Tasnim � Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei said the wave of Islamic Awakening in a number of Muslim countries was weakened because those nations relied on the US and the Zionist regime of Israel.

Speaking at a Quran recitation ceremony held in Tehran on Monday, on the eve of the holy month of Ramadan, Ayatollah Khamenei reminded the audience of the Quranic advice on distrusting the oppressors, saying, �Ignoring the Quranic advice not to trust oppressors is predicament of the people of the world today. They trust the tyrants and they become miserable. We have witnessed that there was some sort of awakening, some sort of enthusiasm among Islamic countries but like a burning flame that is put out by pouring ashes over it, it was extinguished. Because they relied on the US and the Zionist regime. They did not realize what they had to do.�

The Leader further said, �If God the Exalted assist a nation and that nation fails to appreciate that divine assistance, they will be knocked down and slapped across the face.�

Ayatollah Khamenei also described the Holy Quran as a divine masterpiece that attracts the hearts, saying, �The Quran is a matchless artistic work. The first factor in attracting the hearts to Islam like a strong magnet was the artistic dimension of the Quran.�

Hailing recitation ceremonies as occasions to celebrate the artistic aspect of the Quran, the Leader added, �This artistic masterpiece should be performed artistically. When you have an audience and you recite the Quran in a ceremonial manner, you should impress the audience. Here the artistic aspects should play a role. The audience can be impressed by the art. This is what is meant by the recitations we listen to, praise and approve of. Of course on the condition that this artistic recitation is done in a correct way.�

�I have repeatedly advised our friends to recite the Quran in a way that emphasizes the meaning to the audience. For instance, Sheikh Abdul Fattah Shashaey and Mustafa Ismail put proper emphasis on the sentences and words. Some reciters understand what they are doing and they recite in a way as if you are being addressed by the word of God,� Khamenei.ir quoted the Leader as saying.