Esteemed Ayatollah Khamenei,
Honorable Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, May His Shadow Extend
After greetings and expressing respect,
It is with utmost pride and joy that I congratulate you on the auspicious Eid al-Fitr and wish you a long and blessed life.
Dear Leader, I try my best to follow your speeches and meetings with various social groups from the Islamic Republic of Iran’s media and listen to your remarks.
Today, as per the usual tradition every year, after performing the Eid prayer, amidst the feelings and enthusiasm of the worshippers, you began the sermon for the Eid al-Fitr prayer.
Before the sermon started, the ceremony presenter and the prayer’s announcer introduced you with lengthy titles, as per the long-standing custom.
Dear Leader, do people, and in particular the worshippers, not know you?
Do they not realize in whose leadership they performed their prayers just moments before?
Do you need an introduction? Especially with such titles!!
For instance, one of the titles that is a constant in such ceremonies and always mentioned in your presence, is when they say: “Guardian of the Muslims of the world”
Truly, dear Leader, are you the Guardian of the world’s Muslims?
Approximately one billion three hundred million Sunni Muslims live in one hundred and ninety-six countries worldwide. Are you their Guardian?
Are they aware themselves that you are their Guardian?
Have they accepted you as their Guardian?
Is their acceptance not necessary?
Essentially, what percentage of them even know about you or have heard your name?
On what religious or rational basis are you considered the Guardian of the world’s Muslims?
Let’s put aside the Muslims of the world and turn to the Shia of the world.
Dear Leader; about one-fourth of the world’s Shia are Iranian, and the rest mainly reside in countries such as India, Pakistan, Iraq, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and Lebanon.
Do Shia residing in all of these countries agree on you being their Guardian?
In principle, through what means are your orders communicated to them for them to follow?
Dear Leader, if I were in your place, before the sermon began, I would tell the worshippers that instead of these lofty and lengthy titles, it’s better to call me a servant.
And if you wish to address me with an official title, say the Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran or the Leader of the Islamic Revolution of Iran, and say nothing more, because I do not need these titles.
I wish you a favorable destiny from God.
Your well-wisher,
Mohammad Mahdavifar
Deminer and Diver of the Sacred Defense
16th of Tir, 1395 [July 6, 2016]
Eid al-Fitr Day