Meeting with Leaders of Afghan Jihadi Groups

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

As a fellow Muslim brother, I sincerely thank you, dear brothers, for the efforts and struggles you have undertaken, the hardships you have endured, and for these sincere gatherings and discussions you have held in pursuit of solutions for the great jihad of the Muslim nation of Afghanistan. I am very pleased to meet you. Anyone who participates in the Islamic jihad of a nation, in any way, holds a value. Today, thanks be to God, you are carrying out this jihad. God willing, may God support and grant success to all of you.

I would like to say just one sentence about your great jihad, and that is, if we want to seek and find the main secret of victory for Islamic nations, after all historical and sociological studies, we reach the conclusion that Muslim nations have no way to save themselves except by adhering to Islam. It is impossible for any Muslim nation to find its way and pass safely through the vast jungle of problems created by global arrogance without adhering to Islam. Iran was also saved by adhering to Islam. Now, if we Iranians want to continue this path—which is a very difficult path—God willing, to the last step with victory, we must hold on to our adherence to Islam with both hands and preserve it. Afghanistan also has no way but to adhere to Islam.

The Afghan nation is a Muslim nation; it makes no difference whether they are Shia or Sunni. Both Shia and Sunni are Muslims; they are devout and committed Muslims. That is, the adherence of the eastern world of Islam to Islam has always been greater than that of the western world of Islam. You see this adherence to Islam in parts of Asia—Iran, Afghanistan, and Turkestan—which you never observe in Africa—the western regions of the Islamic world. The Islamic world has never experienced such a thing.

Of course, this also has historical reasons. Look, sixty to seventy percent of the narrators and scholars of Islam, from the early days until now, belong to this eastern region. This is not a small thing. Some parts of this region have been familiar with Islam for eleven hundred years, some for twelve hundred years, and some for thirteen hundred years, and Islam is part of their culture. The Marxist government in the Turkestan region weakened for just two days, and you see what is happening in these few republics north of Khorasan and Afghanistan. For seventy to eighty years, the yoke of this dictatorial and Marxist regime was over those people; it loosened a little, and you see how Uzbekistan is, how Kyrgyzstan is, and so on.

Your people are also Muslims from the depths of their being. Political issues and the like are secondary. If you want to achieve victory, the people must follow you. If you want the people to follow you, the way is for the people to feel faith, sincerity, and purity in their leaders. Thanks be to God, these qualities are in you. You are people of religion and faith. Some of you are scholars, and some are not, but in any case, you are among those who have moved in the path of Islam. This feeling of faith in the leaders must be at the highest level among the people, so that no suspicion arises. There should be no suspicion of political maneuvering. If the people see this, they will follow you. Your reliance will not only be on your armed forces; the masses will move with you.

You need this attention and help from the masses. Your armed forces can only operate in the cities when the people are with them. The same is true in the villages. Tomorrow, God willing, when you are victorious and form a government, that will be your first headache. At that time, you can only confront the hostilities of your enemies if the people are with you. Your people will not give their hearts to anything or anyone else but faith. The main issue is this.

You must strengthen that comprehensive Islam, that pure faith, and that sincerity for God in those who cooperate and collaborate with you. Behaviors, words, and expressions must align with the Islamic line. In this case, of course, the people are with you.

One of the principles of Islam is the unity of Muslims and Islamic brotherhood. "And hold firmly to the rope of God." Common points must also be adhered to. In Afghanistan, there are indeed religious, sectarian, and ethnic differences. The ethnic groups of Afghanistan have often been in conflict with each other throughout the two hundred and fifty years of history that we know. In terms of ethnicity, Shia and Sunni have also had differences. We must digest all of these and only establish Islam among all these different groups and factions. At the forefront are you gentlemen—whether Shia or Sunni—each of whom, thanks be to God, has a following, and you must strive to establish an Islamic government and the rule of Islam in Afghanistan and should not be content or satisfied with anything less.

A secular government or a government neutral towards religion will not satisfy the people of Afghanistan. A few days may pass, but a bigger problem will arise. A government that states, powers, and major policies want to create is of no use. A government is formed, but it is not a stable government for which twelve years of struggle, jihad, and martyrdom are necessary—like the struggle of the Afghan nation, which is truly unparalleled. How many years did Vietnam fight against America? How many years did Algeria fight against France? You have fought more than these. The duration of the Afghan nation's struggle has been longer. Therefore, what is ultimately achieved must be commensurate with the period of struggle.

Another point is that global conditions are moving in a direction where the victory of Muslims in Afghanistan is certain and definite. Two years ago, we could not speak like this. Before the victory of the Islamic Revolution, I was friends with the Afghan fighters. When "Turki" staged a coup, I was exiled in Iranshahr. We heard about the incident, but we did not know what was happening because no news reached us. We only understood that an event had occurred in Afghanistan. We were interested in seeing what was happening there. That was the extent of our connections with Afghanistan. Of course, we later realized that they were communists, but it was not clear at first. Therefore, my emotional and heartfelt ties with Afghanistan and the Afghan brothers are very strong. From the past, when I was in Mashhad, I had these connections with the brothers.

Whenever I thought of the issue of Afghanistan, my heart ached for the oppression of the Afghan people, and I would say, what path do they have to victory? Because all the apparent paths were closed, and wherever we looked, it was a dead end. That demonic Marxist power, with all its forces and long-term goals, was not content with just Afghanistan. Its issue was strategic; reaching the southern waters. For two hundred years, Tsarist Russia and the Soviet Union collectively pursued this goal. Now they have taken a step forward from Afghanistan and are strengthening day by day. All these paths were apparently closed. When we thought of Iraq, we saw that it was easier than Afghanistan. When we thought of other countries, we saw it was easier. I always, whenever I thought of Afghanistan, my heart truly ached for this nation, and I would say: O Lord! Have mercy on these people who are fighting like this.

With divine grace and as a result of the struggles, faith, and sincerity of the people, all global calculations were disrupted. This is God's work. Who did this? Did you do it? Can anyone say I did this? It is absolutely impossible. This was done by the sincere and jihadist movement of the masses. Just as no one attributes the victory of the Islamic Revolution to themselves. Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified), with his greatness, whose personality and leadership were incomparable to any of the leaderships of today and yesterday, and who truly had the right to life over us, never attributed the victory to himself. If we analyze it, it was indeed the right thing. In truth, he was a divine instrument for the people. That great movement of the people and this sincerity and sacrifice brought about victory here as well. He himself has opened the paths in Afghanistan too; however, you are still one step away from the end of the path; this one step must also be taken in the same way. If in this one step, political maneuvering and various interferences come, this one step will not be taken. The God who could traverse hundreds of difficult steps in the blink of an eye can hold this one step for ten years. It is divine power. This too, its way is sincerity. This one step must also be taken with sincerity, sacrifice, unity, and brotherhood. No one should move with the intention of power. Everyone should move for God. Whatever they want to do, they should intend it for God. If this happens, God Almighty will take this one step in the best way.

We hope that God grants success. I am somewhat aware of these meetings and encounters and the negotiations of all of you gentlemen. Both Mr. Ebrahimi reported to us, and I have heard news from various places and am informed. What you have thought and moved, God willing, is blessed, and I hope it will be towards good and righteousness. May God help and not leave us and you to ourselves for a moment and not deprive us of His guidance and assistance.

Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings