In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
All praise is due to God, Lord of the Worlds, and may peace and greetings be upon our Master, Muhammad, his pure Progeny, his chosen companions, and those who follow them in goodness until the Day of Judgment.
It is very interesting, pleasant, and beautiful for me to witness this gathering that is being held here today in the blessed name of the Holy Prophet. In the past, there were times when I had gatherings with our Sunni brothers, especially the ulama [religious scholars] from Baluchestan with whom I’ve been acquainted for a long time. However, it’s been a while since I’ve had the opportunity to meet with such a group. Praise God, you are present here today.
I’ve been in touch and friends with some of these gentlemen, such as Mr. Mowlavi Abdul-Rahman, Mr. Mowlavi Sadati, Mr. Mollaqadir — who isn’t present today — as well as Mr. Mowlavi Abdul-Samad. Some of these friendships date back to the time I was in exile in Iranshahr, while other friendships began in the early days of the Revolution. Praise God, those present in this gathering here today are some of the most distinguished Sunni figures in our country. Your statements were very good and accurate. May God help all of us move forward on the path toward Islam's noble goals.
One issue I find particularly important is the concept of “Islamic Ummah.” For years, I have intentionally been emphasizing the term “Islamic Ummah” so that we don’t forget that we are one nation. Yes, some of us are Iranian, some Iraqi, some Syrian, and so on. However, these borders don’t change the reality of the Islamic Ummah. The enemies of Islam have always tried to make us indifferent with regard to our shared identity as an Islamic Ummah. I cannot consider myself to be a Muslim if I am oblivious to the suffering that a Muslim is enduring in Myanmar, Gaza, India, or any other place. That’s impossible. It contradicts Islamic teachings and principles. You may not be able to personally do something to help those people, but empathy and compassion are realities that must exist.
My efforts, and particularly the commitment I feel on issues pertaining to Shia and Sunni matters and the issues that exist in the country, are to ensure that we don’t lose sight of the idea of “Islamic Ummah.” I request that you gentlemen repeat the term “Islamic Ummah” during the Friday prayers and in the large gatherings that are held in various sectors where prominent, distinguished figures of the Sunni community are involved. Do something for us to become aware and understand that in addition to being Iranians, we possess a higher, more important identity. And that [identity] is being Muslims and members of the Islamic Ummah. This is a fundamental point.
The second point is that this very gathering of tens of us seated here will undoubtedly elicit reactions from our enemies around the world. The mere act of us sitting together will compel some to react. They don’t want this [gathering] to take place. They don’t want religious differences to stop. Of course, the British have more experience in this regard, and the Americans have just recently learned from them.
We must understand that there are influential ideological, propagational, media, and economic factors that are at work to separate the Shia from the Sunni, both within our country and all over the world. In our country, such activities intensified significantly after the victory of the Revolution and became several times more than before the Revolution. Before the Revolution, our enemies were less active in this area within the country. After the Revolution, they found the motivation to exacerbate and create issues that would bring division. In their opinion, divisions based on religious beliefs were their best option. They provoke some people on one side to do things to aggravate the other side, to insult them, and to offend them. They also encourage some people on the other side to do the same toward this side. Such conflicts exist. Now that these conflicts exist, the solution is for us to focus on unity.
Unity, as he mentioned, is not a tactic. It is one of the fundamental principles of Islam. Unity is spoken of in the Quran. God states, "Hold fast, all together, to the rope of Allah, and do not be divided" (Quran 3:103). This is very important. This means that in holding fast to God’s rope, which is one of the most important tasks, you must work together. So there should be unity even in holding fast to the rope of God, which is manifest, for example, in Hajj and the Friday Prayers. So working together, even when it means holding fast to the rope of God, is emphasized in the Quran and the Islamic law. It seems this is highly significant.
Or [for example], in these verses of Surah Al-Hujurat, “If two groups of the believers fight one another, make peace between them. But if one party of them transgresses against the other, fight the one which transgresses until it submits to Allah’s command” (49:9). In other words, the issue of agreement and unity is so important that if someone transgresses [against the other], he/she must be fought against. That Muslim must be fought against in order to bring him/her back to unity. That’s how important unity is! These matters cannot be overlooked. Then it [the next verse] states, “Indeed, the believers are brothers. Therefore, make peace between your brothers” (49:10). This means that the issue of unity is a fundamental principle in the Quran, and we must not be neglectful with regard to it.
Some people stand in the way of unity, either knowingly or unknowingly. The common people on both sides do this unknowingly, while many of the elite do this knowingly. They must be confronted. They don’t understand. They don’t understand the harm that religious differences do to the Islamic world, to Islam itself, to the Islamic Ummah, and to each individual Muslim nation. One is surprised at how they fail to comprehend this concept.
They incite the other side. You see how a Takfiri movement emerges that attacks both Shia and Sunni religious scholars, including the Sheikhul-Islam of Sanandaj and Mawlavi Hussain Bur of Baluchestan. It doesn’t matter to them. They make no distinction between the Shia and the Sunnis. They show hostility toward anyone who advocates unity. So, that is enemy. We cannot overlook this fact.
Of course, I am truly grateful to God that, fortunately, the Sunni community throughout the country has resisted and fought back despite all the conspiracies and hostile moves that have existed. It was mentioned that we have 15,000 martyrs from the Sunni community, from both the time of the Sacred Defense and other periods in various places. [Sunni] religious scholars have been martyred. Many Sunni religious scholars were martyred on the path of truth and on the path of the Revolution. Our goal is the honor and dignity of the Islamic Ummah, and this can only be achieved through unity and solidarity. We must all strive to achieve this goal.
Today, in my opinion, it is definitely our duty to support the oppressed people of Gaza and Palestine. This is definitely one of the obligations that Almighty God will question us about on the Day of Judgment if we fail to fulfill this duty. Everyone should help in whatever way they can. One is able to provide financial assistance, another is able to provide weapons, another can provide political support, and others can speak in sermons or during Friday Prayers. If we neglect this duty, we will certainly be held accountable. May Almighty God bring honor to the Islamic Ummah.
I am very grateful to you, my dear brothers, for coming here today. I would also like to thank Mr. Mohammadian and his friends for organizing this gathering and providing me with the opportunity to meet with you here today. May God bring honor to the Islamic Ummah, God willing. May God bring the hearts of our Muslim brothers from different sects and faiths closer together day by day, God willing. May He help them to see the commonalities. We have so many things in common, but we don’t see them because we often focus on our differences. May God help us to put these things into practice, God willing.
May God’s greetings, mercy, and blessings be upon you.
