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Islam
and Islamic Ideology
by Hazarath Ali Khamenei
Leader of the World Muslims
In early days of its advent and even today, Islam has shown -
and still showed - the way to a new world, ensured a
life of abundance, moral rectitude and salvation for mankind.
Before the advent of Islam, in early days of the Islamic community and
today, the main causes of distress and grievance to
man which Islam intends to eradicate, have essentially
remained the same: poverty, ignorance, discrimination, war, insecurity,
and finally incarceration in the prison of materialism and
subjection to evil proclivity.
And Islam is the religion of humanity, moderation, wisdom, and
submission to God just as all religions had evidently
been so before being distorted. As such, Islam has brought
non-extravagant remedies to human pain and suffering in logically
and rationally acceptable ways. Islam beckoned mankind to
remembrance of Allah, to supplication before, and establishment of a
spiritual relationship with the Almighty. Islam has taught man and
commended him to fight evil, aggression, corruption and to
be on constant diligence against vanity, selfishness, and pursuit of
carnal desires.
Islam's principal commandments have taken shape in this way, and
the Islamic program for man's personal, social, moral, and political
life has grown out of these roots.
In Islam, social justice, different types of freedom, equitable peace,
struggle against oppression and aggression, male - female relationship,
relationships between individuals and among
communities, self-edification, innate relationship with the Almighty are
all based on those pillars and are geared toward alleviating the
perennial and chronic afflictions that grip humanity.
Today, too, despite the colorful and congenial veneer of
human life, mankind suffers from the same pains and tribulations that
have beset humanity in the course of history: The majority of people of
the world are poor, while a small minority have access to much of
the wealth on earth. Most nations are deprived of scientific
progress, while a few have used their scientific achievements and
knowledge as means to mete out oppression on others. Wars flare in
nooks and crannies of the world, while many live under the
constant fear of war. All over the world, we observe
discrimination against nations, while there are class differences
within most countries. The Western materialistic civilization bid
everyone to materialism, while love of money, greed, and carnal urges
are presented as the main objectives people should aspire.
Finally, in many parts of the world, candor, truthfulness, altruism, and
self-sacrifice have been replaced by deception, conspiracy,
avarice, jealousy, and other indecent motives.
Compared with the past, progress in science, technology, equipment,
speed, and tools has dramatically transformed the world, yet
man's chronic and age - old pains and afflictions remain the same.
The major problems of today are no different fro those of
the past.
Western liberalism, communism, socialism, and all other -isms have been
put to the test and proved effectual. As in the past, today,
too, Islam offers the sole remedy, cure and is the saving
angel of man. As was the case one thousand four hundred years ago,
today, too, the following call echoes:
Indeed, there hath come unto you light and a clear
Book from Allah; wherewith Allah guideth him who shall follow His
pleasure into the ways of safety and bringeth
them out of utter darkness into light by His will and guideth them
onto the path of righteousness
(Holy Quran, Sura Maidah, Verses 15 and l6)
The important consideration is the observation and recognition of the
true visage of Isla (devoid of any embellishments). The illuminating
visage of Islam has been defaced and defiled in the course of several
centuries by enemies and in even longer span of time
by ignorant and heedless friends. They have deliberately or
ignorantly made additions to or deletions from Islam.
At present, too, an incorrect understanding and self-interests are
still at work from within to tarnish the image of Islam. But
without a shadow of doubt, feeble publicity in this regard is by far
more effective as it tries to embark upon this course in astute
and sly ways.
One instance of the enemies' incessant effort to this end is the massive
bulk of publicity against the Islamic Iran after the establishment of
the Islamic government in Iran. They felt that leveling
accusations and spreading mendacious news would be the most potent way
to stave off the impacts of this grand revolution. They have
uttered such falsities about us and ascribed such things to us that
their words have become repetitive and completely monotonous and boring
for the listeners. The Zionists, the notorious global Zionist
media, and agents of the world arrogance, in particular the
Americans - namely those who have sustained the greatest losses due to
the revolution -- have been and are - most active and vocal in this
area.
Muslim brothers: On this basis, our great task is to understand Islam
and make it better understood and to become more familiar with one
another.
2. The Islamic Ummah
The Islamic Ummah which took shape in Madinat ul - Nabi and
enjoyed astounding and legendary growth in size and quality within a
short span of time was the first political human product of Islam.
In less than half a century after the advent of this auspicious
phenomenon, it treaded almost half the entire territories of the three
large- neighboring and ancient civilizations, namely Iran, Rome, and
Egypt. A century later, it developed brilliant civilization and a
grand and powerful state in the heart of the world which was bordered
the Great Wall of China in the East and the Atlantic Coasts in the West
and the Siberian steppes to the North and southernmost part of the
Indian Ocean to the South.
The third and fourth centuries After Hejira and beyond are embellished
with brilliant civilization whose academic and cultural
achievements can still be traced in the modern world after a thousand
years. When recounting the history of science and civilization,
Western historians overlook and neglect this grand and unprecedented
uprising, transformation, and revolution in science, culture, and
civilization and trace the ancestry of modern sciences from
ancient Greece and Rome to the Renaissance, as though science and
civilization had ceased to exist for a thousand years and were
reborn of a sudden during the Renaissance!
But the truth of the matter is that the Middle Ages was a period of
darkness, ignorance, and consternation only in the West and Europe,
while in the Muslim world that, spanning from Andalusia to China, was
several times larger than Europe, it was a period of
radiation, awakening, and academic sublimation and boom.
This reminder does not mean to boast of the past or lament
the decline of those days. The aim is to underline the fact that
Islam and its life-inspiring knowledge which gave rise to such a
colossal civilization are now at our disposal and warn us:
O you who believe! Answer (the call of ) Allah and
His Apostle when he calleth you to
that which giveth life unto you...
(Holy Quran, Sura Anfal, Verse 24)
Islam has proved that it has the capacity to lead its ummah
toward civilizational and scientific resplendence and political might
and ability. Faith, struggle, avoidance of discord are the only
prerequisites for the fulfillment of this grand objective. The
Holy Quran teaches us:
And be not infirm, and be not grieving, and you
shall have the upper hand if you
are believers.
(Holy Quran, Sura A'Iay lmran, Verse 139)
The Quran also teaches us:
And (as for) those who strive hard for Us, will
most certainly guide them in Our ways; and Allah is most
surely with the doers of good.
(Holy Quran, Sura Ankabut, Verse 69)
It also offers the following instruction:
And obey Allah and His Apostle and do not quarrel for then you will be
weak in hearts and our power will depart, and be patient;
surely Allah is with the patient.
(Holy Quran; Sura Anfal, Verse 46)
Weakness in relation to these three factors has at present plunged the
Islamic ummah into a pitiable sate. At least, over the past
two centuries, persistent and cunning enemies who possessed
prudence and political skill, alongside certain
incompetent Muslim governments in combination with diverse historical
and political factors and conditions have crucially contributed to this
condition and left it to us as legacy of past generations.
Brothers, let us bequeath something more glorious to the posterity.
In studying the external factors that have led to the present condition,
I believe that the assault by the arrogant on the cultural front
is most effective. In our culture, arrogance refers to a power
clique which relies on its political, military, scientific, and economic
power and is inspired by a discriminatory outlook toward mankind
in order to exert pressure on and exploit large groups of human beings,
namely nations, governments, and countries through exertion of
bullying and contemptuous domination, to interfere and intervene in
their affairs, to plunder their assets and wealth, to bully
governments, to oppress the nations, and to insult their cultures and
traditions. Salient examples are colonialism, neo-colonialism, and
recently the extensive and all - out political, economic, publicity, and
even military invasion by former colonizers and their heirs.
All these are carried out in front of the eyes of our nations, which are
tasting their bitter fruits.
In this forceful assault, Western powers have reaped the benefit
of their academic and technological progress and of some of their
national and indigenous features. should not reprimand
only the enemy. Those who pave the ground for the victory of their
enemies and make for their own defeat through shortsightedness,
sloth and love of comfort and self-centricity deserve
to be rebuked as well.
The West, in its all-round offensive, has also targeted our Islamic
faith and character. In the light of its stocks of scientific
tools that everyone needed, the West undertook the massive and
persistent export of laxity and disregard for religion and ethics to us,
a culture with which it is, itself, gripped. Indubitably, this
ethical quagmire will, in not too-distant a day, engulf the
present Western civilization itself and wipe it out totally.
At the present juncture, the world of Islam is in a calamitous condition
because of this hostile onslaught, coupled with the inner factors that
have affected the past generations. Poverty, ignorance, academic
backwardness, moral laxity, and worst yet, the cultural and at times
political domination of its enemies on the one hand and great problems
such as those existing in Palestine, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Iraq,
Kashmir, Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Caucasus, and others on the other hand,
bring governments, political notables and leaders of the Muslim world
face to face with a long list of divine and human
responsibilities.
Today, we should take the initiative. Up to now, the enemy has
always held the initiative, and we have, at most, complained.
In a historical process marked by the enemy's dozens of initiatives,
Palestine has been turned into the personal property of the Zionists.
First, lands belonging to the Palestinians were purchased.
Then the immigrant Zionists were armed. Afterwards, civil war
raged , and Palestine's dismemberment was declared. Then
additional parts of that Islamic and Arab country were conquered and
occupied, and ultimately it was usurped entirely while parts of Egypt,
Syria, and Jordan were also annexed.
Up to this point. the Arab neighbors of Palestine have had the
initiative on only one occasion. And that was the October 1973
attack by Syria and Egypt during the holy month of Ramazan. This
offensive did not achieve its full results because of the
cooperation between U.S. and Israel and the inaction of the
Islamic countries; nonetheless, it was a source of honor for the Arab
front and led to the liberation of a part of the Arab territories.
From then on, the Zionists and their supporters, headed by the U.S.,
have all along held the initiative in chanting slogans of compromise and
acting to consolidate the illegal occupation of Palestine, and they have
driven back their rivals to the utmost distance.
We Muslim governments should have offered more serious assistance to the
frontline states to rescue and save Palestine. In the past, some
of our governments have even covertly worked to the disadvantage of the
frontline states. A prominent example was the government of Iran
during the Pahlavi era. Regrettably, at that time, Iran was a safe haven
for the Zionists and a sincere colleague of the usurping Israeli
regime.
Dear Brothers,
This condition is incompatible with Islamic dignity and far removed from
remedies to the pains and grief of the Muslim ummah.
All Islamic countries should assume their fitting roles in restoring the
rights of the Palestinian people, and the world of Islam should also
move from the state of passivity to a condition in which it can have the
initiative. But these duties are at present carried out
wholeheartedly and with puissance and devotion only by the
faithful and dignified youths of Palestine and Lebanon. Hail to
them!
Our opposition to the so-called Middle East peace process stems from the
belief that it is unjust, arrogant, contemptuous, and
finally, illogical. The imposed principle of "peace for
land" means that the Zionists would return the lands of
neighboring countries, provided that we concede that Palestine belongs
to them. What could be more unjust than such utterances?
What recompense can be offered to the ancient people of Palestine
in this in this deleterious transaction? Ironically, the
Israeli regime considers even this much as inappropriate and
has rejected it!! Isn't the time rife for the world of Islam
to respond to this spirit of arrogance?
If we organize our ties and make them brotherly, we will have power to
do so. What can the U.S. do against the united front of the
Islamic countries, ranging fro Indonesia to North Africa? Today,
global arrogance gains hope and strength through creating discord and
disunity in this front. Is it not time to bolster and strengthen
the ranks in our own favor?
Perhaps the existence of an enemy such as Israel in the heart of the
Muslim lands could have brought us closer ... But the covert hands
of arrogance effaced even this peril from along its way: It did
something to us that right now we fear each other more than fear the
enemy! The temptations, falsehoods, and sly publicity have made
the Islamic countries erroneously and unduly feel intimidated by
one another.
For eighteen years now, the political designer of arrogance have
breathed their poisonous breath to make our neighbors in the
Persian Gulf wary of Islamic Iran which holds the banner of unity and
brotherhood. I declare that Islamic Iran poses no threat to any
Islamic country.
Blessed by the Quranic injunctions, today, Islamic Iran more
than ever desires unity, dignity, and might for the
world of Islam. Thanks to the Islamic faith and notwithstanding
the enemies' publicity ploys, we Iranians have upheld and preserved our
national unity in an unprecedented way and enhanced public involvement
in political affairs contrary to the claims and innate wishes of
our enemies. The brilliant presidential elections this year was an
example of growing public involvement in political affairs.
The government is united and uniform and all our officials are friendly
with one another Confidence and self-reliance are the major decisive
factors in our academic, political, economic, and cultural
efforts. Possessed of this belief in our selves, which Imam
Khomeini taught us, we have been able to reconstruct and rehabilitate a
ruined and backward country left from the Pahlavi era and ruined
even further by an eight year - long imposed war. We witness the
same endeavor in some other brotherly countries as well.
But political dignity and power are of greatest importance. Our nation
and our government have eradicated the influence and intervention of
foreigners from their country by recourse to Islam. Nowadays, the
Islamic ummah is eager for that self-confidence and for this
dignity and independence. And all of us should muster our efforts
to this end. This is an historical responsibility. Today,
the ground is paved for the fulfillment of this duty and for acquiring
dignity, power, and full independence of the world of Islam.
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