Ayatollah Khamenei the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution met Tuesday morning with a group of government officials, foreign participants of the 26th Conference on Islamic Unity, ambassadors of Islamic countries and people from different social backgrounds. Speaking at the meeting, which was held on the auspicious occasion of the birthday anniversaries of the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) and Imam Sadiq (a.s.), His Eminence described Islamic unity as a sacred slogan. He also described unity of the Islamic Ummah as the most important message of the Holy Prophet's (s.w.a.) mission.
The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution said that the current movement of Islamic Awakening in the world of Islam, especially in North Africa, is part of the fulfillment of divine promises, further reiterating: "Today, the main policy of global arrogance towards confronting Islamic Awakening is to create discord among Muslim peoples in Islamic countries and make them kill one another. Therefore, the great responsibility of religious, political and academic elites is to explain the plots of the enemy to the Islamic Ummah and make a serious effort to implement the slogan of Islamic unity."
His Eminence stated that the world of Islam - due to the start of the movement of Islamic Awakening - is ready for following the guidelines of the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) in practice and stressed: "After decades of pressures and domination of westerners over the world of Islam, now Muslim peoples feel that Islam prepares the ground for them to achieve dignity, glory and independence and that, thanks to Islam, all the dreams of the Islamic Ummah can come true."
Ayatollah Khamenei described Muslims' capability to stand up against the exploitation and arrogance of western governments and to force westerners to retreat as the blessings of Islamic Awakening, further adding: "Islamic Awakening - which started 34 years ago in Iran and is developing in the world of Islam now - is one of the manifestations of the fulfillment of divine promises and moving towards victory."
He reiterated: "Since the start of the movement of Islamic Awakening, global arrogance has tried to create obstacles in its way. But if Muslim peoples rely on Allah the Exalted and show a firm determination for moving forward, the enemies' obstacles definitely will not prevent the world of Islam from moving forward and they will achieve more victories step by step."
The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution described creating discord among Muslim peoples and keeping them busy with conflicts as the main effort by the enemies to confront Islamic Awakening and explained: "Since the victory of the Islamic Revolution, they pursued the policy of creating discord, but the Islamic Republic decisively stood up against this plot and raised the flag of Islamic unity."
His Eminence reiterated: "Imam Khomeini (r.a.) consistently stressed throughout his life that we believe in Islamic brotherhood. And we have continued this path after his demise until today."
Ayatollah Khamenei stressed: "A feeling of unity among Muslims and among different groups, denominations and parties insides each Islamic country is the only way to confront the plot to create discord."
He said that as a consequence of discord among Muslims the issue of Palestine and standing up against the greed of America and the west will be sidelined, further adding: "The new movement that westerners have started in Africa in order to dominate African nations is a consequence of discord among Muslims and conflicts that the Muslims busy themselves with."
The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution mentioned examples of discord among Muslims and the consequences that it will have for them such as the disasters occurring in Pakistan, war and massacres in Syria, silencing the voice of the people in Bahrain and the conflict between the people in Egypt and stressed: "Each kind of discord among Muslim nations or inside each Islamic country means that they are definitely playing into the enemies' hands."
His Eminence called on religious, political, academic and seminary elites to take the issue of unity seriously and added: "Besides delineating the dangerous plot of the enemy to create discord, the elites of the Islamic Ummah themselves should avoid creating any kind of discord or arousing shallow and vulgar feelings because fueling the fire of discord will burn the fate of nations."
Ayatollah Khamenei described Islamic unity as a sacred slogan, further stressing: "If the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) were among us, he would invite all the Muslims to promote unity and avoid discord."
Elsewhere in his statements, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution described the month of Rabi al-Awwal as the spring of life because of the birthday anniversaries of the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) and Imam Sadiq (a.s.), further reiterating: "Commemorating these great birthday anniversaries is not only limited to celebrating. Rather the world of Islam should strengthen its spiritual and emotional relationship with the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) on a daily basis.