The following is the full text of the speech delivered on October 24, 2006 by Ayatollah Khamenei, the 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
I would like to congratulate all the people in the great Islamic Ummah, the dear people of Iran and you honorable participants, dear guests and ambassadors of Islamic countries who are present in this meeting on the occasion of Eid ul-Fitr. As we have said in the qunut of Eid ul-Fitr prayers many times, Allah the Exalted has turned this day into a source of abundance for Muhammad: "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]. He has made it into a source of dignity, respect, enlightenment and spiritual value for that great personality and his religion. Eid ul-Fitr is a great Eid. It is the day of the Islamic Ummah. And today, the Islamic Ummah needs, more than before, its sources of unity, dignity and greatness.
They humiliated the Islamic Ummah for many years and they denied its great cultural legacy and its strength of character and identity. With this humiliation, they wanted to throw Muslims out of the arena of politics, action and jihad so that the arena would be open for their transgression against Islamic countries and their resources. This has been the policy of colonialist and arrogant powers in the world of Islam for several decades and they were quite successful for a long time.
If the Islamic Ummah had paid attention to its Islamic identity, then a disaster, namely Israel, would not have been created. They put aside the Islamic Ummah from the developments of the region - that is to say, its own house - and they made decisions against it during its absence. The Islamic Ummah has not carried out its responsibilities for many years. We should not have any doubts about this. We should know and understand our fault. If we had not given in to laziness, self-indulgence and humiliation, the enemy could not have dominated us. We remained backward and we are to blame for this backwardness. However, today, the tables have turned. Today, the world of Islam has become aware of its identity.
This Ummah should benefit from all elements of dignity which exist in the holy religion of Islam and in the Holy Quran. The first element is attention to God and reliance on Him and His divine laws. We should trust God. Allah the Exalted blames those who do not trust Him: "That He may punish the hypocrites... who imagine an evil opinion of Allah. On them is a round of evil: the Wrath of Allah is on them" [The Holy Quran, 48: 6]. Those who deny divine assistance when they show their presence in the arena of action should blame themselves. If we enter the arena of action, Allah the Exalted will help us. This is the definite promise of the Holy Quran and God. Besides, our experiences in life prove this. The history of Islam is full of experiences for Muslims. Whenever they showed determination, took action and relied on divine power, Allah the Exalted helped them. Divine help and assistance is definite.
But the condition for this assistance is presence in the arena of action: "And surely Allah will help him who helps His cause" [The Holy Quran, 22: 40]. Allah will help those who help Him. He will not show His divine assistance if we show laziness, sit idle, live with our illusions, play with the interests of the Islamic Ummah and prefer our interests to the interests of the Islamic Ummah.
Today, the world of Islam has awakened. We should appreciate the value of this awakening and we should channel it in the right direction. We should trust God instead of trusting arrogant powers. Wherever this happens, victory is certain.
What is related to you dear brothers and sisters - who are the officials of this Islamic country - is that you should appreciate the value of our people. Our people are great, courageous, religious, pure and sincere people. You should appreciate the value of our people. You should appreciate the value of rendering services to them. You should appreciate the value of being their servants because it is a great honor. You should accept responsibilities for the sake of rendering services to our people and catering for them. This is a source of pride. These great and religious people managed to boost the morale of the world of Islam with their diligence, patience, awareness, vigilance and high morale. You too are from the same people. You share their virtues as well. But today, you are responsible. Today, you have shouldered certain responsibilities which you should carry out.
Purity, diligence, hard work, tirelessness, avoiding greed and preferring public interests to personal ones should be your guide in your actions. This should be what you do. This is your act of worship and it is the greatest one. Of course, if you want to preserve this spirit, you should connect your hearts with God. The month of Ramadan is a great opportunity. Eid ul-Fitr is a great opportunity as well. All days of the year and all hours of one's life are a great opportunity for getting close to God. Reading the Holy Quran, paying attention to its meaning and lessons, having a sense of gratitude before God and showing humility before Allah the Exalted and before the people are the standards and criteria for our actions. We should observe this.
This means that we are in the middle of the arena, that we are working for God, that we are not involving our selfish desires and that we do not get tired. Of course, if we work for God, we do not feel tired: "And most surely it is a hard thing except for the humble ones" [The Holy Quran, 2: 45]. When humility exists, there will be no tiredness and fatigue. When we pay attention to God, tiredness will be relieved. This is related to us officials.
Our people are present on the scene. Our youth are present on the scene. Whenever our people felt that their presence is necessary for the country in any arena, they entered it with complete enthusiasm. You witnessed their presence in the arena of war during the Sacred Defense Era. You are witnessing their presence in the arena of knowledge. You witnessed their presence in the arena of politics, different rallies and elections. These are our people. They are a great people. We should appreciate the value of rendering services to them and we should thank God that He has made us the servants of these people. Therefore, we should carry out our responsibility towards them.
We should act in the same way in the world of Islam. Today, the first international issue of the world of Islam is the issue of Palestine. Of course, the events in Iraq, Lebanon and Afghanistan are issues of the world of Islam and all of them are important. When we take a look at all these events, we see the criminal and sinful hand of global arrogance, America and Zionism. Our responsibility is clear. Muslim nations and governments should think about returning to their identity. They should gain power so that they are not bullied. Today, the most important interest in the Middle East region for powers such as America is safeguarding the interests of Zionists and Israel. Some Arab and Muslim governments have good and close relations with America, but for America, their interests are not the primary issue. Their interests are not at all considered compared to the interests of Israel. Everyone should understand and pay attention to this point.
In Palestine, many people tried to pit the Palestinians against one another. Fortunately, Palestinian officials showed vigilance and prevented the people from fighting against one another, shedding one another's blood and waging wars. However, the enemy has not stopped pursuing his plans.
The government of Hamas is a popular government. The positions which Hamas has announced - that is to say, refusal to officially recognize and negotiate with Israel - are the same things that the people of Palestine want. Those who believe that what they say is the same as what the Palestinians say should know that what the Palestinians say is the same slogans that the popular government of Palestine chanted. This government has held office with the votes of the people. It chanted these slogans and the people voted for it. The officials of the Palestinian National Authority should give in to this request of the people of Palestine. They should get along with one another and they should officially recognize the popular government of Hamas and its positions.
The same is true of the issue of Lebanon. Heroic Lebanon and Hezbollah showed that one can stand up against and defeat Israel with resistance and firm determination. This is something that some politicians in Islamic countries could not at all imagine, but it happened. Israel was defeated because Hezbollah and the people of Lebanon showed steadfastness and resistance, because they relied on Allah the Exalted and because they utilized all their capabilities.
This is a recipe for all peoples and it belongs to the entire world of Islam. There is no difference. The condition for this to happen is that we - who are the officials of Islamic countries - do not involve our personal interests, wishes and desires and that we only think of the interests of the Islamic Ummah and our countries. If this condition is fulfilled, then it will certainly produce results.
The same conditions exist in Iraq. A popular government has held office in that country. This is what has happened despite the wishes and requests of occupiers and contrary to the recipe and model which they had designed for Iraq. This is why different fitnas are instigated from different corners. These fitnas are instigated by those who do not want a real popular government to hold office in Iraq. But today, this government has held office and they want to create problems for it. All evidence shows it. We hope that outstanding cultural, religious, political, social, popular and tribal officials in Iraq pay attention that the cure for their problem is unity. They should not fall into the trap that the enemy has set. They should not weaken themselves with religious, denominational, political, partisan and other such motives, thus strengthening the enemy. The result of this will be the domination of the enemy.
I hope that Allah the Exalted will bless this Eid for all Muslims. I hope that He will make it a source of blessing and good for all Islamic countries and I hope that He will make the world of Islam dearer and more glorious on a daily basis.
Greetings be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings