لطفا منتظر باشید ...
Imam
Khamene'is Friday Prayer about Al-Quds
(15.12.2000)
Ayatullah Ali Khamenei, the Leader of Islamic Revolution, has
said that the only acceptable formula for resolving the Palestinian
issue is for the original people of Palestine to return to their
homeland and decide the shape of their nation and government.
Ayatullah Khamenei, who was delivering the Tehran Friday prayer
khutbahs on 15th December, called on all Muslim nations to perform
their religious duty and send aid and assistance to the
Palestinians. "They must not be abandoned to struggle in the arena
alone," he said. The following are excerpts from the khutbah,
delivered one week before the International Quds Day [Yamul
al-Quds], which is commemorated every year on the last Friday of
Holy Month of Ramadan.
In the Name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate...
The main subject of my second khutbah is Palestine. And the
reason is that Palestine is the main issue of the Islamic world. The
mischief there affects all the Islamic community, and countries that
are close to the center of the problem, such as Islamic Iran, should
be aware of the situation. Both the Zionists, who have usurped
Palestine, and their supporters claim that the situation in
Palestine is an internal issue only related to the usurping Israeli
government. This is not the case. This is not an internal issue at
all. Even if a single person had not stood up inside Palestine the
Islamic world would have remained the enemy of the Zionists and
their supporters because of the very issue of Palestine. The
situation is even more central now because the people of Palestine
have stood up and have knowingly entered the scene.
Palestine is the main issue of the Islamic world. Palestine is a
part of the Islamic territory, and all the Islamic doctrines agree,
all the jurisprudents agree that if a part of the Islamic territory
is separated from the mainland by the enemy and if the enemy
establishes its rule in that territory, all the Muslims have a duty
to fight for the return of that territory to the Islamic mainland
[worshipers chant Allahu Akbar].
The Muslim people, Muslim nations, wherever they may be in the
world, feel duty bound to do something. But many of them cannot take
any action. However, anyone who is capable should take action and
they do so. For the same reason you see that the entire Islamic
world welcomes the Quds Day. Our late great Imam [Khomeini]
decelared that the last Friday of Ramadan should be marked annually
as Quds Day. This year we shall mark the occasion next Friday [22
December]. You shall see that this year the entire world of Islam
will commemorate Quds Day more gloriously and more strikingly than
ever before, God willing [worshipers chant Allahu Akbar]...
The important point is that the Palestinian people and
particularly the younger generation in Palestine have realized the
truth. Which truth? The truth that if they want to overcome
weakness, humiliation, shame and the pressure that they are being
subjected to they have to stand up and fight. The solution is not
found at negotiation tables because you saw how the negotiators
failed. The Palestinian people have understood this truth.
At the same time, the behavior of the Zionists has been so
barbaric and so far removed from human conduct and compassion that
it has distressed the younger Palestinian generation beyond measure,
beyond patience. The Zionists may think that if they show even more
force, if they use artillery shells, if they use their tanks, if
they use chemical weapons they will silence the people. Yes, of
course, they might increase the pressure and they might silence the
people for a while. But they will not be able to remove the anger
that is piling high in the hearts of the people. These feelings
cannot be destroyed. A thunder will bring down all their castles.
They will not be able to destroy this movement. This is the first
point: The people and the young people have woken up.
The second point is this: This uprising has brought chaos to the
calculations of the usurping Zionist government. Why? Because the
foundation of their calculation is based on the idea that the
Palestinian people no longer have the strength, the temper or the
will to fight. After all the initial pressure, after expulsion of
more than half of the Palestinian people, after all these years
Israel thought Palestinians no longer have the strength, the will or
the enthusiasm to stand up and fight. This was their calculation.
But their calculation was wrong. Their premise was wrong. When the
very people who live in Palestine - and not merely the Palestinian
organizations abroad, in Lebanon or Jordan, but thousands of people
living in the various regions of Palestine - are determined to stand
up to the system, the climate of security and the promised land
which they had imagined and tried to create by dragging
non-Palestinian immigrants and Jews from the various parts of the
world is destroyed.
Their calculations have not worked out. That is why their
government has had to resign. They were forced to do so out of need.
Those who applied the greatest pressure for the resignation might
think that they should apply even more force and bring a more
ruthless government to power. This is how they might be thinking.
But they are wrong. They are mislead. This is no small matter. It is
a grave issue related to the fate of the Islamic world and the fate
of all Islamic countries, particularly those that are close to this
corrupt and dangerous tumor.
In this month of Ramadan the Zionists committed all the
atrocities that they could manage. Small children, even as young as
one-year old, youngsters, teenagers, old men and even handicapped
people have fallen in these events...
Despite all this the Americans continue to support them. Despite
all this the American senators and politicians and their political
experts continue to express clear support for them. Well, let them
do it. It is their choice. This is their policy. This is their
essence. Their essence is to support such corrupt, evil and ruthless
people. We don't expect anything more from them. However, the people
of the world should learn from these events. Our nation,
fortunately, is well aware of the situation. The people of the world
who have always heard the Americans talk about human rights, the
rights of the majority and - in their own words - democracy, should
see the truly ugly face of American policies in the mirror of
Palestine [worshipers chant Death to America]. . .
There is an acceptable and fully humanitarian formula, and that
is, the original people of Palestine - and not the people who came
to Palestine from other regions of the world - the people of
Palestine, wherever they may be in the refugee camps and elsewhere,
they should go back to Palestine and determine the shape of their
own government which should comprise their own people. Of course, it
is obvious that no Palestinian, be it Muslims or not - and the
dominant majority of the Palestinians are Muslims - or Christians
and Jewish, there is a small minority of Jews and Christians live
there, anyway no Palestinian would ever be happy or would permit a
gang of loiterers from London streets, members of suppressed Jewish
families from Moscow or the American thugs to come to Palestine and
form a government. They would not allow rule by gangs who once upon
a time were wielding knives and daggers and their greatest
achievement was the ability to batter and kill their opponents
brutally and behave in a manner which pleased the Zionist and Jewish
capitalists. It is obvious that the nation of Palestine will not
allow such gangs to rule in Palestine. The Islamic world will not
allow such a thing either.
This formula is a formula acceptable to the world. Those powers
that claim to believe in the people's vote and democracy are
welcomed to this formula. Very well, this is an example of a
democratic gesture.
The land of Palestine, this piece of land, has after all had some
people living in it. These people are still alive. Several million
of them are living there and several other million live outside,
that is, in Lebanon, Jordan and other regions. They can all gather
there in Palestine and elect their own government. This is a very
appropriate method.
It is clear that the Zionist regime which is ruling today and any
other Zionist government has no right to survive and rule in the
region of Palestine and in the land of Palestine [worshipers chant
Allahu Akbar]. We would like to point out to our dear Palestinian
brothers, who are facing hardship in that place, that if they were
to remain steadfast and patient, they would receive divine rewards
and they would achieve victory. Victory will always follow patience
and endeavor in the service of God. "God will grant victory to those
who assist Him". There is no doubt about this. Therefore victory
will be realized. They the Palestinians must remain patient and must
tolerate hardship.
We call on all Islamic states and Muslim nations to perform their
religious duty. Today all nations and governments are duty bound to
send assistance to this oppressed nation and this community of
believers. They the Palestinians must not be abandoned to struggle
in the arena alone. They must be helped. And help is being offered.
We hope that these offerings will reach the right destination and
will be effective to reduce some of the pains of Palestine's people,
God willing. We beseech Almighty God to eliminate the problems
facing Islam, the Muslims and the people of Palestine.
"In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful. When the
help of Allah comes and victory, and you see people enter Allah's
Religion in crowds, celebrate the praises of your Sustainer and pray
for His forgiveness: for He is Ever Turning One Towards Repentance."
