Hawzah News Agency - Imam Khamenei, the leader of Islamic republic of Iran in his official website discussed about what Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said to Christians of his time.
His opinion about this subject is as follows:
When Islam dominated non-Muslim regions, the followers of other religions were grateful to Muslims for their Islamic mercy. They told Muslim rulers that they treated them more kindly than those who ruled them prior to Muslims...
God, the Wise, has said, "O people of the Book, let us come to a common word between us and you that we will worship none except Allah, that we will associate none with Him, and that none of us will take others for lords besides Allah.” (Qur’an 3:64)
Dialogue between the intellectuals and scholars of the two religions, Islam and Christianity, is a good action. When it leads to both sides taking a common position with regard to the most vital human issues today, it is useful and fruitful too. Undoubtedly, one of these issues that should be dealt with is “opposition to the presence and spread of spirituality in human beings’ lives.” This opposition is a hasty, confused response from the world's political and economic powers, who are equipped with wealth, advanced tools of propaganda and destructive, deadly weapons. [Apr. 20, 1993]
The main target of the arrogant powers is Islam. They are seeking to subvert this religion. This is something that everybody should bear in mind. There exists no difference to them between the Shia and the Sunni. They feel threatened by any nation or community or any individual that firmly adheres to Islam. They are justified in feeling threatened since Islam indeed does pose a threat to the domineering goals and hegemonic objectives of the arrogant powers. However, Islam poses no threat whatsoever to non-Muslim nations.
The arrogant powers are insinuating the opposite in their negative propaganda. By using artistic and political means and through their media they are insinuating that Islam is hostile to other nations and to other religions. This is not true. Islam is not antagonistic toward other religions.
When Islam dominated non-Muslim regions, the followers of other religions were grateful to Muslims for their Islamic mercy. They told Muslim rulers that they treated them more kindly than those who ruled them prior to Muslims. When Muslims conquered Syria, they showed kindness toward the Jewish and Christian residents of the region.
Islam is the religion of kindness. It is the religion of mercy. It is a blessing for the entire humanity. Islam tells Christianity that "come to an equitable agreement between us and you" (The Holy Qur'an, 3: 64). It stresses the commonalities that they share.
Islam is not hostile to other nations or to other religions. Islam is opposed to compulsion, oppression, arrogance and domination. Those seeking predominance over nations and the oppressors and arrogant powers are trying to portray the opposite of this reality to the world by utilizing all their resources, from Hollywood and propaganda means to arms and weapons and military forces.
Islam and the Islamic awakening pose a threat, but only to arrogant powers. Wherever they notice this threat, they make it the target of their attacks. It does not matter to them whether this threat emanates from the Shia or from the Sunni.
The arrogant powers' attitude and behavior toward the Palestinian Hamas is the same as their attitude and behavior toward the Lebanese Hezbollah; the first is Sunni and the second is Shia. The attitude of the global arrogance toward faithful and committed Muslims living in any part of the world is the same, and it does not make any difference to arrogant powers whether those Muslims are Shia or Sunni.
Now is it wise for Muslims to engage in tribal or ethnic or sectarian disputes and waste their energy and forget that their common enemy is seeking to destroy them all? [Apr. 6, 2007]
Discord is the deadly poison of the world of Islam. It separates nations from one another. It separates hearts from one another. In the present time, the enemy and the intelligence services of Israel and America are provoking a group of people in Iraq to confront and fight against Shias who form the majority of the people in Iraq. Today, the majority of the government is formed by Shias. They try to create insecurity in Iraq and they use this insecurity as a tool to enter Iraq and strengthen their position in Baghdad. America needs an excuse to stay in Iraq and this excuse is insecurity. They create insecurity in the country so that the government of Iraq cannot render the necessary services and so that they find the excuse to stay.
It is they who create discord. They make Sunnis and Shias bear such a grudge against one another that they cannot join hands despite all their common values. This is being done by the enemy. Why do we not understand this truth? It is many years now - since the time of the late Ayatollah Boroujerdi (may God bestow paradise on him) and a number of great Sunni personalities in Egypt - that the idea to put aside differences has been developing. These personalities have been saying, "Sunnis should remain Sunnis and Shias should remain Shias. Everyone should adhere to their beliefs, but they should join hands with other Muslims". The Holy Quran quotes the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) saying to the Christians of his time, "Come to common terms as between us and you that we worship none but Allah and that we associate no partners with him" [The Holy Quran, 3: 64].
This is while Muslim denominations use many differences of opinion to show enmity to one another despite the fact that they have the same God, the same Prophet, the same Quran, the same qiblah and the same acts of worship and despite the fact that they have common points. Is this not treachery? Is this not an ulterior motive and negligence? Anyone who makes a mistake in this regard should answer to Allah the Exalted whether they are Shia or Sunni. [Aug. 8, 2006]
Syyed Ali Khamenei,
The supreme leader of Islamic republic of Iran