The Most Important Problem of the Islamic World

Bait ul-Muqaddas: the main pivot

The main pivot of the al-Aqsa Intifada is Bait ul-Muqaddas [Jerusalem]. In other words, the spark that provoked the anger of the Palestinian people was the Zionists' affront to the al-Aqsa mosque. Having realized their great mission to safeguard the sanctity of one of the most sacred Islamic sites, the Palestinian people entered the arena of struggle against the Zionists. And relying on self-sacrifice, they started the sacred fire of struggle and resistance against the Zionist occupiers.

Liberating Palestine: the goal of discussing the issue of Palestine

Regarding the issue of Palestine, the goal is to liberate Palestine and wipe out the Israeli government. There is no difference between territories occupied before and after the year 1967. Every inch of Palestinian lands is part of Muslims’ homeland. Any non-Muslim and non-Palestinian rule over Palestine is illegitimate rule. As our magnanimous Imam Khomeini said, “Israel must disappear.” If Palestinian Jews accept Islamic rule, they may live in Palestine. It is not a matter of anti-Semitism. The problem is that a Muslim homeland has been occupied. If the heads of Muslim countries were not under the influence of global powers, they could achieve this. Unfortunately, they failed to do so.

Palestine: part of the body of Islam

Of course, they are extremely angry about the conditions that have existed in occupied Palestine over the past three weeks – about the uprising of the youth, about the bravery of Palestinian men and women, about the firm determination and willpower of the oppressed and angry Palestinians – and they are constantly blaming different people for the uprising. The Palestinian uprising was not caused by the Islamic Republic. The Palestinian uprising was not caused by the people of Lebanon. The Palestinian uprising was caused by the Palestinians themselves. The Palestinian uprising and Intifada was caused by the sorrows and sufferings that had accumulated in the young generation who have stepped into the arena with hope and dynamism. Of course, we praise them. We consider them one of our own. We consider Palestine as part of the body of Islam. We feel that the Palestinian people and youth are our brothers. But they are the ones who push the Intifada forward.

The relationship between Palestine and the destiny of non-Palestinians

This is the situation of Palestine. The issue of Palestine is not a joke. It is not something that can be treated lightly. Today the issue of Palestine is the most fundamental issue of the world Islam and it is intertwined with the destiny of non-Palestinians throughout the world of Islam. Government officials of Islamic countries should not think that if they leave the people of Palestine in the brutal clutches of their enemies, Israel would leave Muslim governments alone after it swallows up Palestine – of course, such a thing will never happen.1 Hajj can make the world of Islam conscious of its heavy responsibility. Hajj can make Muslim nations realize that presence on the scene and adopting a decisive position on this issue are intertwined with their own interests. Some people think that supporting the people of Palestine lies outside their national interests. This is a very big mistake. When a Muslim nation does not rely on other nations and their support, it easily becomes the target of the enemy’s transgression. If the world of Islam were united, a Muslim nation would not be oppressed like this. The same thing might happen to other Muslim nations as well, just as it happened to certain nations in certain cases. Islamic solidarity would create problems for the enemies of the world of Islam, for the enemies of the regional nations and for international plunderers. Islamic solidarity would prevent them from attacking an Islamic nation whenever they want and whenever they decide to do so. Therefore, by supporting the Palestinian people, the world of Islam would actually be supporting each and every one of the Islamic countries and this would guarantee the interests of all Muslims countries. This is not a trivial thing. Hajj would provide Muslims with this knowledge, unity and determination. Therefore, the issue of hajj and making use of the entire potential of this great divine obligation is very important for improving the situation of all Muslims and Islamic countries throughout the world. Every effort that is made in this regard and every service that is rendered are valuable.

The war on Palestine: a war on the existence of Islam

Today you can clearly see that an all-out war has been waged against the entire Islamic Ummah and not just a certain part of it. This war has economic, political, cultural, military and security dimensions and it is making use of modern and sophisticated propaganda tools. What you currently see in Palestine, Iraq or Afghanistan is not just a war against one nation and although they are fighting Palestinians, they are in fact fighting a war against the existence of Islam in the region. The reason why the arrogant powers are extending full support to the Zionist regime is because they intend to create serious obstacles to the power and integrity of the Islamic world. Conquering Palestine will provide a gateway to the conquering of the Islamic world. Iraq has currently provided another gateway. They want to dominate the Islamic world.

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The Most Important Problem of the Islamic World Selected Statements by Ayatollah Khamenei About Palestine