In his Qods (Jerusalem) Day address to worshipers at the main Friday prayers at the Tehran University campus, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad talked about the establishment of Qods Day by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, said that the "black box" of the Holocaust must be opened, and declared that Palestine was the Islamic world's most important issue. [1]
Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami alleged in his Qods Day sermon that the Zionists have nothing to do but to slaughter innocent women and children and harvest their organs. He added that "Obama's treacherous peace plan is worse than all other Palestinian peace agreements," and stated that the key to the Palestine problem was the Islamic Republic System.
Check the MEMRI Iran Blog (http://www.thememriblog.org/iran/ ) today for the latest reports on Qods Day in Iran.
The following are summaries of the sermons. [2]
Ahmadinejad in Address: Qods Day Opens Way for Honor, Freedom, and Dignity for All Nations
Qods Day - A Day of Unity For Iranian Nation, Muslims, And Human Community
In his address, President Ahmadinejad said that World Qods Day is the beginning of the salvation of the Palestinian people and of all human beings from the hegemony of the world arrogant powers.
He said that Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini's initiative some 30 years ago to establish Qods (Jerusalem) day had opened the way of honor, freedom, and dignity for all nations. Qods Day, he said, is the day of unity for the Iranian nation, for Muslims, and for the human community against all corrupt and oppressive powers. He thanked God that Qods Day had become an important and decisive day for all the world's people, and added that today it is an international event.
The World Has Divided Into Two Parts
The world has divided into two parts, he said, with all freedom and justice seekers and monotheists standing in one part, and all hegemonic powers and international criminals in the other. He stated that the Iranians and most nations are familiar with the history of the Zionist regime. "The plans for the formation of the [Zionist] regime had been drawn up before the World War I to rule all material and intellectual sources of the world," he said.
After World War I, he explained, Britain misused the negligence of the regional nations and Muslims to dominate the Palestinian territories, and then prepared the ground for storming the criminal Zionists to the region. He said that the Zionists, under the pretext of buying farms and lands, had occupied most parts of the Palestinian lands by force, terror, and violence.
He said that World Qods Day is the day of unity of the community of human beings against the corrupt and tyrannical powers.
The Black Box of the Holocaust Must Be Opened
President Ahmadinejad added that the Holocaust black box should be opened. "Our call over the past four years has been if the Holocaust claimed by the Zionist regime and its allies is true, why they (Zionists and westerners) do not allow any research on it?"
He said that research on everything is free, but the Holocaust is the key to a sealed fact and black box.
"When the event is important enough for a land to be occupied, for a war to be waged, for millions of people to be killed, injured, and made homeless, for thousands of families to be ruined and for the Middle East to be kept under the shadow of insecurity - why should the black box not be decoded, so that facts and realities are revealed to all?"
Palestine is the Islamic World's Most Important Issue; "The Pretext for Establishing the Zionist Regime is a Lie"
He said that Palestine is still the most important issue of the Islamic world. "We do believe that if war is waged in Iraq and Afghanistan, it is because of Zionists' provocation. If Sudan is suppressed it is because of Zionists' temptations. Zionists are behind all the conspiracies of the arrogance and colonialism. They do not allow the main factor of excuses for Palestine occupation be examined and surveyed."
"The pretext for establishing the Zionist regime is a lie - a lie which relies on an unreliable claim, a mythical claim, and the occupation of Palestine has nothing to do with the Holocaust."
Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami in Sermon: Zionists Have Nothing To Do But Harvest Innocent Palestinians' Organs; Key to Palestine Problem - Islamic Republic System
Sacred Defense Week - An Outstanding Part of the History of Iran's Islamic Revolution
In his sermon for Qods Day, Tehran Interim Friday prayer leader Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami said that Sacred Defense Week, which is next week, is an outstanding part of the history of Iran's Islamic Revolution. He said that the Sacred Defense has various messages for the people: "The first message is that those who follow their Imam in all aspects of their lives are invincible."
"The Notion of Jihad and Martyrdom Helped People During Imposed War"
He continued, "It was the notion of jihad and martyrdom that helped people during the Imposed War (the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war), and this is the second message of the Sacred Defense Week." He added that aristocracy and capitalism are against Jihad and martyrdom.
Ayatollah Khomeini's, Iran's Support of Palestinian Cause Rooted Deeply In Religion
Pointing to the world Qods Day, Ayatollah Khatami said, "The late Imam Khomeini and the Islamic administration's support of the Palestinian cause is not a matter of politics but has deep roots in religion." He explained, "The first religious basis of the support of Palestine is that the Holy Koran refers to Muslims as a united body."
"Second is that our school of thought is based on defending the oppressed against the oppressor. The God who has introduced this school is the one who fights oppression," Khatami added.
The Zionists Have Nothing To Do But Slaughter Innocent Women and Children and Harvest Their Organs
Khatami referred to the Zionists as those who had nothing to do but to slaughter innocent women and children and harvest their organs. He added, "One year has passed since that war in the Gaza Strip, but the whole area is still under siege, and food or medical aid is barred from entering the area." He also slammed those Arab leaders who keep silent about Israel's atrocities, and called them accessories to the Zionist crimes in the Gaza Strip.
"Obama's Treacherous Peace Plan Worse Than All Other Palestinian Peace Agreements"; Key to Palestine Problem - Islamic Republic System
"Obama's treacherous peace plan is worst than all other Palestinian peace agreements, such as Camp David, Oslo, Madrid, or Sharm Al-Sheikh," Khatami said.
He added that the key to the Palestine problem is only the concept of the Islamic Republic system, and said, "All Palestinians should go to polls and decide on their political system."
Endnotes:
[1] IRIB (Iran), September 18, 2009. The original English text has been lightly edited for clarity.
[2] IRIB (Iran), September 18, 2009. The original English text has been lightly edited for clarity.
