The Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, met with a group of Muslim scholars, thinkers, and intellectuals on Tuesday in Tehran.
Elaborating on the new and important opportunities and also the serious threats which the Islamic world faces today, Ayatollah Khamenei told those gathered at the meeting, "Today, through the presentation of a practical religious democracy proving Islam's power and efficiency, the West has been marginalized and liberalism, in its own homeland and policymaking centers, has faced many contradictions on significant issues such as freedom, democracy, and women's status."
He said that holding the conference on the opportunities and challenges facing the Muslim world was a timely and felicitous measure, adding, "Despite the fact that the colonialists were able to dominate the Muslim world and make Muslim nations dependent, now new opportunities for the Muslim world have emerged, the most important of which is Islam itself and its power, since Islam is able to equip Muslims materially and spiritually and unite them."
He called the gift of the immense power of faithful youth who resist the beguiling attractions of the West one of the opportunities of the Muslim world, and asserted, "That is why the Muslim world today is more lively and hopeful, while Muslim youth and intellectuals feel proud of Islam. This has not been the case in the past."
Mentioning the death of Marxism and Communism as major opponents of Islam and the advent of political Islam as another opportunity, he added, "Under the current conditions, the awareness and intellectuality of Muslims in dealing with Western slogans has drastically increased since they have realized that the promise to help develop the Muslim world was only meant to make Muslims submit and depend on them."
Referring to the real contradictions within liberalism such as chanting slogans about freedom and its silence about the massacre and oppression of children and youth in Palestine, Iraq, and Afghanistan, the Leader said, "The West, and particularly the United States, chant democratic slogans on the one hand and confront those nations which have voted for Islam in the past on the other hand. Despite the fact that they chant slogans about women's liberation, we are witnessing the decline of women's status and the collapse of the family foundation in the West."
Referring to the U.S. support for the dictators of the region over the past few years, in particular its support for Saddam Hussein and his crimes against the people of Iraq and Iran, Ayatollah Khamenei emphasized, "With such a record, the U.S. now chants slogans about democracy for the Middle East, which is another example of the current contradictions."
He said the Western slogans about democracy show its reactionary attitude towards religious democracy, adding, "Religious democracy possesses a powerful and clear logic since Islam is against dictatorship however it is named or from whatever source it might come from."
Insisting that religious democracy today has been introduced practically to the world, he said, "Twenty-four elections have been held over a period of 25 years in the Islamic Republic of Iran, while the people have been directly involved in establishing, shaping, and preserving the system, which is the perfect manifestation of religious democracy."
He said that he considered the current ideological void in the world to be another opportunity for the Muslim world. "Today we have the best opportunity to introduce pure Islam to the world since pure Islam insists on human dignity and justice as man's long-cherished aspirations," he continued.
Mentioning that pure Islam seeks glory, grandeur, justice, religious democracy, and scientific development for Muslims, Ayatollah Khamenei asserted, "That is why the enemies of Islam, led by Zionism and the U.S., are opposed to the introduction of pure Islam and try to depict this religion either as stone-aged, illogical, unscientific, and lacking in insight, like the Taleban, or as a transmogrified one which has lost its identity in confrontation with the West."
The Leader postulated that the enemies of Islam do not dare to confront Muslims directly due to their fear of Muslims' great power. "Today the enemies of Islam have started a campaign against Muslims all over the world under different pretexts such as the issues of human rights, democracy, the campaign against terrorism, and weapons of mass destruction."
Once again he emphasized the new opportunities before the Muslim world, adding, "The Islamic Republic of Iran is trying to make use of such opportunities and will stay on the path on religious democracy and never backtrack on Islamic decrees."
Emphasizing that the policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran is based on cooperation and relations with other countries and making use of their scientific expertise, he said, "We will never back down in our opposition to foreign interference and influence and this has infuriated the enemies of Iran."
Describing the endeavors for expanding justice in society as another important measure taken by the Islamic system, the Leader also noted that there is still a long way to go to reach the desired objective.
He said that the Islamic Republic of Iran believes in the potential of the Islamic world and is capable of taking great steps in the areas of sciences. Therefore, he added science is on the top of the agenda of the scientific centers and universities. In this arena too, good achievements have been gained, he noted.
Referring to the resolve of the Islamic Republic of Iran in realizing the peoples' spiritual and material potential, the Leader described disunity as the as the major threat facing the Islamic world. He also noted that through resolving contentious issues and boosting unity and solidarity, the Islamic world should direct its attention to the main enemy.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Ayatollah Khamenei emphasized that although the Islamic Republic offers its hand of friendship and unity toward all Muslims and Islamic states, the U.S. and the Zionists are the great Satan and the archenemies of the Muslims. He added that the intellectuals and elites of the Islamic world should identify the people's main enemies and reveal the hostile methods used by the enemies so that they would not fail to recognize the enemies.
The Leader went on to say that the conference could prepare the scientific grounds for utilizing the views of the elites.
Prior to the Leader's remarks, Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi gave a speech in which he referred to the presence of the scholars and academics from 26 Islamic countries in the International Conference on the Muslim World, Opportunities and Threats. He noted that Islamic vigilance is the main factor for making use of the opportunities and also for thwarting the threats facing the Islamic world. He also mentioned that the Islamic Revolution in Iran led by the late Imam Khomeini has had a main role to play in awakening the Muslims.