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

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

Thanks be to God, the Lord of the worlds, and peace and blessings be upon our master and prophet, Abu al-Qasim al-Mustafa Muhammad, and upon his pure and infallible progeny and his chosen companions, and those who follow them with goodness until the Day of Judgment.

Congratulations to the Islamic Ummah, to the nation of Iran, to those present, to the guests and Muslim brothers, the ambassadors of Islamic countries, on this blessed Eid al-Fitr.

Truly, today the Islamic world needs points that connect them and create an active and efficient unit. Eid al-Fitr is one of those points. In the supplication we recite in the qunut of the Eid al-Fitr prayer, "and for Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) [as a] treasure and honor and [dignity and] increase," the phrase "increase" is a profound and meaningful statement; it means that this Eid al-Fitr causes the dignity of Islam, the dignity of the noble Messenger, to increase day by day; his religion, the path and method he presented to humanity, will expand and grow day by day. Eid al-Fitr has such a characteristic. When will this happen? That Eid al-Fitr in which people do not gather together, do not supplicate, do not speak with God, do not form a community, does not have this characteristic. We create Eid al-Fitr; we establish it as honor, increase, and blessing for Islam and Muslims; with our behavior, with the actions we take. If there is unity in the Islamic Ummah, if there is determination, if there is insight, Eid al-Fitr will truly be an increase.

Today, various events in the world are occurring with a dizzying speed; whether in our region or in other parts of the world. This rapidity of events necessitates that all those who consider themselves involved in world events or affected by these events follow them with speed and precision and determine their position; today this is the duty of Islamic governments. Islamic governments must think carefully about their nations, their friends, their enemies, and the events that lie ahead of them.

The Islamic world is a large world. We Muslims are both a large population and located in a sensitive geographical point in the world, and in terms of natural wealth, we are among the wealthy countries and groups of the world; if the Islamic world wants to take advantage of these sensitive positions, it needs a fundamental action, and that is unity; the unity of the Islamic world.

Unity does not mean that governments become one; it does not mean that they think alike in all political orientations. The meaning of the unity of the Islamic world is that, first and foremost, they recognize their common interests; they must first know what their common interests are. Let us not define our interests in such a way that it leads to differences, disputes, and conflicts among ourselves. The family of the Islamic world is one family, one collection; Islamic governments must think about this and move in this direction. The Islamic Republic extends its hand to all Islamic governments, considers itself a brother to them — as the President has just stated — and sees itself in a general and fundamental front with them. Let us cooperate, let us think together, let us maintain the unity of the Islamic world; in that case, the aggressive powers, the oppressive powers, the tyrannical powers will not be able to attack the Islamic world, to bully, to demand tribute. Unfortunately, today, tribute-seeking has become a common practice among the powers. Great powers demand tribute from weak countries, governments, and nations, and they state this explicitly. Let us not allow the Islamic world to face the tribute-seeking of America and its likes.

Let us defend the rights of the oppressed. Today, part of the Islamic world is severely wounded; Palestine is wounded, Lebanon is wounded. The crimes being committed in this region are unprecedented; we do not recall in the history we have either observed or read that in less than two years, about twenty thousand children have been killed in a military conflict! These are not jokes; the Islamic world must see these, recognize them, understand them, feel the pain of the Palestinian people, and consider itself obliged. [If] the Islamic world comes together, they can; it does not require war and military action; as long as there is unity and agreement, empathy, and a common language among Islamic governments, others will calculate their actions accordingly.

We hope that the Almighty God blesses this Eid al-Fitr for the entire Islamic Ummah and grants this determination, this motivation, this movement to the officials of Islamic countries so that they can truly form the Islamic Ummah.

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