Statements in Meeting with a Group of Iraqi Mokeb-Dwellers

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, Abu al-Qasim al-Mustafa Muhammad, and upon his pure and chosen progeny, especially the Awaited One among the inhabitants of the earth.

Welcome, dear brothers; this meeting is a memorable and historic one for me. What has been said in this session, the poetry that was recited, the elegy that was composed, each is a clear sign of the greatness of the event of Karbala and the greatness of Hussein ibn Ali (peace be upon him); we have greatly benefited and gained from it. We hope that during this journey, you dear brothers will enjoy your time in your own home and among your own brothers. I have noted a few sentences, a few words that I would like to share with you.

The first word is one of gratitude; from the bottom of my heart, I thank you, and on behalf of the great nation of Iran, I thank you, both you mokeb-dwellers who have elevated dignity, mercy, and affection to the highest degree during the days of Arbaeen, and all the great nation of Iraq, as well as the officials in the Iraqi government who have provided security, space, and the necessary conditions, and especially the esteemed scholars and grand jurists of Iraq who have created an atmosphere of pilgrimage and brotherhood among the people and between the two nations; it truly deserves gratitude. What we hear about your noble behavior as Iraqi brothers in the mokebs along the way and your generous treatment of the pilgrims of Hussein is unparalleled; in today’s world, such things are unmatched. Just as the Arbaeen march itself is unparalleled in history, your generous behavior is truly without comparison. You have demonstrated Islamic and Arab dignity in your actions, and it is all out of love for Sayyid al-Shuhada (peace be upon him), out of love for Hussein ibn Ali; out of love and affection for Imam Hussein, you wash the feet of the pilgrims of Imam Hussein, you assist their weary bodies, you massage them, you provide them food, you offer them a place to sleep, because they are pilgrims of Hussein. This love for Hussein ibn Ali is exceptional; we have not seen and do not see anything like it anywhere, at any time. And we hope that God Almighty increases this love in your hearts and in our hearts day by day.

Of course, this success you have achieved in this regard is also a mercy from the Lord towards you; this success you have attained in hosting the guests of Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) is a very valuable thing; it is a divine blessing, it is a divine mercy, and this must be appreciated, and we know that you appreciate it.

The second point is about the essence of this Arbaeen march, which is truly an unparalleled event; we do not only find such a gathering, such a movement happening every year, and each year warmer than the previous one, not only in our own time but also in history; it is unique. This Hussaini movement plays a role in spreading the knowledge of Imam Hussein (peace be upon him). Arbaeen, with this movement that primarily occurs between Najaf and Karbala in the annual march, has become international; the eyes of the world are fixed on this movement; Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) and the knowledge of Hussein have become international and global thanks to this great popular movement.

Today, we need to introduce Hussein ibn Ali to the world; the world, afflicted by oppression, corruption, vileness, and meanness, is in need of the knowledge of the freedom and dignity of Hussein. Today, the people of the world, the youth of the world, the unbiased nations, their hearts beat for such a truth; if Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) is introduced to the world, Islam has been introduced, the Quran has been introduced. Today, hundreds of means are used against Islam and against Islamic teachings; in the face of this hostile movement of the front of disbelief and global arrogance, the movement of Hussaini knowledge can stand alone, defend itself, and introduce the truth of Islam and the truth of the Quran to the world. The logic of Hussein ibn Ali (peace be upon them) is the logic of defending the truth, the logic of standing against oppression, tyranny, misguidance, and global arrogance. This is the logic of Imam Hussein; today the world is in need of this logic; today the world witnesses the dominance of disbelief and arrogance and the dominance of corruption; this message of Imam Hussein is the message of saving the world; the great movement of Arbaeen spreads this message in the world, and by God's grace and with divine support and success, this movement must be strengthened day by day.

Arbaeen has become global and will become even more global; this blood of Hussein ibn Ali is flowing after 1400 years and becoming fresher day by day, becoming more alive day by day; this is the same message of Ashura that was issued from the throat of Aba Abdillah and the throat of Zainab al-Kubra (peace be upon them) in the utmost loneliness and isolation and has now enveloped the world and will continue to do so. Hussein (peace be upon him) belongs to humanity; we, the Shiites, take pride in being followers of Imam Hussein, but Imam Hussein does not belong only to us; all Islamic sects, both Shiite and Sunni, are under the banner of Imam Hussein. In this great march, even those who are not religiously committed to Islam participate, and this bond will continue, God willing; this is a great sign that God Almighty is showing. In an era when the enemies of Islam and the enemies of the Islamic nation are working against the Islamic nation with various tools and means, with money, with politics, with weapons, God Almighty suddenly gives the Arbaeen march such greatness, such manifestation. This is a great divine sign, this is a sign of divine will for the support of the Islamic nation, this shows that the will of God Almighty is dedicated to the support of the Islamic nation.

The third point I want to share with you dear brothers is that we must make this ceremony as fruitful and spiritual as possible; we must increase the meaning and content of this ceremony day by day; thinkers, cultural figures, and those engaged in cultural and intellectual action must sit down and plan for this great movement. Today, the goal of every Muslim should be to create a new Islamic civilization; this is what we want today. The Islamic nations have immense capacities that, if utilized, the Islamic nation will reach the peak of dignity; we must think about this, we must consider this; creating a great Islamic civilization is our ultimate goal.

Today, thanks be to God, the Islamic nations have awakened. The nation of Iraq is a great nation, a dignified nation, a cultured nation, a nation with determination and will. The Iraqi youth have shown in recent years that they have the power to protect their nation and their country against global conspiracies; this is very valuable. The Iraqi youth were able to eliminate and destroy the greatest internal conspiracy that could have led to a civil war in Iraq. The conspiracy of ISIS and the Takfiris was not a small conspiracy; they had spent money and planned to turn Iraq, a main Arab and Islamic country, into a battlefield of civil war and pit Shiites and Sunnis against each other; the Iraqi youth, with the fatwa of the esteemed religious authority of Iraq, were able to stand firm and thwart this conspiracy; this was no small feat. The great nation of Iraq can elevate its country to the peak of dignity; these capacities must be brought into action and manifestation. If the capacities of Islamic countries—the capacities of Iraq, the capacities of Iran, the capacities of other countries in the region of West Asia and North Africa—are combined, if these capacities come together, if these hands intertwine, then the Islamic nation will show what divine dignity means; they will demonstrate the great Islamic civilization to the societies of the world; this must be our goal, and this Arbaeen march can be a clear means for achieving this goal.

People from dozens of countries participate in the Arbaeen march and become guests of the people of Iraq; let us strive to strengthen the bonds between Muslim brothers in this march; the bond between Iraqis and non-Iraqis, the bond between Shiites and Sunnis, the bond between Arabs and Persians and Turks and Kurds; these bonds are the source of happiness, these bonds are a sign of the mercy of the Lord. The enemy seeks division but has not succeeded and, by God's grace, will not succeed. We—Iran and Iraq—are two nations connected to each other; our bodies, our hearts, our souls are connected to each other; what has created this connection is faith in God and love for the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them), love for Hussein ibn Ali (peace be upon him); this will increase day by day, God willing. The enemies conspire, but the conspiracies of the enemies will have no effect. Since the beginning of the Islamic Revolution until today, for forty years, America and its minions and assistants and mercenaries have been plotting against the Islamic Republic, they have been active, spending money, threatening, and imposing sanctions; to their chagrin, the Islamic Republic has transformed from a slender sapling into a mighty tree whose roots are firm and whose branches are in the sky. God willing, this slogan that you chant against America, against the Zionist regime, against the enemies and the arrogant powers, will be realized in the not-too-distant future, and God willing, you will succeed.

I once again express my gratitude and tell you that the nation of Iran is wholeheartedly grateful to you dear Iraqi brothers, especially to you, the owners of the Arbaeen mokebs; we sincerely thank you, and we recall this line of Mutanabbi: "If you honor the noble, you will possess him."

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