In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Merciful...

Dear Muslim Brothers and Sisters, Pilgrims of Hajj,

Assalam Alaykum wa Rahmatullah...

On the day that Ibrahim and his son Ismail (peace be upon them), the great servants of Allah and propagators of tawheed (monotheism), laid the foundation stones of the Ka'aba among remote and arid valleys and foothills, even the most far-sighted eyes could not have foreseen that such a place would turn into the centre of faith and hope, and become the focus of hearts and souls. Today, the Ka'aba is the spiritual centre of the Islamic world and the Hajj is the annual congress of the global Islamic Ummah. This place is the spring of love and hope and also an ocean of trust and integrity, and at the same time it is the meeting point of diverse nations and ethnic groups. The sincerity of its founders, and the blessings of Allah the Almighty have turned that place into such a glorious destination. But does the Ummah make use of this great occasion as it deserves? The answer to this question is appalling and deplorable.

Today, the Islamic world is deeply entangled in old problems. They may be listed as the following ten points: political and religious strife; weakening of ethics and faith; scientific and industrial backwardness; political and economic dependence; over-consumption, lavish life-styles and arrogance in the midst of poverty and hunger; lack of self-confidence and hope for the future among leaders; isolation of religion and its separation from politics and daily life; lack of new concepts and understanding on the basis of the Qur'an; inaction in the face of the western-imposed cultural onslaught; and finally, the collapse of Muslim unity as a result of some political leaders' compromising manners towards oppression, and also their greed.

These chronic conditions, which are all linked together and inseparable, have been created over a period of time through treachery and ignorance. These and the colonialism of internal elements, the enmity and cruelty and satanic oppression by those outside of the fold, have inflicted the greatest blows to the Muslim Ummah. The defeats of the Islamic world are caused by these problems and the only path towards happiness and success is to solve them.

Today the wealth of the Islamic world is plundered. The precious sources of intellectual and cultural heritage are hidden by the propaganda of those who attack Islam. Under the false propagation of cultural attacks, young talents and minds are taken out, or their energy is wasted in political and military conflicts. Carelessness and moral irresponsibility are spread to people's lives, education and sports, using the most advanced means of communication.

The resources of the people are turned to increasing the wealth of inimical oil companies and treasuries. The enemies get fatter each day, while in the heart of the Islamic world and in various parts of Asia, Africa and Europe, the lashes of cruelty of the are felt by millions of Muslims. In Palestine and Lebanon, for example, they burn in the fire of zionist brutality. And yet all these sufferings and hardships fail to move the statesmen and intellectuals of the Islamic Ummah to find solutions for them.

All this is happening even though we are well-endowed with valuable resources. The means and tools for changing the situation are clearly available in all Muslim countries. Today, there is hardly a Muslim country where the youth are not influenced and inspired by strong Islamic impulses. People are now more inclined to keep their faith seriously, and at the same time they are concerned about the existing situation and look for better Islamic perspectives.

The most serious obstacle to the realisation of these aims and the activation of existing potential is that political power in these countries is not oriented towards these aims. In some cases, weakness and dependence, or the dictatorship and suppression by so-called leaders of the people, creates stumbling blocks to the realisation of the Islamic aspirations of the people. They do not see the glory of the Islamic world and its great impact upon universal events, and so each country or people finds itself alone, facing the pressures exerted by the anti-Islamic powers and feeling unable to confront their political onslaughts, propaganda and possible military threats.

On the other hand, the practical and objective experience of the only Islamic political entity of the present era, the Islamic Republic of Iran, has been blurred by thick clouds of hostile propaganda. Huge volumes of audio-visual and printed mass media materials, and thousands of surrogate minds and pens, are working each and every day to distort its realities, magnify its weaknesses or failures, and deny any it any success and progress.

If Muslims understood the great power of Hajj - this important community gathering which takes place every year - a major part of this disappointment and weakness which is burdening the Muslim people would be removed. Hajj can demonstrate the glory and plurality and spiritual supremacy of Islam. It can provide a unique opportunity for the exchange of ideas amongst people and peoples. During the time of Hajj, Muslims can obtain accurate news from their brothers and sisters, and shrug off the hostile propaganda generated by the enemies of the Islamic world. They can use the spirituality of Allah's House to produce concerted and sincere movements that aim to return to Islamic sovereignty and the achievement of glory and independence.

The creation of Islamic sovereignty in Islamic countries is both a massive and inspiring task, and a difficult process. The next stage is to safeguard and nurture the new state, which is a more difficult process requiring more constant effort. Islamic Iran has faced various overt and covert hostilities and, praise be to Allah, it has reached the stage of independence, stability and growth. Of course, hurricanes of enmity, which are created by the satanic centres of arrogance and anti-Islamic forces, still surround it on all sides. This new phenomenon, which could be an example and a model for the temporal world, and challenge US and Zionist interests, has faced the enmity of them and other world-devouring powers.

The list of their hostile acts includes the instigation of ethnic and communal conflicts inside the country, activation of lackeys of the former regime, preparation of a military coup d'etat, persuasion of a neighbouring country to launch a massive attack along a 1,300-km border. Each of these in itself was sufficient to eradicate a national government. However, the Islamic Republic is not only a national government but a foundation created by a people on the basis of their deep faith and beliefs. The war imposed by its treacherous neighbour lasted eight years. America's efforts succeeded in creating distrust and suspicion among some other neighbours and they gave unlimited assistance to the aggressor; and yet it was forced to retreat from our borders exhausted and defeated.

During the twenty-one years of the Islamic Republic, the mass media empires of the arrogant powers have waged a constant propaganda war against us, mobilising the world's public opinion against Islamic government. The American foreign policy apparatus and security organs, using the vast resources of zionist capitalists, built an economic barrier and confronted the Islamic Republic's foreign policy in each and every field. All over the world, scores of terrorist groups and clusters of political mercenaries composed of traitors, aided by money and promises of the enemies, have tried to overthrow the Islamic system. Hundreds of noble martyrs have marked the history of our Revolution, which has endured all possible hardships and moved towards glory.

In sum, for more than twenty years our enemies, led by the US and zionism, have left no stone unturned in their campaign against the newly-born Islamic Republic. But, over the same twenty years, the Islamic Republic has used each and every chance to grow towards stability and maturity. Today, stronger than ever, the Islamic Republic is upholding Islam and Islamic unity and the glory of Islam, which has left our enemies in discord and disappointment. Today, eleven years after the demise of the great architect and founder of this lofty institution, the great Imam Khomeini, the Islamic Republic of Iran is still going forward in the same direction, which was determined by him.

The honour of this stability and power belongs first of all to Islam and its guiding principles, and secondly to the Muslim people of Iran who have striven sincerely in the path of Islam and made great sacrifices to safeguard its achievements. It is obvious that if we, as the responsible officers of the Islamic Republic, had not shown weaknesses and failed in certain areas, today the Islamic Republic would have been much closer to its aims.

Today, as always, the main trick of the arrogant propaganda is to try to show that the Iranian people and Islamic government have strayed from their original aims. This is a satanic lie, aimed at disappointing and weakening those committed to Islamic independence all over the world, as well as the younger generations in our country.

Following the same arrogant tricks, after twenty-one years, now that the Islamic Consultative Assembly's members are chosen in general elections, these enemies are welcoming the arrival of what they call 'democracy' in Iran. Yet they were not ready to recognise the same popular participation of the Iranian people during all the past years of the Islamic Revolution. They cannot accept that the same kind of elections were held four years ago to elect the previous parliament, and also three years ago to elect the president. They are hoping in vain that opponents of Islamic rule, and supporters of the restoration of the domination of the arrogant powers in Iran, will get into positions of power. This is the same misinterpretation and false hope that has so often in the past led the US and its lackeys to failure in their challenge against the great power of Islam and the strong will of the Iranian people.

Relying and trusting in Allah the Almighty, and with deep, unbreakable faith in the divine guiding principles and laws of Islam, and with complete recognition of the people that I come from and I have spent all of my life amongst, I hereby assure all people, friends and enemies alike, that our great people will follow the path of Islam until the achievement of its aims. We are going to demonstrate to all that integrity and growth and progress in material and spiritual fields, and the achievement of lofty human ideals, will only come from observing Islam and the Qur'an in all aspects of life.

The US cannot hope that Iran will return to its domination, or that the desire for noble causes and the sovereignty of Islam are subdued in Islamic countries, or that Palestine will be left to the racist and oppressive zionists without any hindrance, or that they can decrease the wave of hatred toward them which is spreading in the Islamic world.

If this view is generalised among all Muslim states, the glory of Islam will be known all over the world, and the Hajj will return to a real and continuous source of power for Islam, and the natural resources of the Islamic world will be put to the service of Muslim peoples, and the rich and life-saving culture of Islam shall yet have the opportunity to help all humanity. I implore Allah the Almighty to bring that day closer to us; I call upon all respected pilgrims of Hajj to pray for the salvation of Muslims in the world and for divine help to the combatant nation of Iran; and I ask all Iranian pilgrims of Hajj to make more efforts to get spiritual satisfaction, showing self-possession and unity, and to participate in the congregations and add to their spiritual and ethical sources.

Wassalam Alaykum wa Rahmatullah wa Barakatuh ...

Seyyed Ali Khamenei.