His Eminence's Statements in Meeting with Officials and Servants of the System on the Blessed Occasion of the Prophet's Mission

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

I congratulate the honorable occasion of the blessed mission to all the great Islamic Ummah, to the noble nation of Iran, and to you esteemed attendees and dear guests.

The formation of the Islamic Ummah with its unique characteristics was one of the blessings of this great mission. The Islamic Ummah is not merely a gathering of people around a doctrinal axis, but rather, as the noble Prophet of Islam and the teachings of the Quran have designed and planned, it is a collection of individuals who benefit from knowledge, ethics, wisdom, correct relationships, and a society endowed with justice. The result of all this is the elevation of humanity to the peak of development that God has placed within them. The Islamic Ummah is the manifestation of Islamic education; and this was initiated by the noble Prophet of Islam under the most adverse conditions from scratch.

On the day when the cry of monotheism, after the magnificent moment of the mission, emerged from the blessed throat of the noble Prophet of Islam, the world - in all its corners - was a world of disbelief and oppression, a world distant from ethics and immersed in various problems and corruptions. This great movement in the life of the Prophet was miraculously accomplished within thirteen years, and after thirteen years, the first fertile seed of the Islamic Ummah was planted in Medina. What could transform this central nucleus into what we know of the Islamic Ummah in the fourth and fifth centuries Hijri was clear faith, comprehensive and clear teachings, steadfast determination, and continuous jihad; these were what could turn that small community of several thousand in Medina in the early years of migration into a great, powerful, knowledgeable, and esteemed Ummah, a fountain of knowledge and wisdom for the world in the fourth and fifth centuries Hijri - as history narrates for us. Later, the Islamic Ummah, in its numerous ups and downs, and wherever it neglected those teachings, suffered defeat and regression. Wherever knowledge, ethics, social relations, spiritual authority, dignity, unity, and above all, justice were disregarded, its growth was halted and it regressed, leading to a situation where the aggressive and greedy powers could tear this Ummah apart, compel them to weaken each other's forces, dominate them, and seize their resources.

In contemporary times, for decades now, thanks to those same teachings and a return to them, Islamic awakening has begun, and the banner of monotheism has once again been raised, the peak of this movement being the establishment of the Islamic Republic in this sensitive point of the Islamic world, where once again, individuals felt their identity and dignity. Today, we are facing the same experience that the Islamic Ummah faced in the early centuries of decline and decay. Today, a war has been launched against the Ummah to suffocate this movement in its infancy. Today, the global arrogant powers, coveting the vast and endless natural and human resources of the Islamic world - as they explicitly state - have initiated a war whose banners from the side of global arrogance are deceptive banners; the banner of democracy and the banner of freedom; but the essence of the matter is something else; the essence of the matter is to destroy the element of dignity of the Islamic Ummah - that is, Islam - the essence of the matter is to eliminate the center of resistance, so that no obstacle exists against the global oppressors in this region.

When we showed weakness and fell short, the enemy advanced accordingly. Today, the Islamic world is suffering calamities. Palestine is suffering, Iraq is suffering, Afghanistan is suffering; many Islamic countries are under threat from these global oppressors and arrogant powers. By adhering to Islam, we can overcome these weaknesses; we can stand against the enemy. Today, what the Islamic world urgently needs is unity of word; the hearts of Muslim nations are filled with the oppression of the enemies of Islam and global arrogance. The Muslim nations are filled with sorrow and anguish from witnessing what is happening in Iraq, Palestine, and Afghanistan; the Islamic governments must utilize this accumulated force.

The arrogant power of America, which is pure evil and today emanates malice from all its fingers in the Islamic region, can do nothing against one power, and that is the power of the nations; relying on the nations, enlightening the nations, making the nations aware of their interests, removing them from the darkness of unfounded illusions - if they are afflicted by them - and showing them the truths prepares the nations for resistance against global arrogance.

The logic of global arrogance is not one of dialogue and fair compromise anywhere; as you have observed examples of it in the world. The logic of global arrogance is one of force, terror, and the unjust use of the power it possesses; thus, it itself promotes terrorism. Today, the Americans enter countries in the name of fighting terrorism and put such nations under pressure; they bomb them and destroy defenseless children, women, and elderly people; their logic is that they want to fight terrorism! What does terrorism mean? Is it not the case that terrorism means someone using illegal force to advance their goals? Is what America is doing today in Iraq anything other than this?! The very presence of American military forces in Iraq is oppressive, arrogant, and aggressive. Not a day goes by without news of dozens of killed and wounded - sometimes even more - from various cities in Iraq. In the heart of the Islamic world lies Palestine. For nearly sixty years, the Zionists have oppressed the Palestinian people using their illegal force and power. Observe what is happening in Palestine. Has the Islamic world become accustomed to these issues? Have Muslim rulers become accustomed to seeing women, children, youth, homes, and farms being destroyed by force and power? What does this mean? Is terrorism anything other than this? The promoters of terrorism today deceitfully wave the banner of fighting terrorism and have used it as a pretext for intervening in Islamic countries.

Today, the Islamic world must stand united against the aggressive arrogance of America and its allies - wherever and in whatever form - and know that there is no other way but to resist this embodied evil - that is, America and global arrogance - and no softness, no concession, and no retreat will satisfy the insatiable appetite of the arrogant powers. They are only satisfied with absolute domination over the Islamic world and especially over this region of the Middle East. You must also know that nations can stand firm, they can thwart equipped and armed powers, they can dull their sharp and bloodthirsty swords; just as recent experiences have shown us, and today the experiences of Palestine and Iraq also demonstrate this.

The Americans are stuck knee-deep in mud in Iraq; the Zionists are helpless against a handful of impoverished Palestinians who possess nothing but the power of faith and the desire for independence and the will to reject oppression. The Zionists have been pounding the Palestinians for years; yet they have not been able to change their positions; the defeat of an armed power is nothing other than this. The Almighty God prepared the spirit and heart of the Muslim nation at the beginning of the mission with mercy, grace, and attention for entering these difficult arenas; "He it is who sends blessings upon you, and His angels, to bring you out of darkness into light, and He is merciful to the believers." The divine mercy to Muslims and to those who believe in Him and His servants is that if they detach their hearts from some small and weak attachments and stand against the wave of disbelief, corruption, and arrogance, the Almighty God will help them; just as He has helped before. No one believed that in the heart of the Islamic world, where it was under pressure from America and Zionism, the power of Islam would rise as the Islamic Republic. This sapling was planted, grew, bore fruit, and will become stronger and more robust day by day, thanks to the grace of the Lord and the divine support, and despite the enemies of Islam, it will continue to grow stronger; this is an experience before us.

We hope that the Almighty God grants us Muslims determination and a resolute intention, so that we do not lose our way in the difficult experience that the Islamic Ummah is facing today, and that we continue this path with strength and power, and God willing, witness the dignity and victory of Islam. We hope that God will also assist the oppressed people of Iraq, the oppressed people of Palestine, the oppressed people of Afghanistan, and other Islamic nations, and save them from the evil of the devils and the wicked.

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