Foreign attempts to foment discord between Shiite, Sunni

Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei warned that foreign powers are seeking hard to stir sectarian strife between the Shiite and Sunni Muslims.Speaking in a meeting with the people of Paveh and Oraman in Kermanshah province, Ayatollah Khamenei referred to the efforts of foreigners to foment discord between Shiite and Sunni Muslims and stressed, "The main goal of the divisive actions of the enemy is to prevent the Islamic Republic from becoming a successful role model in the eyes of other nations." His Eminence said that Shiite and Sunni Muslims share religious and ideological beliefs and that they have common interests. He added that the enemy is trying to reach its hegemonic goals by denying or discounting what Muslims have in common. Ayatollah Khamenei said that persistent and vigilant resistance is the only way of defeating the spiteful enemies of Islam and the Islamic Ummah. Addressing Muslim nations, he stressed, "Stand up against the enemy in a firm way just like the Iranian nation, otherwise they will become more insolent. And after separating Shiite from Sunni, they will definitely start fomenting discord among different Sunni denominations." The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution said that the admiration of the regional nations for the people of Iran is a good opportunity to increase Iran's influence over public opinion in the world of Islam. He added, "The great and wise people of Iran have turned into a standard for credibility in the minds of other nations. And this is to the advantage of both the Iranian nation and the regional nations." His Eminence pointed out that the Iranian nation and the Islamic Republic do not claim leadership of the regional nations, and added that every nation chooses its path by relying on its own capacities and identity. He stressed that the regional nations admire the Iranian nation because of its achievements over the past 32 years.