Officials and executives of the Islamic Republic, including the chiefs of three government branches, and also the ambassadors of Islamic countries posted in Tehran met the Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei on Sunday, April 16.
The meeting was convened on the occasion of the auspicious birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his infallible household) and the birth anniversary of Imam Ja'far-ibn-Muhammad al-Sadeq (greetings be upon him).
Speaking at the meeting, the Leader felicitated the audience on the auspicious birth anniversary of the last messenger of Allah, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his infallible household), and the propitious birth anniversary of Imam Ja'far-ibn-Muhammad al-Sadeq (greetings be upon him).
Ayatollah Khamenei also commemorated the Week of Unity and referred to various ups and downs that the Islamic Ummah has experienced in the course of history.
"Today, the Islamic world has reached a decisive and fateful stage of its history; if at the present juncture, the political, scientific and cultural elites and intellectuals of the Islamic world perform their duties and help the Muslim Ummah to tread the right path of unity and resistance against bullying powers, the prosperity, progress and honor of Muslim nations will be ensured; otherwise, the Islamic Ummah will be deflected from the path of prosperity for at least tens of years," Ayatollah Khamenei stated.
Further in his statements, the Leader of the Islamic Republic stressed that Muslim nations should recognize the worth and value of their history and precious heritage and appreciate their honor and dignity, and that they should also avoid petty differences and narrow-mindedness.
"The elites and intellectuals of the Islamic world should feel a great sense of responsibility, avoid selfishness and worldliness and make every effort to promote Islamic unity and solidarity. The reality on the ground indicates that the enemies of Islam have made huge investments in order to subvert this same weak unity among Muslims, a fact corroborated by the present situation in Iraq and other parts of the Islamic world," the Leader observed.
Ayatollah Khamenei further stated, "If the Islamic world were united, today the Palestinian nation and the government emanating from the Palestinian people's votes would not be alone and subjected to pressures and threats, and those who are the main culprits for the sufferings and afflictions of the Palestinian people would not speak in such an arrogant tone of voice, and the European countries claiming to support human rights would not watch the present atrocities committed against the Palestinian nation without any reactions."
He stressed that the Islamic world should unanimously support the Palestinian people and officials and back them up in their insistence on their basic principles.
Elsewhere in his remarks, the Leader of the Islamic Republic hinted at the affronts to the Holy Prophet of Islam committed by certain mercenary writers who are hired by the Zionists.
"The Holy Prophet of Islam (peace be upon him and his immaculate household) is the center of love and affection and the pivot of unity of Muslims. This is why mercenary writers hired by the Zionists commit affronts to this major pivot of the Islamic world," the Leader pointed out.
He stated that political, cultural and scientific elites should rely on this major pivot of the Islamic world and make earnest efforts to bring about further unity and concord among Muslim nations.
The Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, also speaking at the meeting, expressed his felicitations on the birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his infallible household) and the birth anniversary of Imam Ja'far-ibn-Muhammad al-Sadeq (greetings be upon him).
President Ahmadinejad referred to the major responsibility that was undertaken by divine prophets, especially by the Holy Prophet of Islam, to consolidate cordial ties and brotherhood among human beings and convey the message of monotheism, justice, peace and human dignity to mankind.
"Today, humanity is in need of a leader like the Holy Prophet of Islam, so that by learning from that great prophet's call for faith, perseverance, promotion of knowledge and morality, helping the deprived and defending the oppressed, the arrogant powers' hegemony over the world may be curtailed and peace, security, justice and respect for human dignity may be restored to the world," the president stated.