Sayyid Ali Khamenei
(8th of Azar, 1394 - 29th of Nov, 2015)
To the Youth in Western Countries,
The bitter events brought about by blind terrorism in France have once again, moved me to speak to you young people. For me, it is unfortunate that such incidents would have to create the framework for a conversation, however the truth is that if painful matters do not create the grounds for finding solutions and mutual consultation, then the damage caused will be multiplied.
The pain of any human being anywhere in the world causes
sorrow for a fellow human being. The
sight of a child losing his life in the presence of his loved ones, a mother
whose joy for her family turns into mourning, a husband who is rushing the
lifeless body of his spouse to some place and the spectator who does not know
whether he will be seeing the final scene of life- these are scenes that rouse
the emotions and feelings of any human being.
Anyone who has benefited from affection and humanity is affected and
disturbed by witnessing these scenes - whether they occur in France or in Palestine
or Iraq or Lebanon or Syria.
Without a doubt, the one-and-a-half billion Muslims also
have these feelings and abhor and are revolted by the perpetrators and those
responsible for these calamities. The issue, however, is that if today’s pain
is not used to build a better and safer future, then it will just turn into
bitter and fruitless memories. I genuinely believe that it is only you youth
who by learning the lessons of today’s hardship, have the power to discover new
means for building the future and who can be barriers in the misguided path
that has brought the west to its current impasse.
It is correct that today terrorism is our common worry. However it is necessary for you to know that
the insecurity and strain that you experienced during the recent events,
differs from the pain that the people of Iraq, Yemen, Syria and Afghanistan
have been experiencing for many years, in two significant ways. First, the Islamic world has been the victim
of terror and brutality to a larger extent territorially, to greater amount
quantitatively and for a longer period in terms of time. Second, that
unfortunately this violence has been supported by certain great powers through
various methods and effective means.
Today, there are very few people who are uninformed about
the role of the United States of America in creating, nurturing and arming
al-Qaeda, the Taliban and their inauspicious successors. Besides this direct support, the overt and
well-known supporters of takfiri terrorism- despite having the most backward
political systems- are standing arrayed as allies of the west while the most
pioneering, brightest and most dynamic democrats in the region are suppressed
mercilessly. The prejudiced response of the west to the awakening movement in
the Islamic world is an illustrative example of the contradictory western
policies.
The other side of these contradictory policies is seen in
supporting the state terrorism of Israel.
The oppressed people of Palestine have experienced the worst kind of
terrorism for the last sixty years. If
the people of Europe have now taken refuge in their homes for a few days and
refrain from being present in busy places- it is decades that a Palestinian
family is not secure even in its own home from the Zionist regime’s death and
destruction machinery. What kind of atrocious violence today is comparable to
that of the settlement constructions of the Zionist regime?
This regime- without ever being seriously and significantly
censured by its influential allies or even by the so-called independent
international organizations- everyday demolishes the homes of Palestinians and
destroys their orchards and farms. This
is done without even giving them time to gather their belongings or
agricultural products and usually it is done in front of the terrified and
tear-filled eyes of women and children who witness the brutal beatings of their
family members who in some cases are being dragged away to gruesome torture
chambers. In today’s world, do we know
of any other violence on this scale and scope and for such an extended period
of time?
Shooting down a woman in the middle of the street for the
crime of protesting against a soldier who is armed to the teeth- if this is not
terrorism, what is? This barbarism, because it is being done by the armed
forces of an occupying government, should not be called extremism? Or maybe
only because these scenes have been seen repeatedly on television screens for
sixty years, they should no longer stir our consciences.
The military invasions of the Islamic world in recent years-
with countless victims- are another example of the contradictory logic of the
west. The assaulted countries, in addition to the human damage caused, have
lost their economic and industrial infrastructure, their movement towards
growth and development has been stopped or delayed and in some cases, has been
thrown back decades. Despite all this,
they are rudely being asked not to see themselves as oppressed. How can a country be turned into ruins, have
its cities and towns covered in dust and then be told that it should please not
view itself as oppressed? Instead of enticements to not understand and to not
mention disasters, would not an honest apology be better? The pain that the Islamic world has suffered
in these years from the hypocrisy and duplicity of the invaders is not less
than the pain from the material damage.
Dear youth! I have the hope that you- now or in the future-
can change this mentality corrupted by duplicity, a mentality whose highest
skill is hiding long-term goals and adorning malevolent objectives. In my opinion, the first step in creating
security and peace is reforming this violence-breeding mentality. Until double-standards dominate western
policies, until terrorism- in the view of its powerful supporters- is divided
into “good” and “bad” types, and until governmental interests are given
precedence over human values and ethics, the roots of violence should not be
searched for in other places.
Unfortunately, these roots have taken hold in the depths of
western political culture over the course of many years and they have caused a
soft and silent invasion. Many
countries of the world take pride in their local and national cultures,
cultures which through development and regeneration have soundly nurtured human
societies for centuries. The Islamic
world is not an exception to this.
However in the current era, the western world with the use of advanced
tools is insisting on the cloning and replication of its culture on a global
scale. I consider the imposition of
western culture upon other peoples and the trivialization of independent
cultures as a form of silent violence and extreme harmfulness.
Humiliating rich cultures and insulting the most honored
parts of these, is occurring while the alternative culture being offered in no
way has any qualification for being a replacement. For example, the two elements of “aggression” and “moral
promiscuity” which unfortunately have become the main elements of western
culture, have even degraded the position and acceptability of its source
region.
So now the question is: are we “sinners” for not wanting an
aggressive, vulgar and fatuous culture? Are we to be blamed for blocking the
flood of impropriety that is directed towards our youth in the shape of various
forms of quasi-art? I do not deny the importance
and value of cultural interaction.
Whenever these interactions are conducted in natural circumstances and
with respect for the receiving culture, they result in growth, development and
richness. On the contrary, inharmonious
interactions have been unsuccessful and harmful impositions.
We have to state with full regret that vile groups such as
DAESH are the spawn of such ill-fated pairings with imported cultures. If the matter was simply theological, we
would have had to witness such phenomena before the colonialist era, yet
history shows the contrary.
Authoritative historical records clearly show how colonialist confluence
of extremist and rejected thoughts in the heart of a Bedouin tribe, planted the
seed of extremism in this region. How
then is it possible that such garbage as DAESH comes out of one of the most
ethical and humane religious schools which as part of its inner core, includes
the notion that taking the life of one human being is equivalent to killing the
whole humanity?
One has to ask why people who are born in Europe and who
have been intellectually and mentally nurtured in that environment are
attracted to such groups? Can we really
believe that people with only one or two trips to war zones, suddenly become so
extreme that they can riddle the bodies of their compatriots with bullets? On this matter, we certainly cannot forget
about the effects of a life nurtured in a pathologic culture in a corrupt
environment borne out of violence. On
this matter, we need complete analyses, analyses that see the hidden and
apparent corruptions. Maybe a deep
hate- planted in the years of economic and industrial growth and borne out of
inequality and possibly legal and structural prejudice- created ideas that
every few years appear in a sickening manner.
In any case, you are the ones that have to uncover the
apparent layers of your own society and untie and disentangle the knots and
resentments. Fissures have to be sealed, not deepened. Hasty reactions is a
major mistake when fighting terrorism which only widens the chasms. Any rushed
and emotional reaction which would isolate, intimidate and create more anxiety
for the Muslim communities living in Europe and America- which are comprised of
millions of active and responsible human beings- and which would deprive them
of their basic rights more than has already happened and which would drive them
away from society- not only will not solve the problem but will increase the
chasms and resentments.
Superficial measures and reactions, especially if they take
legal forms, will do nothing but increase the current polarizations, open the
way for future crises and will result in nothing else. According to reports received, some
countries in Europe have issued guidelines encouraging citizens to spy on
Muslims. This behavior is unjust and we
all know that pursuing injustice has the characteristic of unwanted
reversibility. Besides, the Muslims do
not deserve such ill-treatment. For
centuries, the western world has known Muslims well- the day that westerners
were guests in Islamic lands and were attracted to the riches of their hosts
and on another day when they were hosts and benefitted from the efforts and
thoughts of Muslims- they generally experienced nothing but kindness and
forbearance.
Therefore I want you youth to lay the foundations for a
correct and honorable interaction with the Islamic world based on correct
understanding, deep insight and lessons learned from horrible experiences. In such a case and in the not too distant
future, you will witness the edifice built on these firm foundations which
creates a shade of confidence and trust which cools the crown of its architect,
a warmth of security and peace that it bequests on them and a blaze of hope in
a bright future which illuminates the canvass of the earth.
Additional Info:
The Sun Will Rise - Why West ignores Israeli acts of terror
Video Source: Press TV
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Important Links:
Source: Letter by Sayyid Ali Khamenei
Read Ayatollah Khamenei's first letter to the youth in the
west here.
Video Link: Max Igan - Mike Harris - Iran Leader Sends 2ndOpen Letter to Youth in Europe & North America
For an alternative perspective on emerging World News visit Press TV
Proof of the US being Responsible for Terrorism in the World
There was a Policy coup in the USA in 2001 called “The
Project for the New American Century” or P.N.A.C. that continues to this day.
Very Important info here --> General Wesley Clark tells of howMiddle East destabilization was planned as far back as 1991 – and about a
meeting he had at the Pentagon in Sept 2001, where he was told the US was going
to war to take out 7 countries in 5 years (Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Libya,
Somalia, Sudan, and Iran)
Mainstream Media is controlled and not giving you investigative journalism or the truth
911
Yes, tell me again how 3 buildings fell at nearly free fall
speed on Sept 11th, 2001 and that two planes did it magically by defying the
laws of Physics…
Additional Info:
Turkey works with ISIS Terrorists
US Pushes for War against Russia
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