Khamenei.ir

Leader's Speech in Meeting with Presidents Participating in Norouz Festival

Leader: US Government Not in a Position to Talk About Democracy, Human Rights

Leader's Address at Imam Reza's (a.s.) Shrine

Leader’s New Year Message

The forests should be used wisely and appropriately

I plant a tree on my part; another person plants several trees and this way, the people plant thousands of trees: it would make a very good deed. But if on the other hand, the plant reserves of the country, the tree reserves of the country --which is a huge ancient fortune that is remaining for us-- are encroached on, this is a loss. Our pastures, our forests, are our huge vital reserves. The country should use the forests for everything. The forest is truly a great and renewable source of life. If the pastures and the forests are used wisely and properly, they will never end. It's not like oil reserves, which exist one day, and will be over another day. It is not like a gold mine which exists today, and one day it will finish; rather it will exist forever. It is always there. If we deal correctly and wisely with the plant reserves of the country - that is, the forests and the pastures - and consequently the urban gardens and the like—which are of secondary importance— they will always remain.

Caring for vegetation is not only a matter of providing food, rather it is about providing a habitat for humans

The tradition of planting trees is a very good tradition. My work of planting a tree is symbolic. I plant one tree, and it means that the young people-- who have much more strength than an old man like me, and are more enthusiastic-- should plant more trees; and dear people of our country should get used to the tradition of growing this means of life. Trees and plants are the manifestation of life; they are living and they also give life, and make the space for human beings and animals an appropriate living space. Paying attention to the plants is not just about providing food; it is about providing a vital habitat for humans. So plants are very important.

You should preserve the forests and protect them against encroachment

Unfortunately, the country and the people have suffered from the repercussions of encroachments on the forests and the pastures. The rangelands have been encroached on and devastated in various places, especially near the big cities; this must be prevented. Otherwise, all the efforts for creating green spaces across the country will be in vain, when a great number of old and fruitful trees are cut off--trees are important resources; we can use the wood of the trees of a forest without deteriorating the forest. It's not very beneficial for people to construct on the one hand and lose the main resources on the other hand; this matter needs to be taken care of. Planting trees is a lesson for us; so we understand the value of the existing trees. This sapling [we plant], is a small tree, with little effect. It might die before growing into a big tree. But the trees that are old, for instance, 100 or 200 years old, and the valuable trees of forests and woods must be preserved, and protected against encroachment.

Defending Palestine is a must for all Muslims

The enemies of the world of Islam have always tried to make maximum use of denominational, tribal, geographical and regional differences. And today, they are using modern instruments to fulfill their purpose. We should pay attention to this and we should awaken. They want to busy us with one another so that they can distract our attention from the main point. They want to pit Muslim ethnicities, nations and denominations - including Shia, Sunni and other Islamic denominations - against one another so that the issue of Israel will be forgotten. The issue of occupying Palestine should have made us get close to one another. But they are using it to make us drift away from one another. They create discord in the world of Islam and pit governments against one another by using the issue of Palestine. The issue of Palestine is a clear issue. There is no Islamic denomination that has any doubts about the fact that jihad is wajib for Muslims whenever an Islamic land is under attack. All Islamic denominations share this belief and there is no ground for disagreement on this matter. However, the enemies cast doubt on this matter which all Muslims believe in. They create division among Muslims, they provoke denominational and tribal prejudice and they fuel its fire so that they can freely pursue their goals.

Palestine, a big wound on the body of Islamic Ummah

Take a look at the conditions of Palestine in the present time. Palestine is only an example. Of course, it is a very important example, but the situation is not particular to Palestine. Take a look at Palestine and see that the Islamic Ummah suffers from a great wound which is the disaster that has befallen the great people and the historical and holy land of Palestine. What have they done to this land? What have they done to these people? What are they doing to them in the present time? Is the event of Gaza forgettable? Is it possible to erase it from the mind of the Islamic Ummah? The pressures, savage acts, cruelties and oppressions that have been committed against the people of Gaza continue to exist even after the 22-day war during which the Zionist government was defeated and failed to achieve its goals. But despite these crimes, the Islamic Ummah cannot defend them. The Islamic Ummah has faced this phenomenon as if it were not related to it. It behaves as though it were not its right to stand up against this usurpation. It behaves as though this oppression were not shown against it. Why are we like this? Why has the Islamic Ummah faced this situation? A dangerous and deadly cancer - namely, the fake Zionist and Israeli government - has been created by the enemies of Islam and the Islamic Ummah. Its supporters - who have collaborated with it in showing oppression and committing great sins - continue to support it while the Islamic Ummah cannot defend itself. This is our weakness. Why is that? We should make up for this weakness by returning to Islam and pivoting around the teachings of the Holy Prophet of Islam (s.w.a.).

Leader Meets Government Officials

Israel prevents Islamic countries from progressing

Today, Islamic countries form a very big group. They can exchange knowledge, wealth, experience and understanding among themselves. They can help one another to progress and they can reach peaks. The enemies have put this cancerous tumor in the middle of the arena and this way they have caused Islamic countries to drift away from one another. Of course, nations do not show enmity to one another. Unfortunately, it is the officials of countries who are to blame in some cases.

The Islamic unity and the issue of Palestine are the Islamic republic's main goal

We should be awake. This is what the Islamic Republic says. From the beginning of its formation, the Islamic Republic set these things as its main goals: promoting unity among Muslims, making their hearts get close to one another and pursuing the issue of Palestine. There are two points which Imam (may God bestow paradise on him) highlighted in his statements: one is the issue of unity among Muslims on all matters, decreasing intellectual and fiqhi differences of opinion and preventing such differences from causing enmity among Muslims, and another is pursuing the issue of Palestine. The Islamic Republic has stood by its claim and we are paying the price for it. Our people look at this issue as a wajib task and as a religious responsibility. They know that if this deadly and dangerous cancer is kicked out of the body of the Islamic community, many problems of Muslim societies will be solved and many alliances will be formed.

Freedom of Palestine unifies the Islamic Ummah

They want to busy us with one another so that they can distract our attention from the main point. They want to pit Muslim ethnicities, nations and denominations - including Shia, Sunni and other Islamic denominations - against one another so that the issue of Israel will be forgotten. The issue of occupying Palestine should have made us get close to one another. But they are using it to make us drift away from one another. They create discord in the world of Islam and pit governments against one another by using the issue of Palestine. The issue of Palestine is a clear issue. There is no Islamic denomination that has any doubts about the fact that jihad is wajib for Muslims whenever an Islamic land is under attack. All Islamic denominations share this belief and there is no ground for disagreement on this matter. However, the enemies cast doubt on this matter which all Muslims believe in. They create division among Muslims, they provoke denominational and tribal prejudice and they fuel its fire so that they can freely pursue their goals.

Separating Shia Islam from Sunni Islam is America's main goal

Today, it is the enemies of Islam who provoke discord. It is the Americans and the English who bring up the issue of Shia and Sunni. This is a source of disgrace for us. One of the matters that American, English and western analysts study and highlight is separating Sunni Islam from Shia Islam and pitting them against each other. The enemy wants to adopt this scheme and this has always been the case. The enemies of the world of Islam have always tried to make maximum use of denominational, tribal, geographical and regional differences. And today, they are using modern instruments to fulfill their purpose. We should pay attention to this and we should awaken.

Leader's Speech in Meeting with People and Officials on Holy Prophet's (s.w.a.) Birthday Ann

Leader Meets Participants of D-8 Summit

Leader Meets Cultural Attaches

Leader: IAEA Not Independent

The path to liberating Palestine is nothing but resistance

The path of Quds, the path of Palestine and the path of resolving the issue of Palestine is the path of fighting. As was pointed out by the gentlemen in this meeting, there is no other path for Palestine. I am happy to see that all of you agree with and believe in this issue. Those people who do not accept this path - whether knowingly or unknowingly - are delivering a blow to the issue of Palestine. If they are doing this knowingly, then this is called treachery. If they are doing it unknowingly, then this is called ignorance and negligence. In any case, it is a blow to the issue of Palestine. Such people are delivering a blow to the issue of Palestine. Palestine has no way other than resistance. The people of Palestine should say and want this and Islamic governments should echo it. Of course, many Arab governments dismally failed their test on the issue of Gaza and other issues before that. They failed dismally. Whenever there was a talk about the issue of Palestine, they said, "The issue of Palestine is the issue of Arabs". But when it was time for action, the issue of Palestine was completely removed from their equations. Instead of helping Palestine and the Palestinians, instead of helping their Arab brothers and instead of being committed to their Arabic principles - even if they do not believe in Islam - all of them left the arena. They failed dismally in this test and these things will be recorded in history. The negative consequences of this action are not particular to the afterlife. Rather, they will witness the consequences in this world as well, as God's assistance to you who are fighting is not particular to the afterlife.

The issue of Palestine is an issue to be concerned of by all Muslims

The issue of Gaza and Palestine is our issue. It is our Islamic issue. It is the issue of all Muslims and it is our responsibility. What we are doing is our responsibility and we do not ask anyone to thank us for this. We have carried out our responsibility and we ask Allah the Exalted to help us continue carrying out our responsibilities... Any Palestinian who stepped away from resistance suffered a loss. Israel is not honest in its request for peace. Even if it were honest, it would not have any right in Palestine and therefore, its request would be illegitimate. But Israel is not honest in its request for peace. Those people who took the path of negotiations were forced to accept the enemy's impositions. If they had turned away from the path of the enemy's impositions even for one moment, they would have been either eliminated or humiliated. You have witnessed both cases. They eliminated some and they humiliated and disowned the rest.

The issue of Palestine will be a source of disgrace for the U.S. for centuries to come

The issue of Gaza is not the issue of a small piece of land. The issue of Palestine is not only a geographical issue. It is the issue of humanity and human principles. Today, the issue of Palestine is a dividing line between commitment and hostility to human principles. This issue has such significance. Without a doubt, America will suffer a loss in this deal. These historical eras and these ten, twenty, thirty-year historical developments are like a moment and they will soon pass. But the history and future of America will definitely suffer a loss as a result of the movement that they launched in the past 50, 60 years with regards to the issue of Palestine. The issue of Palestine will be a source of disgrace for America for many years in the future. Palestine will be liberated. You should have no doubt about this. Palestine will definitely be liberated. It will be restored to the people of Palestine and a Palestinian government will be formed in this country. There is no doubt about this, but America's disgrace and notoriety will not disappear. They will continue to be disgraced. There is no doubt that a new Middle East will be formed based on the truths which Allah the Exalted has determined. This Middle East will be an Islamic Middle East.

All governments are responsible with regards to Palestine

The issue of Palestine is an Islamic issue. All peoples are responsible towards Palestine. All governments are responsible towards Palestine, whether Muslim or non-Muslim governments. Any government which claims to advocate humanity is responsible towards this issue. However, Muslims' responsibility in this regard is a heavier one. Islamic governments are responsible and they should carry out their responsibility on this issue. Any government which does not carry out its responsibility on the issue of Palestine will suffer a loss. This is because nations have awakened and they want governments to do such things. Therefore, governments have to give in to this issue and they have to surrender.

The biggest and most dreadful violation of human rights by West occurs in Gaza

Today, America and the west are lying in a blatant day on the issue of Palestine and many other issues. They are lying in a blatant way. They completely misinterpret a great disaster such as the disaster of Gaza in the 22-day war. I would like to remind you that we should pay attention to this issue. Today, Gaza and Palestine are an arena of disgrace for the west. The west with is claim to support human rights has ignored the greatest and the most disastrous violation of human rights in Gaza. Last year, westerners did not say a single word in favor and in defense of the people of Gaza for many days. Many days passed while we were listening carefully to see if any word in favor of the people of Gaza is uttered by the Europeans - let alone the Americans - by human rights organizations and by so-called defenders of freedom. But no word was uttered. They began to talk after the people in different countries raised their voices and held different processions and demonstrations and when the scandal heated up. However, it was just talking. The west did not show any support for the people of Gaza against such a great disaster which was taking place in front of everyone's eyes. And the west has continued to adopt the same positions until today. The United Nations disgraced itself. America was disgraced and it became even more disgraced. They did not show any support even after the Goldstone Report was released and everyone became aware of it. Today, the savage and criminal leaders of the Zionist regime should be put to trial and punished, but nothing is being done in this regard. No measure is being adopted. On the contrary, support for the usurping and fake Zionist regime is increasing even more than this. These things have brought shame on the west... I would tell you that today, the western civilization has been challenged on the issue of Palestine. Today, the claim of western liberal democracy has been questioned. This means that you in Palestine have brought down and dismissed this western claim which had survived for several centuries and with which the west used to rule over the entire world. Resistance - the one that you are showing - has such significance and greatness.

The only solution to the issue of Palestine is resistance and fighting

The only way to solve the issue of Palestine is resistance and fighting. This is correct, but this resistance and fighting is dependent on preserving the people's morale and hope and their presence on the scene. In my opinion, this is the greatest task that Palestinian groups, organizations and activists should carry out. The purpose of the pressures that are exerted on Gaza by both sides - whether by Zionists or by westerners - is to make the people turn away from resistance. The purpose of the pressures which are exerted on the West Bank - on the issue of Jewish settlements, on the issue of Quds, which was referred to by one of the friends in this meeting, on the issue of shocking and drastic measures, on the issue of the Israeli West Bank barrier and other such issues - is to make the people turn away from resistance and to submit. We should not allow this to happen. You should not allow this to happen. You should keep the people of Palestine and Gaza - these resistant and strong people - hopeful so that they know their great movement will produce results.

Leader Meets Leaders of Palestinian Resistance Groups

Leader's Inaugural Address in Meeting with Participants of Gaza Conference

Leader Meets Members of Assembly of Experts

Leader's Speech in Meeting with Members of Assembly of Experts

Leader: Iran Not After Nuclear Weapons

Leader: “Iranian Nation Delivered Crushing Response to Opponents of Islamic Republic”