In a recent address to Muslim scholars, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei claimed that The Islamic State, commonly known as ISIS or ISIL, is the product of the U.S., U.K. and Israeli intelligence services. ISIS is the latest takfiri (referring to Muslims who accuse other Muslims of apostasy) movement, not unlike others that have risen up in previous centuries, according to Khamenei. He argued that ISIS is only Islamic on the surface, and that its operations actually align with U.S., European and Israeli goals in the region. Khamenei also warned that sectarian conflicts are mistakenly distracting Muslims from the fight for Palestine and damaging the reputation of Islam worldwide.
The following are video clips and excerpts of his address to the World Congress on Extremist and Takfiri Movements, which gathered more than 600 Muslim scholars from some 80 countries held in Tehran in late November.
First, the purpose of this congress is attending to the issue of takfirism which is a harmful and dangerous orientation in the world of Islam. Although this takfiri orientation is not new and although it has a historical background, it is a few years now that it has been revived and strengthened with the plots of arrogance, with the money of some regional governments and with the schemes of the intelligence services of colonialist countries such as America, England and the Zionist regime.
The purpose of your meeting, your congress and your movement is to confront this orientation in a comprehensive way. The purpose is not to confront what is known today as ISIS. The orientation which is known as ISIS today is only one of the branches of the malevolent tree of takfirism, not the whole of it. The corruption - this act of destroying people and shedding the blood of innocent individuals - that this group of people is involved in is only part of the crimes of takfirism in the world of Islam. We should adopt this outlook towards the issue.
I am sorry from the bottom of my heart that today, we have to focus our attention on the problems that arrogance has created in the world of Islam. This is while we should focus all our energy on confronting the plots of the Zionist regime and the move that they made against Holy Quds and al-Aqsa Mosque. This should move and stimulate the entire world of Islam. However, there is no other option. In fact, attending to the issue of takfirism is something that has been imposed on the ulama, activists and scholars of the world of Islam. The enemy has brought this to the world of Islam as a custom-made product and problem. Therefore, we have to attend to it. However, the main issue is the issue of the Zionist regime. The main issue is the issue of Quds. The main issue is the issue of the first qiblah for Muslims which is al-Aqsa Mosque. These are the main issues.
There is an undeniable point which is the fact that the takfiri orientation and the governments which support and advocate it move completely in the direction of the goals of arrogance and Zionism. Their work is in line with the goals of America, the colonialist governments in Europe and the government of the usurping Zionist regime.
Certain signs confirm this claim. The takfiri orientation is Islamic on the face of it, but in practice, it is at the service of the great colonialist, arrogant and political orientations that are working against the world of Islam. There are clear signs which cannot be ignored. I would like to mention a few of these signs: one is that the takfiri orientation managed to make the movement of Islamic Awakening deviate from its path. The movement of Islamic Awakening was an anti-American and anti-arrogance movement which was against the elements that America had installed in the region.
Another sign is that those who support the takfiri orientation compromise with the Zionist regime so that it fights against Muslims. They do not even frown at the Zionist regime, but they deliver all sorts of blows to Islamic countries and nations and they hatch all sorts of plots against them.
Another sign is that the seditious movement which the takfiri orientation launched in Islamic countries - including Iraq, Syria, Libya, Lebanon and other countries - has led to the destruction of the valuable infrastructures of these countries. Notice how many roads, refineries, mines, airports, streets, cities and houses have been destroyed in these countries. Notice how long it takes and how much money is necessary for these countries to go back to their prior conditions. This has happened as a result of domestic wars and fratricide. These are the losses and the blows that the takfiri orientation has delivered to the world of Islam since a few years ago until today.
Another sign is that the takfiri orientation damaged the reputation of Islam in the world and it painted an ugly picture of it. Everyone in the world saw on TV that someone is made to sit on the ground and they behead them with a sword without charging him with any crime: "Allah forbids you not - with regard to those who fight you not for your faith nor drive you out of your homes - from dealing kindly and justly with them: for Allah loves those who are just. Allah only forbids you - with regard to those who fight you for your faith, and drive you out of your homes, and support others in driving you out - from turning to them for friendship and protection. And whoever makes friends with them, these are the unjust" [The Holy Quran, 60: 8-9].
These people did the exact opposite of this. They killed Muslims and innocent non-Muslims and the pictures were broadcast all over the world. The whole world saw this. These acts were done in the name of Islam.