Statements in Meeting with a Group of People, 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 Muhammad and his pure family, especially the Awaited One among the inhabitants of the earth.

I congratulate all the esteemed attendees of this session, the respected heads of the branches of power, the esteemed officials, the ambassadors and representatives of Islamic countries present here, and to the entire nation of Iran, who truly deserve congratulations through their behavior and commendable actions during the month of Ramadan, and to all Muslims around the world and the entire Islamic Ummah; we hope that the Almighty God blesses this Eid for everyone.

The month of Ramadan is a time for hearts to draw closer to one another; all factors during Ramadan help to bring the hearts of individuals closer together, whether within a country or among the Islamic Ummah. Firstly, the competition that fasting creates, or the supplication and seeking intercession, or the recitation of the Quran, all serve to bring hearts closer. Or piety — as the President mentioned in his statements, and in his good expression, the secret of fasting is piety — brings hearts together. In our view, the officials of Islamic countries should take advantage of this opportunity to create unity and closeness among the Islamic Ummah. Today, our problem is division; despite the Quran's prohibition against division: "And do not be like those who divided and disagreed," and its command to unity: "And hold fast to the rope of God all together and do not be divided," the Islamic nation and Ummah remain divided. Yes, there are different beliefs, various sects, and diverse opinions; that is fine. These different opinions should not deprive us of the great blessing of the unity of the Islamic Ummah. Today, if the Islamic Ummah, which is nearly two billion strong and scattered in the most important and sensitive geographical points of the world, were united, Islamic countries would achieve far greater benefits. If this unity were to emerge to any extent, the dawn of solving the problems of the Islamic world would become evident, and it would be possible for us to resolve the issues facing the Islamic world.

Currently, the Islamic world is suffering from numerous problems; it is afflicted with discord, conflict, bloodshed, dependency, poverty, and ignorance; these are hardships for the Islamic Ummah. If we come closer together, solving these problems will become possible, and indeed easier.

One of the most fundamental issues facing the Islamic world today is the Palestinian issue. If we do not say it is at the forefront of issues, at least it is one of the top problems facing the Islamic world. Of course, today, thanks be to God, we are witnessing the gradual decline of the usurping regime; this is something that everyone in the world can see. The usurping regime is in a state of gradual decline; its speed is increasing day by day. This decline has been ongoing for several years, but recently its pace has accelerated; this is a very significant opportunity.

The Palestinian issue is not merely an Islamic issue; it is a human issue; that is, anyone in the world — whether Muslim or non-Muslim — who knows the realities of the events in Palestine will confront the usurping regime and resist it. This year, as part of the crimes of the usurping regime of Palestine, namely the Israeli regime, and some atrocities it has committed became clear to the world, you saw that the gatherings and demonstrations on Quds Day were no longer limited to the Islamic world; even outside the Islamic world, in Europe, and even in America, many protested and supported the Palestinians; this is the situation; the issue is a human issue. How is it possible that a European individual, whose government is attached and dependent on the Zionist regime, can shout in favor of the Palestinian people and against the Zionist regime in the streets? This is a very important matter.

Why has this happened? I must tell you that it is thanks to the resistance of the Palestinian people. This internal resistance of the Palestinian people is the main factor behind these advancements. The more this resistance grows, the weaker the Zionist regime will become, and its atrocities will become more apparent. The miserable situation that the Zionist regime is in today — which is truly a miserable state — is due to the steadfastness of the Palestinian youth; they endure hardship, they face danger; in Jerusalem, a large number are in seclusion, and the youth in various cities of the West Bank stand up against the armed and wicked Zionist forces, they sacrifice themselves, but they continue to advance; they have advanced so far, and they will continue to do so. In my opinion, today the deterrent power of the Zionist regime has come to an end; this is what Ben-Gurion — one of the main founders of the Zionist regime and its Prime Minister — warned about decades ago, perhaps around sixty years ago. He said that whenever our deterrent power comes to an end, our regime will collapse. The deterrent power is now at an end or close to it. They themselves know this; they understand that their dissolution and disintegration are near, unless something happens; this is thanks to resistance; this is because the Palestinian youth have been able to continuously weaken, diminish, and destroy the enemy's deterrent power.

Therefore, what should be the strategy of the Islamic world regarding Palestine today? The strategy of the Islamic world regarding Palestine today should be to support the internal Palestinian forces. The resistance front, wherever they are, their efforts are certainly valuable; just like us, who stand firm on the Palestinian issue. The efforts of the resistance front are valuable; these efforts should be focused on strengthening the fighting elements who are struggling inside Palestine and putting their lives at risk and taking on dangers.

The last point is this: it is truly important to pay attention to what the cause of the elevation of the struggles within Palestine is. It is a tendency towards Islam. We have seen this before; at a time when Islamic tendencies were not present among Palestinian groups — some were communists, some were not communists but were not Islamic either — these advancements did not exist. Since the Islamic tendency emerged among the Palestinian fighters, and as this tendency has continued to rise day by day until today, the advancements in the struggle of the Palestinians have been achieved in this way. Therefore, the factor of success is Islam, Islam; the enemy has understood this, which is why you see Islamophobia being propagated worldwide. They are all engaging in Islamophobia; various forms of actions are being taken. Of course, these Islamophobic efforts will lead nowhere: "Or do they intend a plot? But those who disbelieve are the ones who will be plotted against." Today, this is the duty. The Islamic Republic recognized this duty from the very beginning; Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified) was a pioneer and leader in this path. Imam Khomeini considered the Palestinian issue to be the primary issue or one of the primary issues of the Islamic world. From the very beginning of the establishment of the Islamic Republic, this movement began within the Islamic Republic and, thanks be to God, continues. We hope that our dear nation, our people, our youth, will witness the day when Muslims from all over the world can freely pray in Jerusalem.

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