The Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei received the cultural and executive officials in charge of the hajj pilgrimage on Wednesday, November 14.
In an address to the audience, the Leader stressed that Islamic unity and solidarity should form the pivot of the hajj pilgrimage this year. He pointed out that harmony and unanimity constitute the most important requirement of the Islamic world at the present age.
"All Muslims, including the country hosting the hajj pilgrimage, and the pilgrims from different countries and in particular the Iranian pilgrims should make every effort to promote Islamic unity and solidarity and remove the ground for the emergence of any kind of discord and schism," The Leader remarked.
Ayatollah Khamenei described the hajj pilgrimage as a divine gift and elaborated on the international aspects of this obligatory act in Islam. He noted that the hajj season provides Muslims with a unique opportunity for getting familiar with each other's thoughts and opinions and exploring the problems of the Islamic world and exchanging views about solutions to those problems.
Further in his statements, the Leader of the Islamic Republic touched on the attempts that are being made by the enemies of Islam to foment discord and division among Muslims.
"The attempts and propaganda of the enemies, especially those targeting the Islamic Republic of Iran, have so far proved to be futile because the Islamic Republic of Iran has extended the greatest support to the Sunni brethren in Palestine and made every effort to promote unity between Shia and Sunni Muslims in Iraq. Besides, inside the country also Shia and Sunni brethren are living together in harmony and affinity," the Leader observed.
Ayatollah Khamenei also underlined the need for vigilance in the face of the plots that are being hatched by the enemies of Islam.
"During the hajj season this year, the issue of Islamic unity and solidarity should receive serious attention, and the host country is also expected to translate its same views about the need for Islamic unity and elimination of any ground for discord into action," Ayatollah Khamenei stated.
Elsewhere in his remarks, the Leader of the Islamic Republic called on the Iranian hajj pilgrims to avoid any action during the hajj season that would be injurious to Islamic unity and solidarity.
"Hurting the religious sentiments of other Muslims and fomenting discord is a sin, and those doing so are in fact furthering the goals of the espionage services of the United States and the Zionist regime, and they will also be called to account by Almighty Allah for doing so," the Leader pointed out.
In conclusion, Ayatollah Khamenei expressed his appreciation for the sincere efforts made by the caretaker of the Iranian hajj pilgrims and the director of the Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization.
At the beginning of the meeting, the Leader's representative for the hajj affairs and caretaker of the Iranian hajj pilgrims Hojjatoleslam Mohammad Mohammadi-Rayshahri referred to the formation of a strategic hajj council, and he presented a report about the measures that have been taken by the council over the past year.