Khamenei.ir

MEK: When terrorists are armed, funded and respected

They supported the terrorists who killed our men, women, and children. They supported the terrorists who killed our great religious scholars and young children. They allowed these terrorists to continue their activities from inside their country.

Elections are the great investment of the Iranian nation

Elections are one of the foundations of our government. Religious democracy cannot be practiced with words only. Religious democracy is only possible through public participation, public determination, and rational and emotional engagement of the public in the developments that occur in the country. And that would be impossible unless there are appropriate nationwide elections and broad public participation. This democracy is the secret behind the constancy of the Iranian nation. The fact that you did not fear the threats of the superpowers in the last thirty years, the fact that the superpowers could not go beyond simple threats and deal you any severe blows, and the fact that the youth of this country demonstrated the necessary courage and sincerity to enter various arenas are all due to religious democracy. We must truly appreciate this. Elections are the great investment of the Iranian nation.

Leader Demands Genuine Change in US Policies

Leader’s Speech in Mashhad

Leader's New Year Message

The issue of Palestine is an issue of Islam regardless of being Arab or non-Arab

Two months ago the Muslim Ummah gained another victory - that is, the victory of the Palestinian Resistance Movement over their Zionist enemies in Gaza. That was a great and glorious victory. What victory can be more impressive than defeating a powerful army that had managed to defeat three powerful armies between 1967and 1973? What could be more impressive than 22 days of futile efforts of a powerful army against the resisting youth and persistent soldiers of Gaza? The Zionist army was forced to retreat empty-handed. In addition, the Zionist regime and its supporters, especially the US, were disgraced in the world. They were publicly disgraced. That was a great victory for all Muslims. It led Muslims to a kind of unity. This time they could not resort to the Shia-Sunni conflict. They brought up the issue of ethnicity this time. They started a debate, arguing that the Palestinian issue was an Arab issue and that non-Arabs had no right to get involved in the issue. The Palestinian issue is an Islamic issue. It is not peculiar to Arabs or non-Arabs. If ethnicity was dragged into the matters of importance to the world of Islam, the greatest source of discord would be created. When ethnicity is dragged into the matters of importance to the world of Islam, Arabs, Iranians, Turks, Kurds, Indonesians, Malaysians, Pakistanis, and Indians will have to be separate from one another. What will remain of the Muslim Ummah if such a thing happens? Is it not a disaster for the Muslim Ummah and its collective capabilities? These are the machinations of arrogant powers and, unfortunately, some people in the world of Islam have fallen for these machinations. They do not want to let the sweet memory of the victories in Lebanon and Gaza remain in the minds of Muslims. They found that situation unpleasant and, therefore, they thought up a source of discord to separate Muslims from one another.

The reason the 12th through the 17th of Rabi' al-Awwal was named the Week of Unity

As the members of the Muslim Ummah, we have been presented with this great blessing and we must make use of it. We must enlighten our hearts, faith, thoughts, and lives through the blessing of this holy religion. We must enlighten our world. Islam is a source of light and insight. We can get close to it and benefit from it. That is the responsibility of all Muslims. Unity, which is among the greatest and the most important duties of all Muslims, is one of the issues that I will stress today. The week leading to Rabi al-Awwal 12 was named as Unity Week at the beginning of the Revolution. That was because according to famous traditions narrated by our Sunni brothers, Rabi al-Awwal 12 marks the birth anniversary of the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.). But according to famous traditions narrated by the Shia, the Prophet's birth anniversary falls on Rabi al-Awwal 17. At the beginning of the Islamic Revolution, the Iranian nation and government officials named the period between these two dates as Unity Week. They wanted Unity Week to be a symbolic representation of unity among Muslims. But it is not enough to choose names and talk about things. We must engage in action. We must move towards unity. The world of Islam is in need of unity today. There will be obstacles and sources of discord, but we must overcome these obstacles. All great aspirations require serious efforts. No great aspiration can be achieved in the absence of serious efforts. Unity among Muslims is not an exception: It requires efforts. It is our duty to make efforts to create unity in the world of Islam. This unity can solve many problems. It can bring about glory for Muslim nations and communities. Consider the current situation of the Muslim countries in the world.

When the Prophet (pbuh) was born, what intellectual disasters was the Arabian Peninsula suffering from?

The Commander of the Faithful (a.s.) has described in many parts of Nahj al-Balagha the time before the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) was born. Specifically, he said, "the world lost its light and pride appeared." There was no light for humanity. People lived in a dark era. Ignorance, rebellion, and misguided beliefs - whose manifestations were most obvious where the Prophet (s.w.a.) was born and subsequently chosen as the Prophet of Islam, Jaziratul Arab [Arab Island] - pervaded the lives of the people. All the manifestations of darkness and misguided beliefs were represented in one form or another in Mecca and Jaziratul Arab. Misguided beliefs, polytheism that brings humiliation on mankind, savage social behavior, and brutal actions were examples of the norms at the time the Prophet (s.w.a.) was born and chosen as the Prophet of Islam. "And when the birth of a daughter is announced to one of them, his face becomes black and he is full of wrath. He hides himself from the people because of the evil of what is announced to him. Shall he keep it with disgrace or bury it (alive) in the dust? Now surely evil is what they judge!" [The Holy Quran, 16: 58-59]. That is an example of human morality at the time the Prophet (s.w.a.) was born and chosen as the Prophet. "And then there was guidance from misguided beliefs and light from darkness." Mankind was blind, but the Prophet (s.w.a.) made it see. Darkness pervaded the world until the Prophet (s.w.a.) enlightened it. That is the significance of the Prophet's (s.w.a.) birth and being chosen as the Prophet of Islam. Not only Muslims, but all humanity has benefited from this divine blessing.

The miracles that took place at the time of the birth of Muhammad (p.b.u.h.)

The birth of the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) is not just a historical reality. It was an event that determined the path of humanity. The phenomena that took place at the time of his birth and were recorded in history are a clear sign pointing to the significance and reality of this event. According to some traditions, the birth of the Holy Prophet of Islam (s.w.a.) was a setback for all manifestations of atheism and polytheism throughout the world. The Zoroastrian Temple of Fars, which had kept its fire alight for a thousand years, went out when the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) was born. Idols collapsed in temples, leaving the servants of the temples wondering what was happening. That was the symbolic blow that the Prophet's (s.w.a.) birth dealt to atheism, polytheism, and materialism. In addition, the castles of the oppressive kings of the polytheistic Persian Empire were shaken. The battlements - fourteen battlements - of the Castle of Madaen collapsed. That was another clear sign pointing to the fact that the Holy Prophet's (s.w.a.) birth was a preface to fighting evil in the world. This birth had a spiritual as well as a practical aspect to it - that is, moral, intellectual, and social guidance of humanity. Fighting oppression, uncontrolled passions, and unlawful rule of oppressors over people were all the symbolic meanings of the Prophet's (s.w.a.) birth.

Leader's Address on the Holy Prophet's Birth Anniversary

Leader Urges Muslims to Create Unity

Iranian Nation and Officials Optimistic About Future

Leader Meets with OIC Secretary General

Leader Meets with President of Tajikistan

Leader Meets with Pakistani President

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Khamenei met this afternoon with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari. In this meeting, His Eminence referred to the strong cultural and historical ties between the two countries and said that the cordial relations between the Iranian and Pakistani nations are the main cause of the expansion of ties between the two countries.

Leader Meets with President of Azerbaijan

Leader Meets with Turkish President

Providing all-inclusive assistance to Palestinians and thoroughly supporting them is kafa’i obligation for Muslims

Our great community, with the blessing of the Islamic awakening, possesses tremendous power. The key to the solution of many of the problems of the Muslim countries lies in resoluteness and solidarity. The question of Palestine is the most urgent problem of the Islamic world. At times some people are heard to say that Palestine is an Arab problem. What does that mean? If it means that there is a stronger feeling of consanguinity among the Arabs, who are willing to offer Palestine a greater service and do more struggle for its sake, that is something desirable and we welcome it. But if it means that the heads of some Arab countries should refuse to pay any heed to the cries of help of the Palestinian people which are addressed to all Muslims, if it means that they may collaborate with the ruthless usurper enemy in such an important case as the tragedy of Gaza while loudly condemning others who cannot remain indifferent to their call of duty to help Gaza- then no proud and conscientious Muslim or Arab will accept it, nor spare the speaker of disapproval and reproach. It is the same as the logic of Akhzam, who used to beat his father and chide others for interfering. After him, his son would assault the grandfather with his fists. The fable is the source of an Arabic proverb. (Which means: My sons have left me covered with blood, a custom that I know was laid down by Akhzam) Offering a multi-faceted assistance to the people of Palestine and complete support is a joint duty of all Muslims. The governments which criticize the Islamic Republic of Iran and some other Muslim countries for assisting Palestine should come forward to bear the burden of such support so that others are relieved of this Islamic duty. But if they lack the ability and courage to do so, instead of criticism and causing hindrance, they should appreciate the dutiful and courageous steps taken by others.

Palestine will regain its Islamic-Arabic identity

A big fallacy which has taken control of the minds of some persons concerning the problem of Palestine is that a country named Israel is a 60-year old reality with which one has to reconcile. I do not know why these people do not learn from other realities that are in front of their eyes. Is it not a fact that the countries of the Balkans, Caucasus, and Southwest Asia reclaimed their identity after 80 years of loss, and after being parts of the former Soviet Union? Why cannot Palestine, which is part of the body of the Islamic world, reclaim its Islamic and Arab identity? Why cannot the Palestinian youths, who are among the most astute and resistant of Arab youth, overcome this unjust reality by their will and resolution? Another big fallacy is to say that negotiation is the only means of deliverance for the Palestinian nation. With whom are these negotiations to be held? With a usurper, misguided and bullying regime which does not believe in anything except force? What have those who have been captivated with this game and delusion achieved? Firstly, what they obtained from the Zionists in the form of the Palestinian Authority- its humiliating and disgraceful character aside- was at the enormous cost of having to recognize the ownership of the usurper regime over nearly the entire Palestine. Secondly, even that partial and fake authority was at times trampled underfoot by the Zionists under flimsy excuses. The siege of Yasser Arafat in his administrative building in Ramallah and numerous forms of humiliation he was made to suffer are not events that can be forgotten. Thirdly, during Arafat's days and especially after him, they have treated the officials of the autonomous Authority as police-station chiefs whose duty was to prosecute and arrest Palestinian combatants and to keep them under intelligence and police surveillance, thus spreading seeds of enmity among Palestinian groups and prompting them to wage war against one another. Fourthly, even that puny achievement was the fruit of the struggle of Palestinian combatants and resistance of its proud men and indomitable women. Had the Intifada not occurred, the Zionists would not have given them even this little, despite the successive compromises made by the conventional Palestinian leaders. Or shall it be negotiations with the United States and Britain, who are guilty of the biggest sin in creating and sustaining this malignant tumor, and who moreover, are one of the parties to the dispute and not arbiters? The United States government has never ceased its unconditional support for the Zionist regime and its flagrant crimes, such as those committed during the recent events in Gaza.

The Leader’s View of Justice

Leader’s Inaugural Address to the Fourth International Conference for Support of Palestine

The deliverance of Palestine cannot be obtained through begging from the United Nations or the dominating powers, and more so from the usurper regime. The sole path of its deliverance is through resistance and fortitude, through the unity of purpose of the Palestinians and the word of God's oneness (Tawhid), which is the inexhaustible resource for human struggle.

Security Council is a tool used by oppressive world powers to further their domination

It was a day when the Security Council promptly and officially recognized the occupation of Palestine by usurping [Zionist] terrorist groups and played a basic role in the birth and continuation of this historic injustice. After that, for several decades, it maintained a satisfied silence with regard to the cases of genocide, expulsion of refugees, war crimes and various atrocities committed by that regime. Even when the General Assembly voted branding Zionism as a racist ideology, the Security Council not only did not go along but also maintained practically a diametrically opposite stand. The oppressive world powers, which enjoy permanent membership in the Security Council, use this world body as an instrument. As a result, the Security Council not only does not help the cause of world security, but also rallies to the assistance of these powers whenever they deploy notions such as human rights, democracy and the like as pretexts to further their greed and domination.

Leader Meets with Nabih Berri

The Leader’s View of the Press

The Leader’s View of Islamic Civilization

Leader Urges Fulfillment of Bilateral Agreements

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Khamenei met today with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani and his accompanying delegation. In this meeting, Ayatollah Khamenei referred to the strong cultural, historical, and religious ties between the Iranian and the Iraqi nations and reiterated that strengthening the ties between the two countries on various fronts and the fulfillment of bilateral agreements are necessary for the expansion of the ties between Iran and Iraq.

The Leader’s View of Jihad

Leader Meets People of East Azarbaijan

Ayatollah Khamenei the Leader of the Islamic Revolution met this morning with thousands of revolutionary and faithful people of East Azarbaijan. Speaking at the meeting, the Leader described vigilance, deep understanding of the importance of events and situations, and appropriate and courageous actions as the great lessons that Arba'een holds for all people. He further added: "The Iranian nation understands the current critical situation and is extremely vigilant against the enemies who try to take Islamic values and the revolutionary spirit away from the Islamic Republic."

Why did Lady Zeinab (sa) insist they go to Karbala upon returning from Shaam?

The late Sayyid Ibn Tawus and other luminaries have maintained that when the captives - namely, Zeinab (s.a.) and the others - entered the desert of Karbala on Arba'een, Jabir Ibn Abdullah Ansari and Atiyyah Oofi were not the only people there. Some people from the Bani Hashem tribe and some of the companions of Imam Hussein (a.s.) had gathered at his shrine to welcome Zeinab (s.a.). Maybe that was why Zeinab insisted that they go to Karbala on their return from Shaam: She wanted this small but important gathering to be formed there. Some scholars have argued that they could not have made it to Karbala by Arba'een. The late Ayatollah Ghazi has explained in detail in one of his works how it was possible for them to arrive in Karbala by Arba'een.

The first revolt took place during Arba'een

Arba'een, which took place after the Battle of Karbala, was only a start. That event marked the beginning. After the great tragedy in Karbala and the sacrifice that Imam Hussein (a.s.), his companions, and his family members made, those who were taken captive had to propagate the message of Karbala. The sermons and disclosures of Zeinab (s.a.) and Imam Sajjad (a.s.) had to act like a powerful medium and propagate the thought, goals, and positions of the martyrs of Karbala. That was what happened later on... Many people - who had listened to Zeinab (s.a.) or Imam Sajjad in Kufa and Shaam -found out a lot of things when they saw the conditions of the captives of Karbala. But they did not have enough courage or capabilities to stand up to the oppressive and arrogant government of the time and show what they had found out. Believers suppressed their feelings. Arba'een provided the first outlet for the suppressed truth and feelings. The first revolt took place on Arba'een.