Sabra & Shatila

The names of Sabra and Shatila have been written in history with the blood of oppressed Palestinian people

On this day the Zionist terrorists accompanied by Phalangist militias of Lebanon invaded two Palestinian refugees’ camps –Sabra and Shatila- located in the southwest of Beirut between the 16th and the 18th of September 1982. Ariel Sharon, Israel’s minister for military affairs in 1982, had overall responsibility for the Israeli forces, who controlled the area of the Sabra and Shatila camps and was in charge of this barbaric slaughter. In this heinous massacre, more than 3000 Palestinian and Lebanese innocent civilians were killed. The United Nations General Assembly condemned what happened, called it ‘an act of genocide’ and issued a resolution which was passed by 98 affirmative votes. The countries which make claims about advocating democracy and human rights abstained from voting on this resolution! The following are the statements of Imam Khamenei on this massacre.

Such names as Sabra and Shatila, Qana and Deir Yasin have been written in the history of our region with the blood of the oppressed Palestinian people. Aug 30, 2012


In the minds of the U.S. officials, the concept of terrorism is a mistaken concept. They interpret terrorism wrongfully; they interpret it in a manner so that the massacre of the people of Sabra and Shatila—which were two Palestinian camps – over one night, ordered by the same person who is at the head of the Zionist usurper regime today[Ariel Sharon], is not regarded as terrorism!

A few years earlier, a large group of Lebanese from Qana had gathered in front of the United Nations Headquarter in this country to protest, but Israeli helicopters came and killed several hundred people - including women, men, and children, hungry and thirsty individuals: they opened fire on them and killed all of them! The U.S. officials do not call this terrorism! They have come to Lebanon many times and kidnapped or killed people, but none of this is terrorism! The usurper Zionist regime officially approved, a month or two ago, that certain Palestinian figures must be assassinated – they even mentioned assassination – and they actually assassinated them; they exploded their car and killed many, but none of these is regarded terrorism! Meanwhile, the Palestinian people who rise up to defend their homeland and reclaim their rights, speak up and throw stones, having no other weapons, are terrorists! That's the rationale of the U.S. This is a wrong rationale and the world does not accept it.
They say we don't have good terrorists and bad terrorists; all terrorists are bad, but they actually divide terrorism into good terrorism and bad terrorism!
We do not consider the U.S. government to be truthful in the fight against terrorism. They are not honest and they are not telling the truth; they have other goals. We do not consider the United States competent to lead the global movement against terrorism. The U.S. has been complicit in all the crimes that the Zionist regime has committed in recent years.

Imam Khamenei, September 26, 2001