TEHRAN – Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has declared that it is the Islamic Ummah's duty to stand in solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza, who are facing brutal oppression and mass killings at the hands of the Israeli regime.

Ayatollah Khamenei made the remarks on Monday during a meeting with a group of scholars, Friday prayer leaders, and directors of Sunni theological schools across the country. 

The gathering was held at the outset of Islamic Unity Week, during which the birthday anniversary of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is also celebrated by Muslims. During this gathering, Ayatollah Khamenei highlighted the critical need to safeguard the invaluable identity of the Islamic Ummah and emphasized the significance of unity among Muslims, while cautioning against the efforts of adversaries seeking to undermine this essential solidarity.

“The issue of the Islamic Ummah's identity is a fundamental one that transcends nationality, and geographical borders cannot alter the reality and identity of the Islamic Ummah,” he stated. 

Ayatollah Khamenei pointed out that the malicious efforts to make Muslims indifferent to their Islamic identity are “contrary to Islamic teachings, which hold that a Muslim should not be oblivious to the suffering of another Muslim in Gaza or other parts of the world.”

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution urged Sunni scholars to rely on Islamic identity and the Islamic Ummah while pointing out the longstanding plans and activities of ill-wishers who aim to fuel religious differences in the Islamic world, especially in Iran. “They seek to separate Shias and Sunnis in our country and other Islamic regions using intellectual, propagational, and economic tools. They incite anger and discord [among Muslims] through measures such as pressuring individuals from both sides to speak ill of each other,” he noted. 

Ayatollah Khamenei emphasized that relying on unity is the solution to counter these conspiracies, stating that unity is not a tactic but rather a Quranic principle.

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution expressed regret regarding certain intentional or unintentional actions aimed at undermining the unity between Shia and Sunni communities. 

"Of course, despite the multitude of conspiracies, our Sunni community has diligently countered these hostile motives, as evidenced by the 15,000 Sunni martyrs [who sacrificed their lives] during the Sacred Defense and other periods, as well as the martyrdom of a significant number of Sunni scholars in the path of the truth and the Revolution,” he remarked.

Ayatollah Khamenei underscored that achieving the important goal of upholding the Islamic Ummah’s honor can only be realized through unity. “Today, it is definitely our duty to support the oppressed people of Gaza and Palestine. Anyone who neglects this duty will surely be questioned by God,” he said.

During this meeting, Mawlavi Abdul-Rahman Chabahari, a Sunni scholar from Sistan and Baluchestan province and the Friday Prayer Leader of Chabahar, Mawlavi Abdul-Rahim Khatibi, a Sunni scholar from Hormozgan province and the Friday Prayer Leader of Qeshm, and Mamosta Abdul-Salam Imami, a Sunni scholar from West Azerbaijan province and the Friday Prayer Leader of Mahabad, expressed their appreciation for the unity-promoting approaches of the Islamic Republic and the Leader of the Islamic Revolution as well as Ayatollah Khamenei’s support for the Sunni community. They underscored the importance of reinforcing the foundations of unity and leveraging local capacities, particularly in Sunni-majority regions, to foster national progress. They also regarded the issue of countering extremist and Takfiri movements as a necessity.