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[24 Mar 2013] US sharply increased number of troops in South Korea - English

Latest market data show India has drastically increased oil imports from Iran-- in a clear proof of Iran\'s success in defying sanctions that have targeted its oil trade. Figures show India imported about 200-thousand barrels per day of Iranian oil in September. This is roughly twice the figure for August. Earlier, similar market data showed that Iran had succeeded in becoming the top oil exporter to China in September after a series of slowdowns over the past months. Iran\'s Petroleum Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh had earlier said that serious plans were on agenda to boost the country\'s oil exports by four times. That would be in the face of illegal sanctions by the U-S and its allies that primarily target Iran\'s oil trade.

Study Shows Global Financial Crisis Has Increased Suicides Especially For Men

Press TV Muslims feel increased scrutiny in France Wed Oct 27, 2010 1:46AM English

The number of homeless people in the UK continues to rise. Official figures show homelessness has increased 13 percent in London and the southeast of the country due to rising house prices. The figures also show that there are now 2,100 homeless families living in bed and breakfast. That\'s the highest number for a decade. Councils in England have confirmed over 57-thousand families as being homeless, placing them in temporary accommodation in September 2013. The figure is 8 percent higher than during the same period in 2012. More than two-thirds of the homeless households contain children or pregnant women.

[8th March 2016] IAEA calls for increased technical cooperation with Iran | Press TV English

Supreme Leader\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s Speech to People of East Azerbaijan 22/02/2013 The following is the full text of the speech delivered on February 16, 2013 by Ayatollah Khamenei the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution in a meeting with the people of East Azerbaijan. The meeting was held on the anniversary of the uprising by the people of Tabriz on the 29th of Bahman of 1356. ‌ In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful I welcome all you dear brothers and sisters and the dear youth. In particular, I welcome the dear families of martyrs, religious scholars and government officials who have come here from distant places, brought a valuable gift of affection from the dear people of Azerbaijan on this occasion and delivered their message of resistance. I hope that Allah the Exalted bestows great blessings and infinite mercy on all of you. I would tell you dear brothers and sisters and all the people of Azerbaijan and Tabriz including religious men and women that the presence of the people of Azerbaijan and Tabriz has truly played a determining role in the movement of the Iranian nation throughout all the eras in our history - from 100, 150 years ago until today. And today nothing has changed. It is you who have managed to protect the dignity of our country and our nation against the enemies with your firm determination, your pride and your faith. And Azerbaijan has played an increasingly significant role in different arenas. Thirty-five years have passed since the 29th of Bahman of 1356. Today, in terms of faith, resistance and wisdom, Azerbaijan is even better than it was during those important and fateful times. There have been so many vicious plots to separate the people in different parts of the country. But these plots have backfired. It is you who have always managed to play a leading role. In fact, it is you who are the anchor of peace in this country. As you said in the poem you recited: \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"You are the peace in the heart of Iran.\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" [Audience shout in the Azeri language, \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"We are prepared to lay down our lives. We are Khamenei\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s soldiers.\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"] One can clearly see that the dear people of Azerbaijan have a specific characteristic. This characteristic exists in other parts of the country, but in Azerbaijan it is more visible. This characteristic is that the political activities and the proud movement of the people of Azerbaijan in different eras - in the case of the Constitutional Movement, the military occupation of Azerbaijan and different other issues - were based on religion and religious faith. And they played a leading role in many of these issues. Despite the fact that the leftist intellectual movement and the movement which was dependent on the west were active in Azerbaijan since after the introduction of the unhealthy intellectual movement into our country and despite the fact that they were trying to separate the people from religion, the movement of the people was based on religion. If you take a look at the movements which were started in Azerbaijan - many of these movements were national movements, and the people of Azerbaijan were pioneers - you can see that despite the efforts of those leftist movements, the people and the leaders of these popular movements in Azerbaijan expressed their commitment to religious issues more openly than the people in other cities. In Tabriz, Sattar Khan used to say, \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"The fatwa of the ulama of Najaf is in my pocket\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\". That is to say, this great and brave man used to coordinate with the marja taqlids of Najaf. What he did was exactly the opposite of what eastern and western intellectual movements wanted to achieve at that time in the country. Today nothing has changed and nothing will change in the future either. The Iranian nation considers religious faith as the standard. I cited Azerbaijan as an example of this religious faith, but people throughout the country are, more or less, like this. The movement of the Iranian nation is one that is accompanied by pride, courage and a sense of responsibility. But it is based on religious teachings and religious faith. This is very valuable. That is why the dangers caused by global powers, which other nations are usually faced with and which make them waver, did not threaten the people of Iran and did not make them waver. When the enemies wanted to impose sanctions and exert pressures they said, \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"We want to impose crippling sanctions on the people of Iran.\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" And they did this. Two, three days before the 22nd of Bahman, they put a new round of sanctions into the equation. Besides, a few months ago, in Mordad of this year, they did the same thing. That is to say, they increased their so-called pressures on the people before the 22nd of Bahman of this year. What do they hope to achieve? They do these things in the hope of weakening the people. What was the response of the people? The people of Iran responded by participating in the rallies on the 22nd of Bahman more enthusiastically. All the people participated. People from different parts of the country participated. They participated with great spirit and with a smile on their faces. The people of Iran are such people. Each year on the 22nd of Bahman, the people of Iran deal a blow to the enemies. They strike the enemies and the opponents like an avalanche. This avalanche struck them this year too. I deem it necessary to express my gratitude again - even if one expresses his gratitude 100 times, one is not overdoing it - to the people of Iran for their glorious and impressive presence [in the rallies on the 22nd of Bahman]. One should bow before such insight. The people of Iran are such people. I would tell you that in these conditions, the enemies have taken a passive role. Despite the fact that they pretend to be active, they are not active. The enemy has taken a passive role in the face of the Iranian nation. Enjoying firm determination, wisdom and faith, our people know what they want and they know the way to achieve their goals. They endure the hardships with great courage. Different political, military and economic weapons do not work on our nation. Therefore, the enemy has taken a passive role and for this reason, they make irrational moves. I would tell you that American politicians are irrational people. They make irrational statements. They act in an irrational and thuggish way. They expect other countries to give in to their unreasonable demands and their bullying. Well, some people give in to their demands. Some governments and some political personalities in certain countries give in to their bullying. But the Iranian nation and the Islamic Republic will not give in. The Islamic Republic of Iran has many things to say. It has logical reasons. It has power and authority. For this reason, the Islamic Republic does not give in to irrational statements and actions. In what ways are they irrational? The sign of their irrationality is the contradictions between their words and actions. Their words are not in line with their actions. No other piece of evidence can show their irrationality more clearly. A reasonable person makes a convincing comment and then he sticks by it. These men, American politicians and their western followers, are not such people. They say a certain thing and make a certain claim, but they do exactly the opposite of what they have claimed or said. I would like to give a number of examples: They claim that they are committed to human rights. The Americans have raised the flag of human rights. They say, \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"We are committed to human rights not only in our country, America, but also in the entire world.\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" Well, this is a claim. What have they done in practice? In practice, they inflict the most serious harm on human rights and they hurl the biggest insult at human rights in different countries. Their secret prisons throughout the world, such as their prisons in Guantanamo, in Iraq, in Abu Ghraib and their attack on civilians in Afghanistan, Pakistan and in different areas are examples of the Americans\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\' claim to support human rights. Based on the news that is reported every day from Afghanistan and Pakistan, their drones both spy for them and pressure the people. Of course, as an American journal said a few days ago, these drones will be a source of trouble for them in the future. They say that they are committed to non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. Their pretext for attacking Iraq 11 years ago was that the regime of Saddam wanted to build nuclear weapons in Iraq. Of course, they went there and they did not find anything. It became clear that it was a lie. They say that they are committed to non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. This is while they support an evil government - the Zionist government - which has nuclear weapons and which threatens to use them. That is what they say and this is how they act. They say that they are committed to establishment of democracy in the world - I do not want to speak about the kind of democracy America itself has. Under this claim, they constantly confront the Islamic Republic which has the most genuine democracy in the region. This is while they shamelessly support countries in the region which do not know the first thing about democracy and in which the people have not seen ballot boxes even once. This is their commitment to democracy. Notice how different their words and actions are. They say that they want to resolve their issues with Iran. They have said this many times. Recently, they are speaking about it even more than before. They say that they want to negotiate and resolve their issues with Iran. This is what they say. But in practice, they resort to imposing sanctions and broadcasting negative propaganda. They publish inappropriate and false things about the Islamic Republic and the people of Iran. A few days ago the President of America delivered a speech about the nuclear issue of Iran. He spoke as if the conflict between Iran and America is over Iran\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s decision to build nuclear weapons. He said that they will do everything in their power to prevent Iran from building nuclear weapons. If we wanted to build nuclear weapons, how would you stop us? If Iran had decided to build nuclear weapons, America would not be able to stop it in any way. We do not want to build nuclear weapons and this is not because this will upset America, rather it is because of our beliefs. We believe that building nuclear weapons is a crime against humanity and they should not be built. Besides, we believe that the existing nuclear weapons should be destroyed. This is our belief. It has nothing to do with you [Americans]. If we did not have this belief and if we decided to build nuclear weapons, no power could stop us, as they could not stop other countries. They could not do this in India, Pakistan and North Korea. The Americans were opposed to development of nuclear weapons in these countries, but they built nuclear weapons. The Americans claim, \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"We will not let Iran build nuclear weapons.\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" This is deceptive talk. Is this an issue of nuclear weapons? Regarding Iran, the issue is not related to nuclear weapons. The issue is that you want to deny Iran its natural and inalienable right to enrich uranium and use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes through using its domestic capacities. Of course, you cannot do this either and the Iranian nation will not renounce its right. American politicians make irrational statements. One cannot use logic when he speaks to an irrational person - after all, he is irrational. Irrational means thuggish. It means somebody who speaks nonsense. This is a fact which we have become aware of through our involvement in different global issues. We understand who our opposing side is and how he should be confronted. I have written down a few things to discuss with you dear brothers and sisters and the entire Iranian nation. Of course, these statements are addressed to the people of Iran. When they speak, when the American president speaks, when his companions and followers speak, they want to mislead public opinion -public opinion in the world, in the region or if they can, in our country. At the moment, I do not want to speak about public opinion in the world. The global media network, which is under the domination of the Zionists and the Americans, either does not reflect our statements or it reflects them in an incomplete or distorted way. Therefore, I speak to the people of Iran. The power of the Islamic Republic has nothing to do with public opinion in the world. The Islamic Republic has not gained its power and it has not achieved dignity and glory with the help of public opinion in the world. It has achieved these things with the help of the people of Iran. The firm and solid foundation which the Iranian nation has built and the news of which is quickly spreading throughout the world is based on the Iranian nation itself. I speak to the people of Iran. I will not address other nations, but they can listen if they want to. They can reflect on my statements or not reflect on them. But the people of Iran should know about these things. Therefore, the first point is that they are unreasonable. They speak without believing in what they say and their words and actions are different. The second point is that they have raised the issue of negotiations. They say, \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Iranian officials should come to us so that we can sit and negotiate.\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" The same unreasonable behavior can be seen in their offer of negotiations. Their purpose is not to solve the problems and resolves the issues - I will explain this later. Their purpose is creating hype. They want to say to Muslim nations, \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"This was the Islamic Republic with all that intense determination and resistance. But finally, it had to negotiate with us. Even the Iranian nation ended up like this. What can you do?\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" They need negotiations in order to suppress countries which have just gained power, in which the breeze of Islamic Awakening has blown, countries which feel they have dignity because of Islam. They want to make these countries hopeless. Since the beginning of the Revolution, this was one of their goals. Since the beginning of the Revolution, one of their goals was to drag Iran to the negotiating table and make it deal with it. One of their goals was to gain the opportunity to say, \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Did you see that finally Iran - which claimed to be independent and courageous and which claimed that it has stood up against us - was forced to come and sit at the negotiating table?\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" Today, they pursue the same goal. This is an important issue. When the purpose of negotiations is not resolving the main issues and when the purpose of negotiations is creating hype, it is clear that the opposing side, the Islamic Republic, is not naïve and it has not closed its eyes. It understands what your goal is. Therefore, it responds on the basis of your intentions. The third point is that in the eyes of the Americans and powers which seek domination, the true meaning of negotiations is accepting what they say at the negotiating table. This is their goal of negotiations. They say, \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Let us sit and talk so that you come to the conclusion that you should accept what you would not accept before.\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" They say in their propaganda about negotiations - you may have heard about it - that they should directly negotiate with Iran and they cause a stir and create hype about it. Even the statements they made today clearly conveyed the message that they want to convince Iran to stop enriching uranium and producing nuclear energy. This is their goal. They do not say, \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Let us sit and negotiate so that Iran can give its own reasons and so that we stop pressuring them, imposing sanctions on them and interfering in political and security issues.\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" Rather, they say, \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"We should negotiate so that Iran accepts what we say.\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" This kind of negotiation does not serve any purpose. It will not reach any results. Even if Iran accepts to negotiate and even if our officials sit and negotiate with the Americans, what kind of negotiations is it when their goal is this [making Iran surrender]? It is obvious that Iran will not give up its rights. During negotiations, whenever they see that the opposing side speaks reasonably and they have nothing to say against Iran, they break off negotiations. Then, they say that Iran does not want to negotiate. Political networks as well as news networks are under their control and they broadcast propaganda. We have experienced this. During the past 15 years, two or three times the Americans sent a message about a specific issue. They insisted that there is a very important and a very critical issue and that we should sit and talk with them. Well, executive officials - usually one or two people - went to a certain place and spoke to them. As soon as these officials made their rational statements and the Americans found out that they have no response, the negotiations were broken off unilaterally. Of course, they achieved their propaganda purposes. This is our experience. Well, it is wrong to test something which has been already tested. The fourth point is that they pretend in their propaganda that if Iran sits at the negotiating table and negotiates with America, sanctions will be lifted. This is a lie too. Their goal is to make the people of Iran become eager to negotiate with America by promising to lift sanctions. They think that the people of Iran are exhausted by the sanctions and are frustrated. They think that everything is in a mess and that they can tell us, \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Well, come and negotiate with us so that we lift the sanctions.\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" They think this will cause the entire Iranian nation to ask them to negotiate. This is also one of their irrational and deceptive statements and it is a tool for bullying. First, as I said, when they ask us to negotiate with them, they do not really mean fair and rational negotiations. Negotiations mean that we should accept what they say and surrender so that they lift the sanctions. If the Iranian nation wanted to surrender, they would not have carried out a revolution. America was dominant over the issues of Iran and it did what it liked. The Iranian people carried out a revolution in order to free themselves from the yoke of America. Now should they surrender to you again? This is the first problem with their offer of negotiations. Another problem is that the sanctions will not be lifted with negotiations. I would tell you that the purpose of sanctions is something else. The purpose of sanctions is exhausting the people of Iran and separating them from the Islamic Republic. Even if negotiations are conducted but our people stay present on the scene and stand up for their rights, sanctions will continue. What will the Iranian nation do to counter this wrong idea that the enemies have? There is an idea in the minds of the opposing sides. Let us elaborate and analyze this idea. They say, \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"The Islamic Republic relies on the people. If we manage to separate the people from the Islamic Republic, the power to resist will be taken away from the Islamic Republic.\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" This is how the opposing side thinks. Well, this idea has two parts. The first part, that the Islamic Republic relies on the people, is accurate. There is no source of support for the Islamic Republic except the people. The people are the fortifications that protect the country and the Islamic Revolution. The second part, that they thought they can bring the people to their knees by imposing sanctions and bullying them on international, commercial and other such issues, is false. If they think that they can take away this source of support from the Islamic Republic, they are wrong. The Iranian nation will think of some ways to counter what the enemy wants to do. The Iranian nation is looking for economic blossoming, economic progress and complete prosperity. But it does not want to achieve this goal by being humiliated before the enemy. It wants to achieve this goal with its own capabilities, courage, advancements and with the capabilities of the youth. It does not want to achieve this with anything else. There is no doubt that sanctions exert pressures on the people and bother them. But there are two ways to approach these pressures. Weak nations surrender to the enemy when he exerts pressures and they bow and show regret before him. But a brave nation, like the Iranian nation, tries to use its own capabilities as soon as it sees that the enemy is exerting pressures and it tries to pass through the danger zone. And our nation will definitely do this. We have 30 years of experience in this regard. There are certain countries in the region which have been under the domination of America for more than 30 years. The governments in these countries have been servants of America. They have been obedient to America and they have been taking orders from it. What is their position? The Iranian nation has been putting up a resistance against America for more than 30 years. What is the position of the Iranian nation? In the face of 30 years of pressures by America, the Iranian nation has reached such a position - in terms of scientific, economic and cultural progress and in terms of international dignity, political influence and political power - that the people and government officials during the time of Pahlavi and Qajar regimes could not even dream of. We have experienced this. We have tested this. We have stood up against the pressures of America for 30 years. We have such a position. But there are nations which have been under the domination of America for 30 years and they are behind other countries to a great extent. We did not suffer a loss as a result of resisting. Resistance revives the inner strength of a nation. It makes it active. The sanctions which they impose will be helpful to the Iranian nation. By Allah\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s favor and grace, sanctions will help the Iranian nation achieve growth and blossoming. This is an important point. Well, you saw what the people did in the rallies. We cannot say that the people have no complaints about the high prices and the existing problems. Prices are high and there are certain economic problems and the people, particularly underprivileged people, feel them. But this did not make the people separate themselves from the Islamic Republic. The people know that the Islamic Republic, dear and powerful Islam and the officials who are committed to Islam, are the powerful hands which can solve the problems. They can solve the problems. Surrendering to the enemies will not solve any problems. The last point is that unlike American politicians, we are reasonable. Our officials are reasonable. Our people are reasonable. We accept rational statements and rational actions. If the Americans show that they will not bully us any more, if they show that they will not commit evil deeds, if they show that they will not say and do irrational things, if they show that they will respect the rights of the Iranian nation, if they show that they will not fuel the fire of discord in the country, if they show that they will not interfere in the internal affairs of Iran - like the interference by supporting those who started the fitna in 1388 - then they will see that the Islamic Republic is benevolent and the people are reasonable. In the fitna of the year 1388, they supported those who started the fitna and they put social networks at the service of these people. In those days, a social network wanted to close down in order to fix some technical problems. They asked the network not to close down so that they could exert influence over the fitna. If they stop doing these things, then they will see that the Islamic Republic is well-wishing. The only way to establish relations with the Islamic Republic is this and there is no other way. They can establish relations with the Islamic Republic in such a way. The Americans should prove that they have good will. They should prove that they are not after bullying. If they prove this, then they will see that the Iranian nation will make an appropriate response. If they do not commit evil deeds, if they do not interfere, if they do not bully and if they acknowledge the rights of the Iranian nation, then an appropriate response will be given by the Iranian nation. I would like to say a few things about the internal issues of our country. This is an important issue. An event took place in the Majlis. It was a bad and inappropriate event. It made both the people and our elites unhappy. I became upset for two reasons. The first is the fact that the event itself happened and the second is the fact that the people are unhappy about this issue. In this event, the head of a certain branch made an accusation against the other two branches on the basis of an unproven allegation which had not even been considered by a court of law. This course of action was bad and inappropriate. These acts are against sharia and the law and they are immoral. They violate the basic rights of the people. One of the basic rights of the people is living in peace and in psychological and moral security. If a person is accused of corruption, one cannot accuse other people on the basis of this accusation. Even if he is found guilty - let alone the current case in which the accused has not been found guilty, he has not been summoned by the court and he has not come to trial - one should not accuse others. Accusing other people, the Majlis and the judiciary branch on the basis of an accusation that has been leveled against another person is an appropriate course of action. It is a wrong course of action. For the time being, I offer a piece of advice. This behavior is not appropriate for the Islamic Republic. On the other hand, the questioning [of the minister] in the Majlis was a wrong course of action. Questioning should serve a certain purpose. What is the purpose of questioning a minister - a few months before the end of this administration\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s term - over an issue which is not related to the minister? Why did they do this? I have heard that inside the Majlis, a number of people said inappropriate things. This course of action was also wrong. All these events are inappropriate for the Islamic Republic. Neither that accusation, nor that behavior, nor that questioning was appropriate. The things which the honorable Speaker of the Majlis said in his own defense were excessive. It was not necessary to do that. We are all brothers. When there is a common enemy in front of us and when we see plots, what should we do? Until today, the officials have always stayed by one another\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s side. Now, too, they should act like this. They should always act like this. I have always supported the officials of the three branches and the officials of the country. I will continue to support each person who has a responsibility. I will help him. But I do not like these acts. This kind of behavior is not in line with the oaths they take and with the promises they make. Take a look at the greatness of the people. These people deserve to be treated in a different way. Today, the officials should focus all their efforts on solving economic problems. Three or four years ago, during a speech which I delivered in the beginning of the year, I explicitly said to the people and the officials that the plot of the enemies of the Iranian nation would be to focus - more than everything else - on our economic issues. Well, you see that the enemies did this. Both the executive branch and the Majlis should focus all their efforts and all their attention on pursuing accurate economic policies. A few years ago, I wrote a letter to the heads of the three branches of government about combating economic corruption. You should combat economic corruption. This problem is not solved by speaking about it. You should combat economic corruption in practice. You repeatedly speak about economic corruption. When did you combat economic corruption? What was done in practice? What did you do in practice? These issues make one distressed. Now that the enemies have increased their hostility, I expect the officials to strengthen their friendship. Piety, piety, piety! We expect the officials to focus all their efforts on solving the problems of the people by exercising patience, by suppressing unrestrained emotions and by taking the issues of the country into consideration. By Allah\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s favor, this benevolent piece of advice will draw the attention of the officials, particularly high-ranking officials. They should be committed to this issue. I should add another point. The things that I said today and the complaints I made against a number of officials should not make some people shout slogans against such and such people. I am against this course of action. Some people label a certain person as anti-wilayat, anti-insight and anti-whatever. Then they shout slogans against him and create disruption in the Majlis. I am against these moves. I would like to speak openly about these issues. I am against the kind of events which happened in Qom. I am against the kind of events which happened at Imam Khomeini\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s (r.a.) holy shrine. I asked the officials many times to prevent these things. Those who do such things - if they are really hezbollahi and religious - should stop doing them. You can see that we consider these moves as harmful to the country. We do not benefit from them. It is not helpful to set out to shout slogans against such and such people by releasing emotions. These slogans will not solve any problems. Keep this anger and these emotions for the time when it is necessary to express them. During the Sacred Defense Era, if basijis had decided to act at will, then the country would have been destroyed. Discipline and social order are necessary and it is necessary to take certain things into consideration. If these people do not pay any attention to these principles, then they should be treated in a different way. But those who pay attention to these principles and who believe they should not move against sharia, should take care not to make such moves. Thankfully the people of Iran have insight. I would tell you dear youth that the day when we are gone and you are in charge, the situation of the Iranian nation will be much better in terms of material and spiritual prosperity. The Iranian nation is moving towards light. There are bright prospects for us. We should watch our behavior. We should ask Allah the Exalted to help us. We should ask the immaculate souls of our martyrs and the immaculate soul of our magnanimous Imam (r.a.) to help us. By Allah\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s favor, you and I will benefit from the prayers of the Imam of the Age (may our souls be sacrificed for his sake). Greetings be upon you and Allah\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s mercy and blessings. http://english.khamenei.ir//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1744&Itemid=4

Supreme Leader\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s Speech to Members of Ahlul Bayt World Assembly and Islamic Radio and Television Uni Print 17/08/2015 The following is the full text of the speech delivered on August 17, 2015 by Ayatollah Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, in a meeting with the participants of Ahlul Bayt World Assembly and the members of Islamic Radio and Television Union. In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful‏ All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, and peace and greetings be upon our Master and Prophet, Ab-al-Qassem al-Mustafa Muhammad and upon his immaculate, pure and chosen household, especially the one remaining with Allah on earth. I would like to welcome the honorable participants and the dear brothers and sisters, the brothers and sisters from Ahlul Bayt World Assembly, the brothers and sisters from the Islamic Radio and Television Union and the honorable families of martyrs who are present in the meeting. I ask Allah the Exalted to bestow His blessings on all of you. I would like to raise a few points about the Ahlul Bayt World Assembly and the Islamic Radio and Television Union. As for the Ahlul Bayt World Assembly, its significance originates from the Holy Prophet\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s (a.s.) household. Allah the Exalted says something - in a very explicit manner - about the Holy Prophet\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s household (a.s.) in the Holy Quran: \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"And Allah only wishes to remove all abomination from you, you members of the Family, and to make you pure and immaculate\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" [The Holy Quran, 33: 33]. This description has been used for few groups of people in the Holy Quran. The Ahlul Bayt\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s understanding and knowledge lies in their divine purity. Well, this purity has many dimensions. If a group of people associate themselves with the Holy Prophet\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s household (a.s.), they should observe certain criteria. This is what we want to say: these groups should observe certain criteria. The efforts of the Holy Prophet\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s household (greetings be upon them) revolved around these pivots- first, reviving the original teachings of Islam. They wanted to keep Islamic principles alive. Oppressive governments and taghuts always tried to destroy or change and distort Islamic teachings. One of the most important moves of the Holy Prophet\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s household was to resist this attempt. They wanted to preserve and revive Islamic teachings. This was one of their tasks. Another task that the Holy Prophet\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s household (greetings be upon them) did was to implement divine laws. They did so whether during the time when they ruled or during the time when they were removed from government. Their efforts were focused on implementing divine laws in society. This was another task. Another task that they carried out was to engage in jihad in the way of God. You read in the ziarat of the Imams, \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"I testify that you strove [jihad] in the way of God, such a striving is due to him.\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" This means that they did not show any negligence in fighting in the way of God. They engaged in jihad in the way of God with all their power and capability. This was another task. An important part of this jihad - which is a separate chapter in itself - was fighting against oppression and oppressors. The lives of the Holy Prophet\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s household (a.s.) were imbued with fighting against oppression and oppressors. The reason behind all those pressures and poisoning attempts and all that martyrdom was this- they fought against oppression and oppressors. This is the life of the Holy Prophet\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s household. Now, we want to be their followers. Therefore, we should observe these things. These things should be observed. We should promote Islamic teachings. We should consider implementing divine laws as one of our goals. We should engage in jihad in the way of God with all our power. We should fight against oppressors. We should fight against and confront oppressors. This is our responsibility. Well, jihad is not confined to a military war. Jihad includes all kinds of fighting, ranging from cultural to political and economic fighting. All these kinds of fighting are included in jihad. Our minds should not only switch to a military war. Sometimes, it is possible that a military war breaks out, but jihad is not only this. In our opinion, today, the manifestation of jihad for us Muslims and followers of the Holy Prophet\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s household is fighting against the plots of arrogance in this Islamic region. Today, this is the greatest form of jihad. We should fight against the plots of arrogance. First, we should identify these plots and study the enemy\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s thoughts so that we know what he is going to do. After that, we should plan on how we want to fight against his goals. And this is not confined to defense. Fighting includes both defense and offense. Sometimes, it is necessary for us to adopt a defensive position and sometimes, it is necessary to adopt an offensive position. In both cases, the goal is fighting against the plans of arrogance - which is the main enemy - in the region. This fighting should take place in the entire Islamic region - particularly in this region which is West Asia. The Europeans insist on referring to this region as the Middle East region. In other words, they locate east on the basis of Europe. To them, a region is Far East, another is Middle East and another region is Near East. Because of the Europeans\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\' arrogance, this region has been called, \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"the Middle East\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" from the beginning. \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"The Middle East\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" is a wrong name. This is West Asia. This is Asia - a large continent - and we are in West Asia. This region is a very sensitive region. It is a very important region in terms of strategy, military power, important underground resources and connection between three continents - Asia, Europe and Africa. It is an important region for which they have certain plans. We should see what these plans are and then we should confront them. This is jihad. The Holy Quran says to us, \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"And strive hard in the way of Allah, such a striving is due to Him\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" [The Holy Quran, 22: 78]. Today, this is jihad in the way of God. Hatching plots against the world of Islam and this region in particular is not a new development. Since many years ago - since 100 years ago: since World War I until today - this region has been exposed to many pressures by arrogant powers. One day, it was England, one day it was America and one day it was France. It is 100 years or more now that arrogant powers have been pursuing their goals here. However, these pressures, plans and plots have been reinforced since the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran. This is because the victory of Islam in an important, great and sensitive country like Iran was confusing for arrogance. In the beginning, they lost the power to analyze events. We used to pursue events and we were witness to this. In the beginning, they were confused. Later on, when they collected themselves, they began to exert pressure and the pivot of this pressure was the Islamic Republic of Iran. First, they focused their efforts on preventing this experience from being repeated in other countries. They were after this. This was why they thought of increasing pressures on Iran. It is 35 years now that we have gotten used to the enemy\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s pressures. The people of Iran have gotten used to pressures. It is 35 years now that we have been facing threats, sanctions, security pressures, different political plots and all kinds of pressures. This began with the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran. However, after the emergence of Islamic Awakening - that began four, five years ago in North African countries such as Egypt, Tunisia and other African countries - the enemies increased their pressures. That is to say, the enemy became anxious and uneasy in the real sense of the word. They adopted many measures that are continuing in the present time. Of course, they think that they have suppressed Islamic Awakening, but this humble person believes that Islamic Awakening is not suppressible. Although they have adopted some measures, this movement exists and it will find its true position sooner or later. In any case, they have increased their efforts in the recent years. They have adopted many measures and they have brought new elements into the equation. The enemy\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s plans are based on two things. First, I will tell you that when we say, \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"the enemy\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" we do not refer to an imaginary and fictional creature. By \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"enemy\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" we mean global arrogance and arrogant powers: powers whose existence depends on dominating others, interfering in their affairs and possessing their financial and vital resources. These are arrogant powers or in other words, the leaders of global arrogance. We have a term in our political literature which is global arrogance. It means the division of the world into \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"the oppressor\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" and \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"the oppressed\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\". This is global arrogance. Those who are the leaders of this system are enemies. If we want to give an example of who this enemy is in the outside world, we should refer to the regime of the United States of America. This regime is the epitome of global arrogance. Of course, others are part of global arrogance as well, but the clearest and the most obvious example is the regime of the United States of America. It knows nothing about human morality and it is not ashamed of committing any crime - of any nature. It covers these crimes, pressures and violent acts behind its smiles and its good and beautiful words. The manifestation of global arrogance is this regime. Therefore, when we say, \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"the enemy\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\", it means this. This enemy\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s plan in the region is mainly based on two things. Of course, it has many branches, but these are the main two. One is creating discord and the second it exerting influence. This is the basis of the enemy\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s plan in the region. They want to create discord between governments and - after that - between nations which is more dangerous than discord between governments. They want to make peoples bear grudge against each other and establish biased groups with different names. One day, it was \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"pan-Iranism\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\", \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"pan-Arabism\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\", \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"pan-Turkism\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" and other such orientations and today, it is the issue of Shia and Sunni, takfirism and other such things. They create discord with anything they can. This is only item of their measures and they are working on it in a very serious way. Of course, the English were the first experts of this measure. They have expertise in creating religious discord. The Americans have learned this from them and they are working on it today with all their power. All the takfiri groups that you see are their handicraft. Of course, we have been saying this for several years, but some people had doubts. Today, the Americans themselves are acknowledging this. They are acknowledging that it was they who created DAESH, al-Nusra Front and other takfiri groups. A bunch of simple-minded - although sincere - Muslims were deceived by them. This is the important point. What is very instructive to us and what we should pay attention to is that sometimes well-intentioned individuals work inside the enemy\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s plan because of lack of vigilance. This has happened. One clear example of this is the issue of Syria. When taghuti governments were overthrown in Tunisia and Egypt with Islamic slogans, all of a sudden the Americans and the Zionists decided to use this formula for destroying resistant governments and countries. Therefore, they turned to Syria and as a result, a group of simple-minded and naïve individuals became the target of this plan. They made Syria reach the current situation. It is four, five years now that Syria has been experiencing this tumultuous situation and it is not clear when it will come to an end. This was what the enemy did and simple-minded individuals were incorporated in this plan. They filled in the enemy\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s puzzle. This happens in many cases. It was they who created takfiri groups. It was they who created thuggish and violent groups and set them on the Islamic Ummah. They pretend that this is a denominational war. I will tell you that the conflicts that they are trying to label as denominational conflicts in Iraq, Syria and other countries are not denominational at all. They are of a political nature. The war in Yemen is a political war, not a religious one. They falsely claim that the issue is about Shia and Sunni while this is not the case. Some of those people who are losing their children, women, infants and their hospitals and schools in Yemen under the bombardment of the Saudis are Shafi\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'i and some of them are Zaidi . So, the issue is not about Shia and Sunni. The conflict is a political conflict, the conflict between policies. Today, they are creating such a situation in the region. It was they who created discord. We should try to eliminate these differences and conflicts. We have said to everyone in an outspoken way that we extend the hand of friendship to all regional and Muslim governments. We have no problems with Muslim governments. Of course in the present time, our relations with many of our neighbors are already friendly and brotherly. The countries to the north, south, east and west of the Islamic Republic of Iran have good relations with us. Of course, some countries - near and far away - have certain differences with us. They behave in an obstinate way and show malevolence. This exists as well, but our principle is based on establishing good relations with neighboring countries, governments and - particularly - peoples. Our country has very good relations with peoples. Of course, we believe that we should be committed to principles. We say that principles should be preserved. It was with commitment to principles that our magnanimous Imam (r.a.) managed to achieve victory, preserve the Revolution and give stability to the Islamic Republic. He was committed to principles. One of these principles is \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"They are strong against unbelievers, compassionate amongst each other\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" [The Holy Quran, 48: 29]. This is one of the principles. We do not make peace with our enemies - with arrogance - and we do not show enmity towards our Muslim brothers, rather we behave in a friendly and brotherly manner towards them because we believe that we should be \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"strong against unbelievers, compassionate amongst each other.\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" This is the lesson of our magnanimous Imam (r.a.). This is the clear line of the Islamic Republic. In supporting the oppressed, we do not look, have not looked and will not look at the other side\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s religion and denomination. This is our magnanimous Imam\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s (r.a.) guideline. Imam behaved towards Shia resistance in Lebanon in the same way that he behaved towards Sunni resistance in Palestine. He behaved towards them without any difference. We supported our brothers in Lebanon in the same way that we supported our brothers in Gaza without any difference. The former were Sunnis and the latter were Shias. The main issue for us is defending Islamic identity and supporting the oppressed. The main issue for us is the issue of Palestine which is the main issue for Muslims in the present time. This is the main issue for us. We behave in the same way towards our enemies. Our magnanimous Imam (r.a.) fought against Mohammad Reza Pahlavi who was apparently a Shia. Likewise, he fought against Saddam Hussein who was apparently a Sunni. Of course, the former was not a true Shia and the latter was not a true Sunni either. Both of them were separate from Islam, but the former was apparently a Shia and the latter was apparently a Sunni. Imam (r.a.) fought against them in the same way. Therefore, the issue for us is not the issue of Sunni, Shia, denominational bias and other such things. The issue is the issue of Islam\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s principles: \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Be an enemy of the oppressor and helper of the oppressed\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" [Nahjul Balaghah, Letter 47]. This is Islam\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s command. This is our path. This is our line. Intensifying discord in the world of Islam is forbidden. We are opposed to the behavior of some Shia groups, as it leads to discord. We have said outspokenly that we are opposed to insulting the holy beliefs of Sunnis. Some people from both sides intensify and fuel the fire of enmities. Many of them have good intentions, but they do not have foresight. Foresight is necessary. We should see what the enemy\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s plan is. The enemy\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s first plan is creating discord and his second plan is exerting influence. They want to have decade-long influence in Islamic and regional countries. Today in the region, America does not enjoy the reputation that it did in the past and therefore, it wants to retrieve it. They have the same intention in our country. They have the same intention in Iran. They thought that they could use the nuclear negotiations to exert influence inside our country. Now, the fate of this nuclear agreement is not clear either in Iran or in America. It is not clear whether it will be approved or not in both countries. They wanted to use it as a means to exert influence in our country, but we blocked their path and we will definitely block their path in the future as well [audience chant \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Allahu Akbar\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"]. We will not allow the Americans to have economic or political influence in our country, nor will we allow them to have a political presence and cultural influence in our country. We will confront them with all our power which is thankfully great in the present time. The same is true of the region. In the region too, they want to exert influence, have an excuse to show their presence and pursue their goals. By Allah\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s favor and grace, we will do our best to prevent this. Our policies in the region are the exact opposite of the Americans. The territorial integrity of regional countries is very important to us. The territorial integrity of Iraq and Syria is very important to us. On the contrary, they are after dismembering these countries. I have said before that the Americans are after dismembering Iraq, but some people expressed surprise. Recently, the Americans themselves have acknowledged that they are after dismembering Iraq. They want to dismembering Iraq. If they can, they want to dismember Syria as well. Their purpose of doing this is to create small and obedient countries, but by Allah\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s favor and grace, this will not happen [audience chant \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Allahu Akbar\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"]. We will defend the Resistance in the region. We will defend the Palestinian Resistance which is one of the most prominent chapters in the history of the Islamic Ummah throughout these years. We will defend this group. We will support anyone who fights against Israel, who condemns the Zionist regime and who approves of the Palestinian Resistance. We will offer all kinds of support, within the scope of our capabilities, to such people. We will offer all kinds of possible support to anyone who confronts the Zionist regime. We will support the Resistance. We will support the territorial integrity of countries. We will support all those individuals who resist the divisive policies of America. We confront all those people who create discord. We do not approve of the kind of Shia whose headquarters are in London [audience chant \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Allahu Akbar\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"] because it is not the kind of Shia that the Holy Prophet\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s household (greetings be upon them) promoted. The kind of Shia that is based on creating discord and on clearing the road for the presence of the enemies of Islam is not real Shia, rather it is deviation. Shia is the epitome of original Islam and the Holy Quran. We will support all those people who help unity and we will oppose all those who act against unity. We will support all the oppressed. We will not leave the arena just because they say that we interfered in the affairs of Bahrain and other countries. We did not interfere at all, but we will support them. We feel for the oppressed people of Bahrain and Yemen. We pray for them and we will offer any kind of help we can. Today, the people of Yemen are really oppressed. They are destroying a country just because of some arrogant and political polices which are pursued in a foolish manner. They could have pursued political goals in a different manner, but they are pursuing them foolishly. The events of Yemen and many other events in the world of Islam - in Pakistan, Afghanistan and other such countries - are really painful for us. And these events are too many and they are really painful. The world of Islam should cure such problems with vigilance and foresight. As for the Islamic Radio and Television Union, I want to say that this union is very important. The task that you have begun - that is to say, establishing this union - is a very important task. Notice that in the present time, at least 70, 80 percent of the people in Muslim countries are committed to religious principles and beliefs. If you take a look at Islamic countries, you will see that the people are committed to and believe in their religion. To what extent are the radio and television networks in such countries - which should be the representatives of the people\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s wishes and demands - committed to religion? There is a shocking gap and rift. Seventy, eighty percent of the people are religious, but radio and television networks in such countries do not move in a religious direction and they do not reflect the people\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s demands. This is very strange. They reflect the same things that the dangerous media empire of arrogance wants. Today, arrogance has created a great media empire. They distort and cover up news and they tell lies. This way, they promote their policies. This is while they constantly say that they take an impartial position. The English radio claims that it is impartial, but they are lying. They are not impartial at all. They move in the exact direction of arrogant and colonialist policies - whether American or English policies. Audio and print media, news agencies and the complicated means of mass communication that exist today are all at the service of their policies. They are at the service of arrogance, Zionism and their goals. We should do something in the face of this dangerous empire and this large media mafia that is in the hands of American and Zionist capitalists and cartels. What you are doing is the beginning of a movement and therefore, it should be pursued and strengthened on a daily basis. You should bring your partners and colleagues into the arena as well. By Allah\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s favor, a good future is awaiting us. I will tell you that despite the boastful behavior of arrogance and the great efforts that arrogance and its allies and followers are carrying out in financial, military, political and security areas, the future belongs to Islam in the region and in the entire world of Islam. By Allah\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s favor, Islam\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s dignity and power will increase on a daily basis. Of course, it is necessary to show diligence. Thankfully, there are many mujahid men, women and youth in the entire world of Islam. Therefore, we should appreciate their value and we should use our slogans, our moves, our words and our activities in this direction. If we do so, Allah the Exalted will definitely help: \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"If you help the cause of Allah, He will help you and make firm your feet\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" [The Holy Quran, 47: 7]. Greetings be upon you and Allah\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s mercy and blessings

The number of Iraqi orphans increased in the last few years due to the war. According to official Iraqi government statistics released in December 2007 the number of Iraqi orphans had reached at least five million over the last three years. Many due to the US led invasion of Iraq.

Syrians stage mass anti-US rally Mature (BBC NEWS) -- Thousands of people have held a peaceful demonstration in Damascus against an alleged US raid on a village that Syria says killed eight people. Riot police armed with batons and shields surrounded the US embassy in Damascus, which closed due to what it said were increased security concerns. The US state department and the White House have refused to confirm, deny or comment on The assault claimed the lives of eight civilians, including a father and his four sons. They protestos said the act of aggression is a flagrant violation of international law and a form of systematic terrorism exercised by the American administration on the Arab world, Lebanese Al-Manar TV reported. Damascus witnessed a huge public demonstration in protest to the US act of aggression which targeted the al-Sukkariah farm outside Abu Kamal. The protestors, who came from student, women, civic societies, religious and trade union activists, voiced condemnation of the American crime which targeted peaceful building workers on a farm outside the town of Abu Kamal near the border with Iraq on Sunday. The protestors called on the international community to put an end to reckless US arrogance, appealing to international organizations to condemn such acts of terrorism and take the needed procedures to put on trial the aggressors who show disregard for international laws, norms and charters. The US Embassy in Damascus was closed Thursday because of security concerns related to the protest. The Syrian government has ordered the closure of a US school, expected within a week, and the immediate closing of the American cultural center linked to the embassy. The US Embassy meanwhile warned Americans on Thursday to be vigilant. The announcement raises concerns about the safety of US citizens in Syria. In Washington, State Department deputy spokesman Robert Wood said Wednesday that Syria had formally notified the US of the closure order for the cultural center, effective immediately, and the school by November 6. Wood said Washington was considering how to respond and stressed the US expects the Syrian government to provide adequate security for the buildings housing the cultural center and the Damascus Community School.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has questioned the motive behind the prolonged seven-year Washington presence in Afghanistan. "By keeping its forces in Afghanistan, the US has inflicted a heavy financial burden on its economy," the Iranian president said in a televised interview on Tuesday. Washington and its allies seek a long-time strategy with regards to their policies in Afghanistan and Pakistan, he continued. Seven years of occupation have not made Afghanistan any safer, as this year alone over 5,000 people have been killed and US military casualties have increased to the highest levels since the 2001 invasion. Since the US invasion of the country, Afghanistan has also seen a phenomenal increase in the cultivation of opium, which is used to make heroin. The country now feeds the world with nearly 90 percent of its heroin. "Their ulterior motive is to weaken India and China," suggested the president, adding that extra-regional presence can only help create a launching ground for further problems. President Ahmadinejad said the 60-hour assault on Mumbai which killed nearly 172 people and injured almost 300 others was also orchestrated by elements outside the region. "The main motive behind the terrorist attacks, which were orchestrated from outside the region, was to strain relations between Indian and Pakistan," he said. India last week blamed Pakistani-based "elements" over the attacks across its financial capital, saying the terror bore the fingerprint of Lashkar-e-Taiba -- a group blamed for previous attacks in India. "Even if the militants are linked to Lashker-e-Taiba, who do you think we are fighting?" commented Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari in reference to his government's operations against al-Qaeda and Taliban-linked militants near the Afghan border.

A Hamas senior official has lashed out at Saudi Arabia for not granting visas to Gazans who want to go on the Hajj pilgrimage. In remarks posted on Hummaas's website, Atef Edwan said Riyadh had allowed thousands of people registered with the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank to have visas but not the 2,200 in Gaza who applied through Hummaas, AFP reported. "By ignoring those Gaza pilgrims registered with the Waqf (department of religious affairs) Saudi Arabia is making a political mistake that will have negative consequences on the Saudi regime and the whole region," AFP quoted Edwan as saying. Meanwhile media outlets quoted unnamed witnesses as saying that Hummaas police set up checkpoints across Gaza on Saturday, to prevent those who coordinated their pilgrimage with the movement's rival, the Palestinian Authority from traveling. Since last month tensions between Hummaas and the Palestinian Authority has heightened as the Palestinian Authority Chief Mahmoud Abbas increased the detention of Hummaas' members.

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم وحی کی سرزمین نے ایک بار پھر مؤمنین کی عظیم جمعیت کو اپنی سالانہ ضیافت میں اکٹھا کیا ہوا ہے. پوری دنیا سے مشتاق جانیں اسلام و قرآن کی جائے ولادت (حجاز) ایسے اعمال و مناسک بجالارہے ہیں جن میں غور و تدبر، انسانیت کے لئے اسلام و قرآن کے ابدی سبق کا جلوہ دکھاتا ہے اور یہ اعمال و مناسک بذات خود اسی سبق پر عمل کرنے اور اس کے نفاذ کے سلسلے میں علامتی اقدامات ہیں. اس عظیم درس کا ہدف انسان کی ابدی نجات و رستگاری اور سربلندی و سرفرازی ہے. اور اس کا راستہ صالح اور نیک انسان کی تربیت اور صالح و نیک معاشرے کی تشکیل ہے، ایسا انسان جو اپنے دل اور اپنے عمل میں خدائے واحد کی پرستش کرے اور اپنے آپ کو شرک اور اخلاقی آلودگیوں اور منحرف کرنے والی نفسانی خواہشات سے پاک کردے؛ اور ایسا معاشرہ جس کی تشکیل میں عدل و انصاف، حریت و ایمان اور نشاط و انبساط سمیت زندگی اور پیشرفت کے تمام نشانے بروئے کار لائے گئے ہوں. فریضہ حج میں اس فردی اور معاشرتی تربیت کے تمام عناصر اکٹھے کئے گئے ہیں. احرام اور تمام فردی تشخصات اور تمام نفسانی لذات و خواہشات سے خارج ہونے کے ابتدائی لمحوں سے لے کر توحید کی علامت (کعبہ شریف) کے گرد طواف کرنے اور بت شکن و فداکار ابراہیم (ع) کے مقام پر نماز بجالانے تک اور دو پہاڑیوں کے درمیان تیز قدموں سے چلنے کے مرحلے سے لے کر صحرائے عرفات میں ہر نسل اور ہر زبان کے یکتاپرستوں کے عظیم اجتماع کے بیچ سکون کے مرحلے تک اور مشعر الحرام میں ایک رات راز و نیاز میں گذارنے اور اس عظیم جمعیت کے مابین موجودگی کے باوجود ہر دل کا الگ الگ خدا کے ساتھ انس پیدا کرنے تک اور پھر منی میں حاضر ہوکر شیطانی علامتوں پر سنگباری اور اس کے بعد قربانی دینے کے عمل کو مجسم کرنا اور مسکینوں اور راہگیروں کو کھانا کھلانا، یہ اعمال سب کے سب تعلیم و تربیت اور تمرین کے زمرے میں آتے ہیں. اس مکمل مجموعۂ اعمال میں، ایک طرف سے اخلاص و صفائے دل اور مادی مصروفیات سے دستبرداری اور دوسری طرف سے سعی و کوشش اور ثابت قدمی؛ ایک طرف سے خدا کے ساتھ انس و خلوت اور خلق خدا کے ساتھ وحدت و یکدلی اور یکرنگی دوسری طرف سے دل و جان کی آرائش و زیبائش کا اہتمام اور دل امت اسلامی کی عظیم جماعت کے اتحاد و یگانگت کے سپرد کرنا؛ ایک طرف سے حق تعالی کی بارگاہ میں عجز و انکسار اور دوسری طرف سے باطل کے مد مقابل ثابَت قَدمی اور اُستواری، المختصر ایک طرف سے آخرت کے ماحول میں پرواز کرنا اور دوسری طرف سے دنیا کو سنوارنے کا عزم صمیم، سب ایک دوسرے کے ساتھ پیوستہ ہیں اور سب کی ایک ساتھ تعلیم دی جاتی ہے اور مشق کی جاتی ہے: «وَ مِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَقُولُ رَبَّنا آتِنا فِي الدُّنْيا حَسَنَةً وَ فِي الآْخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَ قِنا عَذابَ النَّارِ ».(1) اور اس طرح كعبہ شریف اور مناسك حج، انسانی معاشروں کی مضبوطی اور استواری کا سبب اور انسانوں کے لئے نفع اور بهره مندی کی ذرائع سی بهرپور هین: «جَعَلَ اللَّهُ الْكَعْبَةَ الْبَيْتَ الْحَرامَ قِياماً لِلنَّاس‏»(2) و «ليَشْهَدُوا مَنافِعَ لَهُمْ وَ يَذْكُرُوا اسْمَ اللَّهِ فِي أَيَّامٍ مَعْلُوماتٍ‏» (3) ہر ملک اور ہر رنگ و نسل کے مسلمانوں کو آج ہمیشہ سے بیشتر اس عظیم فریضے کی قدر و قیمت کا ادراک اور اس کی قدرشناسی کرنی چاہئے اور اس سے فائدہ اٹھانا چاہئے؛ کیونکہ مسلمانوں کے سامنے کا افق ہر زمانے سے زیادہ روشن ہے اور فرد و معاشرے کے لئے اسلام کے مقرر کردہ عظیم اہداف کے حصول کے حوالے سے وہ آج ہمیشہ سے کہیں زیادہ پرامید ہیں. اگر امت اسلامی گذشتہ دوصدیوں کے دوران مغرب کی مادی تہذیب اور بائیں اور دائیں بازو کی الحادی قوتوں کے مقابلے میں ہزیمت اور سقوط و انتشار کا شکار تھی آج پندرہویں صدی ہجری میں مغرب کے سیاسی اور معاشی مکاتب کے پاؤں دلدل میں پھنسے ہوئے ہیں اور وہ ضعف و ہزیمت و انتشار کی طرف رواں دواں ہیں. اور اسلام نے مسلمانوں کی بیداری اور تشخص کی بحالی و بازیافت اور دنیا میں توحیدی افکار اور عدل و معنویت کی منطق کے احیاء کی بدولت عزت و سربلندی اور روئیدگی و بالیدگی کے نئے دور کا آغاز کیا ہے. وہ لوگ جو ماضی قریب میں ناامیدیوں کے گیت گارہے تھے اور نہ صرف اسلام اور مسلمین بلکہ دینداری اور معنویت کی اساس تک کو مغربی تہذیب کی یلغار کے سامنے تباہ ہوتا ہوا سمجھ رہے تھے آج اسلام کی تجدید حیات اور نشات ثانیہ اور اس کے مقابلے میں ان یلغار کرنے والی قوتوں کے ضعف و زوال کا اپنی آنکھوں سے نظارہ کررہے ہیں اور زبان و دل کے ساتھ اس حقیقت کا اقرار کررہے ہیں. میں مکمل اطمینان کے ساتھ کہتا ہوں کہ یہ ابھی شروع کا مرحلہ ہے اور خدا کے وعدوں کی حتمیت اور عملی جامہ پہننے یعنی باطل پر حق کی فتح اور قرآن کی امّت کی تعمیر نو اور جدید اسلامی تمدن و تہذیب کے قیام کے مراحل عنقریب آرہے ہیں: «وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنْكُمْ وَ عَمِلُوا الصَّالِحاتِ لَيَسْتَخْلِفَنَّهُمْ فِي الأَْرْضِ كَمَا اسْتَخْلَفَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ وَ لَيُمَكِّنَنَّ لَهُمْ دِينَهُمُ الَّذِي ارْتَضى‏ لَهُمْ وَ لَيُبَدِّلَنَّهُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ خَوْفِهِمْ أَمْناً يَعْبُدُونَنِي لا يُشْرِكُونَ بِي شَيْئاً وَ مَنْ كَفَرَ بَعْدَ ذلِكَ فَأُولئِكَ هُمُ الْفاسِقُونَ» (4) اس فسخ ناپذیر وعدے کا عملی جامہ پہننے کی اولین اور اہم ترین نشانی ایران میں اسلامی انقلاب کی کامیابی اور اسلامی نظام کی نامی گرامی عمارت کی تعمیر تھی جس نے ایران کو اسلام کی حاکمیت و تمدن کے تفکرات کے مضبوط ترین قلعے میں تبدیل کیا. اس معجزنما وجود کا عین اسی وقت ظہور ہوا جب مادیت کی ہنگامہ خیزیوں اور اسلام کے خلاف بائیں اور دائیں بازو کی قوتوں کی بدمستیوں کا عروج تھا اور دنیا کی تمام مادی قوتیں اسلام کے اس ظہور نو کے خلاف صف آرا ہوئی تھیں اور انہوں نے اسلامی کے خلاف ہرقسم کے سیاسی، فوجی، معاشی اور تبلیغاتی اقدامات کئے مگر اسلام نے استقامت کا ثبوت دیا اور اس طرح دنیائے اسلام میں نئی امیدیں ظہور پذیر ہوئیں اور قلبوں میں شوق و جذبہ ابھرا؛ اس زمانے سے وقت جتنا بھی گذرا ہے اسلامی نظام کے استحکام اور ثابت قدمی میں – خدا کے فضل و قدرت سے - اتنا ہی اضافہ ہوا ہے اور مسلمانوں کی امیدوں کی جڑیں بھی اتنی ہی مضبوط ہوگئی ہیں. اس روداد سے اب تین عشرے گذرنے کو ہیں اور ان تین عشروں میں مشرق وسطی اور افریقی و ایشیائی ممالک اس فتح مندانہ تقابل کا میدان بن چکے ہیں. فلسطین اور اسلامی انتفاضہ اور مسلم فلسطینی حکومت کا قیام، لبنان اور حزب اللہ اور اسلامی مزاحمت تحریک کی خونخوار اور مستکبر صہیونی ریاست کے خلاف عظیم فتح؛ عراق اور صدام کی ملحدانہ آمریت کے کھنڈرات پر مسلم عوامی حکومت کی عمارت کی تعمیر؛ افغانستان اور کمیونسٹ قابضین اور ان کی کٹھ پتلی حکومت کی ذلت آمیز ہزیمت؛ مشرق وسطی پر امریکہ کے استعماری تسلط کے لئے کی جانی والی سازشوں کی ناکامی؛ غاصب صہیونی ریاست کے اندر تنازعات اور لاعلاج ٹوٹ پھوٹ؛ خطے کے اکثر یا تمام ممالک میں - خاص طور پر نوجوانوں اور دانشوروں کے درمیان - اسلام پسندی کی لہر کی ہمہ گیری ؛ اقتصادی پابندیوں کے باوجود اسلامی ایران میں حیرت انگیز سائنسی اور فنی پیشرفت؛ امریکہ کے اندر جنگ افروز اور فساد کے خواہاں حکمرانوں کی سیاسی اور اقتصادی شعبوں میں زبردست ناکامی؛ بیشتر مغربی ممالک میں مسلم اقلیتوں کا احساس تشخص؛ یہ سارے حقائق اس صدی – یعنی پندرہویں صدی ہجری – میں دشمنوں کے مقابلے میں اسلام کی فتح و نصرت کی نشانیاں ہیں. بھائیو اور بہنو! یہ ساری فتوحات اور کامیابیاں جہاد اور اخلاص کا ثمرہ ہیں. جب خداوند عالم کی صدا اس کے بندوں کے حلق سے سنائی دی؛ جب راہ حق کے مجاہدوں کی ہمت و طاقت میدان عمل میں اتر آئی؛ اور جب مسلمانوں نے خدا کے ساتھ اپنے کئے ہوئے عہد پر عمل کیا، خدائے علیّ قدیر نے بھی اپنے وعدے کو عمل کا لباس پہنایا اور یوں تاریخ کی سمت بدل گئی: «أَوْفُوا بِعَهْدِي أُوفِ بِعَهْدِكُم‏» (5) «إِنْ تَنْصُرُوا اللَّهَ يَنْصُرْكُمْ وَ يُثَبِّتْ أَقْدامَكُمْ » (6) «ً وَ لَيَنْصُرَنَّ اللَّهُ مَنْ يَنْصُرُهُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَقَوِيٌّ عَزِيز» (7) «إِنَّا لَنَنْصُرُ رُسُلَنا وَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا فِي الْحَياةِ الدُّنْيا وَ يَوْمَ يَقُومُ الأَْشْهادُ» (8) یہ تو ابھی آغاز راہ ہے. مسلمان ملتوں کو ابھی بہت سے خوفناک دروں سے گذرنا ہے. ان دروں اور گھاتیوں سے گذرنا بھی ایمان و اخلاص، امید و جہاد اور بصیرت و استقامت کے بغیر ممکن نہیں ہے. مایوسی اور ہر چیز کو تاریک و سیاہ دیکھنے، حق وباطل کے معرکے میں غیرجانبدارانہ موقف اپنانے، بے صبری اور جلدبازی سے کام لینے اور خدا کے وعدوں کی سچائی پر بدگمان ہونے کی صورت میں ان کٹھن راستوں سے گذرنا ناممکن ہوگا اور یہ راہ طے نہ ہوسکے گی. زخم خوردہ دشمن پوری طاقت کے ساتھ میدان میں آیا ہے اور وہ مزید طاقت بھی میدان میں لائے گا چنانچہ ہوشیار و بیدار، شجاع، دانشمند اور موقع شناس ہونا چاہئے؛ کیونکہ اسی صورت میں دشمن ناکامی کا منہ دیکھے گا. ان تیس برسوں کے دوران ہمارے دشمن خاص طور پر صہیونیت اور امریکہ پوری طاقت کے ساتھ میدان میں تھے اور انہوں نے تمام وسائل کا استعمال کیا مگر ناکام رہے. اور مستقبل میں بھی ایسا ہی ہوگا. ان شاء اللہ دشمن کی شدت عمل اکثر و بیشتر اس کی کمزوری اور بے تدبیری کی علامت ہے. آپ ایک نظر فلسطین اور خاص طور پر غزہ پر ڈالیں. غزہ میں دشمن کے بیرحمانہ اور جلادانہ کردار – جس کی مثال انسانیت کی تاریخ میں بہت کم ملتی ہے – ان مردوں، عورتوں اور بچوں کے آہنی عزم پر غلبہ پانے میں دشمن کی عاجزی اور ضعف کی نشانی ہے جنہوں نے خالی ہاتھوں - غاصب ریاست اور اس کے حامی یعنی امریکی بڑی طاقت اور ان کی سازشوں اور حماس کی قانونی حکومت سے جہاد کے ان متوالوں کی روگردانی کی - امریکی اور صہیونی خواہش کو پاؤں تلے روند ڈالا ہے. خدا کا سلام و درود ہو اس با استقامت اور عظیم ملت پر. غزہ کے عوام اور حماس کی حکومت نے ان جاودانہ آیات الہی کا زندہ مصداق ہمارے سامنے پیش کیا ہے جہاں رب ذوالجلال کا ارشا ہے کہ: «وَ لَنَبْلُوَنَّكُمْ بِشَيْ‏ءٍ مِنَ الْخَوْفِ وَ الْجُوعِ وَ نَقْصٍ مِنَ الأَْمْوالِ وَ الأَْنْفُسِ وَ الثَّمَراتِ وَ بَشِّرِ الصَّابِرِينَ *الَّذِينَ إِذا أَصابَتْهُمْ مُصِيبَةٌ قالُوا إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَ إِنَّا إِلَيْهِ راجِعُونَ *أُولئِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ صَلَواتٌ مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ وَ رَحْمَةٌ وَ أُولئِكَ هُمُ الْمُهْتَدُونَ»(9) و «لَتُبْلَوُنَّ فِي أَمْوالِكُمْ وَ أَنْفُسِكُمْ وَ لَتَسْمَعُنَّ مِنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتابَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ وَ مِنَ الَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا أَذىً كَثِيراً وَ إِنْ تَصْبِرُوا وَ تَتَّقُوا فَإِنَّ ذلِكَ مِنْ عَزْمِ الأُْمُورِ». (10) حق و باطل کے اس معرکے کا فاتح حق کے سوا کوئی نہیں ہے اور فلسطین کی یہی صبور اور مظلوم ملت ہی آخرکار دشمن کے مقابلے میں فتح و کامرانی سے ہمکنار ہوگی. «وَ كانَ اللَّهُ قَوِيًّا عَزِيزاً » (11) آج بھی فلسطینی مزاحمت پر غلبہ پانے میں ناکامی کے علاوه، سیاسی حوالے سے حریت پسندی، جمہوریت پسندی اور انسانی حقوق کی حفاظت و حمایت کے حوالے سے مغربی قوتوں کے دعوے اور نعرے بھی جھوٹے ثابت ہوئے ہیں چنانچہ اس بنا پر بھی امریکی ریاست اور اکثر یورپی ریاستوں کی آبرو شدت سے مخدوش ہوچکی ہے اور اس بے آبروئی کی قلیل مدت میں تلاقی بھی ممکن نہیں ہے. بے آبرو صہیونی ریاست پہلے سے کہیں زیادہ روسیاہ ہوچکی ہے اور اکثر عرب حکمران بھی اپنی رہی سہی نادرالوجود آبرو ہار چکے ہیں. وَ سَيَعْلَمُ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا أَيَّ مُنْقَلَبٍ يَنْقَلِبُونَ.(11) والسلام علي عبادالله الصالحین سيّدعلي حسيني خامنه‌اي 4 ذي‌حجةالحرام 1429 13 آذر 1387 3 دسمبر 2008 Urdu Version of the messge of Hajj by Leader Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei In the birthplace of Islam and the Holy Qur’an, eager hearts from throughout the world are now engaged in such rites which indeed show a sign of the eternal lesson of Islam and the Holy Qur’an to mankind: symbolic steps for implementing and applying such a lesson. The aim of this great lesson is to ensure the eternal salvation and dignity of mankind by training righteous people and establishing a righteous society; people who worship the One and Only God in their hearts and in practice and cleanse themselves from polytheism, moral impurities and deviant desires, and a society built out of justice, freedom, faith, vitality and all the other signs of life and progress. The main elements for such personal and social training are incorporated in the Hajj. Going into ihram and leaving individual distinctions behind, abstaining from many carnal joys and desires, circumambulating around the symbol of monotheism and praying in the Place of Ibrahim the Idol-breaker and the Self-Sacrificing, the hurrying between the two hills, finding tranquility in Arafat among the great numbers of monotheists from every color and ethnic background to passing the night in prayer and supplication in al-Mash`ar al-Haram with a fondness for God in one\\\'s heart, devoting one’s heart and soul to God the Almighty in such a congested crowd, being present in Mina and stoning the satanic symbols, the meaningful concretization of sacrificing and feeding the poor and the wayfarer are all aimed at training, practicing and reminding us of it. In this perfect ritual, sincerity, purity of heart and disentanglement from materialistic engagements, endeavor, resilience, intimacy and seclusion with God, unity, concordance, homogeneity, adorning the soul and heart, committing the heart to solidarity with the great body of the Muslim Ummah, humility before the Ultimate Truth, firmness against falsehood, soaring in the desire for the hereafter and the firm resolution to adorn the world are all interwoven and constantly practiced: « وَ مِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَقُولُ رَبَّنا آتِنا فِي الدُّنْيا حَسَنَةً وَ فِي الآْخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَ قِنا عَذابَ النَّارِ ». And among them there are those who say, “Our Lord, give us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and save us from the punishment of the Fire.” This way, the Honored Kaaba and the Hajj rituals contribute to the resilience and the uprising of human societies and are filled with benefit and enjoyment for all mankind: «جَعَلَ اللَّهُ الْكَعْبَةَ الْبَيْتَ الْحَرامَ قِياماً لِلنَّاس‏» «ليَشْهَدُوا مَنافِعَ لَهُمْ وَ يَذْكُرُوا اسْمَ اللَّهِ فِي أَيَّامٍ مَعْلُوماتٍ‏» Allah has made the Kaaba, the Sacred House, a means of sustenance for mankind… That they may witness the benefits for them, and mention Allah\\\'s Name during the known days. Today, Muslims from all countries and races should appreciate the value of this great ritual more than before and benefit from it, for the horizon is brighter than ever in the eyes of the Muslim Ummah and the hope for reaching the goals Islam has envisaged for individuals and societies is greater than ever. If, in the last two centuries the Muslim Ummah got disintegrated and was defeated in the confrontation with the Western materialistic civilization and the atheist schools of thought of both the right and the left, today, in the 15th century of the Lunar Hegira, it is the economic and political theories of the West that are paralyzed and fading away. Today, as a result of the Muslims\\\' reawakening and the retrieval of their identity and with the resurgence of monotheistic ideas and the logic of justice and divinity, a new dawn of prosperity and glory has begun for Muslims. Those who, in the not-so-distant past, were singing the tune of despair and believed that not only Islam and Muslims but also the foundations of spirituality and religiosity had been lost in the invasion of the Western civilization, are now today witnessing the resurgence of Islam and the revival of the Holy Qur’an as well as the gradual debilitation and collapse of those invaders, confirming all this with their tongues and hearts. I say with full confidence that this is only the beginning and the complete fulfillment of the divine promise of the victory of truth over falsehood, the reconstruction of the Ummah of the Qur’an and the new Islamic civilization are on the way: «وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنْكُمْ وَ عَمِلُوا الصَّالِحاتِ لَيَسْتَخْلِفَنَّهُمْ فِي الأَْرْضِ كَمَا اسْتَخْلَفَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ وَ لَيُمَكِّنَنَّ لَهُمْ دِينَهُمُ الَّذِي ارْتَضى‏ لَهُمْ وَ لَيُبَدِّلَنَّهُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ خَوْفِهِمْ أَمْناً يَعْبُدُونَنِي لا يُشْرِكُونَ بِي شَيْئاً وَ مَنْ كَفَرَ بَعْدَ ذلِكَ فَأُولئِكَ هُمُ الْفاسِقُونَ» Allah has promised those of you who have faith and do righteous deeds that He will surely make them successors in the earth, just as He made those who were before them successors, and He will surely establish for them their religion which He has approved for them, and that He will surely change their state to security after their fear, while they worship Me, not ascribing any partners to Me. And whoever is ungrateful after that it is they who are the transgressors. The first and foremost sign of this inescapable promise was the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran and the establishment of the glorious Islamic system which turned Iran into a strong fortress for the idea of Islamic rule and civilization. The birth of this miraculous phenomenon amidst the height of the materialism and Islamophobia of rightist and leftist politicians and thinkers, and then its resistance against political, military, economic and propaganda strikes coming from all directions, gave rise to the creation of new hope and passion in the hearts of Muslims. With the passage of time and by the grace of God the Almighty, the strength and capabilities of the Islamic Revolution have increased and the hope it created is now more deeply rooted than ever. Over the last thirty years, the Middle East and Muslim countries in Asia and Africa have been the arenas where this victorious struggle is taking place: Palestine and the Islamic Intifada and the emergence of a Muslim Palestinian government; Lebanon and the historic victory of Hizbollah and the Islamic resistance against the arrogant bloodthirsty Zionist regime; Iraq and the establishment of a Muslim and populist government on the ruins of the atheist regime and the dictator Saddam; Afghanistan and the humiliating defeat of the Communist occupiers and their puppet government; the defeat and failure of all the plots hatched by arrogant America to dominate the Middle East; the incurable problems and chaos inside the usurper Zionist regime; the prevalence of the Islam-seeking masses in all or most of the neighboring countries and especially among the youth and intellectuals; the amazing scientific and technological progress in Islamic Iran achieved under severe economic sanctions and embargoes; the defeat of warmongers in America in the political and economic arenas and Muslim minorities\\\' regaining their true identity and dignity in most of the Western countries. These are all clear indications of the triumph and advancements of Islam in its struggle against its enemies in this century that is the 15th century of Lunar Hegira. Brothers and sisters! These victories are all the fruits of jihad and sincerity. When the voice of God was heard from the lips of His servants, and the resoluteness and strength of the fighters of the true path were deployed and when the Muslims fulfilled their promise to God the Exalted and the Almighty fulfilled His promise in response, the path of history was changed: « أَوْفُوا بِعَهْدِي أُوفِ بِعَهْدِكُم‏» «إِنْ تَنْصُرُوا اللَّهَ يَنْصُرْكُمْ وَ يُثَبِّتْ أَقْدامَكُمْ » «ً وَ لَيَنْصُرَنَّ اللَّهُ مَنْ يَنْصُرُهُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَقَوِيٌّ عَزِيز» «إِنَّا لَنَنْصُرُ رُسُلَنا وَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا فِي الْحَياةِ الدُّنْيا وَ يَوْمَ يَقُومُ الأَْشْهادُ» Fulfill My covenant that I may fulfill your covenant, and be in awe of Me alone. If you help Allah, He will help you and make your feet steady. Allah will surely help those who help Him. Indeed Allah is all-Strong, all-Mighty. Indeed We shall help Our apostles and those who have faith in the life of the world and on the day when the witnesses rise up. But this is still the beginning. Muslim nations still face treacherous roads ahead. One can never survive them unless one is equipped with the power of faith, sincerity, hope and jihad as well as insight and patience. This path cannot be taken with despair and pessimism, apathy and lack of spirit, impatience, lethargy and disbelief in the fulfillment of the divine promise. The wounded enemy is now resorting to anything and will spare no effort to strike back. We need to be resourceful, wise and to take advantage of opportunities. This way all the efforts of the enemy will fail. In the last thirty years, the enemies, mostly the US and Zionism, have been utilizing all their capacities but have failed miserably. The same thing will happen in the future, too, inshallah. The severity and intensity of the enemy\\\'s actions usually show just how weak and imprudent he is. Look at Palestine and especially Gaza. The cruel and ruthless acts of the enemy, which are unprecedented in the history of human atrocities, are indicative of his weakness in overcoming the firm resolve of men, women and children who, with their empty hands, are standing against the Occupant Regime and its supporter, the superpower called America; they have spurned its demand which is to reject the Hamas government. May God the Almighty’s blessings be showered upon this resolute and great nation. The people of Gaza and the Hamas government have given meaning to the following everlasting verses of the Holy Qur’an which says: «وَ لَنَبْلُوَنَّكُمْ بِشَيْ‏ءٍ مِنَ الْخَوْفِ وَ الْجُوعِ وَ نَقْصٍ مِنَ الأَْمْوالِ وَ الأَْنْفُسِ وَ الثَّمَراتِ وَ بَشِّرِ الصَّابِرِينَ *الَّذِينَ إِذا أَصابَتْهُمْ مُصِيبَةٌ قالُوا إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَ إِنَّا إِلَيْهِ راجِعُونَ *أُولئِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ صَلَواتٌ مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ وَ رَحْمَةٌ وَ أُولئِكَ هُمُ الْمُهْتَدُونَ» و «لَتُبْلَوُنَّ فِي أَمْوالِكُمْ وَ أَنْفُسِكُمْ وَ لَتَسْمَعُنَّ مِنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتابَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ وَ مِنَ الَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا أَذىً كَثِيراً وَ إِنْ تَصْبِرُوا وَ تَتَّقُوا فَإِنَّ ذلِكَ مِنْ عَزْمِ الأُْمُورِ». We will surely test you with a measure of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth, lives, and fruits; and give good news to the patient. Those who, when an affliction visits them, say, \\\"Indeed we belong to Allah, and to Him do we indeed return.\\\" It is they who receive the blessings of their Lord and His mercy, and it is they who are the rightly guided. You will surely be tested in your possessions and your souls, and you will surely hear from those who were given the Book before you and from the polytheists much affront; but if you are patient and God wary, that is indeed the steadiest of courses. Truth will emerge triumphant in its battle with falsehood and it is the oppressed and steadfast nation of Palestine that will ultimately be victorious over the enemy. «وَ كانَ اللَّهُ قَوِيًّا عَزِيزاً » And Allah is all-Strong, all-Mighty. Even today, the enemy has failed to break the resistance of the Palestinians. The claims of freedom and democracy and the slogans of human rights have turned out to be nothing but lies. This has greatly disgraced the US and most European regimes; disgraces from which they will not be able to recover soon. The infamous Zionist regime is more notorious than before and some Arab regimes have lost their honor and reputation which they did not have in this test. وَ سَيَعْلَمُ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا أَيَّ مُنْقَلَبٍ يَنْقَلِبُونَ السلام علی عباد الله الصالحین Sayyed Ali Husainy Khamenei

Recorded October 19, 2010 at 1800bst Press TV News Leader: Enemies target people, religion Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has warned against enemy plots to target the Iranian people and their religion. \\\\\\\"Enemies of the Islamic Revolution who intend to inflict damage on the revolution have two main targets, including the religion of the people and their devotion to the revolution,\\\\\\\" said Ayatollah Khamenei in an address to a huge crowd of enthusiastic people in the holy city of Qom on Tuesday. The Leader added that enemies are well aware of the fact that the Islamic Revolution could not resist against their plots if it were not based on religion. \\\\\\\"An establishment which is based on religion will not yield to pressure of enemies and bullying powers,\\\\\\\" Ayatollah Khamenei said. The Leader reiterated that the Iranian nation has always supported the Islamic Revolution and said the Islamic establishment could not resist against enemies if the Iranians did not have a complete presence in all scenes and if there were a rift between the people and the country\\\\\\\'s officials. The Leader pointed to the presence of 40 million Iranians in last year\\\\\\\'s presidential election, saying it vaccinated the Islamic Revolution against social and political microbes and increased the people\\\\\\\'s insight. He emphasized that the country\\\\\\\'s enemies failed to create a rift between the Iranian nation and the officials of the Islamic establishment. Ayatollah Khamenei pointed out that enemies were irked by the presence of 40 million people in the election, adding that all their efforts in this regard failed. The Leader downplayed sanctions against the Islamic Republic over its nuclear energy program and said sanctions were aimed at exerting pressure on the nation to cause the separation of the people from the Islamic establishment. \\\\\\\"By God\\\\\\\'s grace, sanctions will have no impact on the Iranian nation,\\\\\\\" he said. \\\\\\\"Today, Iranians are moving towards a bright future with more progress and will thwart enemies\\\\\\\' plots.\\\\\\\" The Leader said enemies are following up two main issues which include Islam without clergymen and Islam without politics and added enemies know that clerics play an effective role in the lives of people. He further added that the country\\\\\\\'s enemies have raised doubts about religious values in an attempt to weaken the pillars of people\\\\\\\'s faith and continued, \\\\\\\"Enemies intend to disappoint people with the country\\\\\\\'s officials and sow the seed of pessimism.\\\\\\\" Ayatollah Khamenei criticized those who are spreading rumors about the Iranian government and its achievements, saying, \\\\\\\"Such moves are not in line with the interests of the country\\\\\\\'s future.\\\\\\\" He further urged the Iranian nation to maintain national unity and strengthen its solidarity with the three branches of the state. Article Source: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/147291.html

Amid tension and increased attacks, People in Gaza mark December 27 when Israel launched a deadly attack on the territory two years ago. The attack described by human rights organizations as the single most brutal attack against Palestinians by Israeli forces killed more than 1400 people, most of them civilians, and injured nearly 5000 others. It also caused extensive damage to Gaza infrastructure and private property. Police officers laid flowers at the scene where many of their colleagues were killed in the first day of the war. Families of victims planted trees , while others including children took part in rallies. Two years on, nothing has changed for the better for residents of Gaza. The report by the fact finding commission led by Richard Goldstone has led nowhere as Israel has only tried a few on minor charges . The war was condemned internationally and the UN Goldstone Report found that Israel had used disproportionate force and accused it of war crimes and possibly crimes against humanity.

To put more pressure on besieged Palestinians in Gaza, Israel has increased its arrest and humiliation of Gazan patients seeking medical treatment outside of the enclave.

Martyred professor, Allameh Morteza Motahhari, was born on February 2, 1919 in the town of Fariman, 75 kilometers from the holy city of Mashhad. At the age of twelve, he set off for Mashhad seminary to embark on learning the basics of Islamic sciences. In 1937, despite Reza Khan’s intense confrontation with clergymen and also opposition by some of his friends and relatives, he left for Qom seminary to complete his studies. During 15 years of his stay in Qom, he benefited from the presence of Grand Ayatollah Borujerdi (in jurisprudence and the principles of jurisprudence), Imam Khomeini (12 years in the philosophy of Molla Sadra, gnosis, ethics and principles of jurisprudence) and Allameh Seyyed Mohammad Hossein Tabatabaiee (in philosophy). He had also benefited from the presence of the late Ayatollah Haj Mirza Ali Aqa Shirazi in ethics and gnosis. Among other teachers of professor Motahhari mention can be made of the late Ayatollah Seyyed Mohammad Hojjat (in principles of jurisprudence) and the late Ayatollah Seyyed Mohammad Mohaqqeqdamad (in jurisprudence). While he was in Qom, in addition to education, he participated in socio-political affairs as well and he was in contact with Fadaiyan-e-Eslam group. In 1952, he migrated to Tehran though he was one of the renowned teachers and among the future hopes of the seminary. In Tehran, he taught at Marvi School and delivered well-researched speeches. In 1955, the first session of the exegesis of the holy Qur’an in the Students\\\' Islamic Association was held by professor Motahhari. In the same year, he began teaching at the faculty of divinity and Islamic teachings of Tehran University. In 1958-59 concurrent with the establishment of the Physicians\\\' Islamic Association, professor Motahhari was one of the main speakers of the Association and during 1961-1971 he was the only speaker of the Association leaving behind a number of important deliberations. In 1962, with the start of Imam Khomeini’s uprising, professor Motahhari accompanied him to the extent that one can consider the organizing of the June 5th uprising in Tehran and its coordination with Imam Khomeini’s leadership as being indebted to him and his companions. Having given an enlightening speech against the Shah on Wednesday, 5th of June 1963, Ayatollah Motahhari was detained by the police at 1 a.m. and sent to the interim police headquarters and was imprisoned with a number of Tehrani clergymen. 43 days later, following the migration of Ulema from other provinces to Tehran and public pressure, he was freed together with other clergymen. After the formation of groups called “Mo’talefe Eslami”, which was among the combatant groups of the time, Imam Khomeini called on martyr Motahhari to lead these groups along with a number of clergymen. Following Imam Khomeini\\\'s exile, professor Motahhari and his companions shouldered a heavier responsibility. At that time, he wrote books covering social requirements and delivering speeches at universities, the Physicians\\\' Islamic Association and mosques. Professor Motahhari made a lot of ideological efforts to Islamicize the content of the movement and strongly fought against diversions and falsehoods. In 1967, he established Hosseinieh Ershad with the help of some friends. In 1969, after releasing an announcement signed by him, Allameh Tabatabai and Ayatollah Haj Seyyed Abolfazl Mojtahed Zanjani calling for collection of aid for the displaced Palestinians and because of publicizing it during a speech in Hosseinieh Ershad, he was detained and held in solitary confinement for a short while. From 1970-72 he supervised publicity works by Al-jawad mosque where he was the main speaker until the mosque and the Hosseinieh were closed and professor Motahhari was detained for a while. Later, Ayatollah Motahhari gave speeches at Javid, Ark and a number of other mosques. After a while Javid mosque was also closed. Around the year 1974 he was forbidden to speak which lasted till the triumph of the Islamic revolution. Presenting genuine Islamic ideology through teaching, speech and writing books were among the valuable activities of professor Motahhari reaching its climax particularly during the years 1972-78; since in those years the leftists had increased their propaganda and groups of leftist Muslims and also those with a hotchpotch of ideas had emerged. After Imam Khomeini, professor Motahhari was the first figure who found out the ideological deviation of the heads of the so-called “Mojahedin-e-Khalq” organization and prevented others from cooperating with them and even foresaw their change of ideology. In those years, upon Imam Khomeini’s recommendation, professor Motahhari traveled to Qom twice a week to teach at its seminary where he taught important courses and at the same time he taught some courses at home in Tehran. In 1976, following an ideological dispute with a communist teacher of the faculty of divinity, he became retired prematurely. Furthermore; in those years Ayatollah Motahhari, in collaboration with some clergymen, established “Jameye Rohaniat-e-Mobarez” of Tehran hoping that such an institution would be gradually established in other cities as well. Although professor Motahhari’s contact with Imam Khomeini continued after the Imam’s exile in France via letters and other means, in the year 1976 he managed to travel to the holy city of Najaf and consulted with Imam Khomeini on the important issues of the revolution and also seminaries. After the martyrdom of Ayatollah Seyyed Mostafa Khomeini and the start of the new phase of the Islamic revolution, professor Motahhari fully devoted himself to the revolution and hence played a fundamental role in all of its phases. At the time of Imam Khomeini’s stay in Paris, Ayatollah Motahhari traveled to France where he spoke with the Imam on the important issues of the revolution and it was then that Imam Khomeini urged him to shape the Islamic Revolution Council. Upon Imam Khomeini’s return to Iran, he personally took the responsibility of the welcoming committee and till the victory of the revolution and after that he always acted as a supporter of the leader of the Islamic revolution and served as a kind and trusted advisor for him. But at 22:20 p.m. of Tuesday, 1st of May 1979 he was martyred by a grouplet called “Forqan” after leaving an ideological and political gathering. This caused profound sorrow and grief for Imam Khomeini and the Islamic Ummah who had a lot of hopes for this great man’s future. There remain tens of works by Ayatollah Motahhari. These works deal with a variety of religious issues and offer responses to many of the important questions of religious society so much so that we can name his works as a reliable source concerning the Islamic ideology system. Some of Imam Khomeini’s Words on Martyr Allameh Morteza Motahhari [Motahhari] was rare in Islamology and different Islamic and Qur’anic sciences. I have lost a very dear child. I am mourning for him who was one of the figures who was considered the fruit of my life. Martyrdom of this righteous child and immortal clergyman created a vacuum in the dear Islam that cannot be filled by any means. Motahhari, who was rare in purifying spirit, the strength of belief and the power of speech, flew to the ethereal world, but the ill-wishers should know that his Islamic, scientific and philosophical personality won’t perish with his departure. Motahhari was a dear child for me and a firm stronghold for the religious and scientific seminaries and a useful servant for people and country. I recommend the students and the committed intellectuals not to let this dear professor’s books be forgotten by non-Islamic schemes. In his short life, [Motahhari] left behind immortal works which stemmed from a wakeful conscience and a spirit filled with the love for religion. He embarked on educating and training the society with an eloquent style and an able thought in analyzing Islamic subjects and explaining philosophical facts with a popular diction and without uncertainty. His oral and written works are unexceptionally instructive and inspiring; and his advice and admonitions, which sprang from a heart filled with faith and belief, are useful both for the Ulema and the laymen. Late Motahhari was an individual who had different aspects of personality; and few people have done the service to the young generation and others as Motahhari has done. All his works are unexceptionally good and I don’t know anybody else whose works I could call unexceptionally good. His works are unexceptionally good and constructive for humans. Professor Motahhari from the Viewpoint of Ayatollah Khamenei Interview with the Supreme Leader on Martyr Motahhari ‘I consider myself Mr. Motahhari’s pupil’ As you know late professor Motahhari was a philosopher; the science sought by him was mostly the philosophical science. Later on; however, he got to the subjects of theology, i.e. he dealt with Islamic issues with new argumentation method of modern philosophy. But he spent most of his time on philosophical matters. He was considered the philosophical student of Imam Khomeini and Allameh Tabatabaiee. Thus what he maintains in theology is Hekmat Mota’aliah, i.e. the Philosophy of Molla Sadra. His behaviour was like that of the mystics who would set out to find a perfect instructor. Basically his spiritual and moral condition was in such a way. He would search to know for example if a perfect elderly instructor is somewhere in the world, and he would go to him to stay by him. Indeed, spiritually, such a situation was fitting him. Yet he had found such a perfect instructor in Iran. He was absorbed in Imam Khomeini and Allameh Tabatabaiee. He was captivated by their love and regarded their scientific and mystic status very high. Morally, late Motahhari was a prominent man; and a pure-hearted, enlightened, just, self-possessed and mature person. In his personal bonds with God he was a mystic, a man of God’s remembrance, journey towards God and worship. He used to say: “I have learnt paying attention to and worship of God from my father.” Professor Motahhari had a lot of historical information especially about the recent history, and particularly on the issues related to the Ulema, seminaries, scientific, spiritual, philosophical and mystic figures. These pieces of information were not registered in any book and are heard from the professors and great figures and kept in mind. Since he knew all professors and Ulema of Najaf, Samarra and Isfahan, he was well-informed about their events and he would talk of them in the gatherings and visits held on different occasions. Supereme Leader’s Words on Professor Motahhari’s Personality and Works “As time passes from his martyrdom, his spiritual and ideological works and bounties manifest more fresh dimensions. The ideological and scientific works of that grand clergyman become clearer in the scene of the country press and religious knowledge; and one understands that an intellectual clergyman with responsibilities could have so fruitful life.” Martyr Motahhari with his strong and decent thought stepped in the fields of Islamic subjects that hitherto nobody had stepped; and considering the ideas that had prevailed or were going to prevail in the country---through translation and import from the west and east, he entered a profound, vast and interminable scientific challenge. He both embarked on a very clever struggle to confront with the Marxists and entered the scene to confront with the western and Liberalist thoughts. This role is very important; it needs both courage and self-confidence, it requires both thinking strength and Ijtihad (being well- qualified in jurisprudence and different theological fields), it both needs certainty and resolute belief. This great man had all these together; he was both a learned man and very faithful, he was firm in his belief and had self-confidence, too; these are all necessary.” Leader’s Visit with Martyr Motahhari’s Family (1996) He had three characteristics regarding ideological issues: First, he had a strong thought and he was a true thinker. Secondly, while presenting and spreading the ideological principles, he had no intention but God’s nearness, promotion of the truth and fighting against the false. There was sincerity in him and his personal actions which would naturally make the second characteristic tangible. For example think of some people who are thinkers, yet do not present their thought for God’s sake, but they present it to show that they are knowledgeable, to draw people’s attention and to say that they are philosophers. Martyr Motahhari was not such. He would present thought for God’s sake and for Islam. He would truly burn up [like a candle] and would gush forth [like a fountain] and would present [Islamic ideas]. The reason for his survival is his second characteristic. It means that sincerity will have its impact and the Almighty God will grace any deed done with sincerity. The third characteristic was his working hard and his inexhaustibility. The truth is that he wouldn’t sit till he might be referred to; but rather he would himself go after activity. He had these three characteristics.” Leader’s Visit with Martyr Motahhari’s Family (1998) “We should introduce Mr. Motahhari to the world especially the Islamic world. And if we want to introduce him, which points should be highlighted? I think this is your most important job. Some aspects of a figure’s personality are either unique that must be highlighted or are very outstanding that should be stressed. In the life of the late Martyr Ayatollah Motahhari, his personality and his scientific identity there are numerous examples of these. One point, that in my opinion has the prime importance, is the new interpretation of the Islamic teachings. This is apart from his philosophical aspect and his strong and compelling arguments in the footnotes of ‘The principles of philosophy’ by ‘Ayatollah Tabatabaiee. This is another point. He elucidated Islamic concepts and teachings with a novel diction and expression which was much needed. I don’t say that if the works of the predecessors were pondered and scrutinized signs of this exegesis would not be found. Really if one had attentively studied the works of the Ulema he would have found some hints and cues; but I want to say that nobody had done this. As far as we know, nobody had done it before Mr. Motahhari. Even the modernist writers, who had emerged in the Arab countries, and we knew some of them, had not done this. These Egyptian authors, who were modernists and would write things with a broader sight and who knew the world somewhat more than Martyr Motahhari, most of them had traveled a lot and had visited different universities. Yet he [Ayatollah Motahhari] was not so, he was confined. I mean he was inside Iran and Tehran but his profound vision of the Islamic issues and his novel understanding of the verses [of Qur’an] and the narrations [of the Ahl-ul-Bayt], in my opinion, was one of his most outstanding aspects. It was he who, for the first time, substantively expressed the subjects related to principles of ideology, piety, patience, love, fairness, justice, and so on in the ideological atmosphere of Iran. We thank God that Mr. Motahhari’s name was not forgotten in our society and the mental atmosphere of this country; but rather it became more prominent day by day. Many of the world phenomena are naturally perishable and by the lapse of time they become older. Most of the world phenomena are such. Yet there are some phenomena that not only do not fall into oblivion via lapse of time but become brighter, more manifest, more spectacular and more impressive. The phenomena based on reality are usually such. I clearly feel that, thank God, Martyr Ayatollah Motahhari’s thoughts are such.” Memoirs of Dr. Ali Motahhari (Martyr Motahhari’s Son) Night Supplication in front of the Word Allah As it is said he didn’t give up midnight vigilance, midnight prayer, and wakefulness since his youth till the end of his life. It was his practice both at the time of studentship and after that and even at the time of martyrdom. I remember that facing our house there was the house of one of the previous regime’s officials which was usually guarded by two police officers. Apparently since the official had seen that the lamp of our house was lit at midnight, had worried to find the reason and it was important for him from the security point of view. He had told the guards to look for the reason. Professor [Motahhari] had a neon board of Allah which was green when lit. He would turn it on and perform his midnight prayer in its light. After the revolution one of the officers said, we had examined several nights and I had looked through the window to see what was going on inside the house. At the end I myself saw that he came at midnight and started worshipping for an hour. We were somehow absorbed by the professor, and despite much negative propaganda against the clergymen and him in particular to make us pessimist to them, we became very interested in him so much so that some would say we got our salary from the government but it was as if we were guarding him. A Voice vis-à-vis MHe was very sensitive against ideological deviations and believed that we were seeking Islamic revolution and not mere revolution. It is not important that Shah goes but it is important to see what system is established after his going. Because if after the ouster of the Shah, for example the Mojahedin-e-Khalq take the lead, it is much better not to stage a revolution at all. Thus the deviated groups had found out professor Motahhari’s sensitiveness and had become his enemy. Three or four months before the victory of the Islamic revolution, a person, who had some tendencies to Mojahedin-e-Khalq and the leftists and was intended to be religious, too, was freed from the prison. Professor [Motahhari] said we had better visit him. I was with the professor. There was a man by the name of Ashuri as one of the heads of the Forqan group. He spoke of Islam and Marxism and said: ‘These two religions say one single thing and their content is the same with different forms. They speak of the laborers and we speak of the oppressed. Therefore our word is the same. We should unite to topple the regime of Shah and basically there is no difference between Islam and Marxism, etc.’ Professor was very upset and that man knew that professor Motahhari would answer him. That’s why he rose to leave. The professor said: ‘No, Be seated! Be seated!’ He made him sit and explained him in detail that our path is fundamentally separate from that of the Marxists. In no way can the forms be different with the same content. And we cannot unite with the Marxists in any way. Immortal among People Prior to the victory of the Islamic revolution, at the time of Imam Khomeini’s staying in Paris, it was heard everywhere that the regime of Shah wanted to arrest the leaders and prominent figures of the revolution. Some people told him [Ayatollah Motahhari] it was better to go somewhere else to hide. He said: ‘Such actions are not good for clergymen. It is not good for us to escape from one place to another to hide; such things are not good for us.’ He stayed at home like before and nothing happened. His Method of Training Children One of the features of the professor’s training method for his children was that he would never resort to force and coercion and he would let them to realize and choose the right path with their own thought and wisdom. About choosing the field of education and the way of spending leisure time and the like he would never force us to do something necessarily; but he would show us the way. As the holy Qur’an says: ‘…be he grateful or ungrateful.’ And it was we who would choose the way. There was never force over our heads and we would choose one way with interest and free will. The Professor’s Arrest after anti-Israel Speech I have another memory from the year 1969 when he delivered the provocative speech on Palestine in Hosseinieh Ershad. This speech has been broadcast many times by IRIB. It was a very provocative, important and interesting speech which shook the regime of Shah; and it required a lot of courage to deliver such a speech when the regime of Shah was in the zenith of power and had the highest level of relations and unity with Israel. When the Israeli planes would refuel in Iran’s airport(s) during the 1967 war and would fly over the heads of the Arabs and Muslims, much bravery was needed to give such a speech and we saw that professor Motahhari gave that speech and was promptly arrested and taken away. When he was freed he said, ‘They made me sit in a car and blindfolded me and the car set out. I told them there is no need to blindfold and I will not look. If you want me not to look I will close my eyes. But they didn’t agree. Yet I realized the route till Ferdowsi square but didn’t realize after that.’ Apparently they had taken him to the committee of the SAVAK which was presumably located in the same Ferdowsi Street. Allameh Tabatabaiee’s Message on the Occasion of Ayatollah Motahhari’s Martyrdom In the name of the Almighty God In memory of a scientific and philosophical personality who cast a world into grief and made the world of science and merit mournful with his departure. Late Motahhari, who was a scientist, a thinker and a researcher with an overflowing intellect, a bright thought and a realistic mind, has left behind marvelous works and researches written about scientific and argumentative purposes that are seen in his books. Late Motahhari, through his precious and blissful life that was abundant with scientific effort and philosophical thinking, sends an expressive and valuable message to the enthusiasts of science and philosophy never to repose from effort towards perfection and never forget scientific struggle for perfection; and in the market of realities turn their life--which is the best human commodity-- to the spiritual life— which is the lofty human life and is lasting till the world exists; and not to be absorbed and deceived by fabricated and imaginary personalities in this short life. Yes, a narrow route opened by a scientist towards realities will bestow eternal life upon him and this is more valuable than the world and what it contains.

Vali Amr Muslimeen Ayatullah Sayyed Ali Khamenei delivered this speech at the International Conference on Islamic Awakening on 17 September 2011. http://english.khamenei.ir//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1523 http://farsi.khamenei.ir/news-content?id=17271 بسم‌الله الرحمن الرحیم السلام علیکم و رحمة الله و برکاته الحمدلله رب العالمین و الصلوة و السلام علی سیدنا محمد و آله الطیبین و صحبه المنتجبین قال الله العزیز الحكیم : بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم : يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ اتَّقِ اللَّهَ وَلا تُطِعِ الْكَافِرِينَ وَالْمُنَافِقِينَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًا وَاتَّبِعْ مَا يُوحَى إِلَيْكَ مِن رَّبِّكَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرًا وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ وَكَفَى بِاللَّهِ وَكِيلا (O Prophet, fear Allah and do not obey the disbelievers and the hypocrites. Indeed, Allah is ever Knowing and Wise. (1). And follow that which is revealed to you from your Lord. Indeed Allah is ever, with what you do, Acquainted. (2) And rely upon Allah; and sufficient is Allah as Disposer of affairs.(3) Surat Al-Ahzab) I welcome our honored audience and dear guests. What has brought us here together is the Islamic awakening, which comes from the stronger inspiration and greater understanding among Muslim ummah. This awakening has led to a major development among nations of our region and has brought about uprisings and revolutions that could never have been contemplated in the calculations of the dominant regional and international satanic powers. These are momentous uprising that have razed to the ground the autocratic and imperialist strongholds and vanquished the tyrants guarding them. There is no doubt that colossal social upheavals have always relied on solid foundation of history and civilization and are products of accumulation of wisdom and experiences. Over the past 150 years, the presence of great intellectual and jihadi personalities that have been opinion leaders and behind Islamic movements in Egypt, Iraq, India and other countries in Asia and Africa has served as precursors and pioneers for the present situation in the Islamic world. The developments in the 1950’s and 60’s led to coming to power of regimes that were mostly inclined to materialistic ideologies and thoughts, and because of their inherent character fell into the trap of Western imperialist and colonialist powers. These are experiences that are lessons to learn from, and have contributed substantially to evolution of general and profound understanding in the Islamic world. The Islamic Revolution in Iran that was hailed by Imam Khomeini as “victory of blood over sword”, and establishment of the lasting, robust, courageous and progressive Islamic republic, and its impact on present Islamic awakening is itself a long story that deserves to be debated and researched. There is no doubt that Islamic Revolution of Iran will be accorded a thorough and comprehensive chapter in the analysis and writings of history of the present situation of the Islamic world. For that reason, the present and mounting facts and truths in the Islamic world are not simply events that are severed from the past historical roots, social and intellectual backgrounds to allow our adversaries and the shallow-minded to present them as a passing wave and short-lived phenomenon in order to snuff out hope in the hearts of nations by their warped and biased analyses. In this brotherly dialogue with you I want to place greater emphasis on three areas: 1. Taking a glance at the identity of these uprisings and revolutions 2. Major threats and harms lying on their way. 3. Recommendations to find solutions and prevent these threats and harms. Regarding the first point, I believe the most important element in these revolutions is the actual and mass presence of people in the arena of action, struggle and jihad. They were present, not only with their heart, desire and faith, but also with their body and souls. There is a big difference between this presence and the presence of a military group or even armed combatants in front of uncaring people or even concerned people. In the events of 1950’s and 60’s in some countries of Africa and Asia, the heavy load of the revolution was not on the shoulder of diverse segments of population and the youth from all parts of the country, but rather on the shoulder of coup d\\\\\\\'etat or small and limited armed groups. They decided and acted, and they themselves or the succeeding generation changed their ways as a result of certain motivations. The revolution became its own enemy and the enemy managed again to prevail over their countries. This is totally different than the change that comes from the people. It is the people that bring their body and soul to the arena of action, and by their jihad and devotion push back and defeat the enemy. It is the people that make the slogans and set the goals, identify and introduce and pursue the enemy. They draw their desired future, although not comprehensively, and as a result do not allow departure from the path of the revolution or conceding to the enemy, or change of course by compromising and the tainted few with special interests, and above all thwart the schemes of enemy’s agents. In such a grass-root movement, the revolution may be slowed, but can stay away from short-sightedness and being on shaky ground. Quran says “Have you not considered how Allah presents an example, [making] a good word like a good tree, whose root is firmly fixed and its branches [high] in the sky? أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ ضَرَبَ اللّهُ مَثَلاً كَلِمَةً طَيِّبَةً كَشَجَرةٍ طَيِّبَةٍ أَصْلُهَا ثَابِتٌ وَفَرْعُهَا فِي السَّمَاء Have you not considered how Allah presents an example, [making] a good word like a good tree, whose root is firmly fixed and its branches [high] in the sky? (24\\\\\\\" Ibrahim ) When I saw the brave body of the proud people of Egypt on television in Tahrir Square, I became convinced that their revolution will triumph. Let me confess something to you. After the victory of the Islamic Revolution and the establishment of the Islamic republic in Iran which caused an earthquake among the worldly materialistic rulers in East and West and brought unprecedented uproar and joy to Muslim nations, we expected that Egypt would be next in line to rise. The reason was the history of jihad, progressive thinking and presence of great mojahids and intellectuals in Egypt. I was reciting in my heart this poem by Abu Faras: أراك عصيّ الدمع شیمتك الصبر ما للهوی نهی علیك و لا أمر ؟ When I saw the people of Egypt in Tahrir Square and squares in other cities, I knew I have received my response. The people of Egypt told me with words coming from their heart: بلی أنا مشتاق و عندي لوعة ولكن مثلي لایذاع له سرُّ …This sacred secret was nothing but the motivation and resolve to rise, and gradually people of Egypt cemented this thought in their mind and at a historical juncture they manifested their resolve and entered the arena in a magnificent show of their power. Tunisia, Yemen, Libya, and Bahrain are no exception to this general rule. In these revolutions principles, values and goals are not written in prefabricated manifestos of groups and parties, but written in the minds, hearts and desires of each and every person present on the scene and are declared in the context of their slogans and behaviors. With these signals one can clearly tell that the principles of current revolutions in the region, in Egypt and other countries, are first and foremost the following: - Revival and renewal of national dignity and respect that have been broken and trampled during long years of dictatorial and corrupt rule and the political domination of America and the West. - Keeping up the banner of Islam which is the profound faith and longstanding attachment of people and being able to enjoy peace of mind, justice, progress and prosperity that could only be achieved under Islamic Sharia. - Resistance against the influence and domination of the United States and Europe that have wreaked the greatest damage and humiliation on the peoples of these countries over the past two hundred years. - Countering the usurper and fictitious Zionist regime that the imperialist powers have planted like a dagger in the heart of this region to serve as a tool to continue their diabolical domination after expelling a whole nation from their historical homeland. There is no doubt that the revolutions in the region that rely on and demand these principles are not to the liking of America, Europe and the Zionists, and they are going to use all means to deny them, but the truth will not change with their denial. The widespread participation of people in these revolutions is the most important element that constitutes their identity. Foreign powers that tried everything in their power and used all their schemes to keep in power the tyrannical, corrupt and subservient rulers in these countries and only abandoned them when the people left no choice for them have no right to claim a share in the victory of these revolutions. Even in Libya intervention by America and NATO cannot distort the truth. In Libya, NATO has caused irreparable damage. Had it not been for the military intervention of NATO and America, victory of people might have been delayed, but all these infrastructures would not have been damaged, and innocent women and children killed and then enemies that were accomplices of Qaddafi would not have been able to intervene in this innocent war-torn nation. People and the elite that are of the people and others who are from the people are the true owners of these revolutions that should be trusted to protect them and draw the path to the future. 2- Regarding the threats and harm, I should first emphasize that although there are threats, but there are also ways to stay safe. Mere presence of threats should not scare nations. إِنَّ كَيْدَ الشَّيْطَانِ كَانَ ضَعِيفًا ( Indeed, the plot of Satan has ever been weak) Allah says about a group of mojahids of early Islam: الَّذِينَ قالَ لَهُمُ النَّاسُ إِنَّ النَّاسَ قَدْ جَمَعُوا لَكُمْ فَاخْشَوْهُمْ فَزادَهُمْ إِيماناً وَ قالُوا حَسْبُنَا اللَّهُ وَ نِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ فَانْقَلَبُوا بِنِعْمَةٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَ فَضْلٍ لَمْ يَمْسَسْهُمْ سُوءٌ وَ اتَّبَعُوا رِضْوانَ اللَّهِ وَ اللَّهُ ذُو فَضْلٍ عَظِيمٍ ( Those to whom hypocrites said, \\\\\\\"Indeed, the people have gathered against you, so fear them.\\\\\\\" But it [merely] increased them in faith, and they said, \\\\\\\"Sufficient for us is Allah, and [He is] the best Disposer of affairs.\\\\\\\" So they returned with favor from Allah and bounty, no harm having touched them. And they pursued the pleasure of Allah, and Allah is the possessor of great bounty. ) We need to know what these threats are, in order not to be surprised and to be able to find solutions. We faced these perils and threats after the victory of Islamic Revolution and experienced them. With the grace of Allah and the leadership of Imam Khomeini and sacrifices of our people we managed to sail through them safely. The plots by enemies still continue but so does the firm resolve of our people. I divide the harm to these movements into two groups: those that have their roots within ourselves and come from our own weaknesses, and those that have been directly planned by the enemy. The first group of harms is of the following type: The sense and thought that after the downfall of the corrupt dictator the job is over. The peace of mind and comfort that comes after the victory and afterward the lessening of motivation and weakening of determination are among the first perils, and the most damaging threat is when individuals ask for their share of the spoils of victory. The story of the Battle of Uhud and the defenders seeking the spoils of victory caused the defeat of Muslims, and the mojahids were reprimanded by God. This is a good example that should never be forgotten. Being shocked and awed by the appearances of the arrogant powers and the feeling of fear from America and other interventionist powers are of these kinds of harm that should be avoided. The brave and young should throw out these fears from their heart. Trusting the enemy and falling into trap of their smiles and promises is another threat that needs to be avoided by the forerunners and leaders. The enemy must be identified no matter what cover it uses. The nation and the revolution should be protected against the designs of the enemy that at times hide behind the appearances of friendship and supportive gestures. Another side to this page is becoming overconfident and overlooking the enemy. Bravery must be combined with wisdom and good judgment. We must use all treasures of God within ourselves against Satan, al-Jinn wal–Ens. Causing division and pitting revolutionaries against one another and penetration behind the battlefront of struggle is another great harm that needs to be avoided with all your power. The second group of harm has been experienced by almost all countries of the region during different events. The first harm is the coming to power of those who are committed to America and the West. The West tries after the downfall of its pawns to protect the basic pillars of the system and levers of power, and change the direction by using the same foundation, but with a different head, in order to perpetuate its domination. This means wasting of all your efforts and sacrifices. At this stage, if they face resistance of the people, they try to introduce and offer to the movement and people other alternatives that are designed to divert the course of the movement. This scenario could be recommending government models and constitutions that will again throw the Islamic countries into the trap of cultural, political and economic dependence on the West. This could lead to their influence among the revolutionaries greater financial and media strength of an unreliable current and marginalization of the genuine currents in the revolution. This also means return of the domination of the West and the stronger grip of then outdated Western models that are far from basic principles of the revolution. If this tactic does not produce the desired result, experience tells us that they will go for anarchy, terrorism, civil war among followers of religions or ethnic communities and tribes, political parties, or even among neighboring nations and governments. Parallel to these actions, they will impose economic siege and sanctions, freeze national assets and launch all-out media war and propaganda. Their intention is to tire out and frustrate people and make the revolutionaries disappointed. Under these circumstances it becomes easy to defeat the revolution. Assassination of the righteous elite of the society and opinion leaders, defamation and vilification of others and even enticing some with money are among usual ploys used by the Western powers and the claimants of civilization morality. In Iran, the evidence and documents from the U.S. Den of Espionage that fell into the hands of the revolution showed that all these plots were designed by the regime in the United States for the people of Iran for them bringing back the reactionary and dependant rulers in revolutionary countries is a principle that prescribes all these dirty tricks. In the last part of my remarks, I present recommendations for your consideration and selection that are based on our tangible experiences in Iran and what has been gathered from the precise studies of other countries. Undoubtedly, conditions differ among nations and countries. Nonetheless, there are truths that can prove beneficial for all people. The first point is that by placing one’s trust in God and believing in the repeated promises of divine victories in the Quran and through astuteness, resolve, and braveness, it is possible to surmount all obstacles and emerge victorious. Of course, the task that you all have taken up is quite grave and momentous. Thus, one must bear great hardship for its sake. The Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali (`a) says: “فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَمْ يَقْصِمْ جَبَّارِي دَهْرٍ قَطُّ إِلَّا بَعْدَ تَمْهِيلٍ وَ رَخَاءٍ وَ لَمْ يَجْبُرْ عَظْمَ أَحَدٍ مِنَ الْأُمَمِ إِلَّا بَعْدَ أَزْلٍ وَ بَلَاءٍ وَ فِي دُونِ مَا اسْتَقْبَلْتُمْ مِنْ عَتْبٍ وَ مَا اسْتَدْبَرْتُمْ مِنْ خَطْبٍ مُعْتَبَر..” The important recommendation is that you must always consider yourself as being present on the scene: فَإِذَا فَرَغْتَ فَانْصَبْ ( So when you have finished [your duties], then stand up [for worship].)Therefore, when thou art free, still labor hard), always consider God as present and as your aid: وَإِلَى رَبِّكَ فَارْغَبْ (And to thy Lord turn all thy attention), and must not allow your victories to cause you to become arrogant or negligent: اِذا جاءَ نَصْرُ اللهِ وَ الْفَتْحُ وَ رَاَيْتَ النّاسَ يَدْخُلُونَ في دينِ اللهِ اَفْواجاً فَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ وَ اسْتَغْفِرْهُ اِنَّهُ كانَ تَوّاباً (When comes the help of Allah, and victory. And thou dost see the people enter Allah’s Religion in crowds. Celebrate the praises of thy Lord). These are the true foundations of a faithful nation. Another recommendation is the constant rereading of the principles of revolution. The slogans and principles must be refined and brought in line with the foundations and undisputed principles of Islam. Independence, freedom, justice, refusal to bow to despotism and colonialism, rejection of ethnic, racial, and religious discrimination, and the outright rejection of Zionism, which, today, comprise the pivots of the movements in Islamic countries, are all inspired by Islam and the Quran. Write down your principles on paper. Preserve your genuine nature with a high degree of sensitivity. Do not allow your enemies to formulate the principles of your future system. Do not allow Islamic principles to be sacrificed for transient interests. Deviation in revolutions starts with deviation in slogans and objectives. Never place your trust in the U.S., NATO, or criminal regimes such as Britain, France, or, Italy, which for long plundered and divided your land among themselves. Look upon them with suspicion and do not believe their smiles. Behind these smiles and promises lies conspiracy and betrayal. Find you own way by resorting to the blessed fountainhead of Islam and give back foreigners’ prescriptions to themselves. Another important recommendation is to avoid religious, ethnic, racial, tribal, and border disputes. Recognize differences as legitimate and manage them. Reconciliation among Islamic religions is the key to salvation. Those who fan the flames of religious division through apostatizing others are the mercenaries and servants of Satan, even if done inadvertently. Creating your own system of governance is your main and seminal task. This is a complex and difficult undertaking. Do not allow secular or western liberal or extremist nationalist or leftist Marxist models to be imposed on you. The leftist Eastern Bloc collapsed and the Western Bloc is propped up through violence, war, and deceit, and does not appear to have a bright outlook. The passage of time will be to their loss and to the benefit of the Islamic current. The ultimate goal must be a unified Islamic Ummah and the creation of a new Islamic civilization founded upon faith, rationality, knowledge, and morality. The liberation of Palestine from the savage claws of the Zionists is also a great objective. The countries of the Balkans, Caucasus, and western Asia were liberated from the claws of the former Soviet Union after eighty years. Why should the Palestinian people not be able to free themselves from the captivity of the oppressor Zionists after seventy years? The present generation in Islamic countries has the capacity to accomplish such great feats. The young generation of today is a source of pride for the past generations. As noted by the Arab poet: أبو الصخر من شيبان قلت لهم كلا لعمري و لكن منه شيبانُ و كم أبٍ قد علا بابنٍ ذُری شَرَفٍ كما علا برسولِ الله عدنانُ Trust your young generation. Revive their feeling of self-confidence and benefit them by the experiences of the elders. There are two important points in this connection: First, one of the most important demands of the people who have revolted and who have been liberated is to have a decisive participation in the management of their countries. And since they believe in Islam, their desire is to have a system of Islamic democracy, i.e. the rulers being elected through the vote of the people and the dominant principles and values of the society being based on the Islamic knowledge and sharia. This can crystallize in various countries, depending on their conditions, through various methods and forms. However, utmost care must be taken not to confuse this with the western liberal democracy. The secular, and at times anti-religious, western democracy is in no way related to the Islamic democracy which is committed to the values and main principles of Islam in its system of government. The second point relates to the fact that Islamic tenets must not be equated with backwardness, obscurantism, and ignorant and extremist biases. The demarcation between these two must be pronounced. Religious extremism, which is usually attended by violence, is the cause of falling short of the lofty goals of the revolution. This, in turn, results in the loss of public support and the eventual failure of the revolution. In sum, to speak of Islamic awakening is not to speak of a nebulous and indistinct concept that is amenable to various interpretations. Rather, it is to speak of a tangible reality in the external world that has filled the atmosphere and resulted in great uprisings and revolutions and removed from the scene some dangerous elements of the enemy. Nonetheless, the scene remains fluid and in need of being shaped and brought to a conclusion. The verses recited at the outset contain a complete and effective set of guidelines, especially in this sensitive and momentous juncture… Though, they are addressed to the Holy Prophet (PBUH), we all are their interlocutors and responsible for adhering to them. In these verses, piety (taqwa), in its lofty and broad connotation, is the first recommendation. Then comes the rejection of the orders of the infidels and hypocrites, adherence to the divine revelation, and, finally, trust in God… Once again, we will review these verses: بسم‌الله‌الرحمن‌الرحیم يا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ اتَّقِ ‌اللَّهَ وَ لا تُطِعِ الْكافِرينَ وَ الْمُنافِقينَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كانَ عَليماً حَكيماً(1) وَ اتَّبِعْ ما يُوحى‏ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ رَبِّكَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كانَ بِما تَعْمَلُونَ خَبيراً (2) وَ تَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ وَ كَفى‏ بِاللَّهِ وَكيلاً. (In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful. O Prophet! Fear Allah, and hearken not to the unbelievers and the hypocrites: verily Allah is full of knowledge and wisdom. But follow that which comes to thee by inspiration from thy Lord: for Allah is well acquainted with (all) that ye do. And put thy trust in Allah, and enough is Allah as a disposer of affairs.) والسلام علیکم و رحمة الله

Vali Amr Muslimeen Ayatullah Sayyed Ali Khamenei delivered this speech at the International Conference on Islamic Awakening on 17 September 2011. http://english.khamenei.ir//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1523 http://farsi.khamenei.ir/news-content?id=17271 بسم‌الله الرحمن الرحیم السلام علیکم و رحمة الله و برکاته الحمدلله رب العالمین و الصلوة و السلام علی سیدنا محمد و آله الطیبین و صحبه المنتجبین قال الله العزیز الحكیم : بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم : يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ اتَّقِ اللَّهَ وَلا تُطِعِ الْكَافِرِينَ وَالْمُنَافِقِينَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًا وَاتَّبِعْ مَا يُوحَى إِلَيْكَ مِن رَّبِّكَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرًا وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ وَكَفَى بِاللَّهِ وَكِيلا (O Prophet, fear Allah and do not obey the disbelievers and the hypocrites. Indeed, Allah is ever Knowing and Wise. (1). And follow that which is revealed to you from your Lord. Indeed Allah is ever, with what you do, Acquainted. (2) And rely upon Allah; and sufficient is Allah as Disposer of affairs.(3) Surat Al-Ahzab) I welcome our honored audience and dear guests. What has brought us here together is the Islamic awakening, which comes from the stronger inspiration and greater understanding among Muslim ummah. This awakening has led to a major development among nations of our region and has brought about uprisings and revolutions that could never have been contemplated in the calculations of the dominant regional and international satanic powers. These are momentous uprising that have razed to the ground the autocratic and imperialist strongholds and vanquished the tyrants guarding them. There is no doubt that colossal social upheavals have always relied on solid foundation of history and civilization and are products of accumulation of wisdom and experiences. Over the past 150 years, the presence of great intellectual and jihadi personalities that have been opinion leaders and behind Islamic movements in Egypt, Iraq, India and other countries in Asia and Africa has served as precursors and pioneers for the present situation in the Islamic world. The developments in the 1950’s and 60’s led to coming to power of regimes that were mostly inclined to materialistic ideologies and thoughts, and because of their inherent character fell into the trap of Western imperialist and colonialist powers. These are experiences that are lessons to learn from, and have contributed substantially to evolution of general and profound understanding in the Islamic world. The Islamic Revolution in Iran that was hailed by Imam Khomeini as “victory of blood over sword”, and establishment of the lasting, robust, courageous and progressive Islamic republic, and its impact on present Islamic awakening is itself a long story that deserves to be debated and researched. There is no doubt that Islamic Revolution of Iran will be accorded a thorough and comprehensive chapter in the analysis and writings of history of the present situation of the Islamic world. For that reason, the present and mounting facts and truths in the Islamic world are not simply events that are severed from the past historical roots, social and intellectual backgrounds to allow our adversaries and the shallow-minded to present them as a passing wave and short-lived phenomenon in order to snuff out hope in the hearts of nations by their warped and biased analyses. In this brotherly dialogue with you I want to place greater emphasis on three areas: 1. Taking a glance at the identity of these uprisings and revolutions 2. Major threats and harms lying on their way. 3. Recommendations to find solutions and prevent these threats and harms. Regarding the first point, I believe the most important element in these revolutions is the actual and mass presence of people in the arena of action, struggle and jihad. They were present, not only with their heart, desire and faith, but also with their body and souls. There is a big difference between this presence and the presence of a military group or even armed combatants in front of uncaring people or even concerned people. In the events of 1950’s and 60’s in some countries of Africa and Asia, the heavy load of the revolution was not on the shoulder of diverse segments of population and the youth from all parts of the country, but rather on the shoulder of coup d'etat or small and limited armed groups. They decided and acted, and they themselves or the succeeding generation changed their ways as a result of certain motivations. The revolution became its own enemy and the enemy managed again to prevail over their countries. This is totally different than the change that comes from the people. It is the people that bring their body and soul to the arena of action, and by their jihad and devotion push back and defeat the enemy. It is the people that make the slogans and set the goals, identify and introduce and pursue the enemy. They draw their desired future, although not comprehensively, and as a result do not allow departure from the path of the revolution or conceding to the enemy, or change of course by compromising and the tainted few with special interests, and above all thwart the schemes of enemy’s agents. In such a grass-root movement, the revolution may be slowed, but can stay away from short-sightedness and being on shaky ground. Quran says “Have you not considered how Allah presents an example, [making] a good word like a good tree, whose root is firmly fixed and its branches [high] in the sky? أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ ضَرَبَ اللّهُ مَثَلاً كَلِمَةً طَيِّبَةً كَشَجَرةٍ طَيِّبَةٍ أَصْلُهَا ثَابِتٌ وَفَرْعُهَا فِي السَّمَاء Have you not considered how Allah presents an example, [making] a good word like a good tree, whose root is firmly fixed and its branches [high] in the sky? (24" Ibrahim ) When I saw the brave body of the proud people of Egypt on television in Tahrir Square, I became convinced that their revolution will triumph. Let me confess something to you. After the victory of the Islamic Revolution and the establishment of the Islamic republic in Iran which caused an earthquake among the worldly materialistic rulers in East and West and brought unprecedented uproar and joy to Muslim nations, we expected that Egypt would be next in line to rise. The reason was the history of jihad, progressive thinking and presence of great mojahids and intellectuals in Egypt. I was reciting in my heart this poem by Abu Faras: أراك عصيّ الدمع شیمتك الصبر ما للهوی نهی علیك و لا أمر ؟ When I saw the people of Egypt in Tahrir Square and squares in other cities, I knew I have received my response. The people of Egypt told me with words coming from their heart: بلی أنا مشتاق و عندي لوعة ولكن مثلي لایذاع له سرُّ …This sacred secret was nothing but the motivation and resolve to rise, and gradually people of Egypt cemented this thought in their mind and at a historical juncture they manifested their resolve and entered the arena in a magnificent show of their power. Tunisia, Yemen, Libya, and Bahrain are no exception to this general rule. In these revolutions principles, values and goals are not written in prefabricated manifestos of groups and parties, but written in the minds, hearts and desires of each and every person present on the scene and are declared in the context of their slogans and behaviors. With these signals one can clearly tell that the principles of current revolutions in the region, in Egypt and other countries, are first and foremost the following: - Revival and renewal of national dignity and respect that have been broken and trampled during long years of dictatorial and corrupt rule and the political domination of America and the West. - Keeping up the banner of Islam which is the profound faith and longstanding attachment of people and being able to enjoy peace of mind, justice, progress and prosperity that could only be achieved under Islamic Sharia. - Resistance against the influence and domination of the United States and Europe that have wreaked the greatest damage and humiliation on the peoples of these countries over the past two hundred years. - Countering the usurper and fictitious Zionist regime that the imperialist powers have planted like a dagger in the heart of this region to serve as a tool to continue their diabolical domination after expelling a whole nation from their historical homeland. There is no doubt that the revolutions in the region that rely on and demand these principles are not to the liking of America, Europe and the Zionists, and they are going to use all means to deny them, but the truth will not change with their denial. The widespread participation of people in these revolutions is the most important element that constitutes their identity. Foreign powers that tried everything in their power and used all their schemes to keep in power the tyrannical, corrupt and subservient rulers in these countries and only abandoned them when the people left no choice for them have no right to claim a share in the victory of these revolutions. Even in Libya intervention by America and NATO cannot distort the truth. In Libya, NATO has caused irreparable damage. Had it not been for the military intervention of NATO and America, victory of people might have been delayed, but all these infrastructures would not have been damaged, and innocent women and children killed and then enemies that were accomplices of Qaddafi would not have been able to intervene in this innocent war-torn nation. People and the elite that are of the people and others who are from the people are the true owners of these revolutions that should be trusted to protect them and draw the path to the future. 2- Regarding the threats and harm, I should first emphasize that although there are threats, but there are also ways to stay safe. Mere presence of threats should not scare nations. إِنَّ كَيْدَ الشَّيْطَانِ كَانَ ضَعِيفًا ( Indeed, the plot of Satan has ever been weak) Allah says about a group of mojahids of early Islam: الَّذِينَ قالَ لَهُمُ النَّاسُ إِنَّ النَّاسَ قَدْ جَمَعُوا لَكُمْ فَاخْشَوْهُمْ فَزادَهُمْ إِيماناً وَ قالُوا حَسْبُنَا اللَّهُ وَ نِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ فَانْقَلَبُوا بِنِعْمَةٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَ فَضْلٍ لَمْ يَمْسَسْهُمْ سُوءٌ وَ اتَّبَعُوا رِضْوانَ اللَّهِ وَ اللَّهُ ذُو فَضْلٍ عَظِيمٍ ( Those to whom hypocrites said, "Indeed, the people have gathered against you, so fear them." But it [merely] increased them in faith, and they said, "Sufficient for us is Allah, and [He is] the best Disposer of affairs." So they returned with favor from Allah and bounty, no harm having touched them. And they pursued the pleasure of Allah, and Allah is the possessor of great bounty. ) We need to know what these threats are, in order not to be surprised and to be able to find solutions. We faced these perils and threats after the victory of Islamic Revolution and experienced them. With the grace of Allah and the leadership of Imam Khomeini and sacrifices of our people we managed to sail through them safely. The plots by enemies still continue but so does the firm resolve of our people. I divide the harm to these movements into two groups: those that have their roots within ourselves and come from our own weaknesses, and those that have been directly planned by the enemy. The first group of harms is of the following type: The sense and thought that after the downfall of the corrupt dictator the job is over. The peace of mind and comfort that comes after the victory and afterward the lessening of motivation and weakening of determination are among the first perils, and the most damaging threat is when individuals ask for their share of the spoils of victory. The story of the Battle of Uhud and the defenders seeking the spoils of victory caused the defeat of Muslims, and the mojahids were reprimanded by God. This is a good example that should never be forgotten. Being shocked and awed by the appearances of the arrogant powers and the feeling of fear from America and other interventionist powers are of these kinds of harm that should be avoided. The brave and young should throw out these fears from their heart. Trusting the enemy and falling into trap of their smiles and promises is another threat that needs to be avoided by the forerunners and leaders. The enemy must be identified no matter what cover it uses. The nation and the revolution should be protected against the designs of the enemy that at times hide behind the appearances of friendship and supportive gestures. Another side to this page is becoming overconfident and overlooking the enemy. Bravery must be combined with wisdom and good judgment. We must use all treasures of God within ourselves against Satan, al-Jinn wal–Ens. Causing division and pitting revolutionaries against one another and penetration behind the battlefront of struggle is another great harm that needs to be avoided with all your power. The second group of harm has been experienced by almost all countries of the region during different events. The first harm is the coming to power of those who are committed to America and the West. The West tries after the downfall of its pawns to protect the basic pillars of the system and levers of power, and change the direction by using the same foundation, but with a different head, in order to perpetuate its domination. This means wasting of all your efforts and sacrifices. At this stage, if they face resistance of the people, they try to introduce and offer to the movement and people other alternatives that are designed to divert the course of the movement. This scenario could be recommending government models and constitutions that will again throw the Islamic countries into the trap of cultural, political and economic dependence on the West. This could lead to their influence among the revolutionaries greater financial and media strength of an unreliable current and marginalization of the genuine currents in the revolution. This also means return of the domination of the West and the stronger grip of then outdated Western models that are far from basic principles of the revolution. If this tactic does not produce the desired result, experience tells us that they will go for anarchy, terrorism, civil war among followers of religions or ethnic communities and tribes, political parties, or even among neighboring nations and governments. Parallel to these actions, they will impose economic siege and sanctions, freeze national assets and launch all-out media war and propaganda. Their intention is to tire out and frustrate people and make the revolutionaries disappointed. Under these circumstances it becomes easy to defeat the revolution. Assassination of the righteous elite of the society and opinion leaders, defamation and vilification of others and even enticing some with money are among usual ploys used by the Western powers and the claimants of civilization morality. In Iran, the evidence and documents from the U.S. Den of Espionage that fell into the hands of the revolution showed that all these plots were designed by the regime in the United States for the people of Iran for them bringing back the reactionary and dependant rulers in revolutionary countries is a principle that prescribes all these dirty tricks. In the last part of my remarks, I present recommendations for your consideration and selection that are based on our tangible experiences in Iran and what has been gathered from the precise studies of other countries. Undoubtedly, conditions differ among nations and countries. Nonetheless, there are truths that can prove beneficial for all people. The first point is that by placing one’s trust in God and believing in the repeated promises of divine victories in the Quran and through astuteness, resolve, and braveness, it is possible to surmount all obstacles and emerge victorious. Of course, the task that you all have taken up is quite grave and momentous. Thus, one must bear great hardship for its sake. The Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali (`a) says: “فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَمْ يَقْصِمْ جَبَّارِي دَهْرٍ قَطُّ إِلَّا بَعْدَ تَمْهِيلٍ وَ رَخَاءٍ وَ لَمْ يَجْبُرْ عَظْمَ أَحَدٍ مِنَ الْأُمَمِ إِلَّا بَعْدَ أَزْلٍ وَ بَلَاءٍ وَ فِي دُونِ مَا اسْتَقْبَلْتُمْ مِنْ عَتْبٍ وَ مَا اسْتَدْبَرْتُمْ مِنْ خَطْبٍ مُعْتَبَر..” The important recommendation is that you must always consider yourself as being present on the scene: فَإِذَا فَرَغْتَ فَانْصَبْ ( So when you have finished [your duties], then stand up [for worship].)Therefore, when thou art free, still labor hard), always consider God as present and as your aid: وَإِلَى رَبِّكَ فَارْغَبْ (And to thy Lord turn all thy attention), and must not allow your victories to cause you to become arrogant or negligent: اِذا جاءَ نَصْرُ اللهِ وَ الْفَتْحُ وَ رَاَيْتَ النّاسَ يَدْخُلُونَ في دينِ اللهِ اَفْواجاً فَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ وَ اسْتَغْفِرْهُ اِنَّهُ كانَ تَوّاباً (When comes the help of Allah, and victory. And thou dost see the people enter Allah’s Religion in crowds. Celebrate the praises of thy Lord). These are the true foundations of a faithful nation. Another recommendation is the constant rereading of the principles of revolution. The slogans and principles must be refined and brought in line with the foundations and undisputed principles of Islam. Independence, freedom, justice, refusal to bow to despotism and colonialism, rejection of ethnic, racial, and religious discrimination, and the outright rejection of Zionism, which, today, comprise the pivots of the movements in Islamic countries, are all inspired by Islam and the Quran. Write down your principles on paper. Preserve your genuine nature with a high degree of sensitivity. Do not allow your enemies to formulate the principles of your future system. Do not allow Islamic principles to be sacrificed for transient interests. Deviation in revolutions starts with deviation in slogans and objectives. Never place your trust in the U.S., NATO, or criminal regimes such as Britain, France, or, Italy, which for long plundered and divided your land among themselves. Look upon them with suspicion and do not believe their smiles. Behind these smiles and promises lies conspiracy and betrayal. Find you own way by resorting to the blessed fountainhead of Islam and give back foreigners’ prescriptions to themselves. Another important recommendation is to avoid religious, ethnic, racial, tribal, and border disputes. Recognize differences as legitimate and manage them. Reconciliation among Islamic religions is the key to salvation. Those who fan the flames of religious division through apostatizing others are the mercenaries and servants of Satan, even if done inadvertently. Creating your own system of governance is your main and seminal task. This is a complex and difficult undertaking. Do not allow secular or western liberal or extremist nationalist or leftist Marxist models to be imposed on you. The leftist Eastern Bloc collapsed and the Western Bloc is propped up through violence, war, and deceit, and does not appear to have a bright outlook. The passage of time will be to their loss and to the benefit of the Islamic current. The ultimate goal must be a unified Islamic Ummah and the creation of a new Islamic civilization founded upon faith, rationality, knowledge, and morality. The liberation of Palestine from the savage claws of the Zionists is also a great objective. The countries of the Balkans, Caucasus, and western Asia were liberated from the claws of the former Soviet Union after eighty years. Why should the Palestinian people not be able to free themselves from the captivity of the oppressor Zionists after seventy years? The present generation in Islamic countries has the capacity to accomplish such great feats. The young generation of today is a source of pride for the past generations. As noted by the Arab poet: أبو الصخر من شيبان قلت لهم كلا لعمري و لكن منه شيبانُ و كم أبٍ قد علا بابنٍ ذُری شَرَفٍ كما علا برسولِ الله عدنانُ Trust your young generation. Revive their feeling of self-confidence and benefit them by the experiences of the elders. There are two important points in this connection: First, one of the most important demands of the people who have revolted and who have been liberated is to have a decisive participation in the management of their countries. And since they believe in Islam, their desire is to have a system of Islamic democracy, i.e. the rulers being elected through the vote of the people and the dominant principles and values of the society being based on the Islamic knowledge and sharia. This can crystallize in various countries, depending on their conditions, through various methods and forms. However, utmost care must be taken not to confuse this with the western liberal democracy. The secular, and at times anti-religious, western democracy is in no way related to the Islamic democracy which is committed to the values and main principles of Islam in its system of government. The second point relates to the fact that Islamic tenets must not be equated with backwardness, obscurantism, and ignorant and extremist biases. The demarcation between these two must be pronounced. Religious extremism, which is usually attended by violence, is the cause of falling short of the lofty goals of the revolution. This, in turn, results in the loss of public support and the eventual failure of the revolution. In sum, to speak of Islamic awakening is not to speak of a nebulous and indistinct concept that is amenable to various interpretations. Rather, it is to speak of a tangible reality in the external world that has filled the atmosphere and resulted in great uprisings and revolutions and removed from the scene some dangerous elements of the enemy. Nonetheless, the scene remains fluid and in need of being shaped and brought to a conclusion. The verses recited at the outset contain a complete and effective set of guidelines, especially in this sensitive and momentous juncture… Though, they are addressed to the Holy Prophet (PBUH), we all are their interlocutors and responsible for adhering to them. In these verses, piety (taqwa), in its lofty and broad connotation, is the first recommendation. Then comes the rejection of the orders of the infidels and hypocrites, adherence to the divine revelation, and, finally, trust in God… Once again, we will review these verses: بسم‌الله‌الرحمن‌الرحیم يا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ اتَّقِ ‌اللَّهَ وَ لا تُطِعِ الْكافِرينَ وَ الْمُنافِقينَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كانَ عَليماً حَكيماً(1) وَ اتَّبِعْ ما يُوحى‏ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ رَبِّكَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كانَ بِما تَعْمَلُونَ خَبيراً (2) وَ تَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ وَ كَفى‏ بِاللَّهِ وَكيلاً. (In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful. O Prophet! Fear Allah, and hearken not to the unbelievers and the hypocrites: verily Allah is full of knowledge and wisdom. But follow that which comes to thee by inspiration from thy Lord: for Allah is well acquainted with (all) that ye do. And put thy trust in Allah, and enough is Allah as a disposer of affairs.) والسلام علیکم و رحمة الله

Vali Amr Muslimeen Ayatullah Sayyed Ali Khamenei delivered this speech at the International Conference on Islamic Awakening on 17 September 2011. http://english.khamenei.ir//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1523 http://farsi.khamenei.ir/news-content?id=17271 بسم‌الله الرحمن الرحیم السلام علیکم و رحمة الله و برکاته الحمدلله رب العالمین و الصلوة و السلام علی سیدنا محمد و آله الطیبین و صحبه المنتجبین قال الله العزیز الحكیم : بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم : يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ اتَّقِ اللَّهَ وَلا تُطِعِ الْكَافِرِينَ وَالْمُنَافِقِينَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًا وَاتَّبِعْ مَا يُوحَى إِلَيْكَ مِن رَّبِّكَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرًا وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ وَكَفَى بِاللَّهِ وَكِيلا (O Prophet, fear Allah and do not obey the disbelievers and the hypocrites. Indeed, Allah is ever Knowing and Wise. (1). And follow that which is revealed to you from your Lord. Indeed Allah is ever, with what you do, Acquainted. (2) And rely upon Allah; and sufficient is Allah as Disposer of affairs.(3) Surat Al-Ahzab) I welcome our honored audience and dear guests. What has brought us here together is the Islamic awakening, which comes from the stronger inspiration and greater understanding among Muslim ummah. This awakening has led to a major development among nations of our region and has brought about uprisings and revolutions that could never have been contemplated in the calculations of the dominant regional and international satanic powers. These are momentous uprising that have razed to the ground the autocratic and imperialist strongholds and vanquished the tyrants guarding them. There is no doubt that colossal social upheavals have always relied on solid foundation of history and civilization and are products of accumulation of wisdom and experiences. Over the past 150 years, the presence of great intellectual and jihadi personalities that have been opinion leaders and behind Islamic movements in Egypt, Iraq, India and other countries in Asia and Africa has served as precursors and pioneers for the present situation in the Islamic world. The developments in the 1950’s and 60’s led to coming to power of regimes that were mostly inclined to materialistic ideologies and thoughts, and because of their inherent character fell into the trap of Western imperialist and colonialist powers. These are experiences that are lessons to learn from, and have contributed substantially to evolution of general and profound understanding in the Islamic world. The Islamic Revolution in Iran that was hailed by Imam Khomeini as “victory of blood over sword”, and establishment of the lasting, robust, courageous and progressive Islamic republic, and its impact on present Islamic awakening is itself a long story that deserves to be debated and researched. There is no doubt that Islamic Revolution of Iran will be accorded a thorough and comprehensive chapter in the analysis and writings of history of the present situation of the Islamic world. For that reason, the present and mounting facts and truths in the Islamic world are not simply events that are severed from the past historical roots, social and intellectual backgrounds to allow our adversaries and the shallow-minded to present them as a passing wave and short-lived phenomenon in order to snuff out hope in the hearts of nations by their warped and biased analyses. In this brotherly dialogue with you I want to place greater emphasis on three areas: 1. Taking a glance at the identity of these uprisings and revolutions 2. Major threats and harms lying on their way. 3. Recommendations to find solutions and prevent these threats and harms. Regarding the first point, I believe the most important element in these revolutions is the actual and mass presence of people in the arena of action, struggle and jihad. They were present, not only with their heart, desire and faith, but also with their body and souls. There is a big difference between this presence and the presence of a military group or even armed combatants in front of uncaring people or even concerned people. In the events of 1950’s and 60’s in some countries of Africa and Asia, the heavy load of the revolution was not on the shoulder of diverse segments of population and the youth from all parts of the country, but rather on the shoulder of coup d\'etat or small and limited armed groups. They decided and acted, and they themselves or the succeeding generation changed their ways as a result of certain motivations. The revolution became its own enemy and the enemy managed again to prevail over their countries. This is totally different than the change that comes from the people. It is the people that bring their body and soul to the arena of action, and by their jihad and devotion push back and defeat the enemy. It is the people that make the slogans and set the goals, identify and introduce and pursue the enemy. They draw their desired future, although not comprehensively, and as a result do not allow departure from the path of the revolution or conceding to the enemy, or change of course by compromising and the tainted few with special interests, and above all thwart the schemes of enemy’s agents. In such a grass-root movement, the revolution may be slowed, but can stay away from short-sightedness and being on shaky ground. Quran says “Have you not considered how Allah presents an example, [making] a good word like a good tree, whose root is firmly fixed and its branches [high] in the sky? أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ ضَرَبَ اللّهُ مَثَلاً كَلِمَةً طَيِّبَةً كَشَجَرةٍ طَيِّبَةٍ أَصْلُهَا ثَابِتٌ وَفَرْعُهَا فِي السَّمَاء Have you not considered how Allah presents an example, [making] a good word like a good tree, whose root is firmly fixed and its branches [high] in the sky? (24\" Ibrahim ) When I saw the brave body of the proud people of Egypt on television in Tahrir Square, I became convinced that their revolution will triumph. Let me confess something to you. After the victory of the Islamic Revolution and the establishment of the Islamic republic in Iran which caused an earthquake among the worldly materialistic rulers in East and West and brought unprecedented uproar and joy to Muslim nations, we expected that Egypt would be next in line to rise. The reason was the history of jihad, progressive thinking and presence of great mojahids and intellectuals in Egypt. I was reciting in my heart this poem by Abu Faras: أراك عصيّ الدمع شیمتك الصبر ما للهوی نهی علیك و لا أمر ؟ When I saw the people of Egypt in Tahrir Square and squares in other cities, I knew I have received my response. The people of Egypt told me with words coming from their heart: بلی أنا مشتاق و عندي لوعة ولكن مثلي لایذاع له سرُّ …This sacred secret was nothing but the motivation and resolve to rise, and gradually people of Egypt cemented this thought in their mind and at a historical juncture they manifested their resolve and entered the arena in a magnificent show of their power. Tunisia, Yemen, Libya, and Bahrain are no exception to this general rule. In these revolutions principles, values and goals are not written in prefabricated manifestos of groups and parties, but written in the minds, hearts and desires of each and every person present on the scene and are declared in the context of their slogans and behaviors. With these signals one can clearly tell that the principles of current revolutions in the region, in Egypt and other countries, are first and foremost the following: - Revival and renewal of national dignity and respect that have been broken and trampled during long years of dictatorial and corrupt rule and the political domination of America and the West. - Keeping up the banner of Islam which is the profound faith and longstanding attachment of people and being able to enjoy peace of mind, justice, progress and prosperity that could only be achieved under Islamic Sharia. - Resistance against the influence and domination of the United States and Europe that have wreaked the greatest damage and humiliation on the peoples of these countries over the past two hundred years. - Countering the usurper and fictitious Zionist regime that the imperialist powers have planted like a dagger in the heart of this region to serve as a tool to continue their diabolical domination after expelling a whole nation from their historical homeland. There is no doubt that the revolutions in the region that rely on and demand these principles are not to the liking of America, Europe and the Zionists, and they are going to use all means to deny them, but the truth will not change with their denial. The widespread participation of people in these revolutions is the most important element that constitutes their identity. Foreign powers that tried everything in their power and used all their schemes to keep in power the tyrannical, corrupt and subservient rulers in these countries and only abandoned them when the people left no choice for them have no right to claim a share in the victory of these revolutions. Even in Libya intervention by America and NATO cannot distort the truth. In Libya, NATO has caused irreparable damage. Had it not been for the military intervention of NATO and America, victory of people might have been delayed, but all these infrastructures would not have been damaged, and innocent women and children killed and then enemies that were accomplices of Qaddafi would not have been able to intervene in this innocent war-torn nation. People and the elite that are of the people and others who are from the people are the true owners of these revolutions that should be trusted to protect them and draw the path to the future. 2- Regarding the threats and harm, I should first emphasize that although there are threats, but there are also ways to stay safe. Mere presence of threats should not scare nations. إِنَّ كَيْدَ الشَّيْطَانِ كَانَ ضَعِيفًا ( Indeed, the plot of Satan has ever been weak) Allah says about a group of mojahids of early Islam: الَّذِينَ قالَ لَهُمُ النَّاسُ إِنَّ النَّاسَ قَدْ جَمَعُوا لَكُمْ فَاخْشَوْهُمْ فَزادَهُمْ إِيماناً وَ قالُوا حَسْبُنَا اللَّهُ وَ نِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ فَانْقَلَبُوا بِنِعْمَةٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَ فَضْلٍ لَمْ يَمْسَسْهُمْ سُوءٌ وَ اتَّبَعُوا رِضْوانَ اللَّهِ وَ اللَّهُ ذُو فَضْلٍ عَظِيمٍ ( Those to whom hypocrites said, \"Indeed, the people have gathered against you, so fear them.\" But it [merely] increased them in faith, and they said, \"Sufficient for us is Allah, and [He is] the best Disposer of affairs.\" So they returned with favor from Allah and bounty, no harm having touched them. And they pursued the pleasure of Allah, and Allah is the possessor of great bounty. ) We need to know what these threats are, in order not to be surprised and to be able to find solutions. We faced these perils and threats after the victory of Islamic Revolution and experienced them. With the grace of Allah and the leadership of Imam Khomeini and sacrifices of our people we managed to sail through them safely. The plots by enemies still continue but so does the firm resolve of our people. I divide the harm to these movements into two groups: those that have their roots within ourselves and come from our own weaknesses, and those that have been directly planned by the enemy. The first group of harms is of the following type: The sense and thought that after the downfall of the corrupt dictator the job is over. The peace of mind and comfort that comes after the victory and afterward the lessening of motivation and weakening of determination are among the first perils, and the most damaging threat is when individuals ask for their share of the spoils of victory. The story of the Battle of Uhud and the defenders seeking the spoils of victory caused the defeat of Muslims, and the mojahids were reprimanded by God. This is a good example that should never be forgotten. Being shocked and awed by the appearances of the arrogant powers and the feeling of fear from America and other interventionist powers are of these kinds of harm that should be avoided. The brave and young should throw out these fears from their heart. Trusting the enemy and falling into trap of their smiles and promises is another threat that needs to be avoided by the forerunners and leaders. The enemy must be identified no matter what cover it uses. The nation and the revolution should be protected against the designs of the enemy that at times hide behind the appearances of friendship and supportive gestures. Another side to this page is becoming overconfident and overlooking the enemy. Bravery must be combined with wisdom and good judgment. We must use all treasures of God within ourselves against Satan, al-Jinn wal–Ens. Causing division and pitting revolutionaries against one another and penetration behind the battlefront of struggle is another great harm that needs to be avoided with all your power. The second group of harm has been experienced by almost all countries of the region during different events. The first harm is the coming to power of those who are committed to America and the West. The West tries after the downfall of its pawns to protect the basic pillars of the system and levers of power, and change the direction by using the same foundation, but with a different head, in order to perpetuate its domination. This means wasting of all your efforts and sacrifices. At this stage, if they face resistance of the people, they try to introduce and offer to the movement and people other alternatives that are designed to divert the course of the movement. This scenario could be recommending government models and constitutions that will again throw the Islamic countries into the trap of cultural, political and economic dependence on the West. This could lead to their influence among the revolutionaries greater financial and media strength of an unreliable current and marginalization of the genuine currents in the revolution. This also means return of the domination of the West and the stronger grip of then outdated Western models that are far from basic principles of the revolution. If this tactic does not produce the desired result, experience tells us that they will go for anarchy, terrorism, civil war among followers of religions or ethnic communities and tribes, political parties, or even among neighboring nations and governments. Parallel to these actions, they will impose economic siege and sanctions, freeze national assets and launch all-out media war and propaganda. Their intention is to tire out and frustrate people and make the revolutionaries disappointed. Under these circumstances it becomes easy to defeat the revolution. Assassination of the righteous elite of the society and opinion leaders, defamation and vilification of others and even enticing some with money are among usual ploys used by the Western powers and the claimants of civilization morality. In Iran, the evidence and documents from the U.S. Den of Espionage that fell into the hands of the revolution showed that all these plots were designed by the regime in the United States for the people of Iran for them bringing back the reactionary and dependant rulers in revolutionary countries is a principle that prescribes all these dirty tricks. In the last part of my remarks, I present recommendations for your consideration and selection that are based on our tangible experiences in Iran and what has been gathered from the precise studies of other countries. Undoubtedly, conditions differ among nations and countries. Nonetheless, there are truths that can prove beneficial for all people. The first point is that by placing one’s trust in God and believing in the repeated promises of divine victories in the Quran and through astuteness, resolve, and braveness, it is possible to surmount all obstacles and emerge victorious. Of course, the task that you all have taken up is quite grave and momentous. Thus, one must bear great hardship for its sake. The Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali (`a) says: “فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَمْ يَقْصِمْ جَبَّارِي دَهْرٍ قَطُّ إِلَّا بَعْدَ تَمْهِيلٍ وَ رَخَاءٍ وَ لَمْ يَجْبُرْ عَظْمَ أَحَدٍ مِنَ الْأُمَمِ إِلَّا بَعْدَ أَزْلٍ وَ بَلَاءٍ وَ فِي دُونِ مَا اسْتَقْبَلْتُمْ مِنْ عَتْبٍ وَ مَا اسْتَدْبَرْتُمْ مِنْ خَطْبٍ مُعْتَبَر..” The important recommendation is that you must always consider yourself as being present on the scene: فَإِذَا فَرَغْتَ فَانْصَبْ ( So when you have finished [your duties], then stand up [for worship].)Therefore, when thou art free, still labor hard), always consider God as present and as your aid: وَإِلَى رَبِّكَ فَارْغَبْ (And to thy Lord turn all thy attention), and must not allow your victories to cause you to become arrogant or negligent: اِذا جاءَ نَصْرُ اللهِ وَ الْفَتْحُ وَ رَاَيْتَ النّاسَ يَدْخُلُونَ في دينِ اللهِ اَفْواجاً فَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ وَ اسْتَغْفِرْهُ اِنَّهُ كانَ تَوّاباً (When comes the help of Allah, and victory. And thou dost see the people enter Allah’s Religion in crowds. Celebrate the praises of thy Lord). These are the true foundations of a faithful nation. Another recommendation is the constant rereading of the principles of revolution. The slogans and principles must be refined and brought in line with the foundations and undisputed principles of Islam. Independence, freedom, justice, refusal to bow to despotism and colonialism, rejection of ethnic, racial, and religious discrimination, and the outright rejection of Zionism, which, today, comprise the pivots of the movements in Islamic countries, are all inspired by Islam and the Quran. Write down your principles on paper. Preserve your genuine nature with a high degree of sensitivity. Do not allow your enemies to formulate the principles of your future system. Do not allow Islamic principles to be sacrificed for transient interests. Deviation in revolutions starts with deviation in slogans and objectives. Never place your trust in the U.S., NATO, or criminal regimes such as Britain, France, or, Italy, which for long plundered and divided your land among themselves. Look upon them with suspicion and do not believe their smiles. Behind these smiles and promises lies conspiracy and betrayal. Find you own way by resorting to the blessed fountainhead of Islam and give back foreigners’ prescriptions to themselves. Another important recommendation is to avoid religious, ethnic, racial, tribal, and border disputes. Recognize differences as legitimate and manage them. Reconciliation among Islamic religions is the key to salvation. Those who fan the flames of religious division through apostatizing others are the mercenaries and servants of Satan, even if done inadvertently. Creating your own system of governance is your main and seminal task. This is a complex and difficult undertaking. Do not allow secular or western liberal or extremist nationalist or leftist Marxist models to be imposed on you. The leftist Eastern Bloc collapsed and the Western Bloc is propped up through violence, war, and deceit, and does not appear to have a bright outlook. The passage of time will be to their loss and to the benefit of the Islamic current. The ultimate goal must be a unified Islamic Ummah and the creation of a new Islamic civilization founded upon faith, rationality, knowledge, and morality. The liberation of Palestine from the savage claws of the Zionists is also a great objective. The countries of the Balkans, Caucasus, and western Asia were liberated from the claws of the former Soviet Union after eighty years. Why should the Palestinian people not be able to free themselves from the captivity of the oppressor Zionists after seventy years? The present generation in Islamic countries has the capacity to accomplish such great feats. The young generation of today is a source of pride for the past generations. As noted by the Arab poet: أبو الصخر من شيبان قلت لهم كلا لعمري و لكن منه شيبانُ و كم أبٍ قد علا بابنٍ ذُری شَرَفٍ كما علا برسولِ الله عدنانُ Trust your young generation. Revive their feeling of self-confidence and benefit them by the experiences of the elders. There are two important points in this connection: First, one of the most important demands of the people who have revolted and who have been liberated is to have a decisive participation in the management of their countries. And since they believe in Islam, their desire is to have a system of Islamic democracy, i.e. the rulers being elected through the vote of the people and the dominant principles and values of the society being based on the Islamic knowledge and sharia. This can crystallize in various countries, depending on their conditions, through various methods and forms. However, utmost care must be taken not to confuse this with the western liberal democracy. The secular, and at times anti-religious, western democracy is in no way related to the Islamic democracy which is committed to the values and main principles of Islam in its system of government. The second point relates to the fact that Islamic tenets must not be equated with backwardness, obscurantism, and ignorant and extremist biases. The demarcation between these two must be pronounced. Religious extremism, which is usually attended by violence, is the cause of falling short of the lofty goals of the revolution. This, in turn, results in the loss of public support and the eventual failure of the revolution. In sum, to speak of Islamic awakening is not to speak of a nebulous and indistinct concept that is amenable to various interpretations. Rather, it is to speak of a tangible reality in the external world that has filled the atmosphere and resulted in great uprisings and revolutions and removed from the scene some dangerous elements of the enemy. Nonetheless, the scene remains fluid and in need of being shaped and brought to a conclusion. The verses recited at the outset contain a complete and effective set of guidelines, especially in this sensitive and momentous juncture… Though, they are addressed to the Holy Prophet (PBUH), we all are their interlocutors and responsible for adhering to them. In these verses, piety (taqwa), in its lofty and broad connotation, is the first recommendation. Then comes the rejection of the orders of the infidels and hypocrites, adherence to the divine revelation, and, finally, trust in God… Once again, we will review these verses: بسم‌الله‌الرحمن‌الرحیم يا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ اتَّقِ ‌اللَّهَ وَ لا تُطِعِ الْكافِرينَ وَ الْمُنافِقينَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كانَ عَليماً حَكيماً(1) وَ اتَّبِعْ ما يُوحى‏ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ رَبِّكَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كانَ بِما تَعْمَلُونَ خَبيراً (2) وَ تَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ وَ كَفى‏ بِاللَّهِ وَكيلاً. (In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful. O Prophet! Fear Allah, and hearken not to the unbelievers and the hypocrites: verily Allah is full of knowledge and wisdom. But follow that which comes to thee by inspiration from thy Lord: for Allah is well acquainted with (all) that ye do. And put thy trust in Allah, and enough is Allah as a disposer of affairs.) والسلام علیکم و رحمة الله

Vali Amr Muslimeen Ayatullah Sayyed Ali Khamenei delivered this speech at the International Conference on Islamic Awakening on 17 September 2011. http://english.khamenei.ir//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1523 http://farsi.khamenei.ir/news-content?id=17271 بسم‌الله الرحمن الرحیم السلام علیکم و رحمة الله و برکاته الحمدلله رب العالمین و الصلوة و السلام علی سیدنا محمد و آله الطیبین و صحبه المنتجبین قال الله العزیز الحكیم : بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم : يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ اتَّقِ اللَّهَ وَلا تُطِعِ الْكَافِرِينَ وَالْمُنَافِقِينَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًا وَاتَّبِعْ مَا يُوحَى إِلَيْكَ مِن رَّبِّكَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرًا وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ وَكَفَى بِاللَّهِ وَكِيلا (O Prophet, fear Allah and do not obey the disbelievers and the hypocrites. Indeed, Allah is ever Knowing and Wise. (1). And follow that which is revealed to you from your Lord. Indeed Allah is ever, with what you do, Acquainted. (2) And rely upon Allah; and sufficient is Allah as Disposer of affairs.(3) Surat Al-Ahzab) I welcome our honored audience and dear guests. What has brought us here together is the Islamic awakening, which comes from the stronger inspiration and greater understanding among Muslim ummah. This awakening has led to a major development among nations of our region and has brought about uprisings and revolutions that could never have been contemplated in the calculations of the dominant regional and international satanic powers. These are momentous uprising that have razed to the ground the autocratic and imperialist strongholds and vanquished the tyrants guarding them. There is no doubt that colossal social upheavals have always relied on solid foundation of history and civilization and are products of accumulation of wisdom and experiences. Over the past 150 years, the presence of great intellectual and jihadi personalities that have been opinion leaders and behind Islamic movements in Egypt, Iraq, India and other countries in Asia and Africa has served as precursors and pioneers for the present situation in the Islamic world. The developments in the 1950’s and 60’s led to coming to power of regimes that were mostly inclined to materialistic ideologies and thoughts, and because of their inherent character fell into the trap of Western imperialist and colonialist powers. These are experiences that are lessons to learn from, and have contributed substantially to evolution of general and profound understanding in the Islamic world. The Islamic Revolution in Iran that was hailed by Imam Khomeini as “victory of blood over sword”, and establishment of the lasting, robust, courageous and progressive Islamic republic, and its impact on present Islamic awakening is itself a long story that deserves to be debated and researched. There is no doubt that Islamic Revolution of Iran will be accorded a thorough and comprehensive chapter in the analysis and writings of history of the present situation of the Islamic world. For that reason, the present and mounting facts and truths in the Islamic world are not simply events that are severed from the past historical roots, social and intellectual backgrounds to allow our adversaries and the shallow-minded to present them as a passing wave and short-lived phenomenon in order to snuff out hope in the hearts of nations by their warped and biased analyses. In this brotherly dialogue with you I want to place greater emphasis on three areas: 1. Taking a glance at the identity of these uprisings and revolutions 2. Major threats and harms lying on their way. 3. Recommendations to find solutions and prevent these threats and harms. Regarding the first point, I believe the most important element in these revolutions is the actual and mass presence of people in the arena of action, struggle and jihad. They were present, not only with their heart, desire and faith, but also with their body and souls. There is a big difference between this presence and the presence of a military group or even armed combatants in front of uncaring people or even concerned people. In the events of 1950’s and 60’s in some countries of Africa and Asia, the heavy load of the revolution was not on the shoulder of diverse segments of population and the youth from all parts of the country, but rather on the shoulder of coup d\'etat or small and limited armed groups. They decided and acted, and they themselves or the succeeding generation changed their ways as a result of certain motivations. The revolution became its own enemy and the enemy managed again to prevail over their countries. This is totally different than the change that comes from the people. It is the people that bring their body and soul to the arena of action, and by their jihad and devotion push back and defeat the enemy. It is the people that make the slogans and set the goals, identify and introduce and pursue the enemy. They draw their desired future, although not comprehensively, and as a result do not allow departure from the path of the revolution or conceding to the enemy, or change of course by compromising and the tainted few with special interests, and above all thwart the schemes of enemy’s agents. In such a grass-root movement, the revolution may be slowed, but can stay away from short-sightedness and being on shaky ground. Quran says “Have you not considered how Allah presents an example, [making] a good word like a good tree, whose root is firmly fixed and its branches [high] in the sky? أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ ضَرَبَ اللّهُ مَثَلاً كَلِمَةً طَيِّبَةً كَشَجَرةٍ طَيِّبَةٍ أَصْلُهَا ثَابِتٌ وَفَرْعُهَا فِي السَّمَاء Have you not considered how Allah presents an example, [making] a good word like a good tree, whose root is firmly fixed and its branches [high] in the sky? (24\" Ibrahim ) When I saw the brave body of the proud people of Egypt on television in Tahrir Square, I became convinced that their revolution will triumph. Let me confess something to you. After the victory of the Islamic Revolution and the establishment of the Islamic republic in Iran which caused an earthquake among the worldly materialistic rulers in East and West and brought unprecedented uproar and joy to Muslim nations, we expected that Egypt would be next in line to rise. The reason was the history of jihad, progressive thinking and presence of great mojahids and intellectuals in Egypt. I was reciting in my heart this poem by Abu Faras: أراك عصيّ الدمع شیمتك الصبر ما للهوی نهی علیك و لا أمر ؟ When I saw the people of Egypt in Tahrir Square and squares in other cities, I knew I have received my response. The people of Egypt told me with words coming from their heart: بلی أنا مشتاق و عندي لوعة ولكن مثلي لایذاع له سرُّ …This sacred secret was nothing but the motivation and resolve to rise, and gradually people of Egypt cemented this thought in their mind and at a historical juncture they manifested their resolve and entered the arena in a magnificent show of their power. Tunisia, Yemen, Libya, and Bahrain are no exception to this general rule. In these revolutions principles, values and goals are not written in prefabricated manifestos of groups and parties, but written in the minds, hearts and desires of each and every person present on the scene and are declared in the context of their slogans and behaviors. With these signals one can clearly tell that the principles of current revolutions in the region, in Egypt and other countries, are first and foremost the following: - Revival and renewal of national dignity and respect that have been broken and trampled during long years of dictatorial and corrupt rule and the political domination of America and the West. - Keeping up the banner of Islam which is the profound faith and longstanding attachment of people and being able to enjoy peace of mind, justice, progress and prosperity that could only be achieved under Islamic Sharia. - Resistance against the influence and domination of the United States and Europe that have wreaked the greatest damage and humiliation on the peoples of these countries over the past two hundred years. - Countering the usurper and fictitious Zionist regime that the imperialist powers have planted like a dagger in the heart of this region to serve as a tool to continue their diabolical domination after expelling a whole nation from their historical homeland. There is no doubt that the revolutions in the region that rely on and demand these principles are not to the liking of America, Europe and the Zionists, and they are going to use all means to deny them, but the truth will not change with their denial. The widespread participation of people in these revolutions is the most important element that constitutes their identity. Foreign powers that tried everything in their power and used all their schemes to keep in power the tyrannical, corrupt and subservient rulers in these countries and only abandoned them when the people left no choice for them have no right to claim a share in the victory of these revolutions. Even in Libya intervention by America and NATO cannot distort the truth. In Libya, NATO has caused irreparable damage. Had it not been for the military intervention of NATO and America, victory of people might have been delayed, but all these infrastructures would not have been damaged, and innocent women and children killed and then enemies that were accomplices of Qaddafi would not have been able to intervene in this innocent war-torn nation. People and the elite that are of the people and others who are from the people are the true owners of these revolutions that should be trusted to protect them and draw the path to the future. 2- Regarding the threats and harm, I should first emphasize that although there are threats, but there are also ways to stay safe. Mere presence of threats should not scare nations. إِنَّ كَيْدَ الشَّيْطَانِ كَانَ ضَعِيفًا ( Indeed, the plot of Satan has ever been weak) Allah says about a group of mojahids of early Islam: الَّذِينَ قالَ لَهُمُ النَّاسُ إِنَّ النَّاسَ قَدْ جَمَعُوا لَكُمْ فَاخْشَوْهُمْ فَزادَهُمْ إِيماناً وَ قالُوا حَسْبُنَا اللَّهُ وَ نِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ فَانْقَلَبُوا بِنِعْمَةٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَ فَضْلٍ لَمْ يَمْسَسْهُمْ سُوءٌ وَ اتَّبَعُوا رِضْوانَ اللَّهِ وَ اللَّهُ ذُو فَضْلٍ عَظِيمٍ ( Those to whom hypocrites said, \"Indeed, the people have gathered against you, so fear them.\" But it [merely] increased them in faith, and they said, \"Sufficient for us is Allah, and [He is] the best Disposer of affairs.\" So they returned with favor from Allah and bounty, no harm having touched them. And they pursued the pleasure of Allah, and Allah is the possessor of great bounty. ) We need to know what these threats are, in order not to be surprised and to be able to find solutions. We faced these perils and threats after the victory of Islamic Revolution and experienced them. With the grace of Allah and the leadership of Imam Khomeini and sacrifices of our people we managed to sail through them safely. The plots by enemies still continue but so does the firm resolve of our people. I divide the harm to these movements into two groups: those that have their roots within ourselves and come from our own weaknesses, and those that have been directly planned by the enemy. The first group of harms is of the following type: The sense and thought that after the downfall of the corrupt dictator the job is over. The peace of mind and comfort that comes after the victory and afterward the lessening of motivation and weakening of determination are among the first perils, and the most damaging threat is when individuals ask for their share of the spoils of victory. The story of the Battle of Uhud and the defenders seeking the spoils of victory caused the defeat of Muslims, and the mojahids were reprimanded by God. This is a good example that should never be forgotten. Being shocked and awed by the appearances of the arrogant powers and the feeling of fear from America and other interventionist powers are of these kinds of harm that should be avoided. The brave and young should throw out these fears from their heart. Trusting the enemy and falling into trap of their smiles and promises is another threat that needs to be avoided by the forerunners and leaders. The enemy must be identified no matter what cover it uses. The nation and the revolution should be protected against the designs of the enemy that at times hide behind the appearances of friendship and supportive gestures. Another side to this page is becoming overconfident and overlooking the enemy. Bravery must be combined with wisdom and good judgment. We must use all treasures of God within ourselves against Satan, al-Jinn wal–Ens. Causing division and pitting revolutionaries against one another and penetration behind the battlefront of struggle is another great harm that needs to be avoided with all your power. The second group of harm has been experienced by almost all countries of the region during different events. The first harm is the coming to power of those who are committed to America and the West. The West tries after the downfall of its pawns to protect the basic pillars of the system and levers of power, and change the direction by using the same foundation, but with a different head, in order to perpetuate its domination. This means wasting of all your efforts and sacrifices. At this stage, if they face resistance of the people, they try to introduce and offer to the movement and people other alternatives that are designed to divert the course of the movement. This scenario could be recommending government models and constitutions that will again throw the Islamic countries into the trap of cultural, political and economic dependence on the West. This could lead to their influence among the revolutionaries greater financial and media strength of an unreliable current and marginalization of the genuine currents in the revolution. This also means return of the domination of the West and the stronger grip of then outdated Western models that are far from basic principles of the revolution. If this tactic does not produce the desired result, experience tells us that they will go for anarchy, terrorism, civil war among followers of religions or ethnic communities and tribes, political parties, or even among neighboring nations and governments. Parallel to these actions, they will impose economic siege and sanctions, freeze national assets and launch all-out media war and propaganda. Their intention is to tire out and frustrate people and make the revolutionaries disappointed. Under these circumstances it becomes easy to defeat the revolution. Assassination of the righteous elite of the society and opinion leaders, defamation and vilification of others and even enticing some with money are among usual ploys used by the Western powers and the claimants of civilization morality. In Iran, the evidence and documents from the U.S. Den of Espionage that fell into the hands of the revolution showed that all these plots were designed by the regime in the United States for the people of Iran for them bringing back the reactionary and dependant rulers in revolutionary countries is a principle that prescribes all these dirty tricks. In the last part of my remarks, I present recommendations for your consideration and selection that are based on our tangible experiences in Iran and what has been gathered from the precise studies of other countries. Undoubtedly, conditions differ among nations and countries. Nonetheless, there are truths that can prove beneficial for all people. The first point is that by placing one’s trust in God and believing in the repeated promises of divine victories in the Quran and through astuteness, resolve, and braveness, it is possible to surmount all obstacles and emerge victorious. Of course, the task that you all have taken up is quite grave and momentous. Thus, one must bear great hardship for its sake. The Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali (`a) says: “فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَمْ يَقْصِمْ جَبَّارِي دَهْرٍ قَطُّ إِلَّا بَعْدَ تَمْهِيلٍ وَ رَخَاءٍ وَ لَمْ يَجْبُرْ عَظْمَ أَحَدٍ مِنَ الْأُمَمِ إِلَّا بَعْدَ أَزْلٍ وَ بَلَاءٍ وَ فِي دُونِ مَا اسْتَقْبَلْتُمْ مِنْ عَتْبٍ وَ مَا اسْتَدْبَرْتُمْ مِنْ خَطْبٍ مُعْتَبَر..” The important recommendation is that you must always consider yourself as being present on the scene: فَإِذَا فَرَغْتَ فَانْصَبْ ( So when you have finished [your duties], then stand up [for worship].)Therefore, when thou art free, still labor hard), always consider God as present and as your aid: وَإِلَى رَبِّكَ فَارْغَبْ (And to thy Lord turn all thy attention), and must not allow your victories to cause you to become arrogant or negligent: اِذا جاءَ نَصْرُ اللهِ وَ الْفَتْحُ وَ رَاَيْتَ النّاسَ يَدْخُلُونَ في دينِ اللهِ اَفْواجاً فَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ وَ اسْتَغْفِرْهُ اِنَّهُ كانَ تَوّاباً (When comes the help of Allah, and victory. And thou dost see the people enter Allah’s Religion in crowds. Celebrate the praises of thy Lord). These are the true foundations of a faithful nation. Another recommendation is the constant rereading of the principles of revolution. The slogans and principles must be refined and brought in line with the foundations and undisputed principles of Islam. Independence, freedom, justice, refusal to bow to despotism and colonialism, rejection of ethnic, racial, and religious discrimination, and the outright rejection of Zionism, which, today, comprise the pivots of the movements in Islamic countries, are all inspired by Islam and the Quran. Write down your principles on paper. Preserve your genuine nature with a high degree of sensitivity. Do not allow your enemies to formulate the principles of your future system. Do not allow Islamic principles to be sacrificed for transient interests. Deviation in revolutions starts with deviation in slogans and objectives. Never place your trust in the U.S., NATO, or criminal regimes such as Britain, France, or, Italy, which for long plundered and divided your land among themselves. Look upon them with suspicion and do not believe their smiles. Behind these smiles and promises lies conspiracy and betrayal. Find you own way by resorting to the blessed fountainhead of Islam and give back foreigners’ prescriptions to themselves. Another important recommendation is to avoid religious, ethnic, racial, tribal, and border disputes. Recognize differences as legitimate and manage them. Reconciliation among Islamic religions is the key to salvation. Those who fan the flames of religious division through apostatizing others are the mercenaries and servants of Satan, even if done inadvertently. Creating your own system of governance is your main and seminal task. This is a complex and difficult undertaking. Do not allow secular or western liberal or extremist nationalist or leftist Marxist models to be imposed on you. The leftist Eastern Bloc collapsed and the Western Bloc is propped up through violence, war, and deceit, and does not appear to have a bright outlook. The passage of time will be to their loss and to the benefit of the Islamic current. The ultimate goal must be a unified Islamic Ummah and the creation of a new Islamic civilization founded upon faith, rationality, knowledge, and morality. The liberation of Palestine from the savage claws of the Zionists is also a great objective. The countries of the Balkans, Caucasus, and western Asia were liberated from the claws of the former Soviet Union after eighty years. Why should the Palestinian people not be able to free themselves from the captivity of the oppressor Zionists after seventy years? The present generation in Islamic countries has the capacity to accomplish such great feats. The young generation of today is a source of pride for the past generations. As noted by the Arab poet: أبو الصخر من شيبان قلت لهم كلا لعمري و لكن منه شيبانُ و كم أبٍ قد علا بابنٍ ذُری شَرَفٍ كما علا برسولِ الله عدنانُ Trust your young generation. Revive their feeling of self-confidence and benefit them by the experiences of the elders. There are two important points in this connection: First, one of the most important demands of the people who have revolted and who have been liberated is to have a decisive participation in the management of their countries. And since they believe in Islam, their desire is to have a system of Islamic democracy, i.e. the rulers being elected through the vote of the people and the dominant principles and values of the society being based on the Islamic knowledge and sharia. This can crystallize in various countries, depending on their conditions, through various methods and forms. However, utmost care must be taken not to confuse this with the western liberal democracy. The secular, and at times anti-religious, western democracy is in no way related to the Islamic democracy which is committed to the values and main principles of Islam in its system of government. The second point relates to the fact that Islamic tenets must not be equated with backwardness, obscurantism, and ignorant and extremist biases. The demarcation between these two must be pronounced. Religious extremism, which is usually attended by violence, is the cause of falling short of the lofty goals of the revolution. This, in turn, results in the loss of public support and the eventual failure of the revolution. In sum, to speak of Islamic awakening is not to speak of a nebulous and indistinct concept that is amenable to various interpretations. Rather, it is to speak of a tangible reality in the external world that has filled the atmosphere and resulted in great uprisings and revolutions and removed from the scene some dangerous elements of the enemy. Nonetheless, the scene remains fluid and in need of being shaped and brought to a conclusion. The verses recited at the outset contain a complete and effective set of guidelines, especially in this sensitive and momentous juncture… Though, they are addressed to the Holy Prophet (PBUH), we all are their interlocutors and responsible for adhering to them. In these verses, piety (taqwa), in its lofty and broad connotation, is the first recommendation. Then comes the rejection of the orders of the infidels and hypocrites, adherence to the divine revelation, and, finally, trust in God… Once again, we will review these verses: بسم‌الله‌الرحمن‌الرحیم يا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ اتَّقِ ‌اللَّهَ وَ لا تُطِعِ الْكافِرينَ وَ الْمُنافِقينَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كانَ عَليماً حَكيماً(1) وَ اتَّبِعْ ما يُوحى‏ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ رَبِّكَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كانَ بِما تَعْمَلُونَ خَبيراً (2) وَ تَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ وَ كَفى‏ بِاللَّهِ وَكيلاً. (In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful. O Prophet! Fear Allah, and hearken not to the unbelievers and the hypocrites: verily Allah is full of knowledge and wisdom. But follow that which comes to thee by inspiration from thy Lord: for Allah is well acquainted with (all) that ye do. And put thy trust in Allah, and enough is Allah as a disposer of affairs.) والسلام علیکم و رحمة الله

Vali Amr Muslimeen Ayatullah Sayyed Ali Khamenei delivered this speech at the International Conference on Islamic Awakening on 17 September 2011. http://english.khamenei.ir//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1523 http://farsi.khamenei.ir/news-content?id=17271 بسم‌الله الرحمن الرحیم السلام علیکم و رحمة الله و برکاته الحمدلله رب العالمین و الصلوة و السلام علی سیدنا محمد و آله الطیبین و صحبه المنتجبین قال الله العزیز الحكیم : بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم : يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ اتَّقِ اللَّهَ وَلا تُطِعِ الْكَافِرِينَ وَالْمُنَافِقِينَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًا وَاتَّبِعْ مَا يُوحَى إِلَيْكَ مِن رَّبِّكَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرًا وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ وَكَفَى بِاللَّهِ وَكِيلا (O Prophet, fear Allah and do not obey the disbelievers and the hypocrites. Indeed, Allah is ever Knowing and Wise. (1). And follow that which is revealed to you from your Lord. Indeed Allah is ever, with what you do, Acquainted. (2) And rely upon Allah; and sufficient is Allah as Disposer of affairs.(3) Surat Al-Ahzab) I welcome our honored audience and dear guests. What has brought us here together is the Islamic awakening, which comes from the stronger inspiration and greater understanding among Muslim ummah. This awakening has led to a major development among nations of our region and has brought about uprisings and revolutions that could never have been contemplated in the calculations of the dominant regional and international satanic powers. These are momentous uprising that have razed to the ground the autocratic and imperialist strongholds and vanquished the tyrants guarding them. There is no doubt that colossal social upheavals have always relied on solid foundation of history and civilization and are products of accumulation of wisdom and experiences. Over the past 150 years, the presence of great intellectual and jihadi personalities that have been opinion leaders and behind Islamic movements in Egypt, Iraq, India and other countries in Asia and Africa has served as precursors and pioneers for the present situation in the Islamic world. The developments in the 1950’s and 60’s led to coming to power of regimes that were mostly inclined to materialistic ideologies and thoughts, and because of their inherent character fell into the trap of Western imperialist and colonialist powers. These are experiences that are lessons to learn from, and have contributed substantially to evolution of general and profound understanding in the Islamic world. The Islamic Revolution in Iran that was hailed by Imam Khomeini as “victory of blood over sword”, and establishment of the lasting, robust, courageous and progressive Islamic republic, and its impact on present Islamic awakening is itself a long story that deserves to be debated and researched. There is no doubt that Islamic Revolution of Iran will be accorded a thorough and comprehensive chapter in the analysis and writings of history of the present situation of the Islamic world. For that reason, the present and mounting facts and truths in the Islamic world are not simply events that are severed from the past historical roots, social and intellectual backgrounds to allow our adversaries and the shallow-minded to present them as a passing wave and short-lived phenomenon in order to snuff out hope in the hearts of nations by their warped and biased analyses. In this brotherly dialogue with you I want to place greater emphasis on three areas: 1. Taking a glance at the identity of these uprisings and revolutions 2. Major threats and harms lying on their way. 3. Recommendations to find solutions and prevent these threats and harms. Regarding the first point, I believe the most important element in these revolutions is the actual and mass presence of people in the arena of action, struggle and jihad. They were present, not only with their heart, desire and faith, but also with their body and souls. There is a big difference between this presence and the presence of a military group or even armed combatants in front of uncaring people or even concerned people. In the events of 1950’s and 60’s in some countries of Africa and Asia, the heavy load of the revolution was not on the shoulder of diverse segments of population and the youth from all parts of the country, but rather on the shoulder of coup d'etat or small and limited armed groups. They decided and acted, and they themselves or the succeeding generation changed their ways as a result of certain motivations. The revolution became its own enemy and the enemy managed again to prevail over their countries. This is totally different than the change that comes from the people. It is the people that bring their body and soul to the arena of action, and by their jihad and devotion push back and defeat the enemy. It is the people that make the slogans and set the goals, identify and introduce and pursue the enemy. They draw their desired future, although not comprehensively, and as a result do not allow departure from the path of the revolution or conceding to the enemy, or change of course by compromising and the tainted few with special interests, and above all thwart the schemes of enemy’s agents. In such a grass-root movement, the revolution may be slowed, but can stay away from short-sightedness and being on shaky ground. Quran says “Have you not considered how Allah presents an example, [making] a good word like a good tree, whose root is firmly fixed and its branches [high] in the sky? أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ ضَرَبَ اللّهُ مَثَلاً كَلِمَةً طَيِّبَةً كَشَجَرةٍ طَيِّبَةٍ أَصْلُهَا ثَابِتٌ وَفَرْعُهَا فِي السَّمَاء Have you not considered how Allah presents an example, [making] a good word like a good tree, whose root is firmly fixed and its branches [high] in the sky? (24" Ibrahim ) When I saw the brave body of the proud people of Egypt on television in Tahrir Square, I became convinced that their revolution will triumph. Let me confess something to you. After the victory of the Islamic Revolution and the establishment of the Islamic republic in Iran which caused an earthquake among the worldly materialistic rulers in East and West and brought unprecedented uproar and joy to Muslim nations, we expected that Egypt would be next in line to rise. The reason was the history of jihad, progressive thinking and presence of great mojahids and intellectuals in Egypt. I was reciting in my heart this poem by Abu Faras: أراك عصيّ الدمع شیمتك الصبر ما للهوی نهی علیك و لا أمر ؟ When I saw the people of Egypt in Tahrir Square and squares in other cities, I knew I have received my response. The people of Egypt told me with words coming from their heart: بلی أنا مشتاق و عندي لوعة ولكن مثلي لایذاع له سرُّ …This sacred secret was nothing but the motivation and resolve to rise, and gradually people of Egypt cemented this thought in their mind and at a historical juncture they manifested their resolve and entered the arena in a magnificent show of their power. Tunisia, Yemen, Libya, and Bahrain are no exception to this general rule. In these revolutions principles, values and goals are not written in prefabricated manifestos of groups and parties, but written in the minds, hearts and desires of each and every person present on the scene and are declared in the context of their slogans and behaviors. With these signals one can clearly tell that the principles of current revolutions in the region, in Egypt and other countries, are first and foremost the following: - Revival and renewal of national dignity and respect that have been broken and trampled during long years of dictatorial and corrupt rule and the political domination of America and the West. - Keeping up the banner of Islam which is the profound faith and longstanding attachment of people and being able to enjoy peace of mind, justice, progress and prosperity that could only be achieved under Islamic Sharia. - Resistance against the influence and domination of the United States and Europe that have wreaked the greatest damage and humiliation on the peoples of these countries over the past two hundred years. - Countering the usurper and fictitious Zionist regime that the imperialist powers have planted like a dagger in the heart of this region to serve as a tool to continue their diabolical domination after expelling a whole nation from their historical homeland. There is no doubt that the revolutions in the region that rely on and demand these principles are not to the liking of America, Europe and the Zionists, and they are going to use all means to deny them, but the truth will not change with their denial. The widespread participation of people in these revolutions is the most important element that constitutes their identity. Foreign powers that tried everything in their power and used all their schemes to keep in power the tyrannical, corrupt and subservient rulers in these countries and only abandoned them when the people left no choice for them have no right to claim a share in the victory of these revolutions. Even in Libya intervention by America and NATO cannot distort the truth. In Libya, NATO has caused irreparable damage. Had it not been for the military intervention of NATO and America, victory of people might have been delayed, but all these infrastructures would not have been damaged, and innocent women and children killed and then enemies that were accomplices of Qaddafi would not have been able to intervene in this innocent war-torn nation. People and the elite that are of the people and others who are from the people are the true owners of these revolutions that should be trusted to protect them and draw the path to the future. 2- Regarding the threats and harm, I should first emphasize that although there are threats, but there are also ways to stay safe. Mere presence of threats should not scare nations. إِنَّ كَيْدَ الشَّيْطَانِ كَانَ ضَعِيفًا ( Indeed, the plot of Satan has ever been weak) Allah says about a group of mojahids of early Islam: الَّذِينَ قالَ لَهُمُ النَّاسُ إِنَّ النَّاسَ قَدْ جَمَعُوا لَكُمْ فَاخْشَوْهُمْ فَزادَهُمْ إِيماناً وَ قالُوا حَسْبُنَا اللَّهُ وَ نِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ فَانْقَلَبُوا بِنِعْمَةٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَ فَضْلٍ لَمْ يَمْسَسْهُمْ سُوءٌ وَ اتَّبَعُوا رِضْوانَ اللَّهِ وَ اللَّهُ ذُو فَضْلٍ عَظِيمٍ ( Those to whom hypocrites said, "Indeed, the people have gathered against you, so fear them." But it [merely] increased them in faith, and they said, "Sufficient for us is Allah, and [He is] the best Disposer of affairs." So they returned with favor from Allah and bounty, no harm having touched them. And they pursued the pleasure of Allah, and Allah is the possessor of great bounty. ) We need to know what these threats are, in order not to be surprised and to be able to find solutions. We faced these perils and threats after the victory of Islamic Revolution and experienced them. With the grace of Allah and the leadership of Imam Khomeini and sacrifices of our people we managed to sail through them safely. The plots by enemies still continue but so does the firm resolve of our people. I divide the harm to these movements into two groups: those that have their roots within ourselves and come from our own weaknesses, and those that have been directly planned by the enemy. The first group of harms is of the following type: The sense and thought that after the downfall of the corrupt dictator the job is over. The peace of mind and comfort that comes after the victory and afterward the lessening of motivation and weakening of determination are among the first perils, and the most damaging threat is when individuals ask for their share of the spoils of victory. The story of the Battle of Uhud and the defenders seeking the spoils of victory caused the defeat of Muslims, and the mojahids were reprimanded by God. This is a good example that should never be forgotten. Being shocked and awed by the appearances of the arrogant powers and the feeling of fear from America and other interventionist powers are of these kinds of harm that should be avoided. The brave and young should throw out these fears from their heart. Trusting the enemy and falling into trap of their smiles and promises is another threat that needs to be avoided by the forerunners and leaders. The enemy must be identified no matter what cover it uses. The nation and the revolution should be protected against the designs of the enemy that at times hide behind the appearances of friendship and supportive gestures. Another side to this page is becoming overconfident and overlooking the enemy. Bravery must be combined with wisdom and good judgment. We must use all treasures of God within ourselves against Satan, al-Jinn wal–Ens. Causing division and pitting revolutionaries against one another and penetration behind the battlefront of struggle is another great harm that needs to be avoided with all your power. The second group of harm has been experienced by almost all countries of the region during different events. The first harm is the coming to power of those who are committed to America and the West. The West tries after the downfall of its pawns to protect the basic pillars of the system and levers of power, and change the direction by using the same foundation, but with a different head, in order to perpetuate its domination. This means wasting of all your efforts and sacrifices. At this stage, if they face resistance of the people, they try to introduce and offer to the movement and people other alternatives that are designed to divert the course of the movement. This scenario could be recommending government models and constitutions that will again throw the Islamic countries into the trap of cultural, political and economic dependence on the West. This could lead to their influence among the revolutionaries greater financial and media strength of an unreliable current and marginalization of the genuine currents in the revolution. This also means return of the domination of the West and the stronger grip of then outdated Western models that are far from basic principles of the revolution. If this tactic does not produce the desired result, experience tells us that they will go for anarchy, terrorism, civil war among followers of religions or ethnic communities and tribes, political parties, or even among neighboring nations and governments. Parallel to these actions, they will impose economic siege and sanctions, freeze national assets and launch all-out media war and propaganda. Their intention is to tire out and frustrate people and make the revolutionaries disappointed. Under these circumstances it becomes easy to defeat the revolution. Assassination of the righteous elite of the society and opinion leaders, defamation and vilification of others and even enticing some with money are among usual ploys used by the Western powers and the claimants of civilization morality. In Iran, the evidence and documents from the U.S. Den of Espionage that fell into the hands of the revolution showed that all these plots were designed by the regime in the United States for the people of Iran for them bringing back the reactionary and dependant rulers in revolutionary countries is a principle that prescribes all these dirty tricks. In the last part of my remarks, I present recommendations for your consideration and selection that are based on our tangible experiences in Iran and what has been gathered from the precise studies of other countries. Undoubtedly, conditions differ among nations and countries. Nonetheless, there are truths that can prove beneficial for all people. The first point is that by placing one’s trust in God and believing in the repeated promises of divine victories in the Quran and through astuteness, resolve, and braveness, it is possible to surmount all obstacles and emerge victorious. Of course, the task that you all have taken up is quite grave and momentous. Thus, one must bear great hardship for its sake. The Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali (`a) says: “فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَمْ يَقْصِمْ جَبَّارِي دَهْرٍ قَطُّ إِلَّا بَعْدَ تَمْهِيلٍ وَ رَخَاءٍ وَ لَمْ يَجْبُرْ عَظْمَ أَحَدٍ مِنَ الْأُمَمِ إِلَّا بَعْدَ أَزْلٍ وَ بَلَاءٍ وَ فِي دُونِ مَا اسْتَقْبَلْتُمْ مِنْ عَتْبٍ وَ مَا اسْتَدْبَرْتُمْ مِنْ خَطْبٍ مُعْتَبَر..” The important recommendation is that you must always consider yourself as being present on the scene: فَإِذَا فَرَغْتَ فَانْصَبْ ( So when you have finished [your duties], then stand up [for worship].)Therefore, when thou art free, still labor hard), always consider God as present and as your aid: وَإِلَى رَبِّكَ فَارْغَبْ (And to thy Lord turn all thy attention), and must not allow your victories to cause you to become arrogant or negligent: اِذا جاءَ نَصْرُ اللهِ وَ الْفَتْحُ وَ رَاَيْتَ النّاسَ يَدْخُلُونَ في دينِ اللهِ اَفْواجاً فَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ وَ اسْتَغْفِرْهُ اِنَّهُ كانَ تَوّاباً (When comes the help of Allah, and victory. And thou dost see the people enter Allah’s Religion in crowds. Celebrate the praises of thy Lord). These are the true foundations of a faithful nation. Another recommendation is the constant rereading of the principles of revolution. The slogans and principles must be refined and brought in line with the foundations and undisputed principles of Islam. Independence, freedom, justice, refusal to bow to despotism and colonialism, rejection of ethnic, racial, and religious discrimination, and the outright rejection of Zionism, which, today, comprise the pivots of the movements in Islamic countries, are all inspired by Islam and the Quran. Write down your principles on paper. Preserve your genuine nature with a high degree of sensitivity. Do not allow your enemies to formulate the principles of your future system. Do not allow Islamic principles to be sacrificed for transient interests. Deviation in revolutions starts with deviation in slogans and objectives. Never place your trust in the U.S., NATO, or criminal regimes such as Britain, France, or, Italy, which for long plundered and divided your land among themselves. Look upon them with suspicion and do not believe their smiles. Behind these smiles and promises lies conspiracy and betrayal. Find you own way by resorting to the blessed fountainhead of Islam and give back foreigners’ prescriptions to themselves. Another important recommendation is to avoid religious, ethnic, racial, tribal, and border disputes. Recognize differences as legitimate and manage them. Reconciliation among Islamic religions is the key to salvation. Those who fan the flames of religious division through apostatizing others are the mercenaries and servants of Satan, even if done inadvertently. Creating your own system of governance is your main and seminal task. This is a complex and difficult undertaking. Do not allow secular or western liberal or extremist nationalist or leftist Marxist models to be imposed on you. The leftist Eastern Bloc collapsed and the Western Bloc is propped up through violence, war, and deceit, and does not appear to have a bright outlook. The passage of time will be to their loss and to the benefit of the Islamic current. The ultimate goal must be a unified Islamic Ummah and the creation of a new Islamic civilization founded upon faith, rationality, knowledge, and morality. The liberation of Palestine from the savage claws of the Zionists is also a great objective. The countries of the Balkans, Caucasus, and western Asia were liberated from the claws of the former Soviet Union after eighty years. Why should the Palestinian people not be able to free themselves from the captivity of the oppressor Zionists after seventy years? The present generation in Islamic countries has the capacity to accomplish such great feats. The young generation of today is a source of pride for the past generations. As noted by the Arab poet: أبو الصخر من شيبان قلت لهم كلا لعمري و لكن منه شيبانُ و كم أبٍ قد علا بابنٍ ذُری شَرَفٍ كما علا برسولِ الله عدنانُ Trust your young generation. Revive their feeling of self-confidence and benefit them by the experiences of the elders. There are two important points in this connection: First, one of the most important demands of the people who have revolted and who have been liberated is to have a decisive participation in the management of their countries. And since they believe in Islam, their desire is to have a system of Islamic democracy, i.e. the rulers being elected through the vote of the people and the dominant principles and values of the society being based on the Islamic knowledge and sharia. This can crystallize in various countries, depending on their conditions, through various methods and forms. However, utmost care must be taken not to confuse this with the western liberal democracy. The secular, and at times anti-religious, western democracy is in no way related to the Islamic democracy which is committed to the values and main principles of Islam in its system of government. The second point relates to the fact that Islamic tenets must not be equated with backwardness, obscurantism, and ignorant and extremist biases. The demarcation between these two must be pronounced. Religious extremism, which is usually attended by violence, is the cause of falling short of the lofty goals of the revolution. This, in turn, results in the loss of public support and the eventual failure of the revolution. In sum, to speak of Islamic awakening is not to speak of a nebulous and indistinct concept that is amenable to various interpretations. Rather, it is to speak of a tangible reality in the external world that has filled the atmosphere and resulted in great uprisings and revolutions and removed from the scene some dangerous elements of the enemy. Nonetheless, the scene remains fluid and in need of being shaped and brought to a conclusion. The verses recited at the outset contain a complete and effective set of guidelines, especially in this sensitive and momentous juncture… Though, they are addressed to the Holy Prophet (PBUH), we all are their interlocutors and responsible for adhering to them. In these verses, piety (taqwa), in its lofty and broad connotation, is the first recommendation. Then comes the rejection of the orders of the infidels and hypocrites, adherence to the divine revelation, and, finally, trust in God… Once again, we will review these verses: بسم‌الله‌الرحمن‌الرحیم يا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ اتَّقِ ‌اللَّهَ وَ لا تُطِعِ الْكافِرينَ وَ الْمُنافِقينَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كانَ عَليماً حَكيماً(1) وَ اتَّبِعْ ما يُوحى‏ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ رَبِّكَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كانَ بِما تَعْمَلُونَ خَبيراً (2) وَ تَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ وَ كَفى‏ بِاللَّهِ وَكيلاً. (In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful. O Prophet! Fear Allah, and hearken not to the unbelievers and the hypocrites: verily Allah is full of knowledge and wisdom. But follow that which comes to thee by inspiration from thy Lord: for Allah is well acquainted with (all) that ye do. And put thy trust in Allah, and enough is Allah as a disposer of affairs.) والسلام علیکم و رحمة الله

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful As-Salamu ‘alaykum wa rahmatullah All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, and peace and greetings upon our Master, Muhammad, and upon his immaculate household and chosen companions and upon those who follow them appropriately until the Day of Judgment. Allah the All-Wise said: \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Permission (to fight) is given to those upon whom war is made because they are oppressed and most surely Allah is well able to assist them. Those who have been expelled from their homes without a just cause only because they say our Lord is Allah. And had there not been Allah\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s repelling some people by others, certainly there would have been pulled down cloisters and churches and synagogues and mosques in which Allah\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s name is much remembered. And surely Allah will help him who helps His cause. Most surely Allah is Strong, Mighty.\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" [The Holy Quran, Sura al-Hajj, Ayahs 39-40] I would like to welcome the all dear guests and the honorable audience. Among all the issues that deserve to be discussed by religious and political figures from across the world of Islam, the issue of Palestine enjoys special importance. Palestine is the primary issue among all common issues of Islamic countries. This issue has unique characteristics. The first characteristic is that a Muslim country has been taken away from its people and entrusted to foreigners who have come together from different countries and formed a fake and mosaic-like society. The second characteristic is that this historically unprecedented event has been accompanied by constant killings, crimes, oppression and humiliation. The third characteristic is that Muslims\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\' original qiblah and many respected religious centers which exist in that country have been threatened with destruction, sacrilege and decline. The fourth characteristic is that at the most sensitive spot of the world of Islam, this fake government and society has played the role of a military, security and political base for the arrogant governments since the beginning up until today. And the pivot of the colonialist west - which has been opposed to the unity, development and progress of Islamic countries for various reasons - has always used it like a dagger in the heart of the Islamic Ummah. The fifth characteristic is that Zionism - which is a great ethical, political and economic threat to the human community - has used this foothold as a tool and stepping stone to spread its influence and hegemony in the world. Other points that can be added include: heavy financial and human costs that Islamic countries have paid so far, preoccupation of Muslim governments and people, the sufferings of millions of displaced Palestinians many of whom still live in refugee camps after the passage of six decades and putting an end to the history of an important civilizational center in the world of Islam. Today another key point has been added to these causes and this key point is the wave of Islamic Awakening which has engulfed the entire region and has opened a new and determining chapter in the history of the Islamic Ummah. This massive movement - which can undoubtedly lead to a powerful, advanced and coherent Islamic alliance in this sensitive part of the world and can put an end to the era of backwardness, weakness and humiliation of Muslim nations relying on Allah\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s favor and the firm determination of the followers of this movement - has borrowed an important portion of its force and courage from the issue of Palestine. The Zionist regime\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s increasing oppression and bullying and the cooperation of certain autocratic, corrupt and mercenary rulers on the one hand and the spirited Palestinian and Lebanese resistance and the miraculous victories of faithful youth in the 33-day war on Lebanon and in the 22-day war on Gaza on the other hand - were among the important factors which made turbulent the seemingly calm ocean of the Egyptian, Tunisian and Libyan nations as well as other regional nations. It is a fact that the Zionist regime, which is armed to the teeth and claims to be invincible, suffered a decisive and humiliating defeat in Lebanon during an unequal war against the clenched fist of faithful and brave mujahids. Later on it re-tested its blunt sword against the innocent and determined resistance of Gaza and it failed. Serious attention should be paid to these points when analyzing current conditions of the region and the appropriateness of every decision should be evaluated against these points. Therefore, it is an accurate judgment to say that today the issue of Palestine has gained increased importance and urgency and the Palestinian nation has the right to expect more from Muslims countries in the current regional conditions. Let us take a look at the past and the present and prepare a road map for the future. I will discuss certain topics in this regard. More than six decades have passed since the tragic occupation of Palestine. All the main causes of this bloody tragedy have been identified and the colonialist English government is the most important cause. The policies, weapons and military, security, economic and cultural power of the English government and other arrogant western and eastern governments were put to the service of this great oppression. Under the ruthless clutches of the occupiers, the defenseless people of Palestine were massacred and forced out of their homes. Until today even one percent of the human and civil tragedy - which was carried out at that time by the claimants of civilization and ethics - has not been properly portrayed and this tragedy has not had its fair share in the media and visual arts. The owners of visual and cinematic arts and western movie mafias have not been willing to allow this to happen. An entire nation was massacred and displaced in silence. Certain instances of resistance emerged at the beginning, which were harshly and ruthlessly crushed. From outside Palestinian borders and mainly from Egypt, a number of men with Islamic motives made certain efforts which were not sufficiently supported and could not have an effect on the scene. Afterwards there were full-scale and classical wars between a few Arab countries and the Zionist army. Egypt, Syria and Jordan mobilized their military forces, but the unconditional, massive and increasing military and financial support of America, England and France for the Zionist regime overwhelmed Arab armies. Not only did they fail to help the Palestinian nation, but they also lost an important portion of their territories during these wars. After the weakness of Palestine\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s Arab neighbors was revealed, cells of organized resistance were gradually established in the form of armed Palestinian groups and after a while they came together to form the Palestinian Liberation Organization. This was a spark of hope which shone brightly, but it did not last long. This failure can be attributed to many factors, but the essential factor was their separation from the people and from their Islamic beliefs and faith. Leftist ideology or mere nationalistic sentiments were not what the complicated and difficult issue of Palestine required. Islam, jihad and martyrdom were the factors that could have encouraged an entire nation to step into the arena of resistance and turned it into an invincible force. They did not understand this properly. During the first few months of the great Islamic Revolution, when the leaders of the Palestinian Liberation Organization had found a new spirit and they used to visit Tehran repeatedly, I asked a pillar of the organization why they did not raise the flag of Islam in their righteous battle. His answer was that there were a number of Christians among them as well. Later on that person was assassinated by the Zionists in an Arab country and I hope Allah the Exalted has bestowed mercy on him. But his reasoning was flawed. I believe a faithful Christian who fights alongside a group of selfless mujahids - who carry out jihad in a sincere way while having faith in God, the Day of Judgment and divine assistance - would be more motivated to fight than a Christian who has to fight alongside a group of people who lack faith, rely on unstable sentiments and lack loyal support of the people. Lack of firm faith and separation from the people gradually made them neutral and ineffective. Of course there were honorable, motivated and valorous men among them, but the organization went off in a different direction. Their deviation has been a blow to the issue of Palestine. Like certain treacherous Arab governments, they too turned their back on the ideal of resistance which has been the only way of saving Palestine. And of course not only did they deliver a blow to Palestine, but they also delivered a strong blow to themselves. As the Christian Arab poet says, لئن اضعتم فلسطيناً فعيشكم طول الحياة مضاضات و آلامٌ Thirty two years were spent in this misery, but suddenly God\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s hand of power turned the tables. The victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran in the year 1979 completely changed the conditions of this region and turned a new page. Among the amazing global effects of this Revolution and the strong blows that it delivered to arrogant policies, the blow to the Zionist government was the clearest and the most immediate. The statements of the leaders of that regime during those days are interesting to read and they show how unhappy and anxious they were. During the first few weeks after the victory, Israel\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s embassy in Tehran was closed down and its staff was expelled. The embassy was officially given to the Palestinian Liberation Organization whose representatives are still there. Our magnanimous Imam announced that one of the goals of the Revolution was to liberate Palestine and to remove the cancerous tumor, Israel. The powerful waves of this Revolution, which engulfed the entire world at that time, conveyed this message wherever it reached: \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Palestine must be liberated.\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" Even the repeated and great problems that the enemies of the Revolution imposed on the Islamic Republic of Iran failed to discourage the Islamic Republic from defending Palestine. One instance of the problems that they caused was the eight-year war waged on Iran by Saddam Hussein who had been goaded by America and England and was supported by reactionary Arab governments. Thus, new blood was pumped into the veins of Palestine. Muslim mujahid groups started to emerge in Palestine. The Lebanese Resistance formed a powerful and new front against the enemy and its supporters. Instead of relying on Arab governments and seeking help from global organizations such as the United Nations, which were accomplices of the arrogant powers, Palestine started to rely on itself, its youth, its deep Islamic faith and its selfless men and women. This is the key to all achievements. Over the past three decades this process has been accelerated on a daily basis. The humiliating defeat of the Zionist regime in Lebanon in the year 2006, the humiliating failure of the arrogant Zionist army in Gaza in the year 2008, the Zionist regime\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s escape from South Lebanon and withdrawal from Gaza, the establishment of the resistance government in Gaza and in brief, changing the Palestinian nation from a group of helpless and hopeless people to a hopeful, resistant and self-confident nation - these were the outstanding characteristics of the past thirty years. This general picture will be clear when attempts at compromise and treacherous activities - whose goal is to break down resistance and make Palestinian groups and Arab governments acknowledge the legitimacy of Israel - are also reflected upon in an appropriate way. These activities, which were initiated with the Camp David Accords by the treacherous and unworthy successor of Gamal Abdel Nasser, have always been aimed at undermining the steely determination of resistance forces. During the Camp David Accords, for the first time an Arab government officially acknowledged that the Palestinian lands belonged to the Zionists and it signed the papers according to which Palestine was recognized as the homeland of Jews. From that time until the Oslo Accords in the year 1993 and later on in complementary plans - which were imposed one after the other on compromising and careless Palestinian groups with the intervention of America and the cooperation of colonialist European governments - the enemy tried its best to discourage the Palestinian nation and Palestinian groups from resisting through the use of empty and deceptive promises and making them busy with amateur political games. The uselessness of all these accords was revealed very soon and the Zionists and their supporters repeatedly showed that they consider these accords as worthless pieces of paper. The goal of these plans was to create doubt among the Palestinians, make materialistic unbelievers greedy and cripple Islamic resistance. So far, the spirit of resistance among the Islamic Palestinian groups and the Palestinian people has been the antidote to all these treacherous games. They stood up against the enemy with Allah\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s permission and as promised by God, they benefited from divine assistance: \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"And surely Allah will help him who helps His cause. Most surely Allah is Strong, Mighty.\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" [The Holy Quran, Sura al-Hajj, Ayah 40] The resistance of Gaza in spite of a comprehensive siege was an instance of divine assistance. The collapse of the treacherous and corrupt government of Hosni Mubarak was divine assistance. The emergence of the powerful wave of Islamic Awakening in the region is divine assistance. The removal of the mask of hypocrisy from the face of America, England and France and the increasing hatred of the regional nations towards these countries are divine assistance. The repeated and innumerable problems of the Zionist regime - from its domestic political, economic and social problems to its isolation in the world, to public and even academic hatred of the Zionists in Europe - are all instances of divine assistance. Today the Zionist regime is weaker, more hated and more isolated than ever before and its main supporter, America, is more embattled and confused than ever before. Today the general history of Palestine in the past 60 years is in front of our eyes. It is necessary to delineate the future by considering that general history and learning lessons from it. Two points should be clarified in advance. The first point is that our demand is the liberation of Palestine, not the liberation of a part of Palestine. Any plan to divide Palestine is completely unacceptable. The two-state idea which has been presented in the self-righteous clothing of \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"recognizing the Palestinian government as a member of the United Nations\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" is nothing but giving in to the demands of the Zionists - namely, \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"recognizing the Zionist government in Palestinian lands\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\". This would mean trampling on the rights of the Palestinian nation, ignoring the historical right of the displaced Palestinians and even jeopardizing the right of the Palestinians settled in \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"1948 lands\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\". It would mean leaving the cancerous tumor intact and exposing the Islamic Ummah - especially the regional nations - to constant danger. It would mean bringing back decades-long sufferings and trampling upon the blood of the martyrs. Any operational solution must be based on the principle of \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"all of Palestine for all Palestinian people\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\". Palestine is the land that extends \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"from the river to the sea\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\", not one inch less than that. Of course it should be noted that through its elected government, the Palestinian people will run the affairs of the any part of the Palestinian soil they manage to liberate, just as they did in the case of Gaza, but they will never forget the ultimate goal. The second point is that in order to reach this lofty goal, what is necessary is action, not words. It is necessary to be serious, not to make ceremonial gestures. It is necessary to have patience and wisdom, not engage in a variety of impatient actions. It is necessary to consider horizons that lie far ahead and to move forward step by step with determination, reliance on God and hope. Muslim governments and nations and the resistance groups in Palestine, Lebanon and other countries can each identify their share of work in this general struggle and solve the puzzle of resistance with Allah\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s permission. The solution of the Islamic Republic to the issue of Palestine and this old wound is a clear and logical proposal that is based on political wisdom accepted by global public opinion and it has been presented in detail previously. We neither propose a classical war with the armies of Islamic countries, nor do we propose throwing Jewish immigrants into the sea or intervention of the United Nations and other international organizations. We propose a referendum among the Palestinian people. Just like any other nation, the Palestinian nation has the right to determine its own destiny and to elect its own government. All the original people of Palestine - including Muslims, Christians and Jews and not foreign immigrants - should take part in a general and orderly referendum and determine the future government of Palestine whether they live inside Palestine or in camps or in any other place. The government that is established after the referendum will determine the destiny of non-Palestinian immigrants who migrated to Palestine in the past. This is a fair and logical proposal which global public opinion understands and it can receive support from independent nations and governments. Of course we do not expect the usurping Zionists to willingly accept this proposal and this is where the role of governments, nations and resistance organizations becomes significant. The most important pillar of supporting the Palestinian nation is to stop supporting the usurping enemy and this is the great duty of Islamic governments. After the people have stepped into the arena and shouted slogans against the Zionist regime in a powerful way, on what logical basis do Muslim governments continue their relations with the usurping Zionist regime? The proof of Muslim governments\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\' honesty lies in their support for the Palestinian nation and in their decision to break off their overt and secret political and economic relations with the Zionist regime. The governments that host Zionist embassies or economic offices cannot claim to defend Palestine and no anti-Zionist slogan on their part will be considered serious and genuine. Today Islamic resistance organizations, which have been shouldering the heavy burden of jihad over the past years, are confronted with the same great responsibility. Their organized resistance is an active arm that can help the Palestinian nation move towards the ultimate goal. Brave resistance of the people whose homes and country have been occupied has been recognized in all international conventions and it has been praised. Allegations of terrorism by the political and media network affiliated with Zionism are hollow and worthless claims. The obvious terrorist is the Zionist regime and its western supporters. Palestinian resistance is a movement against the oppressive terrorists and it is a human and sacred movement. In the meantime, it is appropriate for western countries to evaluate the situation from a realistic perspective. Today the west is at a crossroads. It should either stop bullying and acknowledge the right of the Palestinian nation and refuse to follow the plan of the bullying and anti-human Zionists, or they should wait for stronger blows in the not so distant future. These crippling blows are not limited to the continual collapse of their puppet governments in the Islamic region. Rather the day when European and American peoples realize that the majority of their economic, social and ethical problems result from the octopus-like hegemony of international Zionism over their governments and that their statesmen give in to the bullying of parasitic Zionists who own companies in America and Europe for the sake of their personal and partisan interests, they will create a such hell for them in which no salvation will be imaginable. The US President says that Israel\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s security is his red line. What factor has determined this red line? Is it the interests of the American nation or Obama\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s personal need for the money and support of Zionist companies to ensure his second term as US President? How long do you think you will be able to deceive your own nation? What will the American people do with you the day they realize you have agreed to give in to humiliation and obedience to wealthy Zionists for the sake of remaining in power for a few more days? What will they do with you when they realize that you have sacrificed the interests of a great nation at the feet of the Zionists? Dear brothers and sisters, know that this red line drawn by Obama and people like him will be crossed by Muslim nations that have risen up. What is threatening the Zionist regime is not the missiles of Iran or resistance groups, so they can build a missile shield here and there in order to confront it. The real and inescapable threat is the firm determination of men, women and youth in Islamic countries who do not want America, Europe and their puppets rulers, to dominate and humiliate them any longer. Of course those missiles will fulfill their duty whenever the enemy poses a threat. \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Therefore, be patient. Surely the promise of Allah is true and let not those who have no certainty make you impatient.\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" [The Holy Quran, Sura ar-Room, Ayah 60] Wa salaam alaykum wa rahmat Allah http://english.khamenei.ir//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1527

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful As-Salamu ‘alaykum wa rahmatullah All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, and peace and greetings upon our Master, Muhammad, and upon his immaculate household and chosen companions and upon those who follow them appropriately until the Day of Judgment. Allah the All-Wise said: \"Permission (to fight) is given to those upon whom war is made because they are oppressed and most surely Allah is well able to assist them. Those who have been expelled from their homes without a just cause only because they say our Lord is Allah. And had there not been Allah\'s repelling some people by others, certainly there would have been pulled down cloisters and churches and synagogues and mosques in which Allah\'s name is much remembered. And surely Allah will help him who helps His cause. Most surely Allah is Strong, Mighty.\" [The Holy Quran, Sura al-Hajj, Ayahs 39-40] I would like to welcome the all dear guests and the honorable audience. Among all the issues that deserve to be discussed by religious and political figures from across the world of Islam, the issue of Palestine enjoys special importance. Palestine is the primary issue among all common issues of Islamic countries. This issue has unique characteristics. The first characteristic is that a Muslim country has been taken away from its people and entrusted to foreigners who have come together from different countries and formed a fake and mosaic-like society. The second characteristic is that this historically unprecedented event has been accompanied by constant killings, crimes, oppression and humiliation. The third characteristic is that Muslims\' original qiblah and many respected religious centers which exist in that country have been threatened with destruction, sacrilege and decline. The fourth characteristic is that at the most sensitive spot of the world of Islam, this fake government and society has played the role of a military, security and political base for the arrogant governments since the beginning up until today. And the pivot of the colonialist west - which has been opposed to the unity, development and progress of Islamic countries for various reasons - has always used it like a dagger in the heart of the Islamic Ummah. The fifth characteristic is that Zionism - which is a great ethical, political and economic threat to the human community - has used this foothold as a tool and stepping stone to spread its influence and hegemony in the world. Other points that can be added include: heavy financial and human costs that Islamic countries have paid so far, preoccupation of Muslim governments and people, the sufferings of millions of displaced Palestinians many of whom still live in refugee camps after the passage of six decades and putting an end to the history of an important civilizational center in the world of Islam. Today another key point has been added to these causes and this key point is the wave of Islamic Awakening which has engulfed the entire region and has opened a new and determining chapter in the history of the Islamic Ummah. This massive movement - which can undoubtedly lead to a powerful, advanced and coherent Islamic alliance in this sensitive part of the world and can put an end to the era of backwardness, weakness and humiliation of Muslim nations relying on Allah\'s favor and the firm determination of the followers of this movement - has borrowed an important portion of its force and courage from the issue of Palestine. The Zionist regime\'s increasing oppression and bullying and the cooperation of certain autocratic, corrupt and mercenary rulers on the one hand and the spirited Palestinian and Lebanese resistance and the miraculous victories of faithful youth in the 33-day war on Lebanon and in the 22-day war on Gaza on the other hand - were among the important factors which made turbulent the seemingly calm ocean of the Egyptian, Tunisian and Libyan nations as well as other regional nations. It is a fact that the Zionist regime, which is armed to the teeth and claims to be invincible, suffered a decisive and humiliating defeat in Lebanon during an unequal war against the clenched fist of faithful and brave mujahids. Later on it re-tested its blunt sword against the innocent and determined resistance of Gaza and it failed. Serious attention should be paid to these points when analyzing current conditions of the region and the appropriateness of every decision should be evaluated against these points. Therefore, it is an accurate judgment to say that today the issue of Palestine has gained increased importance and urgency and the Palestinian nation has the right to expect more from Muslims countries in the current regional conditions. Let us take a look at the past and the present and prepare a road map for the future. I will discuss certain topics in this regard. More than six decades have passed since the tragic occupation of Palestine. All the main causes of this bloody tragedy have been identified and the colonialist English government is the most important cause. The policies, weapons and military, security, economic and cultural power of the English government and other arrogant western and eastern governments were put to the service of this great oppression. Under the ruthless clutches of the occupiers, the defenseless people of Palestine were massacred and forced out of their homes. Until today even one percent of the human and civil tragedy - which was carried out at that time by the claimants of civilization and ethics - has not been properly portrayed and this tragedy has not had its fair share in the media and visual arts. The owners of visual and cinematic arts and western movie mafias have not been willing to allow this to happen. An entire nation was massacred and displaced in silence. Certain instances of resistance emerged at the beginning, which were harshly and ruthlessly crushed. From outside Palestinian borders and mainly from Egypt, a number of men with Islamic motives made certain efforts which were not sufficiently supported and could not have an effect on the scene. Afterwards there were full-scale and classical wars between a few Arab countries and the Zionist army. Egypt, Syria and Jordan mobilized their military forces, but the unconditional, massive and increasing military and financial support of America, England and France for the Zionist regime overwhelmed Arab armies. Not only did they fail to help the Palestinian nation, but they also lost an important portion of their territories during these wars. After the weakness of Palestine\'s Arab neighbors was revealed, cells of organized resistance were gradually established in the form of armed Palestinian groups and after a while they came together to form the Palestinian Liberation Organization. This was a spark of hope which shone brightly, but it did not last long. This failure can be attributed to many factors, but the essential factor was their separation from the people and from their Islamic beliefs and faith. Leftist ideology or mere nationalistic sentiments were not what the complicated and difficult issue of Palestine required. Islam, jihad and martyrdom were the factors that could have encouraged an entire nation to step into the arena of resistance and turned it into an invincible force. They did not understand this properly. During the first few months of the great Islamic Revolution, when the leaders of the Palestinian Liberation Organization had found a new spirit and they used to visit Tehran repeatedly, I asked a pillar of the organization why they did not raise the flag of Islam in their righteous battle. His answer was that there were a number of Christians among them as well. Later on that person was assassinated by the Zionists in an Arab country and I hope Allah the Exalted has bestowed mercy on him. But his reasoning was flawed. I believe a faithful Christian who fights alongside a group of selfless mujahids - who carry out jihad in a sincere way while having faith in God, the Day of Judgment and divine assistance - would be more motivated to fight than a Christian who has to fight alongside a group of people who lack faith, rely on unstable sentiments and lack loyal support of the people. Lack of firm faith and separation from the people gradually made them neutral and ineffective. Of course there were honorable, motivated and valorous men among them, but the organization went off in a different direction. Their deviation has been a blow to the issue of Palestine. Like certain treacherous Arab governments, they too turned their back on the ideal of resistance which has been the only way of saving Palestine. And of course not only did they deliver a blow to Palestine, but they also delivered a strong blow to themselves. As the Christian Arab poet says, لئن اضعتم فلسطيناً فعيشكم طول الحياة مضاضات و آلامٌ Thirty two years were spent in this misery, but suddenly God\'s hand of power turned the tables. The victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran in the year 1979 completely changed the conditions of this region and turned a new page. Among the amazing global effects of this Revolution and the strong blows that it delivered to arrogant policies, the blow to the Zionist government was the clearest and the most immediate. The statements of the leaders of that regime during those days are interesting to read and they show how unhappy and anxious they were. During the first few weeks after the victory, Israel\'s embassy in Tehran was closed down and its staff was expelled. The embassy was officially given to the Palestinian Liberation Organization whose representatives are still there. Our magnanimous Imam announced that one of the goals of the Revolution was to liberate Palestine and to remove the cancerous tumor, Israel. The powerful waves of this Revolution, which engulfed the entire world at that time, conveyed this message wherever it reached: \"Palestine must be liberated.\" Even the repeated and great problems that the enemies of the Revolution imposed on the Islamic Republic of Iran failed to discourage the Islamic Republic from defending Palestine. One instance of the problems that they caused was the eight-year war waged on Iran by Saddam Hussein who had been goaded by America and England and was supported by reactionary Arab governments. Thus, new blood was pumped into the veins of Palestine. Muslim mujahid groups started to emerge in Palestine. The Lebanese Resistance formed a powerful and new front against the enemy and its supporters. Instead of relying on Arab governments and seeking help from global organizations such as the United Nations, which were accomplices of the arrogant powers, Palestine started to rely on itself, its youth, its deep Islamic faith and its selfless men and women. This is the key to all achievements. Over the past three decades this process has been accelerated on a daily basis. The humiliating defeat of the Zionist regime in Lebanon in the year 2006, the humiliating failure of the arrogant Zionist army in Gaza in the year 2008, the Zionist regime\'s escape from South Lebanon and withdrawal from Gaza, the establishment of the resistance government in Gaza and in brief, changing the Palestinian nation from a group of helpless and hopeless people to a hopeful, resistant and self-confident nation - these were the outstanding characteristics of the past thirty years. This general picture will be clear when attempts at compromise and treacherous activities - whose goal is to break down resistance and make Palestinian groups and Arab governments acknowledge the legitimacy of Israel - are also reflected upon in an appropriate way. These activities, which were initiated with the Camp David Accords by the treacherous and unworthy successor of Gamal Abdel Nasser, have always been aimed at undermining the steely determination of resistance forces. During the Camp David Accords, for the first time an Arab government officially acknowledged that the Palestinian lands belonged to the Zionists and it signed the papers according to which Palestine was recognized as the homeland of Jews. From that time until the Oslo Accords in the year 1993 and later on in complementary plans - which were imposed one after the other on compromising and careless Palestinian groups with the intervention of America and the cooperation of colonialist European governments - the enemy tried its best to discourage the Palestinian nation and Palestinian groups from resisting through the use of empty and deceptive promises and making them busy with amateur political games. The uselessness of all these accords was revealed very soon and the Zionists and their supporters repeatedly showed that they consider these accords as worthless pieces of paper. The goal of these plans was to create doubt among the Palestinians, make materialistic unbelievers greedy and cripple Islamic resistance. So far, the spirit of resistance among the Islamic Palestinian groups and the Palestinian people has been the antidote to all these treacherous games. They stood up against the enemy with Allah\'s permission and as promised by God, they benefited from divine assistance: \"And surely Allah will help him who helps His cause. Most surely Allah is Strong, Mighty.\" [The Holy Quran, Sura al-Hajj, Ayah 40] The resistance of Gaza in spite of a comprehensive siege was an instance of divine assistance. The collapse of the treacherous and corrupt government of Hosni Mubarak was divine assistance. The emergence of the powerful wave of Islamic Awakening in the region is divine assistance. The removal of the mask of hypocrisy from the face of America, England and France and the increasing hatred of the regional nations towards these countries are divine assistance. The repeated and innumerable problems of the Zionist regime - from its domestic political, economic and social problems to its isolation in the world, to public and even academic hatred of the Zionists in Europe - are all instances of divine assistance. Today the Zionist regime is weaker, more hated and more isolated than ever before and its main supporter, America, is more embattled and confused than ever before. Today the general history of Palestine in the past 60 years is in front of our eyes. It is necessary to delineate the future by considering that general history and learning lessons from it. Two points should be clarified in advance. The first point is that our demand is the liberation of Palestine, not the liberation of a part of Palestine. Any plan to divide Palestine is completely unacceptable. The two-state idea which has been presented in the self-righteous clothing of \"recognizing the Palestinian government as a member of the United Nations\" is nothing but giving in to the demands of the Zionists - namely, \"recognizing the Zionist government in Palestinian lands\". This would mean trampling on the rights of the Palestinian nation, ignoring the historical right of the displaced Palestinians and even jeopardizing the right of the Palestinians settled in \"1948 lands\". It would mean leaving the cancerous tumor intact and exposing the Islamic Ummah - especially the regional nations - to constant danger. It would mean bringing back decades-long sufferings and trampling upon the blood of the martyrs. Any operational solution must be based on the principle of \"all of Palestine for all Palestinian people\". Palestine is the land that extends \"from the river to the sea\", not one inch less than that. Of course it should be noted that through its elected government, the Palestinian people will run the affairs of the any part of the Palestinian soil they manage to liberate, just as they did in the case of Gaza, but they will never forget the ultimate goal. The second point is that in order to reach this lofty goal, what is necessary is action, not words. It is necessary to be serious, not to make ceremonial gestures. It is necessary to have patience and wisdom, not engage in a variety of impatient actions. It is necessary to consider horizons that lie far ahead and to move forward step by step with determination, reliance on God and hope. Muslim governments and nations and the resistance groups in Palestine, Lebanon and other countries can each identify their share of work in this general struggle and solve the puzzle of resistance with Allah\'s permission. The solution of the Islamic Republic to the issue of Palestine and this old wound is a clear and logical proposal that is based on political wisdom accepted by global public opinion and it has been presented in detail previously. We neither propose a classical war with the armies of Islamic countries, nor do we propose throwing Jewish immigrants into the sea or intervention of the United Nations and other international organizations. We propose a referendum among the Palestinian people. Just like any other nation, the Palestinian nation has the right to determine its own destiny and to elect its own government. All the original people of Palestine - including Muslims, Christians and Jews and not foreign immigrants - should take part in a general and orderly referendum and determine the future government of Palestine whether they live inside Palestine or in camps or in any other place. The government that is established after the referendum will determine the destiny of non-Palestinian immigrants who migrated to Palestine in the past. This is a fair and logical proposal which global public opinion understands and it can receive support from independent nations and governments. Of course we do not expect the usurping Zionists to willingly accept this proposal and this is where the role of governments, nations and resistance organizations becomes significant. The most important pillar of supporting the Palestinian nation is to stop supporting the usurping enemy and this is the great duty of Islamic governments. After the people have stepped into the arena and shouted slogans against the Zionist regime in a powerful way, on what logical basis do Muslim governments continue their relations with the usurping Zionist regime? The proof of Muslim governments\' honesty lies in their support for the Palestinian nation and in their decision to break off their overt and secret political and economic relations with the Zionist regime. The governments that host Zionist embassies or economic offices cannot claim to defend Palestine and no anti-Zionist slogan on their part will be considered serious and genuine. Today Islamic resistance organizations, which have been shouldering the heavy burden of jihad over the past years, are confronted with the same great responsibility. Their organized resistance is an active arm that can help the Palestinian nation move towards the ultimate goal. Brave resistance of the people whose homes and country have been occupied has been recognized in all international conventions and it has been praised. Allegations of terrorism by the political and media network affiliated with Zionism are hollow and worthless claims. The obvious terrorist is the Zionist regime and its western supporters. Palestinian resistance is a movement against the oppressive terrorists and it is a human and sacred movement. In the meantime, it is appropriate for western countries to evaluate the situation from a realistic perspective. Today the west is at a crossroads. It should either stop bullying and acknowledge the right of the Palestinian nation and refuse to follow the plan of the bullying and anti-human Zionists, or they should wait for stronger blows in the not so distant future. These crippling blows are not limited to the continual collapse of their puppet governments in the Islamic region. Rather the day when European and American peoples realize that the majority of their economic, social and ethical problems result from the octopus-like hegemony of international Zionism over their governments and that their statesmen give in to the bullying of parasitic Zionists who own companies in America and Europe for the sake of their personal and partisan interests, they will create a such hell for them in which no salvation will be imaginable. The US President says that Israel\'s security is his red line. What factor has determined this red line? Is it the interests of the American nation or Obama\'s personal need for the money and support of Zionist companies to ensure his second term as US President? How long do you think you will be able to deceive your own nation? What will the American people do with you the day they realize you have agreed to give in to humiliation and obedience to wealthy Zionists for the sake of remaining in power for a few more days? What will they do with you when they realize that you have sacrificed the interests of a great nation at the feet of the Zionists? Dear brothers and sisters, know that this red line drawn by Obama and people like him will be crossed by Muslim nations that have risen up. What is threatening the Zionist regime is not the missiles of Iran or resistance groups, so they can build a missile shield here and there in order to confront it. The real and inescapable threat is the firm determination of men, women and youth in Islamic countries who do not want America, Europe and their puppets rulers, to dominate and humiliate them any longer. Of course those missiles will fulfill their duty whenever the enemy poses a threat. \"Therefore, be patient. Surely the promise of Allah is true and let not those who have no certainty make you impatient.\" [The Holy Quran, Sura ar-Room, Ayah 60] Wa salaam alaykum wa rahmat Allah http://english.khamenei.ir//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1527

Previous academic studies have suggested that representation of Islam and Muslims in the news media tend to be confined to a narrow framework of understanding. Findings suggest that the coverage of British Muslims has increased significantly since 2000. This rise is however, partly explained by the increase in coverage devoted to terrorism and terrorism related stories. 36% of stories about British Muslims overall are about terrorism. In this edition of the show we ask the following question: Does the British media devote enough time to its Muslim community?

دیدار شركت‌كنندگان در اجلاس جهانی جوانان و بیداری اسلامی با رهبر انقلاب http://farsi.khamenei.ir/news-content?id=18862 صدها نفر از جوانان 73 كشور جهان از جمله جوانان مصر، تونس، لیبی، لبنان، یمن، بحرین و فلسطین صبح روز 10 بهمن 1390، در فضایی صمیمانه و لبریز احساسات اسلامی و انقلابی، با رهبر معظم انقلاب اسلامی دیدار كردند. در این دیدار پس از سخنان نمایندگان جوانان تونس، مصر، یمن، بحرین، فلسطین، لیبی و لبنان، حضرت آیت الله خامنه‌ای در سخنانی، جوانان كشورهای اسلامی را حاملان بشارت‌های بزرگ برای آینده امت اسلامی خواندند و افزودند: بیداری جوانان سرتاسر جهان اسلام، امید به بیداری عمومی ملتهای مسلمان را افزایش داده است. رهبر انقلاب، تاریخ بشر را بر سر یك پیچ بزرگ تاریخی و در آستانه تحولی عظیم برشمردند و تأكید كردند: بشریت از همه مكاتب و ایدئولوژی‌های مادی اعم از ماركسیسم، لیبرال دمكراسی و ناسیونالیسم سكولار عبور كرده و در آغاز دوران جدیدی است كه بزرگترین نشانه آن، توجه ملت‌ها به خدای متعال، استمداد آنها از قدرت لایزال الهی و اتكای ملتها به وحی است. ایشان با اشاره به تسلط شبكه دیكتاتوری پیچیده، خطرناك، فاسد و شیطانی صهیونیست‌ها و قدرت‌های استكباری بر جهان افزودند: قیام ملت‌های منطقه علیه دیكتاتورهای وابسته، جزئی از مبارزه بشریت با دیكتاتوری جهانی صهیونیست‌هاست و جامعه بشری با پشت سر گذاشتن پیچ بزرگ تاریخی، از سیطره این دیكتاتوری خطرناك رها می‌شود و این تحول عظیم براساس وعده صادق پروردگار، به آزادی ملت‌ها و حاكمیت ارزش‌های معنوی و الهی منجر خواهد شد. حضرت آیت الله خامنه‌ای با اشاره به كسانی كه ممكن است پیروزی بر شبكه دیكتاتوری جهانی صهیونیست‌ها را غیرممكن بدانند خاطرنشان كردند: قبلاً نیز اگر كسی از پیروزی جوانان مؤمن حزب الله بر ارتش رژیم صهیونیستی سخن می‌گفت و یا از ذلت طاغوت مصر و تحولات عجیب شمال افریقا حرف می زد خیلی‌ها باور نمی‌كردند همچنانكه استقامت، پیروزی و پیشرفت جمهوری اسلامی نیز برای برخی ها قابل باور نبود اما قدرت فائقه پروردگار، خود را در این پیروزی‌ها و تحولات شگفت نشان داد. رهبر انقلاب اسلامی، حضور هوشیارانه و استقامت ملت‌ها در میدان را زمینه‌ساز تحقق بدون تردید نصرت‌های الهی خواندند و افزودند: در پرتو تحقق وعده‌های پروردگار، صهیونیست‌ها، شیطان بزرگ امریكا و قدرت‌های غربی امروز در مقابل بیداری اسلامی احساس ناتوانی می‌كنند و این احساس ضعف و شكست هر روز بیشتر خواهد شد. حضرت آیت الله خامنه‌ای، تحولات كشورهای اسلامی را آغاز راه نجات و سعادت، برشمردند و افزودند: مهم این است كه پیروزی‌های بدست آمده را پایان راه ندانیم و با ادامه مجاهدت و تكیه بر عزم و اراده ملت‌ها، و اتكا و حسن ظن به خدای قادر متعال، مبارزه با زورگویان جهانی و عوامل آنها را ادامه دهیم. http://english.khamenei.ir//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1580&Itemid=16 In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful All praise belongs to Allah, the Lord of the Two Worlds, and peace and greetings be upon the Master of Messengers, the Master of all people, our Master and Prophet, Ab-al-Qassem Al-Mustafa Muhammad, and upon his immaculate household and chosen companions and upon those who follow him well until the Day of Judgment. I would like to welcome all the dear guests, the honorable youth, the bearers of great news for the future of the Islamic Ummah. Each and every one of you is a bearer of a great piece of news. When the youth of a country awaken, there will be increased hope of a general awakening in that country. Today Muslim youth have awakened throughout the world of Islam. So many traps have been set in the way of proud and determined Muslim youth, but they have managed to eliminate these problems. You see what has happened in Tunisia, in Egypt, in Libya, in Yemen and in Bahrain. You see the movement that has taken place in other Islamic countries. This is all good news. You dear youth should know that the history of the world and the history of humanity is at a great momentous juncture today. A new era is starting throughout the world. The great and clear sign of it is the attention to Allah the Exalted, the cries for assistance from the inexhaustible source of divine power and reliance on divine revelations. Humanity has passed through the days of materialistic ideologies and schools and thought. Today neither Marxism, nor western liberal democracy, nor secular nationalism has any appeal. You see what is going on in the cradle of western liberal democracy - in America, in Europe. They admit failure. Today among members of the Islamic Ummah, the greatest appeal belongs to Islam, the Holy Quran and the school of thought that is based on divine revelation. Allah the Exalted has promised that the divine and Islamic school of thought and the school of thought that is based on divine revelation can help humanity achieve happiness. This is a very sacred, very important and very significant phenomenon. Today Islamic countries have risen up against dependent dictatorships. This is a prelude to an uprising against global and international dictatorship, namely the tyranny of the corrupt and evil network of the Zionists and the arrogant powers. Today international autocracy and dictatorship is embodied by the tyranny of America, America\'s followers and the satanic and dangerous Zionist network. Today they are acting like a dictator throughout the world by using different methods and different means. What you did in Egypt, what you did in Tunisia, what you did in Libya, what you are doing in Yemen, what you are doing in Bahrain - and strong motivation has built up in other countries to do the same - is part of a battle against this dangerous and harmful dictatorship that has been pressuring humanity for two centuries. The momentous juncture that I spoke about is the transition from the hegemony of this dictatorship to national freedom and the rule of spiritual and divine values. This will happen: do not consider discount it. This is a divine promise: \"And surely Allah will help him who helps His cause.\" [The Holy Quran, 22: 40] Allah the Exalted stresses that if you help His cause, He will assist you. This might look unlikely from a materialistic perspective, a perspective that is based on material calculations. However, there were many things which used to look unlikely, yet they happened. Around fifteen months ago, would you have thought the Egyptian taghut would be humiliated and annihilated like that? At that time, if people had been told that Mubarak\'s corrupt and dependent regime would be overthrown, many of them would have rejected the claim as unlikely, but it happened. Two years ago, if somebody had claimed that those amazing events would happen in North Africa, the majority of the people would have rejected it. If somebody had claimed that in a country like Lebanon, a group of faithful youth would manage to defeat the well-equipped Zionist army, nobody would have believed him. But these things happened. If somebody had said that the Islamic Republic would manage to resist for 32 years and achieve more power and progress on a daily basis in spite of all the enmity by the east and the west, nobody would have believed him, but it happened. \"Allah promised you many acquisitions which you will take, then He hastened on this one for you and held back the hands of men from you, and that it may be a sign for the believers and that He may guide you on a right path.\" [The Holy Quran, 48: 20] These victories are divine signs. They are signs of God\'s overwhelming power. Whenever the people step into the arena, whenever we enter the arena with all our heart and soul, there will definitely be divine assistance. Allah the Exalted shows us the path: \"And (as for) those who strive hard for Us, We will most certainly guide them in Our ways.\" [The Holy Quran, 29: 69] God will guide and assist. He will help people achieve their goals. The condition is that we should be present in the arena. What has happened so far is very significant. For two hundred years, westerners ruled the Islamic Ummah by making use of their scientific advances. They occupied Islamic countries: some of them directly, some of them indirectly with the help of local dictatorships. England, France and finally America - which is the Great Satan - spread their hegemony over the Islamic Ummah. They humiliated the Islamic Ummah as much as they could. They planted the cancerous tumor of Zionism at the heart of the strategic Middle East region and they strengthened it in every way. They were sure that their interests and policies had been safeguarded in this critical part of the world. But the Islamic resolve of Muslim people and their presence wiped out all these impossible dreams and put an end to all these goals. Today the arrogant powers of the world feel helpless in the face of Islamic Awakening. You are dominant. You will win. The future belongs to you. What has been done is a great achievement. But the important point is that this is not the end. This is only the beginning. Muslim nations must continue their struggle so that they can eliminate the enemy in different arenas. The battle is a battle of wills. Any side whose will is stronger has the upper hand. A person whose heart depends on Allah the Exalted has the upper hand. \"If Allah assists you, then there is none that can overcome you.\" [The Holy Quran, 3: 160] If you get divine assistance, nobody will overpower you and you will move forward. We want Muslim nations that make up the great Islamic Ummah to be free. We want them to be independent. We want them to be honorable. We want them to avoid humiliation. We want them to organize their life with the lofty and progressive rules of Islam. And Islam can help them to do so. They kept us scientifically backward for many years. They trampled on our culture. They destroyed our independence. Today we have awakened and we will conquer the arenas of science one after the other. Thirty years ago, when the Islamic Republic was established, the enemies used to say that although the Islamic Revolution had achieved victory, it would not be able to manage different areas of life. They used to say that the Islamic Revolution would back down. Thanks to Islam, today our youth have managed to make great achievements in scientific areas, achievement that would not have occurred to the enemies themselves in the past. Thanks to reliance on Allah the Exalted, today Iranian youth achieve great scientific accomplishments. They produce enriched uranium. They produce stem cells. They make great advances in biotechnology. They venture into space. And all of these things are due to reliance on Allah the Exalted and the slogan of \"Allahu Akbar\". [Audience shout \"Allahu Akbar\"] We must not underestimate our own capabilities. Among the biggest problems that western culture has imposed on Islamic countries is two wrong and misguided conceptions. First, they instilled a sense of incompetence into Muslim nations. They made Muslim nations believe that they were not capable of doing anything - neither in the political arena, nor in the economic arena, nor in the scientific arena. They told Muslim nations, \"You are weak.\" We Muslim nations suffered from this misconception for decades and we stayed backward. The second misconception that they instilled into our mind was that our enemies were invincible and that their power was overwhelming. They convinced us that America could not be defeated, that it was impossible to force the west to retreat, that we had to tolerate them. Today it has become clear to Muslim nations that both of these conceptions are completely wrong. Muslim nations can move forward. They can restore their Islamic glory - Muslims used to be at the peak of honor, at the peak of scientific, political and social brilliance. And the enemy has to retreat in different arenas. This century is the century of Islam. This century is the century of spirituality. Islam offers rationality, spirituality and justice to nations. The kind of Islam that is based on rationality, Islam that is based on thinking, Islam that is based on spirituality, Islam that is based on attention to God and reliance on Him, Islam that is based on jihad, Islam that is based on hard work, Islam that is based on action - these are divine and Islamic teachings for us. Today the important point is that the enemy is designing plots to compensate for the blows he has received in Egypt, Tunisia and other regional countries. We must pay attention to the machinations of the enemy. We must take care not to let them hijack popular revolutions from the people. We must take care not to let them derail these revolutions. Make use of the experiences of others. The enemy does many things in order to derail popular revolutions and neutralize popular movements. The enemy does many things in order to counteract selfless efforts and the blood that has been shed. It is necessary to be careful. It is necessary to be vigilant. You dear youth are the driving force behind these movements. Be vigilant. Be careful. We have gained a lot of experience over the past 32 years. It is 32 years that we have been countering hostilities. We have resisted and overpowered the enemy. [Audience shout \"Allahu Akbar\" and pledge allegiance to the Supreme Leader] The west and America have never refused to hatch plots against the Islamic Republic. If there was something they did not do, it was because they could not do it. They did whatever they could and they have been kicked in the mouth and defeated at every stage. [Audience shout \"death to America\"] The same thing will happen in the future as well. The Islamic Republic will continue foiling all their plots in the future as well. This is something that God has promised us and we do not have any doubts in this regard. We do not doubt the truthfulness of God\'s promise. We do not doubt Allah the Exalted. Allah the Exalted admonishes those who doubt Him. \"And (that) He may punish the hypocritical men and the hypocritical women, and the polytheistic men and the polytheistic women, the entertainers of evil thoughts about Allah. On them is the evil turn, and Allah is wroth with them and has cursed them and prepared hell for them, and evil is the resort.\" [The Holy Quran, 48: 6] God\'s promise is truthful. The Iranian nation has brought all its facilities into the arena and because we are in the battlefield, God will definitely assist us and the same is true of all other countries as well. But we must be vigilant. All of us must be vigilant. All of us must watch out for the machinations designed by the enemies. The enemy tries to counteract our movements and to foment discord. Today the Islamic movement throughout the world of Islam is independent of Shia and Sunni. It is independent of Shafi\'i, Hanafi, Ja\'fari, Maliki, Hanbali and Zeidi schools. It is independent of Arabs, Persians and other ethnicities. Everybody is present in this vast arena. We must try not to let the enemy foment discord among us. There must be a sense of brotherhood among us. We must try to specify our goal. The goal is Islam. The goal is Quranic and Islamic rule. Of course, there are certain differences and similarities among Muslim countries. There is no single paradigm that fits all Islamic countries. In different countries, there are different geographic, historical and social conditions, but there are also certain shared principles: all of us are opposed to the arrogant powers, all of us are opposed to the evil hegemony of the west, all of us are opposed to the cancerous tumor, Israel. [Audience shout \"death to Israel] Wherever it is felt that something is being done which would benefit Israel and America, we must be vigilant. We must know that it is a foreign move. We must know that it is not an insider move. Wherever there is an Islamic, anti-Zionist, anti-arrogance, anti-tyranny and anti-corruption move, that move would be a correct move and all of us would be insiders. Then it would not matter whether we are Shia or Sunni, or whether we are from this or that country. All of us must think in the same way. As an obvious example, notice that today all media companies of the world are trying to isolate the people of Bahrain and their movement. What is the reason? The reason is that the issue is a Shia-Sunni issue: they want to foment discord. They want to draw lines and separate Muslims. There is no difference between pious Muslims who have a tendency towards this or that Islamic denomination. Islam is the aspect that all of these denominations have in common. Unity of Islamic Ummah is the aspect that all of them have in common. [Audience shout \"Allahu Akbar\" and \"unity, Islamic unity\"] The secret behind victory and the continuation of the movement is reliance on God, trust in Him and maintaining unity and cohesion. My dear children, take care not to let the enemy stop your movement. In two different parts of the Holy Quran, Allah the Exalted tells His Messenger to be steadfast. \"Then stand firm in the right way as you are commanded.\" [The Holy Quran, 11: 112] \"And stand firm in the right way as you are commanded.\" [The Holy Quran, 42: 15] God tells the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) to be steadfast. Being steadfast means continuing one\'s path in a determined way without stopping. This is the secret behind success. We must move forward. This movement is a successful movement because the prospects are bright. The future prospects are bright. By Allah\'s favor, there will be a day when the Islamic Ummah will reach the peak of power and independence. [Audience shout \"humiliation is far from us\"] While preserving their characteristics and differences, Muslim nations should come together under the banner of the call to God and the call to Islam. Then the Islamic Ummah will regain its dignity. We have natural resources in Muslim countries. We have strategic regions. We have numerous natural resources. We have outstanding figures. We have highly skilled and talented manpower. We must make efforts and Allah the Exalted will bless our efforts. I would tell you dear youth that the future belongs to you. By Allah\'s favor, you dear youth will see that day and you will hand down your sources of pride to the future generations. Greetings be upon you and Allah\'s mercy and blessings.

Speech of Imam Khamenei [ha] at \\\\\\\"Islamic Awakening and Youth\\\\\\\" Conference, 30/01/2012 [ENG SUB] Supreme Leader’s Speech to Participants of “Islamic Awakening and Youth Conference” 30/01/2012 The following is the full text of the speech delivered on January 30, 2012 by Ayatollah Khamenei the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution in a meeting with the participants of the \\\\\\\"Islamic Awakening and Youth Conference\\\\\\\" in Tehran. In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful All praise belongs to Allah, the Lord of the Two Worlds, and peace and greetings be upon the Master of Messengers, the Master of all people, our Master and Prophet, Ab-al-Qassem Al-Mustafa Muhammad, and upon his immaculate household and chosen companions and upon those who follow him well until the Day of Judgment. I would like to welcome all the dear guests, the honorable youth, the bearers of great news for the future of the Islamic Ummah. Each and every one of you is a bearer of a great piece of news. When the youth of a country awaken, there will be increased hope of a general awakening in that country. Today Muslim youth have awakened throughout the world of Islam. So many traps have been set in the way of proud and determined Muslim youth, but they have managed to eliminate these problems. You see what has happened in Tunisia, in Egypt, in Libya, in Yemen and in Bahrain. You see the movement that has taken place in other Islamic countries. This is all good news. You dear youth should know that the history of the world and the history of humanity is at a great momentous juncture today. A new era is starting throughout the world. The great and clear sign of it is the attention to Allah the Exalted, the cries for assistance from the inexhaustible source of divine power and reliance on divine revelations. Humanity has passed through the days of materialistic ideologies and schools and thought. Today neither Marxism, nor western liberal democracy, nor secular nationalism has any appeal. You see what is going on in the cradle of western liberal democracy - in America, in Europe. They admit failure. Today among members of the Islamic Ummah, the greatest appeal belongs to Islam, the Holy Quran and the school of thought that is based on divine revelation. Allah the Exalted has promised that the divine and Islamic school of thought and the school of thought that is based on divine revelation can help humanity achieve happiness. This is a very sacred, very important and very significant phenomenon. Today Islamic countries have risen up against dependent dictatorships. This is a prelude to an uprising against global and international dictatorship, namely the tyranny of the corrupt and evil network of the Zionists and the arrogant powers. Today international autocracy and dictatorship is embodied by the tyranny of America, America\\\\\\\'s followers and the satanic and dangerous Zionist network. Today they are acting like a dictator throughout the world by using different methods and different means. What you did in Egypt, what you did in Tunisia, what you did in Libya, what you are doing in Yemen, what you are doing in Bahrain - and strong motivation has built up in other countries to do the same - is part of a battle against this dangerous and harmful dictatorship that has been pressuring humanity for two centuries. The momentous juncture that I spoke about is the transition from the hegemony of this dictatorship to national freedom and the rule of spiritual and divine values. This will happen: do not consider discount it. This is a divine promise: \\\\\\\"And surely Allah will help him who helps His cause.\\\\\\\" [The Holy Quran, 22: 40] Allah the Exalted stresses that if you help His cause, He will assist you. This might look unlikely from a materialistic perspective, a perspective that is based on material calculations. However, there were many things which used to look unlikely, yet they happened. Around fifteen months ago, would you have thought the Egyptian taghut would be humiliated and annihilated like that? At that time, if people had been told that Mubarak\\\\\\\'s corrupt and dependent regime would be overthrown, many of them would have rejected the claim as unlikely, but it happened. Two years ago, if somebody had claimed that those amazing events would happen in North Africa, the majority of the people would have rejected it. If somebody had claimed that in a country like Lebanon, a group of faithful youth would manage to defeat the well-equipped Zionist army, nobody would have believed him. But these things happened. If somebody had said that the Islamic Republic would manage to resist for 32 years and achieve more power and progress on a daily basis in spite of all the enmity by the east and the west, nobody would have believed him, but it happened. \\\\\\\"Allah promised you many acquisitions which you will take, then He hastened on this one for you and held back the hands of men from you, and that it may be a sign for the believers and that He may guide you on a right path.\\\\\\\" [The Holy Quran, 48: 20] These victories are divine signs. They are signs of God\\\\\\\'s overwhelming power. Whenever the people step into the arena, whenever we enter the arena with all our heart and soul, there will definitely be divine assistance. Allah the Exalted shows us the path: \\\\\\\"And (as for) those who strive hard for Us, We will most certainly guide them in Our ways.\\\\\\\" [The Holy Quran, 29: 69] God will guide and assist. He will help people achieve their goals. The condition is that we should be present in the arena. What has happened so far is very significant. For two hundred years, westerners ruled the Islamic Ummah by making use of their scientific advances. They occupied Islamic countries: some of them directly, some of them indirectly with the help of local dictatorships. England, France and finally America - which is the Great Satan - spread their hegemony over the Islamic Ummah. They humiliated the Islamic Ummah as much as they could. They planted the cancerous tumor of Zionism at the heart of the strategic Middle East region and they strengthened it in every way. They were sure that their interests and policies had been safeguarded in this critical part of the world. But the Islamic resolve of Muslim people and their presence wiped out all these impossible dreams and put an end to all these goals. Today the arrogant powers of the world feel helpless in the face of Islamic Awakening. You are dominant. You will win. The future belongs to you. What has been done is a great achievement. But the important point is that this is not the end. This is only the beginning. Muslim nations must continue their struggle so that they can eliminate the enemy in different arenas. The battle is a battle of wills. Any side whose will is stronger has the upper hand. A person whose heart depends on Allah the Exalted has the upper hand. \\\\\\\"If Allah assists you, then there is none that can overcome you.\\\\\\\" [The Holy Quran, 3: 160] If you get divine assistance, nobody will overpower you and you will move forward. We want Muslim nations that make up the great Islamic Ummah to be free. We want them to be independent. We want them to be honorable. We want them to avoid humiliation. We want them to organize their life with the lofty and progressive rules of Islam. And Islam can help them to do so. They kept us scientifically backward for many years. They trampled on our culture. They destroyed our independence. Today we have awakened and we will conquer the arenas of science one after the other. Thirty years ago, when the Islamic Republic was established, the enemies used to say that although the Islamic Revolution had achieved victory, it would not be able to manage different areas of life. They used to say that the Islamic Revolution would back down. Thanks to Islam, today our youth have managed to make great achievements in scientific areas, achievement that would not have occurred to the enemies themselves in the past. Thanks to reliance on Allah the Exalted, today Iranian youth achieve great scientific accomplishments. They produce enriched uranium. They produce stem cells. They make great advances in biotechnology. They venture into space. And all of these things are due to reliance on Allah the Exalted and the slogan of \\\\\\\"Allahu Akbar\\\\\\\". [Audience shout \\\\\\\"Allahu Akbar\\\\\\\"] We must not underestimate our own capabilities. Among the biggest problems that western culture has imposed on Islamic countries is two wrong and misguided conceptions. First, they instilled a sense of incompetence into Muslim nations. They made Muslim nations believe that they were not capable of doing anything - neither in the political arena, nor in the economic arena, nor in the scientific arena. They told Muslim nations, \\\\\\\"You are weak.\\\\\\\" We Muslim nations suffered from this misconception for decades and we stayed backward. The second misconception that they instilled into our mind was that our enemies were invincible and that their power was overwhelming. They convinced us that America could not be defeated, that it was impossible to force the west to retreat, that we had to tolerate them. Today it has become clear to Muslim nations that both of these conceptions are completely wrong. Muslim nations can move forward. They can restore their Islamic glory - Muslims used to be at the peak of honor, at the peak of scientific, political and social brilliance. And the enemy has to retreat in different arenas. This century is the century of Islam. This century is the century of spirituality. Islam offers rationality, spirituality and justice to nations. The kind of Islam that is based on rationality, Islam that is based on thinking, Islam that is based on spirituality, Islam that is based on attention to God and reliance on Him, Islam that is based on jihad, Islam that is based on hard work, Islam that is based on action - these are divine and Islamic teachings for us. Today the important point is that the enemy is designing plots to compensate for the blows he has received in Egypt, Tunisia and other regional countries. We must pay attention to the machinations of the enemy. We must take care not to let them hijack popular revolutions from the people. We must take care not to let them derail these revolutions. Make use of the experiences of others. The enemy does many things in order to derail popular revolutions and neutralize popular movements. The enemy does many things in order to counteract selfless efforts and the blood that has been shed. It is necessary to be careful. It is necessary to be vigilant. You dear youth are the driving force behind these movements. Be vigilant. Be careful. We have gained a lot of experience over the past 32 years. It is 32 years that we have been countering hostilities. We have resisted and overpowered the enemy. [Audience shout \\\\\\\"Allahu Akbar\\\\\\\" and pledge allegiance to the Supreme Leader] The west and America have never refused to hatch plots against the Islamic Republic. If there was something they did not do, it was because they could not do it. They did whatever they could and they have been kicked in the mouth and defeated at every stage. [Audience shout \\\\\\\"death to America\\\\\\\"] The same thing will happen in the future as well. The Islamic Republic will continue foiling all their plots in the future as well. This is something that God has promised us and we do not have any doubts in this regard. We do not doubt the truthfulness of God\\\\\\\'s promise. We do not doubt Allah the Exalted. Allah the Exalted admonishes those who doubt Him. \\\\\\\"And (that) He may punish the hypocritical men and the hypocritical women, and the polytheistic men and the polytheistic women, the entertainers of evil thoughts about Allah. On them is the evil turn, and Allah is wroth with them and has cursed them and prepared hell for them, and evil is the resort.\\\\\\\" [The Holy Quran, 48: 6] God\\\\\\\'s promise is truthful. The Iranian nation has brought all its facilities into the arena and because we are in the battlefield, God will definitely assist us and the same is true of all other countries as well. But we must be vigilant. All of us must be vigilant. All of us must watch out for the machinations designed by the enemies. The enemy tries to counteract our movements and to foment discord. Today the Islamic movement throughout the world of Islam is independent of Shia and Sunni. It is independent of Shafi\\\\\\\'i, Hanafi, Ja\\\\\\\'fari, Maliki, Hanbali and Zeidi schools. It is independent of Arabs, Persians and other ethnicities. Everybody is present in this vast arena. We must try not to let the enemy foment discord among us. There must be a sense of brotherhood among us. We must try to specify our goal. The goal is Islam. The goal is Quranic and Islamic rule. Of course, there are certain differences and similarities among Muslim countries. There is no single paradigm that fits all Islamic countries. In different countries, there are different geographic, historical and social conditions, but there are also certain shared principles: all of us are opposed to the arrogant powers, all of us are opposed to the evil hegemony of the west, all of us are opposed to the cancerous tumor, Israel. [Audience shout \\\\\\\"death to Israel] Wherever it is felt that something is being done which would benefit Israel and America, we must be vigilant. We must know that it is a foreign move. We must know that it is not an insider move. Wherever there is an Islamic, anti-Zionist, anti-arrogance, anti-tyranny and anti-corruption move, that move would be a correct move and all of us would be insiders. Then it would not matter whether we are Shia or Sunni, or whether we are from this or that country. All of us must think in the same way. As an obvious example, notice that today all media companies of the world are trying to isolate the people of Bahrain and their movement. What is the reason? The reason is that the issue is a Shia-Sunni issue: they want to foment discord. They want to draw lines and separate Muslims. There is no difference between pious Muslims who have a tendency towards this or that Islamic denomination. Islam is the aspect that all of these denominations have in common. Unity of Islamic Ummah is the aspect that all of them have in common. [Audience shout \\\\\\\"Allahu Akbar\\\\\\\" and \\\\\\\"unity, Islamic unity\\\\\\\"] The secret behind victory and the continuation of the movement is reliance on God, trust in Him and maintaining unity and cohesion. My dear children, take care not to let the enemy stop your movement. In two different parts of the Holy Quran, Allah the Exalted tells His Messenger to be steadfast. \\\\\\\"Then stand firm in the right way as you are commanded.\\\\\\\" [The Holy Quran, 11: 112] \\\\\\\"And stand firm in the right way as you are commanded.\\\\\\\" [The Holy Quran, 42: 15] God tells the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) to be steadfast. Being steadfast means continuing one\\\\\\\'s path in a determined way without stopping. This is the secret behind success. We must move forward. This movement is a successful movement because the prospects are bright. The future prospects are bright. By Allah\\\\\\\'s favor, there will be a day when the Islamic Ummah will reach the peak of power and independence. [Audience shout \\\\\\\"humiliation is far from us\\\\\\\"] While preserving their characteristics and differences, Muslim nations should come together under the banner of the call to God and the call to Islam. Then the Islamic Ummah will regain its dignity. We have natural resources in Muslim countries. We have strategic regions. We have numerous natural resources. We have outstanding figures. We have highly skilled and talented manpower. We must make efforts and Allah the Exalted will bless our efforts. I would tell you dear youth that the future belongs to you. By Allah\\\\\\\'s favor, you dear youth will see that day and you will hand down your sources of pride to the future generations. Greetings be upon you and Allah\\\\\\\'s mercy and blessings

democracynow.org - New revelations have emerged about the New York City Police Department's secret program to spy on Muslim communities. The Associated Press has just uncovered a confidential NYPD plan from 2006 to engage in targeted surveillance of Shiite mosques following increased tensions between the U.S. and Iran; the latest revelation on its secret intelligence operations focused on Muslim neighborhoods. On Thursday a coalition of Muslim and civil rights organizations reiterated their call for the immediate resignation of NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly. We're joined by reporter Matt Apuzzo, who has helped break the NYPD spying story for the Associated Press; and Imam Talib Abdur-Rashid, spiritual leader at the Mosque of Islamic Brotherhood and president of the Islamic Leadership Council of New York. "It's very hard to read that document as saying anything other than you're doing religious profiling. What that document says is, we should look at all Shiite mosques because we need to know about Iranian terrorists," Apuzzo says. Watch Part 2 of 2: http://youtu.be/JUszepk-h9k Imam Talib Abdur-Rashid says: "Well, we're not surprised at all, those of us who are familiar with the history of the NYPD. We know that there has been a long-standing tension, not just between the Muslim community, but between communities of peoples of color here in New York City. And we view these latest programs, the programs that are focused on Muslim New Yorkers, as being directly related to NYPD intelligence programs of the past: the Red squads of the 1950's and 60's, you know, focused in on political activists. Except now, instead of just focusing on the political community, they are focusing on our religious community." To watch the complete daily, independent news hour, read the transcript, download the podcast, and for the additional Democracy Now! reports, visit http://www.democracynow.org. FOLLOW DEMOCRACY NOW! ONLINE: Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/democracynow Twitter: @democracynow Subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/democracynow Listen on SoundCloud: http://www.soundcloud.com/democracy-now Daily Email News Digest: http://www.democracynow.org/subscribe Please consider supporting independent media by making a donation to Democracy Now! today, visit http://www.democracynow.org/donate/YT