TEHRAN— On the occasion of the anniversary of the first Friday prayers organized after the Islamic Revolution in 1979, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei met with Friday prayer leaders from across the country on Wednesday.

During the meeting in the Imam Khomeini Hussainiyah, the Leader explored the identity of the Western civilization, noting, “The core of the identity of Western civilization is separation of religion from progress. The Islamic Republic of Iran has invalidated this 200 to 300-year-old claim. The Islamic Republic started with the slogan of religion and it has progressed. This has enraged the West.”

He went on to say that the Western powers are a mafia. 

“The reality of this power is a mafia. At the top of this mafia stand the prominent Zionist merchants, and the politicians obey them. The U.S. is their showcase, and they are spread out everywhere,” Ayatollah Khamenei underlined.