Statements of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution in the Friday Prayer Sermons of Tehran

Sermon One In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful Thanks be to God, the Lord of the worlds. We praise Him, seek His help, ask for His forgiveness, and put our trust in Him. We send blessings and peace upon His beloved, chosen, and selected servant, the keeper of His secrets and the deliverer of His messages, the herald of His mercy and the warner of His wrath, our master and prophet, Abu al-Qasim al-Mustafa Muhammad, and upon his pure and chosen progeny, especially the Awaited One of God on earth, and upon the leaders of the Muslims, the protectors of the oppressed, and the guides of the believers. I invite and advise all dear brothers and sisters who have participated in this glorious prayer, as well as myself, to maintain piety and God-consciousness; for the purpose of fasting in the month of Ramadan, as stated in the verse of the Quran, is piety and the increase of this spiritual treasure within the human being. This month is the month of divine hospitality. God's reception of His servants in this month - which is a spiritual reception - consists of opening the doors of mercy and forgiveness and multiplying the rewards and merits of the good deeds that the servants perform in this month. Fasting in the month of Ramadan is one of the components of this great divine feast, which purifies the human soul and creates the grounds for the heart's purity of the faster. Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him) said in a sermon: "The month of purification and the month of testing"; Ramadan is the month of purification and the month of forgiveness; for the Almighty God grants forgiveness in this month more than in other days of the year. Thus, it has been narrated that "whoever is not forgiven in Ramadan, in which the doors of divine mercy are opened to humans, when will they attain such a favor?" One of the components of this divine feast and hospitality is Laylat al-Qadr (the Night of Decree); regarding the duties of Laylat al-Qadr, I would like to speak a little today in the first sermon. It is said, "Laylat al-Qadr is better than a thousand months"; the night known as Laylat al-Qadr, which is uncertain among several nights in the month of Ramadan, is superior and higher than a thousand months. In the precious hours of Laylat al-Qadr, the believing servant must make the utmost use of it. The best deeds on this night are supplication. Today, I will present some points about supplication to you, dear brothers and sisters. Reviving the night is for supplication, intercession, and remembrance. Prayer, which is one of the recommended acts on the nights of Qadr, is indeed a manifestation of supplication and remembrance. It has been narrated that supplication is "the essence of worship"; or, in our common expression, the spirit of worship is supplication. What is supplication? It is speaking with the Almighty God; it is feeling God close to oneself and sharing the heart's words with Him. Supplication is either a request, or praise and glorification, or an expression of love and devotion; all of these are supplication. Supplication is one of the most important actions of a believing servant and a person seeking righteousness, salvation, and success. Supplication plays such a role in purifying the soul. What are the benefits of supplication? When we speak with God, we feel Him close to us, we know Him as our addressee, and we converse with Him; these benefits are among the advantages and rewards of supplication. Keeping the remembrance of God alive in the heart dispels heedlessness - which is the mother of all deviations, errors, and corruptions of humanity, the heedlessness of God. Supplication dispels heedlessness from the heart of man; it reminds him of God and keeps the remembrance of God alive in the heart. The greatest loss that those deprived of supplication suffer is that the remembrance of God departs from their hearts. Forgetfulness and heedlessness of the Almighty God are very detrimental to humanity. Several verses in the Quran mention this and have extensive discussions. The second benefit of supplication is the strengthening and establishment of faith in the heart. The characteristic of supplication is that it stabilizes and establishes faith in the heart. A faith that is vulnerable in the face of worldly events and hardships, pleasures, and various states of humanity is at risk of being lost. You know people who had faith; however, in the face of worldly wealth, power, bodily pleasures, and heart's desires, they lost their faith. This is unstable and non-established faith. The characteristic of supplication is that it establishes and solidifies faith in the heart of man, and the risk of losing faith is eliminated through supplication and continuous attention to the Almighty God. The third benefit is the infusion of the spirit of sincerity into the human being. Speaking with God and seeing oneself close to Him gives a person the spirit of sincerity. Sincerity means doing work for God. All actions can be done for God. The good servants of God perform all their ordinary daily tasks with the intention of drawing closer to God. Some, however, cannot even perform the most devotional and closest acts - such as prayer - for God. Lack of sincerity is a great pain for humanity. Supplication breathes the spirit of sincerity into the human being. The fourth benefit of supplication is self-building and the growth of moral virtues in the human being. By turning to God and speaking with the Almighty God, one strengthens moral virtues within oneself; this is the natural and inherent quality of intimacy with the Lord; therefore, supplication becomes the ladder for the ascent of humanity towards perfection. Conversely, supplication dispels moral vices from humanity; it distances greed, arrogance, self-centeredness, enmity towards God's servants, weakness of soul, cowardice, and impatience from humanity. The fifth benefit of supplication is the creation of love for the Almighty God. Supplication revives love for the Almighty God in the heart. The manifestation of all beauty and goodness is the essence of the Almighty Lord. Supplication, intimacy, and conversation with the Almighty God create this love in the heart. The sixth benefit of supplication is the infusion of the spirit of hope into the human being. Supplication gives a person the power to resist life's challenges. Everyone faces events and challenges in their lifetime. Supplication provides a person with ability and strength and fortifies them against events; thus, in a narration, supplication is referred to as a weapon. It has been narrated from the noble Prophet that he said: "Shall I not guide you to a weapon that will save you from your enemies?"; "You call upon your Lord by night and day, for the weapon of the believer is supplication." In the face of events, attention to the Almighty God is like a sharp weapon in the hands of a believing person. Therefore, in the battlefield, the noble Prophet of Islam performed all necessary actions; he organized the army, lined up the soldiers, provided them with necessary resources, gave them essential recommendations, and exercised his command; but at the same time, he would kneel in the middle of the battlefield, raise his hands in supplication, plead, converse with the Almighty God, and ask Him. This connection with God fortifies the heart of man. Another benefit of supplication is the fulfillment of needs. One of the benefits of supplication is that the needs a person has are requested from the Almighty God, and God fulfills those needs. Of course, not all the properties of supplication are limited to this; this is just one among the other benefits of supplication. It is said: "Ask Allah for His bounty"; ask the Almighty God and seek your needs from Him. In the supplication of Abu Hamza al-Thumali, it is stated from Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him): "And it is not from Your attributes, O my Lord, to command asking and prevent giving, while You are the Most Generous in giving to the people of Your kingdom"; it is impossible for You to command Your servants to ask of You but intend not to fulfill their requests. When the Almighty God commands you and me to ask of Him, it means that He intends to give us what we ask for. Thus, it is narrated that: "God would not open the door of supplication for a servant and close the door of acceptance; God is more generous than that." What supplication should we make that will be followed by acceptance? Sometimes a person asks something from God and feels that this request has not been fulfilled. An important condition for the acceptance of supplication is that it must be made in the true sense of the word and with its conditions. The first condition of supplication is that it should be requested with a pure and unblemished heart; like the heart of the youth; thus, the supplication of the youth has the highest probability of acceptance. Sometimes some people tell me to pray for our youth. Of course, we always pray for all the youth; but in reality, it is these youths who, if they appreciate their pure and fresh hearts, their supplication can be closer to acceptance than any other supplication. Another condition for an accepted supplication is that a person should perform the supplication with knowledge; that is, they should know that this supplication and request is from someone who has the power to do all that a person wants; that is, they should believe in the effect of supplication. Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) was asked: "We supplicate, but our supplications are not accepted"; he said: "Because you are supplicating to one whom you do not know"; you are supplicating without knowledge. In a narration about knowledge in supplication, it is stated: "They know that I am capable of giving them what they ask for"; they should believe in the power of the Lord's acceptance. In supplication, have high aspirations; make great requests; seek the happiness of this world and the Hereafter, and do not say these are too great, these are too much; no, for the Almighty God, these are nothing. The main thing is that you request in the true sense of the word and with these conditions; the Almighty God will accept this request. Sometimes a person does not realize that the action taken was the acceptance of their supplication; the person themselves is unaware. Another condition for the acceptance of supplication is to avoid sin and repent. These nights are also nights of repentance. We all are guilty and have transgressed. Transgressions have small and large aspects. We must apologize to the Almighty God, seek forgiveness, and repent, and return to God. Our determination must be that we do not commit sins. Sometimes a person resolves and decides not to sin; then they fall into heedlessness and error and slip; again, this sin comes to the person; once again, they must repent and seek forgiveness; however, the repentance must be serious and genuine. Not sinning must be a real and serious intention. Regarding supplication and the acceptance of supplication, it is narrated that: "And let him come out of the injustices of the people"; a person must be free from the injustices of others for their supplication to be accepted. In another narration, God spoke to Prophet Moses: "O Moses, call upon Me with a pure heart and a truthful tongue." Speak and supplicate to the Almighty God with a pure heart and truthful tongue; supplication will certainly be accepted. Another condition for the acceptance of supplication is presence of heart and humility. As we mentioned, the meaning of supplication is that you speak with God; feel God in front of you and know Him to be present and observing. If a person merely recites something out of habit and mentions a request - O God, forgive us, O God, forgive our parents - without genuinely feeling a state of request in their heart, this is not supplication; it is merely lip service. "God does not accept the supplication of a heedless heart"; if a heedless and inattentive heart supplicates, the Almighty God does not accept their supplication. Hearts that are polluted and immersed in desires and carnal wishes - which are completely heedless - how will they supplicate? What expectation is there that if a person supplicates in this manner, it will be accepted? Some people postpone supplication and worship and repentance for old age; this is a great mistake. If it is said to repent, they say we have time now. Firstly, it is not certain that we will have time; death does not notify a person; it is for all ages. Even if we assume that we truly have time - that is, we are supposed to reach old age - if someone thinks that they can spend their youth in heedlessness and indulgence in desires and then comfortably and easily turn to repentance, they have committed a great mistake. The state of supplication and turning to God is not something that can be summoned at will. Sometimes we want to, but it does not happen; we seek a state of attention, but it does not come; "That is because of what your own hands have sent forth." A person who has not created the grounds for attention to God and returning to God within themselves will not be able to go to the door of God whenever they wish. You see some pure hearts - often the youth - can easily establish a connection; however, some, no matter how hard they try, cannot establish this connection. Those who have the opportunity and can keep their hearts soft should appreciate it and maintain their relationship with God, so that whenever they wish to go to the door of God, they can. The last point regarding supplication is the supplications that have been transmitted. The supplications that have come from the Imams are the best supplications. Firstly, the requests contained in these supplications are such that they do not even occur to the minds of people like us, and a person asks them from God through the words of the Imams (peace be upon them). In the supplication of Abu Hamza, the supplication of opening, and the supplication of Arafah, the best requests and demands for a person are presented; if a person asks these from God and receives them, they can be a treasure for them. Secondly, these supplications contain elements of humility and pleading. The content is expressed in a language and tone that humbles and softens the heart. With eloquent and articulate phrases, love, passion, and eagerness flow in these supplications. A person should appreciate these supplications and make use of them. Of course, we must understand the meaning of these supplications. Fortunately, there are now good translations available, and the Mafatih al-Janan and various supplications have been translated. With attention to the translations, they should read them carefully. Of course, as far as we have seen, no translation has been able to reflect the beauty of the words of these supplications; however, the content of the supplication is clear. With attention to these translations, they should read the supplications. Those who read and join in with them should at least translate some of the phrases of the supplication. Of course, a lower level is that if a person does not understand the meaning of the supplication, they should at least feel that they are speaking with the Almighty God in a language filled with love and expressing the burning heart. We hope that the Almighty God grants us the success to utilize the blessed nights of Qadr that lie ahead. My dear ones! Pray. Supplication is not exclusive to times of distress; one must always pray. Some think that when there is hardship, calamity, or affliction, they must pray; no, even when a person is living their normal life, they must pray and maintain their relationship with God. In the words of one of the narrations, they should make their voice familiar to the angels in the higher realm. Supplication is always necessary. Ask for your needs, the needs of your believing brothers, the needs of all Muslims around the world, the general issues of the country, the removal of difficulties, and the facilitation of the brilliant advancements of the country and the Islamic Republic from God. The greatest benefit of supplication is the immediate benefit that comes to you, the supplicant; that is, establishing a relationship with the Almighty God and feeling love and eagerness to draw closer to the Lord of the worlds. This is the most immediate benefit of supplication that belongs to you, the supplicant; the issue of acceptance is another matter. These are the days of mourning for the Commander of the Faithful; I would like to say a word about this great tragedy in the world of Islam and mention the tragedy. In the dawn of the nineteenth of Ramadan, this great catastrophe occurred; that is, the Commander of the Faithful - the embodiment of justice - due to his struggle in the path of justice, fairness, and divine judgment, fell in his place of worship, bleeding, and his blessed beard was stained with his blood. I will read a phrase from a narration and explain it for you so that we may have a means of intercession. It is narrated that "When the Imam felt the blow, he did not moan"; when the sword struck the blessed head of the Commander of the Faithful, he did not utter a single sigh. "And he was patient and persevered"; the Imam remained patient. "And he fell on his face"; the Commander of the Faithful fell to the ground face down. "Saying, In the Name of God, and by God, and in the path of the Messenger of God"; just like Imam Husayn when he fell to the ground in the battlefield, it is narrated that he said: "In the Name of God, and by God, and in the path of God, and in the religion of the Messenger of God." The people hurried to pursue the killer to capture him. "And they did not know where to go from the severity of the shock and astonishment"; this incident was so terrifying that it bewildered the people. They ran around trying to find the killer. "Then they surrounded the Commander of the Faithful"; then they came and surrounded the Imam. "And he was binding his head with his waistcloth, and blood was flowing on his face and beard"; blood was running down the face and beard of the Imam. The great man was busy binding his head wound. "And he said, This is what God and His Messenger promised me, and God and His Messenger spoke the truth"; the Imam was binding his head wound and saying this is what God and the Prophet had promised me. The Prophet had previously said that this incident would occur. Imam Hasan (peace be upon him) arrived, took his father's head in his lap, washed the blood, and bound the wound. "And he was gazing at the sky with his eye"; while lying down, he was looking at the sky with the corner of his eye. "And his tongue was glorifying and praising God"; in that state, his tongue was in the process of glorifying and praising the Lord. The Imam lost consciousness, and Imam Hasan began to cry. "And he began to kiss his father's face and the place of his prostration"; Imam Hasan's eyes were on his father's face. When he saw that he had lost consciousness, he bent down and kissed the forehead and the places of the long prostrations of the Commander of the Faithful; he kissed his face; he kissed between his eyes. "And drops of his tears fell on the face of the Commander of the Faithful"; from Imam Hasan's tears, a few drops fell on the face of the Commander of the Faithful. "And he opened his eyes"; the Imam opened his eyes. "And he saw him crying"; he saw Imam Hasan crying. "He said, O Hasan, what is this crying?"; he said, O my son, why are you crying? "O my son, there is no fear for your father after today"; my son! After this moment, your father will never have sorrow or fear. "This is your grandfather"; this is your grandfather, the Prophet. "And Khadijah"; this is Khadijah. "And Fatimah"; this is Fatimah. "And the houris are surrounding me"; all are surrounding me. "They are waiting for your father to join them"; they are all waiting for me to join them soon. "So be at ease and calm your eyes and refrain from crying"; do not shed tears, my son! Peace be upon you, O Commander of the Faithful, peace be upon you, O people of the Prophet's household. O Lord! By the right of these sacred days and nights and by the right of the Commander of the Faithful, we beseech You to familiarize our hearts with Your remembrance. O Lord! Strengthen the love and affection for You in our hearts day by day. O Lord! Make the divine works beloved in our eyes; keep our hearts away from satanic deeds. O Lord! In these nights of mercy and forgiveness, grant us Your mercy and forgiveness. O Lord! Include our parents, our predecessors, and those with rights over us in Your mercy and forgiveness. O Lord! Honor and elevate the Iranian nation. O Lord! Remove all the obstacles facing the great Islamic Ummah. O Lord! Humiliate and subdue the enemies of Islam and Muslims. O Lord! Make the heart of the holy Imam of the Age pleased and satisfied with us; include us in the good prayers of that great one during these nights of Qadr. In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful Say, He is God, One. God, the Eternal. He neither begets nor is born. And there is none comparable to Him. Sermon Two In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful Thanks be to God, the Lord of the worlds, and blessings and peace upon our master and prophet, Abu al-Qasim al-Mustafa Muhammad, and upon his pure and chosen progeny, especially upon Ali, the Commander of the Faithful, and the pure lady, the Mistress of the Women of the Worlds, and Hasan and Husayn, the masters of the youth of Paradise, and Ali ibn Husayn, and Muhammad ibn Ali, and Ja'far ibn Muhammad, and Musa ibn Ja'far, and Ali ibn Musa, and Muhammad ibn Ali, and Ali ibn Muhammad, and Hasan ibn Ali, and the guiding, waiting, and standing successors, Your proofs over Your servants and Your trusted ones in Your lands, and send blessings upon the leaders of the Muslims, the protectors of the oppressed, and the guides of the believers. I advise you, O servants of God, to be God-conscious. In the second sermon, after the recommendation to piety, which is the duty of all of us and should be made in every Friday prayer, we hope that the Almighty God grants us the ability to act upon this recommendation, I will briefly address two or three internal and external issues: one regarding the government and the duties of all of us; one regarding the nuclear issue; one regarding Palestine and Quds Day; and one regarding Iraq. Regarding the government, what I feel is necessary to mention is that our government is, thanks be to God, a fresh and ready-to-work government. What I feel closely is that I see these brothers are seriously prepared to fulfill the duties that the law has placed upon them and to realize the slogans that have been raised; I feel that they are determined to work and act. Now that a short time has passed since the formation of this government - now two months or two and a half months - one sees that some who have waited five or ten years regarding some issues, now in these two or three months are impatient; they stomp their feet asking why this or that has not happened!? Why has this or that happened!? We must help the government; we must assist those who are engaged in great challenges in the midst of this arena and give them the opportunity to carry out their work. Of course, if God forbid, any shortcomings occur, I myself will be the first to claim it; but it is also unfair to hold a government that is just beginning its work and has not yet passed two or three months since its formation to the table of demands and constantly demand why this or that has not happened. You know that the enemies of the Islamic Republic have always opposed all our governments; even if they verbally expressed agreement, in their hearts, they were opposed; but now even some of our enemies openly express their opposition; they are upset that the Iranian nation, in a fervent and extensive election, has raised the fundamental slogans of the revolution and a large and significant majority has followed these slogans; it is clear that this is unpleasant for global arrogance; hence, they spread rumors, they disseminate rumors, and unfortunately, some also repeat these rumors inside. One hears ridiculous rumors about the government, such as they intend to wall off the streets!! And what else they might do. Now they are spreading such rumors and want to confuse the minds of the people; they want to discourage the people. These rumors are harmful. The people must trust, and the Islamic Consultative Assembly must also trust, so that, God willing, this government can carry out its work. Of course, the government officials must maintain this seriousness; that is their main duty, and they must seriously pursue their work. Of course, we have said this before, and we say it now that being serious and pursuing does not mean hastiness and doing work without study; it must be done with study, consultation, precision, and wisdom; but it must be pursued continuously and seriously, God willing. Regarding the nuclear issue, the voice of the Iranian nation is a clear one; the officials have repeatedly stated what needs to be said. The matter is that the Iranian nation is a talented, cultured, great, capable, lively, and youthful nation, and such a nation does not wait for permission to achieve scientific progress or technological advancement; no, such a nation enters the field itself, breaks the boundaries of knowledge, and shows itself. If foreigners, rivals, and enemies see that this has not happened in the past hundred years before the revolution, they should know that at that time, they did not allow the Iranian nation to carry out its rightful movement; otherwise, the Iranian nation has always been a talented nation. We are the same nation that throughout Islamic history has been ahead of all Muslim nations without exception, and in all sciences and arts; in philosophy, in science, even in the sciences related to the Arabic language, we have been ahead; the greatest linguists and grammarians and scholars of the Arabic language are Iranians, and even the best and strongest books in that field have been written by Iranians. This nation has always been ahead in philosophy, in various sciences, and in experimental knowledge, to the extent of its time and beyond. This is the same nation; it does not wait; thus, it has not waited and has now been able to achieve nuclear knowledge. What we have today is both nuclear knowledge and nuclear technology; however, what we do not have and what has been obstructed and prevented is the establishment of the equipment for this technology; that is, you acquire a science, based on it, you obtain a technology; you discover the secret of utilizing this knowledge in producing a certain product, and you produce the means at least minimally; but when you want to replicate it and fully utilize it, they do not allow it and obstruct it; this is what has happened. The voice of the Iranian nation is that in international relations, selective action should not be taken. It is unacceptable for us to deem the attainment of nuclear knowledge permissible for a certain country, while for another country, for flimsy reasons, we deem it impermissible; this is unacceptable for the Iranian nation. The work being done in the country in this regard - both in the international challenge related to the nuclear issue and in the nuclear work itself - is being carried out with wisdom and consultation; the Iranian nation should know this. Sometimes there is concern that a hasty action might be taken; that individual decisions might be made; no, the matter is not like that. Fortunately, the officials of the country are united in this matter; the work is being done with consultation, with wisdom - from the beginning and for the past two years and more, it has been like this - and with collective thought, and we have made progress. After this, it will continue in the same manner. Some should not frighten the people that the work might be unconsulted or hasty; no, not at all; the work is progressing correctly with wisdom and comprehensively, considering various aspects. The matter is that the Iranian nation has a right, and it demands that right. This statement is understandable for the people of the world and for governments; however, the main adversary in this matter is the American government. Even the European governments' positions are more influenced by American pressure; each of them that is closer to America has a harsher and more severe position; like the British government. Of course, the Iranian nation has a long history with the British government, and the matter between the Iranian nation and the British government is not a matter of today or yesterday; even now, all of them, from their heads to their various officials, take very bad positions; they take one of the worst positions; however, the main adversary is the American government. The American officials who claim that Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons know that they are lying; those who hear these words in speeches and gatherings and applaud them also know that they are lying; just as when they talk about human rights, it is the same. When the American president speaks about the issues of Iraq and so forth, claiming democracy and human rights, they themselves know that they are lying - something that is not even in their thoughts is human rights and democracy - and the audiences who hear these words and applaud them. Their goals are clear to them; their goal is domination. You saw in the same Hurricane Katrina in America that because the people were black, the amount that the American government could help them was not provided; this is a statement that the American nation - the black people, in particular - has voiced and cried out. Their behavior with prisoners, their behavior with the specific prisoner in Guantanamo, their behavior in Abu Ghraib in Iraq, their behavior with the people of Iraq, their behavior with the women and children who are in their homes, all indicate that the issue of human rights is a myth for Americans; they know that they are lying. Their issues are twofold: One is that creating crises in the world has often been a necessary and tactical requirement for the American government; they have needed it to divert the people's attention from internal issues and problems in America; this has always been the case, and now this government that is in power in America is an extremist and warlike government, and their interests require them to create issues here and there in the world, to exaggerate issues, or to create crises, or to introduce small events as crises for their own nation. The other is that the American governments, and especially this extremist warlike government, are seeking an empire; they are seeking global domination. This domination is not limited to the Middle East. Of course, the Middle East is currently in focus; however, they are not satisfied with just the Middle East. Their European partners know well that the day America gains control over the Middle East, Central Asia, and sensitive regions of the world, they will not even let go of Europe; this is something that is not hidden or concealed from them. They need such things for their domination in the world. In this region, the government that openly opposes domination and stands firmly against it is the Islamic Republic. It is natural that these issues arise, and therefore, the adversary is the American government. The Islamic Republic's stance is that this nation; a nation that has revolted; a nation that has faced various events and ups and downs over the past twenty-seven years of the Islamic Republic and has grappled with them and has been able to move towards its goals in all matters; a nation whose decisive majority is young; a nation whose students, professors, and scientific elites are increasing day by day, a nation that is looking towards the future; it has a hopeful heart. This nation is not one that will submit to the oppression and imposition of America or anyone else; therefore, just as the officials of the country have stated regarding the nuclear energy issue, our goal is absolutely not related to nuclear weapons, and the deviation of this scientific and technological movement towards weapons is not acceptable; however, the Iranian nation will not give up this technology; this is our main statement. The methods of work, diplomacy, and international relations will also be organized and advanced by the officials of the country. And as for the issue of Palestine and Quds Day. Quds Day is approaching. Quds Day is the day of the great test of the Muslim nations; Quds Day is the day when the Muslim nations express their views directly without the mediation of official authorities. This year, Quds Day has additional significance; both because of the incident in Gaza - which was truly a significant defeat for the Zionists - and because of the conspiracy that is underway after the defeat in Gaza and to compensate for that defeat, by the Americans, the Zionists, and some of their allies; that is, the normalization of relations with the treacherous and oppressive Zionist regime among some Islamic governments and some regional governments, which should not yield to. Islamic governments should not normalize their relations with this treacherous, oppressive regime - which poses a danger to all the region and all nations and governments - under various pretexts and to please America; they should not show goodwill towards this regime for the sake of America, as this is a disgraceful act. The reason for the disgracefulness of this act is that those who commit this normalization at least initially keep it hidden; thus, it is a disgraceful act that they conceal. A disgraceful act should not be done, nor should it be concealed. Therefore, Quds Day should, God willing, be held with more enthusiasm than ever. The last matter is about Iraq. This constitutional referendum was a great achievement; it was a blessed act; this is the first constitution that is being established in Iraq by the people themselves; this is absolutely not in line with the wishes of the Americans; although the Americans pretend otherwise; but they are lying; this is not the case. They were seeking other things in Iraq, and they are still seeking other things. What is of great importance after the establishment of the constitution is the upcoming elections in Iraq - we have a recommendation for our Iraqi brothers that we will express in Arabic - which is a very sensitive election, and the occupiers of Iraq are already active regarding that election. The wound that exists in Iraq today is the division between Shia and Sunni, which is being exacerbated by a radical group that is ignorant of Islam. It cannot be said that these are Sunnis; they are neither Sunni nor Shia; they are enemies of both Shia and Sunni; they are enemies of Islam. Those who blow up Shia mosques - these days, Saddam is being tried for killing one hundred and fifty or sixty Shia in a village - what difference do they have from Saddam; they also plant bombs and kill one hundred, one hundred and fifty Shia people in Hilla, in Baghdad, and in various areas; they are just like Saddam. Therefore, it cannot be said that these are Sunnis. The enemies of Islam's policy is to create division between Shia and Sunni. This is one of their methods. Anyone who assists in these severe divisions is, in fact, aiding those goals. It is appropriate for all Iraqi groups to condemn these actions and disassociate themselves from them. Fortunately, wise Shia leaders have acted wisely and well; they have advised the Shia not to react, which was an important act.