Speech [Differences between Shi`ah and Sunnis]

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

The issue of the discord between these two groups and these two sects has its roots from the advent of Islam. At the time, Umayyad caliphs, in particular the Abbasids intended to cause division. They used to set up assemblies and fan the flames of discord. These differences gradually caused the Sunni and Shi`ah common people to become arrogant and compete with each other. However, the Sunnis neither complied, nor are complying, with the traditions of the Messenger of God, nor have the Shi`ah abided by the teachings of their pure Imams. Our infallible Imams made efforts to integrate them into that society, to say prayers with them and attend their burial ceremonies. Little by little, the situation took on a different turn, and the powerful clique did this to keep these two sects occupied (with their differences) and do whatever they want.

Approximately three hundred years ago, foreign policies were implemented in Iran and the East. They began to think about these matters. Their experts made a study of individuals and tribes, and observed the people's morale. They delved into their material concerns from every angle and tried to take advantages of them in two ways: material benefits, which they have already done, and spiritual ones in which they have exacerbated these differences and distanced us further from each other. When you see that whenever a word is spoken by someone, they call attention to it and print thousands and hundreds of thousands of copies, does not mean that this is done by an ordinary individual, but it is done by these (previous) governments and aliens who would exacerbate the differences and publish them in such a way ...

We are one; we are not separate. The difference is in belief; this should not cause us to differ on the basics of Islam. Islam is a lot loftier than these meanings that we, for example, do not know what to do because of the difference in creeds. When we see that Islam is in jeopardy, it is incumbent upon all of us to join hands and desist from committing our past mistakes. We should sever the hands that are scheming to separate us.

I hope that with the efforts of you scholars on one side and we the seminarians on the other, we will be able to resolve the differences, although we, ourselves have our differences: the disparity between the Akhbaris and the marja` at-taqlid is one instance of this, and between the Sufis and the ritualist, another instance; and also recently between parties or between academicians and the clergy. They (alien powers) added fuel to these differences in order to keep us occupied with such matters and disgrace all of us, loot our wealth and cause our spirituality to fritter away. However, now the nation has awakened both in your and our parts, thank God, by the blessings of your very existence, and, here, by the blessings of the clergy. I hope that God will grant health to all of you. Convey my regards to the Kurdistani and Balouchi gentlemen. I am a servant of all of you. We are ready to deliver Islam from this adversity and rescue the Muslims from this disunity. May you be successful, God willing.