Statements of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution in Meeting with Officials of the System and Ambassadors of Islamic Countries

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

I congratulate the great Islamic Ummah, the entire Islamic world, the devoted and intelligent nation of Iran, and you esteemed attendees and high-ranking officials of the country, as well as our ambassadors and guests from Islamic countries on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr.

In the supplication of the Qunoot of the Eid al-Fitr prayer, we read: "I ask You by the right of this day which You have made an Eid for the Muslims"; this day has been designated by God the Almighty as a celebration for Muslims; it is a day that is always memorable for Muslims: the gathering of people, the acquaintance of people with one another, and the renewal of the day and life. Following this phrase, we read: "And for Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) is a treasure, honor, dignity, and increase"; for the Prophet, it is a source of increase and expansion of his spiritual legacy. When can we, the Islamic Ummah, truly celebrate this day for ourselves and make it a source of honor and pride for our esteemed Prophet? It is when we pay attention to the gesture of the Prophet and act accordingly.

Islam encompasses all aspects of life and has a prescription, remedy, solution, and relief for every part of human life's great tasks; however, today among the various pains of Muslims, what is greater than all and the mother of all other pains is the division among Muslims. We Muslims do not act according to the advice of our great Prophet: "And do not be like those who divided and disagreed" or this recommendation: "And hold fast to the rope of God all together and do not be divided"; the weakness of the Islamic world is due to this division. Today, the factor that continues the weakness of Muslims is their division. In every era, there have been diseases. In this era, the main disease is the lack of unity among Muslims. You see that the center of global arrogance openly and explicitly positions itself against Islam. The opponent is Islam. They are opposed to and against Islam; because they know that Islam, with one-fifth of the world's population and presence in one of the most sensitive regions of the world - which is this Muslim region - and with vast wealth and resources, and with a deep and ancient scientific and spiritual heritage, can potentially gather its resources to form a powerful, wealthy, and independent entity. And today, for the global arrogance, the existence of a wealthy, powerful, and independent entity is intolerable; no other reason is needed.

If the Islamic Ummah makes good use of its oil, its human resources, its markets, its knowledge, and its various material and spiritual resources, the powerful and dominating forces of the world cannot bully it in this way. You see how blatant and obvious the bullying of the world of arrogance is regarding the Palestinian nation. A nation in its own land is defeated by the usurpers of that land; and with the atrocities committed by them: human rights are trampled, lives are lost, the means of living are taken away from people in this land, their homes are destroyed, their farms are devastated, their trade is blocked, their talents are suppressed, they are not given the opportunity to grow and progress, and constantly their youth, men, and women are killed, while some from the world of arrogance openly support these actions, and some remain silent; the Islamic world has become a spectator; a seemingly neutral spectator! This is a great calamity for the Islamic world. The cause is this weakness of the Islamic world and this division within the Islamic world. We must believe that the extension of our power lies among this vast population of Muslims and in the heart of this great Islamic Ummah; we must believe this. They incite us against one another, distract us with various titles, sow distrust among us, instigate sectarian disputes, provoke ethnic conflicts, and territorial disputes; they occupy us and take advantage of our division; this is our greatest calamity today; our greatest affliction.

They occupied Iraq and insulted its people, both men and women; they trampled the dignity of these people; they disregarded the honor of these people; they harmed their religion and world. Look at what they have done and are doing in Fallujah, Mosul, Najaf, Karbala, and other parts of this ancient country. The Islamic world stands by and watches; it silently allows this to happen! Why? Out of fear. Governments, instead of fearing God, instead of fearing their own internal weaknesses, are intimidated by the bullies! We can; we can.

Today, the policy of the world of arrogance is to target Islamic countries; one after another. Any Islamic country that shows weakness will be devoured; it will be destroyed. They raise the issue of human rights, they raise political issues, they raise issues such as nuclear technology.

If today they have challenged Iran over the issue of nuclear technology, tomorrow they can find the same excuse and similar excuses in all Islamic countries; however, the Iranian nation stands firm. We have a living nation; we thank God. We do not claim that we have become very close to Islam or that we fully act according to Islam; no, this is a grand claim; but this one step we have taken towards Islam has brought Islam to our aid; Islam has given us courage; Islam has granted us unity; Islam has empowered us; Islam has warmed the hearts of our nation; it has brought their hearts closer together and created strength and resilience within them; it has revived the desire for dignity among them. Our nation is no longer willing to be humiliated. In the face of the enemy, we must stand firm with these characteristics and relying on these pillars.

Let us pray and ask God the Almighty to bring our hearts and the hearts of the Islamic Ummah closer together; to eliminate the plots of the enemies in sowing distrust and suspicion among us, by His grace and kindness; to awaken us. If we take steps in this direction, the Islamic world will regain its power. We have many resources. This Eid al-Fitr is one of our resources; Hajj is one of our resources; Eid al-Adha is one of our resources; these great gatherings, these verses of the Quran that are recited among us in all Islamic horizons, are our resources; we must make use of them.

I tell you, the officials of the country, to appreciate this nation. We have a very good and great nation; this nation has many rights over everyone; especially over us officials. We bear the burden of commitment to serve this people. Work for the people; serve the people; with sincerity, with all your strength, with all your intellectual and practical capacity. These people are precious; they are a great nation. Our nation is a history-maker; this nation is advancing this history in this very important path, at this sensitive point.

O Lord! Unite our pure Imam's spirit with the saints who guided us on this path and set us on this course. O Lord! Bestow Your grace and favor upon our martyrs, our self-sacrificing individuals, our fighting and devoted men and women who have spent their lives and capabilities in the long course of God and Islam; convey our greetings to the Awaited Savior (may our souls be sacrificed for him); make us among the soldiers of that Master.

Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings.