Friday speeches Ramadan 24 1426 H, October 28 2005 A.D

Today is the last Friday in the month of Ramadan because the Eid according to accurate astronomical calculations is next Thursday, based on our juristic ruling that is originated from the possibility of seeing the moon in the countries that we share part of the night with . And in this occasion, we ask Allah to make it a happy and blessed day full of victory for all the believers and the downtrodden.

Today is also the Jerusalem day that is meant to remind all people of Jerusalem being a symbol of all Palestine… Palestine that was usurped by the Jews, supported by international plots of America, Europe and several other countries that legalized the Jewish usurpation of Palestine through a UN resolution. Moreover if they have considered Jerusalem as a debatable issue, they tended to follow the Israeli point of view.

Therefore, we need to keep the anniversary of the fall of Jerusalem in mind to liberate it in the future provided that the Muslims become strong enough to do that.

In this respect, we have also to remember our Imam, Ali bin Abi Talib (a.s), who lived all his life with the people and for the people. He struggled to give the people a mind like his, a heart like his, and a righteousness like his. He wanted to raise the people to the level that draws them near God, so that they will unify God, the most exalted, and obey Him.

When he was in his mosque in Kufa, and even when he was in Medina, He used to give sermons in which he preached and warned for he was responsible for succeeding the Messenger (p.) in preserving Islam as well as running the affairs of Muslims.

Ali (a.s.) was the only companion who had all the knowledge of Islam; He says: "The Messenger of Allah taught me 1000 branches of knowledge; from each one thousand doors were opened for me".

The Messenger (p.) said: "I am the city of knowledge and Ali is its door; who wants to enter the city should come through the door".

That is why we saw that after the death of the Prophet (p.) , Ali (a.s.) did not have to ask anybody about anything, for he knew all thought and knowledge. One of the Arab famous linguists, Al-khalil bin Ahmad says when he was asked "why do you prefer Ali (a.s.)”: "He needs nobody and everybody needs him, proving that he is the Imam of everybody". Everybody used to need Ali, while he needed no one . People from other religions used to come to the caliphs and ask them, but more often than not they used to send them to Ali (a.s) because they could not find an answer, and that is how the saying that "Had it not been for Ali (a.s.), Omar would have been doomed" came to be.

In this age, we are in need of Imam Ali (a.s) who should always be present with us in his knowledge as well as his sacrifice dedication and all the other traits of his personality.

He says in the context of teaching people how to learn Islam when they read the Quran and to understand it.

"Allah the most Exalted says: As for those who say: Our Lord is Allah, then continue in the right way, the angels descend upon them, saying: Fear not, nor be grieved, and receive good news of the garden which you were promised. Show us the straight way ,to His worship
You have said: "Our Lord is Allah". Then keep steadfast to His Book, to the way of His command and to the virtuous course of . Thereafter do not go out of it, do not introduce innovations in it, and do not turn away from it, because those who go away from this course will be cut off from (the mercy of) Allah on the Day of Judgment. You said so which means that Allah is your reference in religion and in every thing you do or say, since he is the one who decides on everything and the only one who knows what will happen in the future, worship Him and do not ascribe any partners to Him in all your actions . Beware from destroying your manners and changing them, maintaining one tongue. A man should controls his tongue because it is obstinate with its master. By Allah, I do not find that fear of Allah benefits a man who practices it unless he controls his tongue. Certainly the tongue of a believer is at the back of his heart while the heat of a hypocrite is at the back of his tongue; because, when a believer intends to say anything, he thinks it over in his mind. If it is good he discloses it, but if it is bad he lest it remain concealed. While a hypocrite speaks whatever comes to his tongue, without knowing what is in his favor and what goes against him.

The Prophet of Allah – peace and blessing of Allah be upon him and his descendants – said: "The belief of a person cannot be firm unless his heart is firm, and his heart cannot be firm unless his tongue is firm". So whoever of you can manage to meet Allah, the Sublime, in such a position that his hands are unsmeared with the blood of Muslims and their property and his tongue is safe from exposing them, he should do so.

This is the line of righteousness in which are stand in each prayer to say: Show us the straight path, The path of those upon whom Thou hast bestowed favors. Not (the path) of those upon whom Thy wrath is brought down, nor of those who go astray. And we also read His saying: Verily, this is My way, leading straight: follow it: follow not (other) paths: they will scatter you about from His (great) path: thus doth He command you. that ye may be righteous

And this is what we have to educate ourselves on in this month.

Israel still acts as if did not withdraw from Gaza. It tries to thwart any attempt to reach an agreement with the Palestinians over the crossing points, and the road that links between Gaza and the Western Bank, because it acts out of a deeply rooted inner hatred against the Palestinians, which is in turn a part or the historic Jewish complex against the Arabs and Muslims.

In addition, Israel continues to assassinate the Intifada militants and leaders as well as its invasions of the cities and towns of the West Bank, and the raids whether by air or by artillery on Gaza that target schools and charity organizations, killing civilians including children women and the elderly, it relies on very weak and false excuses, we have not heard any condemnations, whether by the US or any European state, despite the fact that these actions violate the ceasefire the Palestinians have agreed to abide by.

In acting in this way, Israel went to prove that the Palestinian problem is one of security and a political one. Thus, justifying its refusal to enter in the final status negotiations before destroying the Intifada infrastructure, which means a civil war between the Palestinians allowing Israel to win the war without having fight.

Thus, the Palestinian operations were in retaliation to the assassinations of their leaders. In this respect, the martyr operation of Khudaire is a message to the enemy that his aggression will not remain without punishment. Yet we find that the major powers, and even the Palestinian Authority have condemned this operation and considered it an act of terror, without studying its reasons, for these countries, with America in their forefront, believe that Israel has the right to eradicate the Palestinians while they don't have the right to defend themselves, with all the talks about human rights, and freedom notwithstanding.

It is the American racism that intersected with the Israeli one. This is what we saw in the latest meeting between the American president and the head of the PA, when Bush postponed the establishment of the Palestinian state into a time that lies beyond his presidency.

In the meantime Israel would have finished building its settlements and its separating well leaving the Palestinians with nothing to build their state on.

The Americans and their allies have created the notion of fighting terrorism to fight any resistance against occupation or any struggle for freedom.

They practice state terrorism and claim that it is legitimate in the name of freedom and democracy while they wish to destroy popular democracy and political and economic freedoms.

On the international day of Jerusalem, we notice that most Arab and Muslim countries are rushing towards Israel as a result of the America pressure on them. We are afraid that the conspiracy of Judizing Jerusalem and the Aqsa Mosque in particular have already begun, under the pretense of allowing the Jews to pray there… Faced by this, If the Muslims respect their Islam, they should start planning on how to confront this plot and protect their sacred shrines that represent their Islamic identity, since Jerusalem is the sacred symbol of Muslims and Islam.

As for Iraq which is still living in a river of blood spilled by the terrorism of the apostators, it is still living under a state of political division along sectarian lines, to the extent that Iraqis no longer feel their unity and the feeling of sectarianism is being implanted deep into the Iraqi national fabric, making the problem one between the Sunnis and the Shiites and not between the Iraqis and the occupation, although it is known that this occupation interferes with all aspects of Iraqi political life depriving the state from any real freedom to run its affairs, despite all the formalities that try to prove otherwise.

We call on the Iraqis to rise to the level of the current challenges to pursue their freedom and independence. They should expel the occupier out of their country in every possible means; they should know that the occupier has never been, and will never be, a savior of nations. It only seeks to serve its interests which, by definition, runs counter to that of the nation.

America, and Britain, have sunk in the Iraqi quagmire as a result of the people's resistance.

They now suffer from their own public opinion that demands withdrawal from Iraq, since the war was not legitimate. It was built on a big lie and did not gain international legitimacy. It has also cost them a lot of losses.

The Iraqi people should cling to their Islamic and national unity, no matter how deep the potential political differences are, since this is the only way to win their freedom.

The US plans, along with those of France and Britain, aim at serving American's own interest by exploiting complications in Lebanon to put pressure on the region, especially Syria, that is pressurized to stop supporting the Intifada and expel the Mujahideen and consider them as terrorists.

It is also being asked to support the American occupation of Iraq and accused of interfering in Lebanon's domestic affairs, as well as other unattainable conditions.

Washington was trying to impose unattainable conditions on Syria, after Damascus was officially accused of interfering in Lebanon's domestic affairs.

The Lebanese should be aware that the central issue of the U.S. policy in Lebanon is not for Lebanon's interest, freedom and independence, but it the disarmament of the Resistance and the tangling of Palestinian refugee camps for Israel's interests. Lebanon is being used as a pressure card against Syria… (the U.S.) is mobilizing all of its pressure to serve its wide strategy.

Therefore, we have to study those plans in the light of the American and French interests and not the Lebanese. And we have to engage in a serious national dialogue to study the political and security situation in Lebanon, and particularity the country's relations with Syria, aiming at strengthening the historic relations between the two countries.

We appreciate the political figures rejection of the proposed sanctions on the Syrian people, since that will turn into a big problem for Lebanon. However, everybody agrees on the necessity to punish the criminals, whoever they are , but provided that there is substantial evidence against them .

There are many challenges and risks ahead for the region due to the U.S. Israeli alliance, which does not abide by international resolutions concerning Israeli terrorism.

However, this U.S. – Israeli alliance is currently focused on issuing resolutions against countries in the Arab world, particularly Lebanon and the Islamic state of Iran.