The Supreme Leader"s View of the Islamic Ummah

In the Name of the Most High

The first human and political outcome of Islam is the Islamic Ummah which started in Medina and began to tread the path of qualitative and quantitative growth in an astonishing and legendary manner. It was barely half a century from the birth of this auspicious phenomenon that almost half of all the territories of the three great neighboring ancient civilizations - namely, Persian, Roman, and Egyptian - were conquered. Afterwards, a century later, it created a prominent civilization and a glorious and powerful government at the hub of the globe which spread in the east from the Great Wall of China to the coasts of the Atlantic Ocean, and from Siberian steppes in the north to the southern part of the Indian Ocean in the south. The third and fourth centuries on the Hijri calendar as well as the following era enjoyed such a brilliant civilization that the scientific and cultural blessings of that period can be clearly observed in the current global civilization.

This phenomenon enjoys a rich culture and rich legacies that are accompanied by flourishment and exceptional brilliance. Despite having great variety, it enjoys astonishing unity and harmony which is the result of Islamic rule and influence as well as special pure monotheism in all it components, tenets, and aspects. These nations who are brotherly and unanimous - comprised of black-skinned, white-skinned, and yellow-skinned races that speak in tens of different languages - consider themselves as equal members of the great Islamic Ummah and are proud of it. They turn their faces [in prayers] towards the same center [namely, Ka"aba] each day, talk to Allah (s.w.t.) in the same language, and take lessons and inspiration from the same ure. This ure guarantees the explanation of all facts and consists of the rules concerning all their needs and duties: "And We have revealed the Book to thee explaining all things, and a guidance and mercy and good news for those who submit." [The Holy Quran, 16:89]. The geographical location of this group is one of the richest - if not the richest - lands throughout the world in terms of its natural resources. The list of the resources of the Islamic Ummah includes tens of major human, cultural, material, economic, political, and social categories, which could be recognized by anybody through some reflection.

The political and intellectual elites of the Islamic Ummah have to shoulder a heavy responsibility today. Muslim intellectuals must convey the Islamic message of emancipation to the hearts and ears of all their people as clearly and as eloquently as possible. They must appropriately explain the Islamic identity of Muslim nations. They must enlighten the youth with the clear teachings of Islam regarding subjects such as human rights, freedom, democracy, women"s rights, fighting corruption, prohibiting discrimination, and fighting poverty and scientific backwardness. They must reveal to everybody the media deception of the West in regard to fighting terrorism and weapons of mass destruction. It is the West today that must be theoretically and practically challenged regarding these issues, and it must be held responsible before global public opinion.

The deceitful enemies of the Islamic Ummah are the belligerent and greedy people who run the centers of arrogance and who consider the Islamic Awakening as a serious threat to their illegitimate interests and their oppressive domination over the world of Islam. All Muslim nations and their statesmen, religious scholars, intellectuals, and national leaders must form a strong unified Islamic front against this belligerent enemy. They must gather all their power and appropriately make the Islamic Ummah powerful. Knowledge, acumen, vigilance, sense of commitment, reliance on Allah, being hopeful about divine promises, ignoring petty needs in exchange for obtaining God"s satisfaction, fulfilling one"s duties among other matters are the elements of power for the Islamic Ummah which help it to achieve glory, independence, and material and spiritual progress. These elements prevent the enemies from being greedy and encroaching on Islamic nations.

This new situation consists of two parts or elements. First, as a result of this situation Islamic thought and identity now enjoy more glory and dynamism throughout the world, and Islam has been introduced to the world as one of the most prominent realities in the world. Second, the domineering powers of the world have now adopted a clear belligerent stance towards Islam and Islamic aspirations. In fact, the chapter on fighting Islam and dealing with the increasing growth of Islamic movements is one the central chapters in the new world order proposed by the US for the post-communist era.

In fact, Muslim nations have started a genuine and deep-rooted movement - which must be called "Islamic Revival" - in the past two decades in eastern and western parts of the Islamic world and even in non-Muslim countries. Against the expectations of yesterday"s colonialists and today"s arrogant powers, the present educated young generation - that enjoys up-to-date information - not only has not forgotten Islam, but also has turned to Islam and seeks to find in it what it has lost. The rise of the Islamic Revolution in Iran and its increasing stability and power is the peak of this deep-rooted young movement, which has played a leading role in promoting the Islamic Awakening. This is exactly what has forced the axis of arrogance - which has always pretended not to fight what nations believe in and hold sacred - to step in and openly and sometimes violently fight Islam using all methods.

The arrogant enemies whose illegitimate interests and avarice are threatened by the Islamic Awakening use psychological warfare - namely making people feel disappointed, stigmatizing their identity, and flaunting their own material power and wealth - as their most important weapon in order to deal with this increasingly powerful wave. There will be thousands of media facilities in the future, as there is today, which will attempt to make Muslims disappointed in the prospect of a bright future or entice them towards the future that is in harmony with their own evil intentions. From the era of colonialism up to the present, this cultural invasion and psychological warfare have been the most effective means of the West in order to establish domination over Islamic countries. The modern propaganda with its international coverage is undoubtedly the most effective lever used by the arrogant powers. Today, the number of media and press using multimedia equipment, which spend most of their efforts to oppose Islam, is very high and is constantly increasing. There are a number mercenary experts who are busy broadcasting news and interpretations in order to mislead the minds of their audience and wrongly paint an ugly picture of the Islamic movement and the great Islamic figures. From the pre-Revolution era up to the present, the Islamic Republic has constantly and increasingly been confronted with such belligerent propaganda.

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Of course, the individuals and groups of people are constantly harmed on two sides. First, they are harmed from inside, which is occasioned by human weaknesses, doubts, lack of faith, xenophilia, gullibility, loss of identity, lack of attention to Allah (s.w.t.), submission to materialistic people, suspicion about religious brothers, listening to the gossip that enemies say about one"s religious brothers, lack of concern for the fate of the Islamic Ummah, not recognizing an entity called Islamic Ummah, lack of knowledge about the developments in other Islamic lands, lack of vigilance in the face of plots by the enemies of Islam and Muslims, conflict among different sects, and extreme nationalism that is mostly caused and strengthened by evil ulama and mercenary writers as well as many other fatal maladies, which have continually threatened Muslims throughout the history of Islam due to the domination of corrupt atheists over Muslims" destiny and political life. And in the last few centuries it has taken a critical and destructive form after the presence of foreign colonialist powers in the region and their corrupt puppets as well as some people greedy for worldly possessions.

The second way in which people are harmed is the efforts made by the enemies from outside who exert pressure on individuals and nations through their insurgency, greed, and aggression and who have proven to be an affliction for people through wars, impositions, oppression, and bullying.

Islamic settings - both individuals and nations - have always been subject to these two kinds of threat and are currently threatened even more seriously. Spreading corruption in Muslim countries and imposing Western culture - which is furthered by some dependant regimes - includes such areas as individual behavior, civil engineering, general living conditions, the press, as well as military, political, and economic pressure on Muslim nations and killings in Lebanon, Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan and other countries clearly bear testimony to the existence of these two types of threat.

However, the Palestinian issue is the most important issue today and has been the most important issue of the world of Islam or perhaps the entire humanity in the last 50 years. It is a matter of hardships and oppression suffered by a nation. It is matter of a nation"s indignation. It is a matter of creating a tumor in the heart of Muslim countries and in the juncture where western and eastern parts of the world of Islam meet. It is a matter of constant oppression that has engulfed two consecutive generations of a Muslim nation.

Therefore, the usurper Zionist regime is the greatest danger for the world of Islam now and in the future. And it is up to Muslims to seek a remedy for this great threat and oppression. Of course, I am totally sure that in the foreseeable future the Palestinian nation will reclaim its violated rights and drive the oppressive and invading foreigners out of its home by relying on its own sacrifices and the awakening of the Muslim world. But the determination on the part of Muslim governments and nations will, by Allah"s favor, facilitate the achievement of this prospect and will help decrease the hardships.

پایگاه اطلاع‌رسانی دفتر حفظ و نشر آثار حضرت آیت‌الله‌العظمی سیدعلی خامنه‌ای (مد‌ظله‌العالی) - مؤسسه پژوهشی فرهنگی انقلاب اسلامی