Khamenei.ir

The U.S. acted in a bullying manner in the case of Kyoto Protocol

You saw how in the case of Kyoto Protocol, the Americans stood [against the protocol] as a bullying government. I said this in Friday Prayers [sermon] a few years ago and addressed the issue. That is, a sort of bullying approach to a treaty, which is not related to one country or two countries and one corner of the world. It is related to the entire globe. The problem of gas emanated by greenhouses is not an issue exclusively targeting a single country and or a single group of people. No, it targets the entire humanity. Nonetheless, the main problem with regard to environmental issues is that the consequences of destruction [of environment] are not observed in short term. [And] when they are observed, it takes a long time to make up for [environmental] damage and subsequent problems and in some cases it is impossible. [For example,] consider the melting of the polar ice, which can lead to elevated sea levels and many other environmental problems. This is not something to be remedied by humans. Such problems cannot be made better within 10 years and 20 years and [even] 100 years; they will have lasting effects for humanity. I mean, when there are human beings who do not feel responsible [with regard to environment], who have decided to convert public riches of the world into their own personal wealth, [and] take advantage of any opportunity to make themselves richer, this will be the result. Bullying [character] of human beings, brazen disrespect for red lines, and bullying instincts of human powers, powers with money and force, have created such effects and consequences in the world and across the globe.

Islam and divine religions have sought to preserve the equilibrium between humans and the nature

The issue of environment is a very important issue. In short, this issue is important because it is about mankind’s responsibility vis-à-vis the nature; they should feel that responsibility. Just in the same way that we feel responsibility with regard to human life, we must feel responsible with respect to the nature. Islam and other divine religions have sought to preserve the equilibrium between humans and nature. This is the basis and main goal [in caring for the nature]. Not preserving this equilibrium is the result of [a number of] factors, the most important of which is human complacency, quest for power, and the bullying nature of some of us, humans. When this does not happen – that is, the equilibrium is not preserved – then environmental crises take place; an environmental crisis will harm the whole of the mankind and all generations [of human beings].

Imam Khomeini’s Biography

Leader's Speech in Meeting with People of East Azerbaijan

Nuclear issue is just an excuse

I believe that even if we accept what they dictate to us on the nuclear issue, their destructive moves and sanctions will not be stopped and lifted. They will continue to create all sorts of problems for us because they are opposed to the essence of the Revolution.

Leader's Speech to Members of Commemoration Congresses for Artist, Students and Education Martyrs

The following is the full text of the speech delivered on February 16, 2015 by Ayatollah Khamenei, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, in a meeting with the members of commemoration congresses for artists, students and education martyrs.

Leader's Speech in Meeting with Air Force Commanders and Personnel

A tool for enemies to make constant excuses

We have heard that they say, "Let us agree about general principles for the moment. Later on, we can come to an agreement about details". I do not like this. Our experience about the behavior of the other side gives us the feeling that this will become a tool for them to make constant excuses about details. If they want to make an agreement, they should agree about details and general points in one single session and then they should sign it. If they come to an agreement about general points and then they attend to details on the basis of these general points - which are vague, interpretable and analyzable things - this is not reasonable.

Respect and dignity of people to be unconditionally considered

I myself agree with that and I am sure that the people of Iran are not opposed to an agreement which preserves their dignity, respect and interests. However, these requirements should undoubtedly be considered. The respect and dignity of the people of Iran and the fundamental issue of the progress of the Iranian nation should be preserved and protected.

Leader's Speech at Nanotechnology Exhibition

Leader's Speech in Meeting with MPs of Religious Minorities

The following is the full text of the speech delivered on January 26, 2015 by Ayatollah Khamenei, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, in a meeting with MPs of religious minorities in the Majlis.

Leader Meets with Secretary General of Popular Front for Liberation of Palestine

Iranian minorities made significant sacrifices for their country

Whenever I go to the houses of Armenian and Assyrian martyrs - this year too, I fortunately managed to visit the houses of a number of Armenian martyrs - I see that they are committed to their country. They have really behaved in a committed way. I remember that during the time of war, a number of Armenian Christians went to Ahwaz. I saw that a number of people were sitting inside the airport. I asked, "Who are these people?" they said, "They are Armenians and they are going to the front lines for industrial affairs. They have come to render services". The Armenians are skilled at industrial and technical affairs. The late Chamran employed them. They made efforts, they rendered services and some of them were martyred. One of the members of an Armenian family whom I visited last week had a son in the army. He said, "When his military service was over, he was unhappy because the war was continuing. He said, 'My military service is over. What should I do now?' Later on, it was announced that those who have done their military service for a few months should join the army again. He became happy at this call-up and he joined the front lines. Later on, he was martyred and his body was brought to us". We can witness such nationalistic feelings among our non-Muslim compatriots. Well, they made efforts and we hope that the Islamic government can carry out its responsibility in this regard. They really behaved in a committed - in the real sense of the word - way toward the country.

Islam taught us to behave in a fair way toward the followers of other religions

We have learned from Islam that we should behave in a fair way toward the followers of other religions. This is Islam's command to us. Today, what is witnessed in the world is that powers and those governments which claim to support justice do not at all behave in a fair way except in the inner circle of their narrow, limited and oppressive polices. Today, you can see that in Europe and America, they use massive propaganda against Muslims. The issue is not why Muslims do not have any freedom in many of these countries. Rather, the issue is why they do not have any security. The movie "American Sniper", which has produced some reactions and which has been made by Hollywood, encourages a Christian or non-Muslim to harass Muslims as much as he can. In fact, according to what others have said - we have not seen this movie - it encourages such courses of action. This is not at all accepted by Islam. Islam believes in justice. On the issue of that attack [on the city of al-Anbar] the Commander of the Faithful (peace and greetings be upon him) said, "I have come to know that every one of them entered upon Muslim women and non-Muslim women" [Nahjul Balaghah, Sermon 27]. In this sermon, he says that some people have entered the houses of Muslim and Muahida women - muahid means Jewish and Christian individuals who have formed an alliance with Muslims and who live under the protection of Islam - to take away their ornaments and harass them. Then, Hazrat says, "If any Muslim dies of grief after all this, he is not to be blamed". If a Muslim dies of grief at the harassment of non-Muslim women by the army of the enemies and looters - they entered their houses and took away their ornaments - he is not to be blamed.This is the viewpoint of Islam.

Leader's Speech in Meeting with Officials on National Day of Engineering

The following is the full text of the speech delivered on January 26, 2015 by Ayatollah Khamenei, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, in a meeting with officials of National Day of Engineering - coincident with the birthday anniversary of Khawaja Nasir al-Din al-Tusi.

Leader's Message to Union of Islamic Students Associations in Europe

To the Youth in Europe and North America

The Zionists have made some human communities sexualized by use of the media, cinema, etc.

Today, the focus of international and world propaganda machine is on eliminating spirituality, religion, chastity and pudency. This is a definite agenda pursued by the Zionists all over the world and they are intensifying their efforts in this regard, taking eviler actions every day. Look at the movies, stories and the like; observe how European women dressed fifty to a hundred years ago and compare that with [their clothing] today. Compare how the West and Europe observed sexual moralities fifty to hundred years ago with how they do it today. Look how it has changed. The moral corruption has reached a point where if you reject homosexuality you would be attacked. This is really startling. They are proud of immorality and nudity. They are proud of giving up sexual moralities. This precisely pertains to what we have in Hadith; that says true would be considered false, and false would be considered true. This has happened in the West, and the news and media empire is working against morality, and modesty with all the power they have, using all their capacity which— with the social networks and the internet—are a thousand times more [influential] than what used to be 15 or 20 years ago. January 21, 2015

Speech

Leader's Speech in Meeting with Iranian Champions and Athletes in Asian Games

The following is the full text of the speech delivered on January 21, 2015 by Ayatollah Khamenei, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, in a meeting with Iranian champions and athletes in Asian Games and Para Games.

Leader Meets with President of Venezuela

Leader's Speech in Meeting with Officials and Participants of Conference on Islamic Unity

Who is the real enemy?

This is the responsibility of everyone. Today, all Muslims throughout the world should think about the Islamic Ummah and Islamic unity. If we think of the Islamic Ummah, the interests of our countries will be safeguarded as well. The interest of the enemy lies in separating us from one another. His interest lies in attacking one country and raising an army with the help of another country. His interest lies in this. We should not allow him to do this. Who is the enemy? The enemy is American capitalism and global arrogance which is headed today by America and the Zionists. The Zionist government in occupied Palestine is part of the dangerous group and the deadly cancer which the Zionists have created in the world. We should stand up against them. We should refer to Islam and Quranic texts in order to stand up against them.

When Muslims walk together

I deem it necessary to thank the government, people and different tribes of Iraq who made sacrifices, rendered services and showed greatness of character in this very important test. This year's Arbaeen of Karbala was an astonishing event. The enemies of Islam and Ahlul Bayt vainly thought that they had blocked the path of Muslims. Notice what a great movement was launched. When even bodies stay together, it has such a reflection. If we stay together, if Islamic governments and Muslim nations - whether Shia or Sunni or different denominations of Shia and Sunni - are honest with one another, if they are not suspicious of one another, if they do not insult and have malevolent intentions against one another, notice what will happen in the world and what great dignity will be brought about for Islam. Unity, unity!

Muslim should know their real enemies

This is the responsibility of everyone. Today, all Muslims throughout the world should think about the Islamic Ummah and Islamic unity. If we think of the Islamic Ummah, the interests of our countries will be safeguarded as well. The interest of the enemy lies in separating us from one another. His interest lies in attacking one country and raising an army with the help of another country. His interest lies in this. We should not allow him to do this. Who is the enemy? The enemy is American capitalism and global arrogance which is headed today by America and the Zionists. The Zionist government in occupied Palestine is part of the dangerous group and the deadly cancer which the Zionists have created in the world. We should stand up against them. We should refer to Islam and Quranic texts in order to stand up against them.

Be compassionate among yourselves

This is the meaning of the Holy Quran. It says about the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.), "Ardently anxious is he over you. To the believers is he most kind and merciful" [The Holy Quran, 9: 128]. He is kind to believers and "those who are with him are strong against unbelievers, but compassionate amongst each other" [The Holy Quran, 48: 29]. You should be strong against those who show enmity to you and who are your enemies. You should be firm against them. You should not be like a soft earthwork which the enemy can infiltrate easily. You should stand firm against the enemy, but you should be compassionate among yourselves. You should be honest with and kind to one another. Names should not be able to separate you. Geographical borders should not arouse hostility among you and they should not be able to pit nations against one another. This is one of the lessons of the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.). Today - which is the birthday anniversary of the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) - we should learn his lessons. Mere praise of that great personality is not the only thing that is expected of us today. We should learn his lessons. We should achieve what the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) was sent for. As I said, the primary thing in today's world of Islam is unity. I hope that Allah the Exalted helps us to succeed in doing what we say.

Iran has based it's foreign policy on brotherhood and friendly relationships

I have heard that some regional governments have based their foreign policy on confronting Iran. Why should they do this? This is against reason. This is against wisdom. This is an idiotic course of action. Why should someone make such a great mistake? On the contrary, we have based our foreign policy on camaraderie, brotherhood and friendly relationship with all Muslim and regional countries, whether those which are our neighbors and those which are not. This is our policy. We have acted in the same way until now and we will act in the same way in the future. Thankfully today, the people of Iran have gained such a deep awareness that they know the future interest of their country depends on Islamic unity with other Muslim nations and countries. Of course, some people are trying very hard to create obstacles in the way of this unity, to arouse suspicions and to temp the people, but our people have thankfully understood this today. The cry of our magnanimous Imam (r.a.) - both before the victory of the Revolution and after the formation of the Islamic government - about the issue of unity paid off and our people became aware.

Beware of Shia and Sunni mercenaries working at separating Muslims

Today, some elements both among Sunnis and Shias are working at separating Muslims from one another. If you trace these elements, you will see that all of them are connected to espionage and intelligence services of the enemies of Islam - not the enemies of Iran and Shia Muslims, rather the enemies of Islam. The kind of Shia which works with the MI6 of England and the kind of Sunni which is a mercenary of the CIA of America are neither Shia nor Sunni. Both of them are against Islam. It is 35 years now that we in the Islamic Republic are letting out this cry. We do not only speak, rather we act. The Islamic Republic's assistance to its Muslim brothers has mostly been given to Sunnis. We have stood beside the Palestinians. We have stood beside the religious people of regional countries because we know that today, the issue of unity is at the top of Islamic issues. I advise and I insist that well-known ulama, outstanding personalities and politicians of the world of Islam do not speak so much about discord and disunity. Some people in the world are spending money in order to promote Islamophobia and damage the reputation of Islam. And we ourselves are trying to damage one another's reputation and frighten people of one another. This is against wisdom and politics.

Leader's Speech in Meeting with People from the Holy City of Qom

The infernal espionage apparatus of SAVAK was created by the Zionists and the U.S.

One of the characteristic of that corrupt regime was dark dictatorship and suppression of the people with the cruelest methods. These methods may exist in other countries as well. We ourselves have witnessed up close what they did and how they behaved towards the people both during the time of Reza Khan - our fathers had witnessed it and they used to narrate it for us - and the recent era when we ourselves were in the middle of the arena. Of course, youth have not seen those days. There are many reliable sources about what they used to do to the people, revolutionary activists and those who even made a small criticism. They used to adopt extreme measures, torture the people, exert bizarre and strange pressures and put people in startling prisons. Some of these prisons exist today and people are greatly shocked when they go and visit them. This was one of the things that they used to do. They used to preserve their power by behaving in an oppressive and dictatorial way and by exerting pressures on the people. The people who claim to support human rights today and who constantly repeat these ignominious claims used to support them with all their power. We cannot say that they were not aware of their oppressive measures. They were completely aware of them. It was the Zionists, the Americans and the CIA that created the hellish SAVAK. It was they who taught them their methods. How could they not know about it? Recently, it has become clear that they themselves have faced great problems because of these organizations. How can we add together the recent revelations about the behavior of the intelligence service of America towards its opponents and the statements that they make about freedom of expression, liberalism, democracy and attention to people's opinions? It is a strange world. This was one of the characteristics of that malevolent regime in our country: adopting extreme measures and showing utmost cruelty towards anyone who made the slightest criticism. The second characteristic was their humiliating dependence on foreign powers Jan 7, 2015

One of the main characteristics of the Pahlavi regime was ignoring the people

Ignore the people. This was one of the most important characteristics of the taghuti regime. The people were not seen at all. During our youth in the previous regime, we never participated in an election, nor did we witness this from the people on the streets. This is because there was no election. Sometimes overtly and sometimes less overtly, they acted on their own. That is to say, they used to elect a bunch of mercenaries and through them, they made their own decisions in the Majlis and in the Senate. The people did not at all know who was in charge of affairs. There was no relationship between the people and the government. The political awareness that exists among the people today is the exact opposite of what existed in those days. That malevolent regime was completely separate from the people.