TEHRAN – On Friday, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei described the occupation of Palestine as the gravest catastrophe that has befallen the Islamic Ummah in contemporary history, saying, “The current era is the era of Islamic awakening, and Palestine is the focus of this awakening.”
In the opening speech of a conference in support of the Palestinian people in Tehran, he said that the Palestinians have experienced every kind of oppression for nearly 60 years.
“They have suffered homelessness, oppression, which they met with resistance, and isolation. They have witnessed the destruction of their homes, the massacre of their loved ones. They have resorted to international organizations, futile political deals, useless negotiations with the occupiers, and intermediaries who themselves prolonged the Palestinians’ suffering.
“The outcome of these historical experiences brought the new generation of that nation to the summit of freedom and awakening and caused the volcano of the Intifada.
“And the other side (Israel) followed a different approach by committing cruel atrocities, massacres, destructive acts, and military aggression against neighboring countries, while using the slogan ‘from the Nile to the Euphrates’… but they suddenly encountered the lion of Palestine and the Intifada,” the Leader said.
Elsewhere in his remarks, he stated, “Today, the global arrogance, led by the U.S. President, directly threatens the Islamic world and talks of crusades. The Zionist network and the U.S. and British intelligence agencies are carrying out conspiracies in the entire Islamic world and are sponsoring and encouraging insults to the sanctities of Islam and even the Holy Prophet of Islam. Thousands of movies, computer games, etc. are made to portray Islam as a horrible religion.
“All this, coupled with their aggression against Islamic countries and the killings in Palestine, Iraq, and Afghanistan are aimed at meeting their illegitimate political and economical interests.
“Today, 60 years after that painful beginning (the establishment of the Israeli government), the righteous front in Palestine, with new hopes and a faith that has attracted new generations, becomes more and more powerful each day and imposes military and political setbacks on the enemy, both in Palestine and Lebanon.
“The evil front is suffering from dissension, doubt, and perplexity following its frequent withdrawals, and since it lost its false hopes. Its main ally, the United States, is facing insolvable problems in the Middle East and faces growing animosity among regional countries and the nations of the world. “Israel’s slogan ‘From the Nile to the Euphrates’ has been reduced to a slogan of security within the walls it has built around itself, and they know no other way to fight the Palestinians than to use tanks, bombs, prisons, and bulldozers. These are the methods they have used over the decades, but the Palestinian nation will become even more resistant than before.”
The Islamic world has awakened, the Supreme Leader said. “The slogan of Islamic rule has gained a high status among the youth, academics, and intellectuals of all Islamic states. “Islamic Iran, which has nurtured the idea of religious democracy, becomes stronger and more advanced every day. The concept of pure Islam, which was introduced by the late Imam Khomeini, has been extended in the political domain of various countries and has found roots in the eastern and western parts of the Islamic world.”
Ayatollah Khamenei noted that Musl1m nations want to attain freedom, progress, and dignity under the banner of Islam. “Musl1m nations are fed up with the 200-year-old foreign and colonial domination and the poverty, misery, and backwardness that have been imposed upon them.”
Today, the entire Islamic world should consider the issue of Palestine its own issue, he stressed. “Palestine should be returned to the Palestinians, and a single Palestinian government elected by all Palestinians should govern the country.”
“Exaggerating its power is one of the tricks that the enemy uses,” the Supreme Leader said. “Money, political or military force, and modern warfare can only frighten governments that lack national support. Gaining military domination over the regime of Saddam Hussein, which lacked national support and also possessed a faithless army that did not know anything about jihad, is not a sign of the aggressor’s power.”
The U.S. has not been able to defeat the Iraqi nation, he added.
“Iraq has challenged and mocked U.S. claims of democracy and power. “Governments that rely on their people will never face defeat if they have faith in God and in themselves and remain resistant. Enduring the hardships of jihad will deliver victory to them and eliminate the false idea of the invincible enemy.”
Ayatollah Khamenei noted that the U.S. conspiracies against Iran, Syria, and Lebanon, which are meant to facilitate its domination of the Middle East under the leadership of the Zionist regime, will never be victorious and will only lead to disastrous consequences for U.S. officials. “If the U.S. administration accidentally attempts to pursue wisdom and have a conscience, it should accept the Iraqi nation’s elected government, respect the government that the Palestinian nation chose, restrain its rebellious and evil ally, the Zionist regime, immediately release the innocent prisoners in Guantanamo, Abu Ghraib, and its other secret prisons, bring an end to its conspiracies against Syria, Lebanon, and Iran, and avoid creating tension in the Middle East and Persian Gulf regions through its ignorance.”
Palestinian tragedy haunts humanity:
president President Mahmud Ahmadinejad also addressed the conference, saying that today the Palestinian cause is not just a problem of the Islamic world but an issue for the whole human race. “The tragedy of occupation in Palestine and daily crimes have damaged human dignity.”
It is not just Palestine and the Islamic world which have been affected by the Zionists but a great portion of the West’s economic and political interests have been taken hostage by the Zionists.
Because of the Zionist occupation, a large amount of Islamic regional countries’ capital and manpower have been spent on maintaining their defenses and years have been spent defending their countries, he noted.
The bullying powers are trying to prevent regional countries from making scientific and technological progress because they view their progress as a threat to the security of the decaying regime (of Israel), he added.
Iran committed to Palestinian cause
Meanwhile, in an address to the conference, Majlis Speaker Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel extended his congratulations to the Palestinian people, their elected representatives, and their government on the victory of Hamas in the parliamentary elections.
The Iranian nation declares with honor that it is committed to the Palestinian cause, he added.
