The following is the full text of the speech delivered on May 22, 2020 , by Ayatollah Imam Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, on the occasion of Quds Day.
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the wWorlds, and His peace and greetings be upon Muhammad, upon his pure Hhousehold, upon his chosen companions and upon those who follow them until the Day of Judgment.
I extend my greetings to all the Muslim brothers and sisters throughout the world and I congratulate them in advance on the occasion of the auspicious Eid aul-Fitr. I also pray to God to accept their prayers worship acts and servitude in thise Holy Month of Ramadan, and I I thank the Generous Benevolent Creator for the blessing of being present in this month of this divine celebrationbanquet.
Today is Quds Day, a day created - thanks to Imam Khomeini's (r.a.) intelligent initiativeon - to unite Muslims on the issue of Holy Quds and in support ofing the oppressed people of Palestine. and Iit has played an important role in this regard for several decades now, and God willing, it will continue this roleto do so in the future as well. NPeoples and nations welcomed Quds Day and they marked it asconsidered it to be a religious obligation to hold up the flag of for Palestine’s liberation. The main policy of the Aarrogant Ppowers and Zionism is to sideline push aside the issue of Palestine in the minds of Muslim communities and to make cause it to fade into oblivion.
The most urgent responsibility in this regard is fighting this treachery, which is conducted by the enemy’s political and cultural mercenaries in Islamic countries. The truth is that an issue as important as Palestine is not something that the pride, self-esteem and increasing intelligence of Muslim nations will allow to sink into oblivion, even if the Americans, and other domineering powers and their regional minions use all their money and power to achieve that this goal.
First, I would like to highlight the magnitude of the tragedy of the occupation of Palestine and the formation of the cancerous tumor of Zionism in that country. Among human crimes against humanity in recent times, there is no crime that equals that this crime in terms of scope and gravity. Occupying a country, and permanently driving its people out from their homes and their fatherland, and carrying oncontinuing this historical oppression for decades using the most horrifying kinds forms of murder, crime, farmland destruction of farmlands, and genocide – this is indeed a new record in brutality and wickedness.
The main cause agents and the main criminals behind this tragedy were are the western governments and their satanic policies. The day when the triumphant governments of who had the won the war in the First World War were carving up Wwest Asia – namely, the Asian territories of the Ottoman Empires – among themselves at the Paris Conference as spoils of war, they more than ever felt the need for a safe stronghold at in the heart of this region more than ever in order to guarantee their permanent hegemony. Years earlier, through the Balfour Declaration and with the help of the thinking of the rich Jewish sympathizersleaders, the British had prepared the ground for the novelty innovation of Zionism to carry out this role to play its role. And now the practical steps groundwork were being takenwas in place to set the stage for it. During those early years, they gradually put together the requirementsprepared the preliminaries, and finally after the Second World War and usingthey used the opportunity created by the unawareness negligence and problems of the regional countries, they and dealt their blow. and They announced the creation of the bogus regime, the Zionist state without a nation.
The primary target of the this blow was the Palestinian nation and the secondarilyy target was all the other nations in the region. A look at the following events that followed in the region shows that the main, short-term goal that westerners and Jewish company -owners pursued by creating the Zionist regime was to build a stronghold for their permanent presence and influence in Wwest Asia and also to gain easy access to for the opportunity toies for interference, impositioncoerce and dominateion over the regional countries and governments. Therefore, they equipped the bogus and occupying regime with various kinds of military and non-military tools of power, even with atomic weapons, and they included in their plans, included the growth of this cancerous tumor from the Nile to the Euphrates.
Sadly, after their initial struggles of bouts of resistance, some of which were praiseworthy, the majority of Arab governments gradually gave insuccumbed. and Pparticularly after the United States took charge of in this issuematter, they forgot their human, Islamic and political responsibilitiesy and their Arab pride. and Wwith delusional hopes they contributed to the enemy’s goals. The Camp David Agreement is a clear example of this bitter historical fact.
After brave sacrifices and struggles in the early years, mujahid resistance groups were gradually led pulled towards to the path of unsuccessful negotiations with the occupier and its supporters. They abandoned the route that could have led to the realization of the Palestinian dream. Negotiations with America and other western governments, and also negotiations with useless international groups, are were Palestine’s bitter, and unsuccessful experiences for Palestine. Holding out an olive branch at the United Nations General Assembly had no result other than the injurious Oslo Accords, and it led to the eye-opening fate of Yasser Arafat.
The dawn of the Islamic Revolution in Iran opened up a new chapter in the struggle for Palestine. From the first steps – namely, driving out the Zionist elements who considered Iran of the taghut eraPahlavi period to be as one of their safe strongholds – to assigning the unofficial embassy of the Zionist regime to the office of the Palestinian representative office, to stopping the flow of oil, to other great achievements and widespread political activities. – Aall of these things measures brought about the emergence of a front of resistance front in the entire region. The hHope of resolving the this issue flourished in hearts. The emergence of the resistance front presented the Zionist regime with increasing problems. God willing, the Zionist regime will encounter even more problems in the future.
However, the efforts by of the supporters of that regime – led bywith America in the front – increased sharply as a result in order to defend the Zionists. The emergence of the faithful, young, and self-sacrificing force of Hezbollah in Lebanon and the formation of highly-motivated groups such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad within the Palestinian borders unsettled and alarmed not only the Zionist ringleaders but also America and other aggressive western powers. After and in addition to their soft and hard support for of the occupying regime with weapons and propaganda, they added added recruiting from within the region and from inside within Arab communities society at to the top of their agenda. Today the result of their voluminous work is on displayobvious and in plain view, revealing itself in the actions and words of certain leaders of Arab governments and certain treacherous political and cultural Arab activists.
Today, both fronts engage in various activities in the arena of struggle. T: the difference between them is that the resistance front is moving with increasing power and hope, and it marches on towards attracting increasing elements of power, while the opposing front of oppression, kufr unbelief and arrogance is growing more hollow, hopeless and powerless by the day. A clear manifestation of this assertion is the fact that the Zionist army, which was once considered to be invincible and lightning fast, one that would stop the aggression of two great armies in a matter of days, is currently forced to retreat and accept defeat against popular forces in Lebanon and Gaza.
Nevertheless, the arena of struggle is volatile and full of dangers. Iand it requires constant vigilance, and the objective of this struggle is very important, fateful and vital. Any kind of negligence, inattention and or mistakes in fundamental essential miscalculations will inflict heavy damage.
Therefore, I would like to offer a few pieces ofsome advice to all those who are emotionally tied tohave strong feelings for the issue of Palestine:
1- The struggle to liberate Palestine is Jjihad in the way of God, and it is an obligation and an Islamic aspirationgoal. Victory in this such a struggle has been guaranteed, because the person who is fightinger, even if he is killed, will achieve receive “one of the two excellent thingsces.” [The Holy Quran 9, Sura at-Tawbah: 52]. Apart from this, the issue of Palestine is a human issue. Driving out millions of human beings from their homes, and farmlands and places of business, and doing so through murder and crimes, troubles everyonebody’s conscience and it inspires opposition in everyone anybody who has courage and determination. Therefore, restrictingg the scope of it this to be a merely a Palestinian issue, or at best, an merely Arab issue, is a grave mistake. Those who consider the concessions made by a few Palestinian elements or rulers of a few Arab countries as a license to sidestep this Islamic and human issue, are making a grave mistake in understanding the issue, and perhaps they are guilty of betrayal for distorting the truth.
2- The aim of this struggle is the liberation of all the entire Palestinian lands – from the river to the sea – and the return of all Palestinians to their homeland. Reducing this struggle to the formation of a government in a corner of the Palestinian lands – particularly, in the humiliating way that is mentioned in the discourse of shameless Zionists – is neither a sign of righteous struggle nor a sign of realism. The truth is that today millions of Palestinians have achieved a level of thinking, experience and self-esteem that such that they can focus their efforts on this great jihad struggle in the way of God and be certain of divine assistance and the ultimate victory. “And Surely Allah will help surely support thosehim who support helps His cause; most surely . Indeed, Allah is Powerful Strong,and Exalted in Mighty.” [22The Holy Quran, Sura al-Hajj: 40]. Undoubtedly, many Muslims across throughout the world will give support them and will share in their struggle, inshallahGod willing.
3- Although utilizing using any halal and religiously permitted permissible means, including global support, is allowed in this struggle - it is absolutely essential to avoid trusting western governments and international groups that are covertly or overtly dependent on them. They are opposed to any effective entity of an Islamic nature. They have no regard for human rights. They themselves are the cause of the worst damage harm and crimes against the Islamic Ummahnation. Which global institution and which criminal power is currently being held accountable for the assassinations, the mass murders, the war mongering, the bombingsardments and the human-mademanmade famines in several many Islamic and Arab countries?
Today, the world is tallying counting one by oneup every victim of the coronavirus across the globe, but nobody has asked who is responsible for the hundreds of thousands of martyrdoms, imprisonments and disappearances in the countries where America and Europe have waged wars. Who is responsible for all the unlawful bloodshed in Afghanistan, Yemen, Libya, Iraq, Syria and other countries? Who is responsible for all these crimes and for the occupation, destruction and oppression in Palestine? Why didn’t anyonebody count the millions of oppressed children, women and men in the world of Islam? Why doesn’t anyonebody extend their condolences for the mass murder of Muslims? Why should millions of Palestinians spend 70 years away from their homes and in exile? And why should Holy Quds, the first Qqiblah of Muslims, be desecrated? The so-called United Nations is not fulfilling its function and the so-called human rights organizations are dead. The slogan of defending the rights of women and children excludes Yemeni and Palestinian women and children.
This is the ese are current conditions of the oppressive western powers and dependent global organizations. The disgrace of certain regional governments that follow them is beyond words.
Therefore, a proud and pious Muslim society must rely on itself and its internal forces. It must raise its powerful hand and clear remove the obstacles by relying on and trusting in AllahGod.
4- The important point that must not be ignored by the political and military elites of the Islamic world is that the policy of America and the Zionists is to push transfer conflicts to the clashes behind the frontlines of the front of resistance front. Waging Starting civil wars in Syria, the the military blockade siege and constant killings in Yemen, the assassinations, the destruction, the creation of the Daesh in Iraq and other similar things in certain some other countries in the region are all machinations to divert the attention of the resistance front and to provide opportunities for the Zionist regime. Some Muslim politicians knowingly, and some others unknowingly, have contributed to these machinations by of the enemy. The main way to prevent these machinations majority is for of the proud youth throughout the world of Islam seriously support preventing these machinations to seriously make this demand.. Young people in all Islamic countries, particularly in Arab countries, must pay attention to this advice by from Imam Khomeini (r.a.),, who said: “Vent all your angerVent all your shouts on America” and of course, on the Zionist enemy.
5- The policy of normalizing the presence of the Zionist regime in the region is one of the main policies of the United States of America. Certain Arab governments in the region, which act as America’s minions of America, have been preparing the ground for this normalization, by establishing economic ties and other such things. These efforts are completely abortive vain and futile. The Zionist regime is a terminal deadly, cancerous growth and a pure detriment loss to this region. and Iit will undoubtedly be uprooted and destroyed. TAnd then, the shame will fall on those who put their facilities in at the service of the this policy of the arrogant powers. To justify this disgraceful behavior, some people argue that the Zionist regime is a reality that the region has tomust come to terms with. They forget , forgetting that it is necessary to fight and destroy fatal and harmful realities. Today the coronavirus is a reality and yet all thinking wise people agree that it is necessary to fight it. Undoubtedly, the long-lasting virus of Zionism will not take last much longer, to disappear and it will be uprooted thanks to the determination, piety faith and pride of the youth.
7- 6- My main advice is to continue this struggle and to better organize the jihadi organizations afor Jihad work, nd their cooperation and to expand the arenas of Jjihad inside Palestinian territories. Everyonebody must assist the Palestinian nation in this holy jihadstruggle. Everyonebody must contribute to the Palestinian fighters and stand behind them. We will proudly do everything in our power on this path. One day we came to the conclusion that the Palestinian fightersr had piety, pride and courage and his their only problem was that he they had no weapons in his their hands. With divine guidance and assistance, we made planneds and the result was that the balance of power was transformed in Palestine, and today Gaza can stand against the aggression of the Zionist enemy and defeat himit. This change of in the equations in the occupied lands will bring the issue of Palestine closer to the final steps. The Palestinian Authority has a great responsibility in this regard. One cannot communicate with a savage enemy except through force and from a position of power. and Tthankfully, the ground has been prepared for the brave and resistanting people of Palestine to achieve gain this power. Today, the Palestinian youth are yearning to defend their dignity.
Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Palestine and Hezbollah in Lebanon have made things clear to everybodybeen a proof for everyone. The world has not forgotten and will not forget the day when the Zionist army breached broke through the Lebanese borders and marched on totill Beirut and or the day when a criminal murderer called by the name of Ariel Sharon caused a bloodbath in Sabra and Shatila. It has not forgotten and will not forget the day when the same army pounded by Hezbollah had no choice but to retreat from the borders of Lebanon and beg for a truce after sustaining heavy casualties and admitting defeat. This is what full hands and a position of power means. Now let that European government, which should be eternally ashamed for selling chemical agents to the regime of Saddam Hussein, designate mujahid the devoted Hezbollah as illegal. Illegal is a regime like America that forms creates the Daesh and a regime like that European government whose chemical agents caused the death of thousands in the city of Baneh in Iran’s Baneh and the city of Halabja in in Iraq’s Halabja.
7-The My final word is that Palestine belongs to the Palestinians; and therefore,, it should be run as they wish. The referendum - with the participation of all Palestinian religions and ethnicities,: this is what we have been proposing suggesting for almost two decades - is the only solution that should be presentedfor the challenges which for Palestine is facing ’s challenges at tin the present time and in the future. This plan indicates shows that the western accusations of anti-Semitism which have been repeated time and time again are completely unfounded. On the basis of this plan, Jewish, Christian and Muslim Palestinians will determine, together, the political system of their country by participating in a referendum. That which should definitely go is the Zionist regime, as since Zionism is a bizarre novelty innovation which has been planted into Judaism and it is totally alien to that religion.
I would like to close this speech by marking the memory ofremembering the martyrs of Quds, including Sheikh Ahmad Yassin, Fathi Shaqaqi, Sayyid Abbas al-Musawi, Martyr Soleimani, the great Muslim commander and the unforgettable face of resistance, Shahid Soleimani and also the great Iraqi Mmujahid, Shahid Martyr Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis., and I extend my greetings to the soul of the great Imam Khomeini (r.a.) who opened up the path of of dignity and Jjihad for us. I also ask Allah the Exalted to bestow His mercy on our late brother, Hussein Sheikh a-ul-Islam who for years worked hard diligently on this path.
May Allah’s gGreetings and mercy be upon you. and Allah’s mercy and blessings
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