Khamenei: The Enemy Seeks to Deteriorate the Economic Conditions of the People

Ayatollah Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, warned the government and other sectors of the regime on Tuesday, September 30, that the goal of the 'enemy' of the Islamic Republic is to 'worsen the economic conditions of the people.' According to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 'the enemy seeks to worsen the economic conditions of the people' of Iran so that ultimately the people become dissatisfied with 'Islam and the Islamic system.' He further emphasized that 'in such circumstances, the duty of the government, parliament, and officials of various sectors, as well as the people, is to plan and act in opposition to the enemy's targeting.' Khamenei did not clarify who he meant by 'the enemy.' Meanwhile, the 'economic conditions of the people' in Iran worsened after the implementation of international sanctions against the Islamic Republic during Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's presidency, which dealt a significant blow to Iran's economy, acknowledged even by government officials. In his speech on Tuesday, which was delivered on the occasion of Eid al-Ghadir, the most important holiday for Shiites, the leader expressed regret that Iranian society is currently 'caught in the ugly phenomenon of extravagance, which manifests itself in various dimensions, including personal lives.' Previously, in July, he had also stated that the emergence of 'ugly phenomena such as illicit gains' is the result of 'promoting elitism, extravagance, and luxury' and urged government officials to take 'decisive actions' to maintain the people's trust, as he claimed 'the decline of people's trust in the system is a disaster.' In another part of his speech, Ayatollah Khamenei condemned 'insulting the great figures of Sunni Islam.' He stated: 'Provoking the feelings of other Islamic sects in the name of Shiism is, in fact, 'English Shiism' and results in the emergence of wicked groups and mercenaries linked to America and the British intelligence service, such as al-Nusra Front.' According to Ayatollah Khamenei, adherence to Islamic belief 'should not be accompanied by provoking the feelings of Sunni brothers, as this is contrary to the conduct of the infallible Imams (peace be upon them).' These statements by the leader of the Islamic Republic come at a time when Sunnis in Iran are deprived of certain social rights, including the opportunity to hold high government positions, and have repeatedly protested against discrimination and insults to their religious beliefs. Meanwhile, Khamenei's stance on this issue comes two weeks after a senior Saudi cleric reacted to Khamenei's recent message regarding this year's Hajj by stating that Iranians are 'not Muslims.' Abdulaziz al-Sheikh, the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia, had said in remarks reported by the 'Makkah' newspaper that Khamenei's statements 'are not surprising,' as Iranians are descendants of 'the Magi.' The Grand Mufti's remarks were published in response to Khamenei's accusation against Saudi officials of 'killing injured pilgrims' in the Mina incident that occurred last year.