Statements in Meeting with Interim President of Afghanistan and Afghan Mojahedin Leaders

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

I extend a warm welcome to all the esteemed gentlemen and dear brothers who are the honorable guests of the Islamic Republic and the Mojahedin in the path of God. I pray to Almighty God to bestow His grace and mercy upon these gatherings, discussions, and efforts in which you are engaged, and to bless them; for not only one nation, but the entire Islamic world is awaiting your actions.

Today, although in political circles and discussions among the world's politicians, the issue of Afghanistan is merely a political and intergovernmental matter; from the perspective of Muslim nations, it is an Islamic issue that is entirely connected to the fate of the Islamic world and the future of the international Islamic community.

What, thanks be to God, brings joy and happiness to all Muslims aware of the current issues in this region and Afghanistan, and especially to the people of Afghanistan and Iran, is that your struggles, after years of hardship and toil, have reached a temporary and phased result. It has been proven that a nation, even if alone, independent, and seemingly defenseless, if it engages in jihad, Almighty God will assist it and will disrupt global equations with His will — which indeed happened.

No one believed that the Afghan nation would be able to expel the forces that had entered Afghanistan with great numbers and firm resolve. No one but the Afghan nation could have accomplished this. If anyone, any government, or any policy claims to have been effective in such an endeavor, it is certainly an exaggeration. Only the will of the Afghan nation and its great and very arduous jihad have been effective.

If you had not engaged in jihad and if those difficult and deprived fronts had not struggled with such sacrifice, it would not have been possible for the enemy to leave Afghan soil. Of course, changes in policies within the Soviet Union were also effective, but what paved the way for policy changes was the jihad of the Afghan nation; otherwise, a nation that is like a lamb, submissive and obedient to enemies and occupiers, no one would decide to release it. It was your will and jihad that, thanks be to God, you succeeded.

I remember that during those difficult times, even the influential elements of the Afghan Mojahedin, when analyzing the situation, did not see a bright horizon. Although every believer, with faith in divine decree and judgment, generally believes that Almighty God will grant victory to the believers, in the case of Afghanistan, there was no apparent formula for this to happen; but you saw that victory was achieved. Today, too, you are moving towards final victory and must continue to do so.

What is important is that the same factors that helped you in those days to be able to struggle, are necessary today to help you choose the best path, make the strongest decision, and take the final step. The Afghan nation has not yet taken the final step, and it is a pity for a person to stop after reaching the gates of victory and not be able to achieve victory. If one sees a strong and skilled swimmer crossing the sea to reach the shore, but unfortunately, something happens to him one kilometer from the shore, it is very regrettable.

Today, I know your issues, and through political and usual channels and numerous negotiations I have had with most of you esteemed gentlemen — who are very close and old friends of mine — I am aware of them. Today, your problem is the issue of internal differences that must be resolved. The enemy desires that these differences become more inflamed day by day, and there are many excuses everywhere; especially in Afghanistan, where there are more excuses for differences than in some other places.

Although in our view, the difference between Shia and Sunni is not truly a difference; because they share the main principles of Islam — which if someone does not have, they are not a Muslim — that is, both sects believe in the same Qibla, the same God, the same Prophet, the same Quran, and the same Islamic laws and pillars; but you see how colonialism has, over time, created a means of discord by posing the issue of Shia and Sunni against each other — especially in lower circles and among the lower classes of people who are somewhat distant from knowledge and attention.

Before the revolution, we made great efforts in Iran to eliminate these differences, but the efforts were individual; however, after the revolution, the policy of the Islamic Republic was to create unity and understanding among brothers to prove to both sides, who see their differences as so deep and irreconcilable, that they are mistaken. Thanks be to God, despite all the pressure the enemy exerted, we succeeded within the country. You mostly do not know the details; but if these are written someday, then the fair-minded of the world will understand what we endured from colonial plots in these ten years to create unity, and they will realize the ways they entered to keep Muslim brothers against each other. We have always told the scholars of both sects, you who know that unity and solidarity are right, therefore you must convey this point to your people and the public. Of course, the sincere accepted and have influenced to the same extent.

Since I was previously in Khorasan, and this province borders Afghanistan, I had constant interactions and connections before the revolution. Additionally, through Afghan students residing in Mashhad, I have been aware of Afghanistan's hardships. Therefore, I know — and you also know well — that ethnic and religious prejudices and political tendencies are excuses for creating discord in Afghanistan. In any case, the enemy has many excuses for creating discord. These excuses must be overcome, and this requires a unified, divine, and prophetic resolve; just as the followers and supporters of the divine prophets truly entered the fields with firm determination.

The difficulty of these fields is no less than the difficulty of the field of jihad with rifles, machine guns, and anti-aircraft guns. It is a very challenging field that must be overcome. You are the leaders, elders, and guides of the people. You must work on this issue and, in addition to creating unity among the diverse people of different Afghan ethnicities with different sects and giving them the calming message of unity, strive to create the calming message of unity within the political apparatus and among political activists. If one side feels that their rights are being violated, they should let tolerance, compromise, and love for unity prevail over what they consider their right.

Everyone must strive to create unity. Of course, over the past few years — especially in the past year — we have repeatedly told the brothers based in Pakistan and Iran that Afghanistan will not be able to achieve its goal without the unity of groups and forces. If anyone thinks that by eliminating this group or that faction, they will be able to advance the work, they are mistaken. Today, the main problem is the problem of discord. The general and main goal must be to create unity. Everyone must help. Those who are greater must strive more, and those who are smaller must strive to achieve this unity, God willing.

Afghanistan is a pure Muslim country and nation with a long history in Islamic culture. The Afghan nation has a great right in the propagation of Islamic culture. The books of Hadith, Tafsir, Fiqh, history, and the like, which have been produced by Afghans over the centuries, are several times more than what the Maghreb Islamic countries have been able to produce. That is, the Islamic production of the Afghan nation is considered one of the first-class productions, which is very valuable. Therefore, the Afghan nation has a right in Islamic culture and heritage. A nation with these characteristics, whose country is an Islamic country, should naturally have an Islamic government.

Today, as you begin your work, you must see how you can ensure unity. Today, unity for you is both a tactic and a strategy and an Islamic principle, and it is always necessary for you. Today, if you want to look at issues very politically, unity is necessary for you. Of course, unity should not be viewed as a tactic; unity is an Islamic principle: "And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together". That is, holding firmly to the rope of Allah is necessary collectively and communally. Holding firmly to the rope of Allah cannot be done individually: "and do not be divided".

We hope that Almighty God will help you, dear Afghan brothers, to achieve the necessary breadth of heart, tolerance, and broad-mindedness that will help create unity. We have been and still are by your side.

One of the goals of the colonial loudspeakers is to create separation between brotherly nations. Discord is not only created among the members of one nation, but the plan of discord among nations, especially two nations like Afghanistan and Iran, whose issues are completely interconnected and any event that affects here will also affect there and vice versa, can have adverse effects.

Loudspeakers have tried and are trying to create separation between these two nations day by day; but even in the most difficult conditions, we did not prioritize any interest over the interest of defending Afghanistan. All of you know that Tehran was under missile attack, and every day and night, ten to fifteen missiles — or even more — would enter Tehran and explode, killing dozens of people and destroying houses. At that time, the solution was to smile at one side; but for the sake of divine satisfaction, we did not, and we endured those difficult conditions.

Before and after that, throughout the eight-year imposed war, a significant part of the hardships we endured was due to the firm and explicit stance we had on the issue of Afghanistan. That stance still exists today and has not changed at all. Today, too, we stand by the Afghan nation, its jihad, its unity, and its future Islamic government. If anyone wants to break this unity and create discord within, we will not feel brotherhood with them and will consider them the hand of Satan. Those whose words and actions are divisive, in our belief, are the agents of Satan. Brotherhood and Islam cannot be like this.

We hope that Almighty God will grant us and you success to see that the issue of Afghanistan is placed in its desired Islamic form and that your pure, sincere, and oppressed jihad has reached its final results. Once again, I thank you gentlemen for your kindness in coming here — which is your home. The people are also your brothers, and we are at your service.

Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings