness. It is based on friendly cooperation. It is based on genuine satisfaction. Today, we have such a version of relationship. Whenever we acted - to whatever extent - according to such a prescription, we clearly witnessed positive results and success. Today, the world of Islam is injured. Our hearts are sympathetic to the people of Palestine. Our hearts are sympathetic to the people of Iraq. Our hearts are sympathetic to the people of Afghanistan for the sufferings that they endure. They are under pressure from the main enemies of the Islamic Ummah.
Those who exert pressures on Palestinians over the issue of Palestine and those who trample on the people of Iraq do not have major problems with the people of Iraq or the people of Palestine. They are opposed to the Islamic Ummah. Wherever they can, they behave in the same way. Sunni and Shia and Arab and non-Arab do not make any difference to them. This is the way they seek power. Being drunk with power and ignoring everything except for one's carnal and materialistic desires and the desires of companies which help one profit have such consequences for humanity. The Islamic Ummah should awaken.
The Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) plays a pivotal role in uniting all Islamic groups. The hearts of all people are filled with the love of the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.). The entire Islamic Ummah dearly loves this chosen servant of God and this person who is the noblest man throughout history. Muslims should become united by making the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) the pivot of things and they should establish a close relationship between themselves.
I hope that Allah the Exalted will guide us. May He show us the path to the growth and dignity of Islam and Muslim peoples. May He help us and make the holy heart of the Imam of the Age satisfied with us. Greetings be upon the immaculate soul of our magnanimous Imam (r.a.) and our dear martyrs who showed us this path and helped us tread it.
Greetings be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings