TEHRAN (Iran News) – Ayatollah Khamenei started the speech by congratulating the birth anniversary of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and Imam Sadigh (PBUH) to the Muslim world and the human community.

The Leader said he will talk about the three topics that have coincided on this day namely, the birth anniversary of the Prophet, the start of Unity Week, and the US Embassy Takeover.

French magazine’s insult to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)

He condemned the French Magazine for reprinting insulting cartoons of the Prophet of Islam.

“Today, the main enemies of Islam are the Arrogant Powers and Zionism. The last manifestation of their enmity was the Paris incident. It is not just about one caricaturist committing a wrongdoing. Arrogant Powers and Zionism support this. That’s why they speak in defense of such acts.”

The Leader described the French President’s support for the cartoons as ‘outrageous’. French government harbors savage terrorists who killed Iranian politicians and people and now claims to be a supporter of human rights and freedom of speech, he said.  “The French government relates insulting the Prophet to freedom. This government backed Saddam in his war on Iran and gave refuge to the world’s most savage terrorists, MEK, who killed 17,000 Iranians. Defending a caricaturist’s viciousness and supporting terrorists are two sides of the same coin.”

“Following the insults to the Prophet, the Islamic nation is filled with rage and objections. From the east to the west of the Islamic world, many Muslim officials and people have defended the Islamic identity and Prophet’s noble personage, which shows the Muslim communities’ vitality.”

This is the indication of the ‘savagery’ of the West while they try to cover this feature using technology, he said.

Need for unity among Muslims

Stressing the necessity of the Muslims’ unity, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution said, “Today, we can clearly understand how important the Imam’s (Khomeini’s) message of unity is. The incidents that have taken place today, the various disagreements between Islamic countries and the horrible incidents, which have occurred in some regional countries, help us understand how important the unity of the world of Islam is.”

Elsewhere in his statements, Imam Khamenei stated, “What has happened today in the world of Islam, particularly in the Middle East region, is truly catastrophic. They have caused the issue of Palestine to lose color. They started a treacherous, contemptible move to normalize relations with the Zionists. All these stem from a lack of unity in the world of Islam. For the sake of appearances and based on their corrupt, wrong motives, some countries adopted this indecent course of action. By doing so, they violated the Palestinian nation’s rights. Of course, this issue will not come to an end. They are too small to stop this movement. No, the Palestinian cause will continue and Palestine will become Palestine once again. The fake Zionist regime will perish. There is no doubt about this.”

US Presidential race

Noting that presidential rivals are accusing each other of extensive fraud in the election, he said the US political system is suffering a serious decline. He also said that Iran enjoys calculated policies that will not change with a change in US Government. “No matter who wins the US elections, it won’t affect our policy toward the US. Some people talk about what will happen if this or that one is elected. Yes, certain events may happen but they don’t concern us. Our policy is calculated and clear.”

“The US regime suffers from severe political, civil, and moral deviations. This is what their own analysts say. Such a regime won’t last long. Of course, if certain people hold office, they speed up its destruction, while with others it may take a little longer.”

Highlighting the need to focus on domestic capabilities to boost the country’s economy, he noted that the economy should not be tied to the developments of another country and the solution to problems is not outside the country.

Nagorno-Karabakh conflict

Elsewhere in his remarks, Ayatollah Khamenei called for an immediate end to the war between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. He noted that Azerbaijan is ‘entitled’ to liberate its occupied territories while highlighting that the security of Armenians living in the region should be ensured.

Terrorists should not be stationed near Iranian borders and that if Iran feels a threat, it will adopt a decisive response, he warned.

“The war between our neighbors, Azerbaijan and Armenia, is a bitter event and must end as soon as possible. Of course, Azerbaijani land seized by Armenia should be freed and the safety of its Armenian residents must be secured. If terrorists approach the Iranian border, they’ll be dealt with severely.”