In the Name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful

(Arabic prayer)

You are very welcome, dear brethren, [and] dear sisters! Here, you are among your brethren and in your own house and I hope that the Almighty God would make you all successful, help you, [and] guide you, so that, God willing, you would be able to finish the great job that you have undertaken.
The parliamentary union of Islamic countries – which is about a quarter of a century old – enjoys an important position. First of all, you, speakers of parliaments and members of parliaments of Islamic countries, are representatives of [your] nations, [and] this is an important point. Secondly, [and] on the other hand, you are not faced with diplomatic limitations of governments, [and] can put forth the needs of your peoples and Muslim nations and the Islamic Ummah in the world more explicitly and [through adoption of] more serious positions. In my opinion, it is necessary that this important position be used for fulfilling [our] religious and historical duty. We have a big religious duty with regard to the Islamic Ummah – [this is true about] all of us; all those people who have a position in part of the Islamic world; you [are] like this, [and] we [are] like this as well. All of us have a religious duty; that is, Islam and religion have demands from us; first of all [we must] fulfill [that duty].
Secondly, we have a historical duty. As one feels, today, the world is going through important developments; [and] is conceived with important developments. [This is true about] the entire world, not just the regions of Asia or Africa or West Asia in particular. It is felt in all parts of the world that developments are in the offing; a role must be played in these developments. The Islamic world has been dealt a drastic blow at a juncture [of its history]. Following World War I, the Islamic world was torn apart and [certain] people who had no suitability, [and] had no merit became dominant over Islamic countries in West Asia [and] in North Africa; [they gained dominance] without any reason, [and] without deserving it; and its long-term effects lingered in the Islamic world and its blows were dealt [to Islamic countries]. We must not allow such a development and such an experience to be repeated again.
According to the schedule that they have given me, important issues have been put on the agenda of this conference to some of which I will refer later. However, some issues have been neglected and can be brought into the limelight, [including] the issue of Yemen, [and] the issue of Bahrain. These are very important issues and deep and grave wounds on the body of the Islamic Ummah; [therefore,] these [issues] must be resolved. Of course, the issue of Myanmar has been brought up, [and] the issue of Kashmir has been [also] brought up. My recommendation to our faithful and Muslim brethren and sisters is that we must be very outspoken with regard to the basic issues of the Islamic world, [and with regard to] vital issues of the Islamic world. If we were outspoken, we could create a current in the world. We need to create a current in the world’s public opinion and in the minds of the world’s elites. There are facts, [and we] must make these facts public, [and we must] make an effect on the public opinion of people in the world. Do not let them ignore you, and through the conspiracy of silence, push important issues of the Islamic world into oblivion and [do not let] the main issues of the Islamic world be ignored in the public opinion of the world under the pressure of the ballyhoo over secondary and false issues.
This dangerous and horrible propaganda empire of the West, which is mostly being controlled by Zionists, must not be allowed to ignore these important issues of the Islamic world. Now, I refer to some of them. The issue of Palestine is [not only] one of the very important issues, but [also] the most important issue of the Islamic world, [and] these pressures and these problems, which face the Palestinian nation, are totally ignored. In my opinion, it is possible to defeat the Zionist [and] Western media empire; it is possible to do this, [and] we can [do this] provided that all of us persevere. It is also possible to defeat Zionists in the soft war, just in the same way that Zionists were defeated in the hard war. Just as you witnessed, the Zionist regime was defeated in Lebanon, was forced to withdraw [from southern Lebanon], [and] was forced to own up to defeat while everybody thought that this regime was invincible. The Zionist regime and its agents can be defeated in the soft war as well.
There are a few basic issues to which I refer, which of course, all of these [issues] are on the agenda of this meeting. One [of them] is the issue of Palestine. The issue of Palestine must by no means be neglected even for a moment. The issue of Palestine is a very important issue. In my opinion, what has taken place in Palestine during these past 70 [or] 80 years, has no precedent in the entire history; as far as I am informed, I do not know of such an issue to have taken place at any place – not in our own time, nor in times close to ours, nor in any [other] period of history.
What is this issue? The issue is that three events have taken place for a nation. First of all, they usurped its land, [and] occupied it. Well, some territories have been also occupied by foreigners in some other parts of the world, [and] this is not unprecedented. However, in addition to this occupation, they forced a collective exile [on Palestinians], which means that millions of Palestinians are currently [living] in exile. They have been driven out and are far from their own domicile, from their own home, [and] from their own city and country and are not permitted to go there. This is [point number] two; [that is,] a collective, million-strong exile. The third [point is] that these two events were accompanied with a collective massacre. [Zionists] killed a large number [of Palestinians] at the very beginning [of occupation]; they massacred women, men [and] children in cities, [and] in villages; a huge crime against humanity took place.
This is the issue of Palestine; that is, the event of occupation and exile and murder [took place] with regard to a nation, not with regard to a single person or with regard to a limited population. Well, this is an issue, which has no precedent in history. Yes, sometimes, for example assume in some countries, a group [of people] have been moved [and] transferred from one region to another region, but [they are still] inside their own country; not that a nation is driven out of its own country. Now, it has been scores of years that groups of Palestinians, who either themselves or their fathers were expelled from Palestine, are living in [refugee] camps. What does this mean? No such thing has ever happened anywhere in the world. This issue is an extraordinary issue; this is a unique historical tyranny; [and] without a doubt, this is a unique historical tyranny. And we have a duty. I mean, in Islam, all Islamic denominations are unanimous that in such cases, they must enter the arena, defend [the oppressed], [and] defend [them] in any way they can; after all, this is something that must be done.
And I believe that this struggle against the Zionist regime will bear fruit; I believe this. [It is not right] if we think that “[the struggle against the Zionist regime] is of no use anymore and everything is lost;” no, it is not like this. Even though scores of years have passed [since the occupation of Palestine], without a doubt, God willing and with the permission of God, [this struggle] will [finally] bear fruit, just in the same way that the resistance [front] has advanced up to the present time. You just observe. There was a time when the motto of these – Zionists – was “from the Nile to the Euphrates,” [but] today, they build a wall around themselves to be able to protect themselves there [and] in the usurped land. Therefore, the resistance has advanced, [and] will advance after this as well. And [do not forget that] Palestine is an integrated whole, is a country, [and] is a history. As it has been said time and again, Palestine stretches“from the river to the sea;” from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea; this is [the full territory of] Palestine and [the city of] al-Quds is undoubtedly the capital of this Palestine and it is not possible to doubt this essential idea and this truth [in any way]. And this step that now Americans took and are taking, and this person has taken this nonsensical measure toward al-Quds – of course, this person who is now at the helm in America, he is working somehow more frankly, [but] others [before him] also followed this method, [and] they were not different from this one – this [measure] will, without a doubt, fail to bear fruit and they are not able to do what they have said.
Those governments in our own region, which are currently helping America, they are being treacherous; everybody must pay attention to this [point]. This is a clear treachery that somebody would compromise with an enemy like Zionists, [but] would be hostile toward their own Muslim brethren, like what Saudis are currently doing. This is certainly treachery to the Islamic Ummah and the Islamic world. This is the first point.
The second point is the issue of the Islamic unity. We must not allow racial, regional, language, and sectarian differences to create discord among us. I have said this to everybody, I say it today and have always said it. Even those people who have shown clear hostility toward us, we have told them that we are ready to treat you in a brotherly manner. Of course, well, some people cannot do this, [and] this is not possible to do for some governments, but this is our belief that the Islamic world, due to its big population, abundant potentialities, [and] with that extraordinarily sensitive regional position, which it currently has both in Africa and in Asia – both in West Asia and in the center of Asia – [if it becomes united,] without a doubt, unity of this complex can create a big power in the world, which would be effective [as well]. We must create this unity, act synergistically, help one another, [and] send our forces to help one another. These hostilities, which have become common – which [in most cases] are caused by America and Zionists, [because] it is them who are causing discord – must end and we must not let them create a safe margin for the Zionist regime by taking such measures. One of the aspirations of the enemies of the Islamic world is that there would be [all kinds of] differences, fighting, war and bloodletting in the Islamic world in order to create a safe margin for Zionists. We must prevent this and not let [this happen] as much as we can.
The third point and the very important third point is [the need to continue the] efforts to achieve scientific progress. The Western world gained wealth through science, [and] gained international power through science. They made advances in science [as a result of which] they dominated the whole world. However, since they lacked [religious] faith, since they lacked the capacity, they used that science in a wrong way, [and caused] this science to end in oppression and exploitation and colonialism and arrogance. We do not want to do this, but we lag behind in the field of science. The Islamic world must try to help its youth advance in scientific terms. This is possible to do; we have done this here; [and] in terms of [the country’s] scientific ranking, we have greatly elevated our rank. We did all this during the sanctions period [as well]. For long years, we have been under sanctions [imposed] by aggressive powers. [However,] these sanctions helped us be able to achieve prosperity, think about ourselves, remember ourselves, [and] take advantage of our own forces.
In important sectors, we have currently reached the frontiers of science, while we were way behind [in this regard] in the past. In medicine, in nanotechnology, in [the field of] stem cell [production], in nuclear science and in many other sciences, our young people have been able to advance, been able to work, [and] been able to do great things. Today, the [number of] young educated scientists in our country is higher than many [other] countries in the world, or most countries in the world. Therefore, one of the goals, which must certainly be pursued in the Islamic countries, is the issue of scientific progress, and this is possible [to do]. We must also help one another in this regard. [Of course,] some other Islamic countries have fortunately achieved very good progress in this field.
Another point is that we [must] disclose the false claims made by the Great Satan. America is the Great Satan; they have big false claims, [and] these claims must be disclosed. One of these claims is [about] the issue of human rights. [Americans] are against human rights and [despite this fact, they] keep talking about human rights and keep repeating the name of human rights and bring it up while the steps that they take are against human rights. Now, this person who is currently at the helm [at the White House] says such things explicitly. Others who were [leading the United States] before him did [the same things], but not so explicitly. This [new American president] talks in a more explicit and outspoken way. They talk against Africa, against [all other human] races, against Latin America, against all people, against Muslims, [and] against everything. I mean, they take action against human rights, but [at the same time] raise the flag of defending human rights. This [hypocrisy] must be laid bare; [and] this is a big lie, which must be disclosed. Or [another lie] is the fight against terrorism. They claim to be fighting against terrorism. First of all, they themselves defend the terrorist government of Zionists. The Zionist government in the occupied Palestine is a terrorist government, [and] it says this as well. I mean, Israelis themselves do not deny that they achieve their goals through terrorism.
They say this, [and] sometimes they say this quite frankly, but the supporter of this government in the region in the first place, is America. Therefore, [Americans] support this [terrorist government]. Meanwhile, they support other terrorists as well. This Daesh [terrorist group], which had turned into a major problem for some countries in our region, this Daesh was created by Americans themselves; they have owned up to it [and] admitted to it. During his election campaigns, this person [Donald Trump] frequently accused the [US] administration before him of having created Daesh. He was right as well, [and] this is a true statement; they created Daesh. They also kept supporting Daesh and defending it up to quite recent times when Daesh was drawing its last breath in Syria. This is about quite recent times and [is about something that happened] just recently. Therefore, they themselves are supporters of terrorism, [and] they themselves are agent of terrorism, but at the same time, [they raise] the flag of fighting against terrorism. These [false claims] must be disclosed, [and] the world must be made aware of them. As I said before, we must create a current, must impress the opinion of the world’s elites and the public opinion of people across the world [and] make them aware of these realities.
I tell you that those things which we, in the Islamic Republic, discuss and share with our brethren and insist on them, these are the things that we have experienced ourselves; these are steps that we have taken in practice, [and] are not just oral statements. One of the things I insist on and one of my recommendations to groups of my Muslim brethren in meetings like this is that a single resolution and adoption of a resolution must not be taken as the end of the task. [If] you sat in a committee and [took part] in the general assembly of this meeting or that conference and, for example, issued a statement, your work would not be done with this, [because] this is just part of the work. Another part of the work is to follow up on and help realize decisions. Action must be taken.
They waged economic war against us. They understood that economy is important in our country and for long years, have been engaged in an economic war with us; [at the present time,] they have intensified this [war]. This economic war continues today. Sanctions are one part of the economic war against us. Praise be to God, we have not been defeated, have not been brought to our knees and have overcome this problem. God willing, we will overcome it from now on and, God willing, will turn sanctions into a means of achieving prosperity. We consider religious democracy as a cause of growth, and a cause of development, both spiritual development [and] material development. Religious democracy is a very sublime value, of which we have taken advantage for [improving] people’s life in this world and the Hereafter.
And with God’s power and assistance, the Iranian nation has been able, and will be able after this, to thwart the conspiracy of America. From now on, God willing, we will also thwart the conspiracy of America. And I hope this motivation would become so powerful in Islamic countries and among Muslim nations that it would turn the entire Islamic world into a big fist against all plots of the [global] arrogance. I wish success for all of you, [and] once more, I bid welcome to all of you.

Peace be unto you and so may the mercy of Allah and His blessings