Thursday, June 30, 2011

Regional movements, anti-US, anti-Zionist in nature

Regional movements, anti-US, anti-Zionist in nature
2011/06/30 - 16:47


Islamic Revolution Leader Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei in a meeting with Iranian authorities and a large group of people Thursday congratulated the auspicious Eid of Mab'ath, the appointment of Last Messenger of Allah Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) to his divine mission, and described the appointment as the greatest blessing of God and the day as the most blessed day of year.

Ayatollah Khamenei said the current Islamic awakening was a movement in the path of the Messenger and that Muslim nations would not allow Americans and Zionists to divert the great movement or ride it through sowing differences.

The IR Leader said the 23-year mission of the Last Messenger left a determining, profound and progressive effect on the history and fate of human being, adding that the Messenger (PBUH) during the short period of his mission founded a society based on faith, rationality, jihad and dignity to which human civilizations are indebted.

Ayatollah Khamenei said the problems of the past and present of the Islamic Ummah were due to Muslims' ingratitude towards the blessing, adding that if Muslim nations enhance their faith in heart and practice, cherish human rationality, pursue jihad in political, military, economic and cultural fields and value their human dignity, they would certainly attain their deserved position.

Ayatollah Khamenei said the current developments in the North Africa and the Middle East showed the Muslim nations have paid attention to the blessing of Islam. "The Islamic awakening in Egypt, Tunisia and other countries show that the oppressive equation the west and their puppet rulers had imposed on the regional nations in the past 150 years has been collapsed and a new era has opened in the history of the regional nations," Ayatollah Khamenei said.

The IR Leader said the future of the regional developments were bright, adding that the arrogant powers were trying to deny the reality and hide the Islamic aspect of the developments. "Americans, Zionists and their followers in the region have been using all their capacities to divert the great movement of the nations and re-impose the previous oppressive equations by bringing to power their puppet elements; However, once a nation is awakened and stands by the field, it could no more be defeated," Ayatollah Khamenei said.

Ayatollah Khamenei urged the world of Islam to keep vigilance against the efforts and complicated plans of the US and the Zionist regime against the nations, adding however that the Islamic awakening would remain in place.

The IR Leader touched on different plots of the enemies of Islam against the Islamic Revolution, including discord, infiltration, assassinations, sectarian and religious differences, and imposition of war against the nation, adding that the Global Arrogance would repeat the plots or similar ones against the awakened Muslim nations.

Ayatollah Khamenei said the Muslim nations can defeat the plots by avoiding argument over trivial issues, avoiding sectarian and religious differences and understanding the significance of the historical movement.

Ayatollah Khamenei underscored Iran's support to any justice-seeking and anti-Arrogance movement, adding that anywhere, a movement takes place against the US and Zionism and any nation which rises up against the US international dictatorship and internal dictators it would enjoy the support of the Iranian nation.

Ayatollah Khamenei then warned that the US, in a complicated plot, tries to create problems for Syria, as a country belonging to line of regional resistance, by simulating the developments of Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen and Libya in the country. The IR Leader said the Syrian incidents were different in nature from other regional developments.

The Islamic Revolution Leader said the nature of regional Islamic awakening was anti-US and anti-Zionist while in Syria, the hand of the US and Zionists was clearly seen. "The logic of the Iranian nation is that anywhere slogans are chanted in favor of the US and Zionists, that is a deviant move," the IR Leader said.

Touching on the innocence of the Bahrain nation, Ayatollah Khamenei said the Bahraini people's movement was similar to the Egyptian, Tunisian and Yemeni movements. Ayatollah Khamenei regretted that some individuals were following the wishes of enemies of Islam instead of heeding the wishes of their nations.

http://www.leader.ir/langs/en/index.php?p=contentShow&id=8268

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Leader: Media avoid unfounded accusations

Leader: Media avoid unfounded accusations
2011/06/27 - 19:20


Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei said on Monday that media are not allowed to publicize charges against individuals before being convicted.

Ayatollah Khamenei made the remarks in a meeting with senior judiciary officials.

IR Leader said that the charges being brought against individuals does not necessary mean the occurrence of an offence and it requires proceedings by judiciary officials.

Leader of the Islamic Revolution said that prestige of the individuals must be respected and that defendants may be cleared of the charges by the court of justice.

Elsewhere in his address, Ayatollah Khamenei said that public trust in the Islamic Republic requires to respect prestige of chiefs of the three branches of government --the Executive, Legislature and the Judiciary.

Ayatollah Khamenei said that it is illogical to cast doubt on the reports being delivered by the chiefs of three branches of government.

IR Leader acknowledged the services of the three branches of government and said that challenging the reports about the services and activities and statistical figures for political rivalry would damage the public trust and it is harmful to the national interest.

In the meantime, Ayatollah Khamenei marked anniversary of terrorist operation by the terrorist grouplet of Mujahedeen Khalq in 1981 which martyred 72 senior officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran including the chief justice Ayatollah Mohammad Beheshti.

The Iranian devoted people are to attain their prime goals and always ready to deal with bullying powers, colonialists and dictators, underlined the Leader of the Islamic Revolution.

IR Leader commended services of the judiciary to restore law and order and examine various crimes including the campaign against drug and arms traffickers, corrupt people, and those accused of harassing females.

http://www.leader.ir/langs/en/index.php?p=contentShow&id=8254

Sunday, June 26, 2011

West in fear about a Libyan Islamic gov't

West in fear about a Libyan Islamic gov't
2011/06/26 - 16:08


Islamic Revolution Leader Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei said in a meeting with Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir Sunday that the ongoing popular movements in the region were a start to a major change in Islamic countries. He expressed hope a strong Islamic alliance would form in the near future in North Africa.

Ayatollah Khamenei expressed pleasure with the Islamic awakening in Egypt, Tunisia, and Libya and said the popular movements were against the wishes of the West and the Zionists. The IR Leader urged vigilance against any western efforts which aim to divert the natural route of the popular movements.

Ayatollah Khamenei said the West could reap no fruits from the regional developments in the short run however Muslims must keep alert about any deviation in the movements.

Ayatollah Khamenei then highlighted the Egyptian developments. "US and Zionist regime's bastion in Egypt has collapsed; The US and certain puppet regimes of the region are now trying to divert the track of movements to a destination otherwise," the IR Leader said, adding that history has shown individuals and revolutionary movements might lose their initial mood in the pass of time.

Turning to the Libyan developments, Ayatollah Khamenei expressed concern about the trend of developments in the country, adding that the Libyan movement has been a genuine popular uprising while the west is hell bent on blocking the path of people to victory.

"The west is in fear about possible formation of an Islamic government in Libya at the doorstep of Europe," Ayatollah Khamenei said.

Concerning the Sudanese developments, Ayatollah Khamenei said the Islamic Republic of Iran supports the Islamic government and the nation of Sudan which are determined to safeguard their independence, Islamic ideology, and sovereignty.

The IR Leader appreciated the Sudanese nation and government for standing against the US and Zionist regime's pressures and conspiracies. The IR Leader urged all parties and factions in Sudan to keep vigilance and remain united in the face of the ongoing developments.

In the meeting, also attended by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Sudanese president described Iran-Sudan ties as solid.

Umar al-Bashir thanked the Islamic Republic for its supports to the nation and said the Sudanese nation and government have endured the western pressures and keep hope in the future.

The Sudanese president termed the ongoing regional developments positive and facilitative for the Islamic countries, adding that the region would never return to previous conditions and the US and the Zionist regime have been top losers of the developments.

http://www.leader.ir/langs/en/index.php?p=contentShow&id=8222

Supreme Leader Meets Pakistani President

Supreme Leader Meets Pakistani President
2011/06/25 - 22:31


Ayatollah Khamenei the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution met this evening with the Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari. At the meeting, Ayatollah Khamenei said that the historical, cultural and religious bonds between Iran and Pakistan will prepare the way for further expansion of the relations between the two countries. He also stressed the need to strengthen Tehran-Islamabad relations in all areas.

The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution said that the unity among the Pakistani people will foil the evil plots of the Americans. He further reiterated: "America is trying to achieve its illegitimate goals by fomenting discord in Pakistan, but the Pakistani people's awareness of Washington's evil intentions will bring about further resistance of the Pakistani nation against America's efforts to spread its hegemony over Pakistan."

Speaking at the meeting, President Asif Ali Zardari expressed his satisfaction over his meeting with the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution and said: "Pakistan will make every possible effort to expand its good relations with Iran."

The Pakistani President said that the relations between Iran and Pakistan are supported by a firm cultural and historical background. "These relations will have a far brighter future."

http://www.leader.ir/langs/en/index.php?p=contentShow&id=8231

US presence, source of Iraqi problems

US presence, source of Iraqi problems
2011/06/25 - 21:10


Islamic Revolution Leader Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei told a visiting Iraqi President Jalal Talabani on Saturday that the US interfering presence in Iraq was the source of problems in the country and in the region.

Ayatollah Khamenei said however that in spite of the presence, the developments indicate that the US Middle Eastern policies are growingly feeble and that nations should take the advantage.

Expressing pleasure with the Iraqi government for taking strong steps to solve problems, Ayatollah Khamenei noted that the Iraqi great nation and its authorities have successfully passed difficult passages and now are departing from those hard years' situations.

He underlined expansion of cooperation between Iran and Iraq and called the cooperation a show of brotherhood and friendship among the two nations.

Referring to good relations between authorities of Iran and Iraq, the IR Leader said that efforts to weaken such friendly ties would be failed.

"Thank to their deep religious and cultural bonds, the two nations and governments enjoy ever expanding relations," Ayatollah Khamenei said.

Ayatollah Khamenei warned that the US was stirring disunion and disperse among Iraqi factions so as to find an excuse to keep its presence in Iraq. He urged the factions to prevent the US from materializing its intentions.

During the meeting, in which President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was also present, the Iraqi president, by referring to the deep historical ties between Iran and Iraq, said that the relations between Tehran and Baghdad were developing.

Talabani expressed hope that Iraq would be able to rebuild its infrastructure by using Iran's experiences and technical abilities.

President Talabani added that all Iraqi groups and factions have the same views on progress and development for the country and they every faction in Iraq opposes the US military presence.

http://www.leader.ir/langs/en/index.php?p=contentShow&id=8223

Supreme Leader Meets Afghan President

Supreme Leader Meets Afghan President
2011/06/25 - 17:32


Ayatollah Khamenei the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution met this morning with the Afghan President Hamid Karzai and his accompanying delegation. Speaking at the meeting, the Supreme Leader said that withdrawal of foreign military forces from Afghanistan is the wish of the Islamic Republic of Iran. He further stressed that the people of Afghanistan deserve to take their destiny into their own hands.

The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution said that the people of Afghanistan put up a brave fight whenever they were faced with foreigners who wanted to occupy their country. "The kind of resistance that the people of Afghanistan showed against the Soviet Union - which was one of the two superpowers of the time - is exceptional in history."

Ayatollah Khamenei reiterated: "The people of Afghanistan are suffering from the presence of American troops in their country because this presence will bring about suffering for the Afghan people and the entire region."

His Eminence said that the position of the US has been greatly weakened inside and outside America. "Compared to the past, the Americans have been weakened in the region and even in the world, and the leaders of America are trying to make up for this weakness in the region, but they will not succeed."

The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution referred to the US President's promise to withdraw American troops from Afghanistan and stressed: "The US President made those remarks mainly for domestic purposes, but his remarks have been faced with opposition even inside America."

Ayatollah Khamenei added: "The Americans are after permanent bases in Afghanistan which is dangerous because as long as American forces are present in Afghanistan, genuine security will not be established."

His Eminence stressed that the Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to offer all kinds of assistance to help Afghanistan build its infrastructures and make progress. He further reiterated: "Talented Afghan youth are capable of building Afghanistan, and the Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to share its experiences and technical knowledge in different areas."

During the meeting, the Afghan President expressed his gratitude for the assistance that the Islamic Republic of Iran has offered to the people of Afghanistan and stressed: "Afghanistan is in need of Iran's knowledge and expertise in order to build the country and rebuild the infrastructures that have been destroyed."

Hamid Karzai referred to the US President's recent promise to withdraw part of the American forces out of Afghanistan and said: "We hope that all foreign forces will leave Afghanistan in three years' time and that the Afghan people and youth will be in charge of running the country."

http://www.leader.ir/langs/en/index.php?p=contentShow&id=8232

Saturday, June 25, 2011

'Fight against terrorism, unavoidable duty'

'Fight against terrorism, unavoidable duty'
2011/06/25 - 15:59


In a message to the International Conference on the Global Fight against Terrorism, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei referred to hegemonic powers' history of terrorist acts and their support for the terrorist Zionist regime and their long list of monetary and propaganda support for organized terrorists and at the same time their claim of fighting terrorism, stressing: "One of the main duties of the current meeting is providing a clear and precise definition of terrorism and the Islamic Republic of Iran considers the fight with this evil phenomenon as unavoidable responsibility and will continue with strength its efforts in this great fighting."

The full text of the Leader’s message reads as follows:

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

Dear guests and honorable audience, welcome.

It gives me great pleasure to express to you all my sincere welcome and utmost appreciations for your participation in this important gathering to discuss and examine terrorism which has turned to be one of the most disastrous phenomena in the world community.

Undoubtedly, meetings and events like this must continue to prepare a conducive ground for a conscious determination and sincere efforts at the global level, leading God willing, to concrete actions in dealing with this painful phenomenon.

Our trust in divine wisdom and guidance further motivates us to pursue our efforts in cooperation and in harmony with all those who dedicate themselves with a strong sense of responsibility to play a part in such humanitarian campaigns.

Terrorism is not a new phenomenon. It is not a product of recent periods. However the emergence of horrific weapons of mass destruction has made it hundreds of times more dangerous.

More shockingly and important is the calculations of satanic world powers, which use terrorism in their policies and planning to achieve their illegitimate goals. Historical memories in the minds of nations in our region will never forget how colonial powers planned to occupy Palestine and expel Palestinian people form their homeland, by organizing and arming terrorist organizations such as the Zionism International Agency and tens of similar groups which committed those horrendous crimes in Dair Yassin and in other places.

The Zionist regime, since the very beginning of its creation until now, has continued shamelessly and openly its terrorist acts outside and inside Palestine. Both the former and incumbent leaders of the Zionist regime feel proud of their terrorist background and in some cases, of their direct involvement in terror operations.

Another example is the United States that has a long list of terrorist behaviors by financing and arming terrorist organizations in the region. The deadly attacks of American drones against defenseless families in villages and in the most deprived areas of Afghanistan have turned, many times, weddings into mourning ceremonies.

Crimes by the Black Water in Iraq, killing Iraqi citizens and elites, assisting terrorist groups in Iran, Iraq and in Pakistan, assassination of Iranian nuclear scientists in cooperation with Mossad, shooting down Iran's passenger aircraft in the Persian Gulf that left 300 men, women and children killed are part of this shameful and unforgettable list of American acts of terrorism.

The United States, Britain and some Western governments, with a black record of terrorist behaviors, have now added to their rhetoric the claim of fighting terrorism. They are the same terrorists, who during 1980s, massacred thousands of innocent people in Iran. They killed 72 of Iranian senior officials, academic figures, and scores of parliamentarian in a single act of terrorism.

In another terrorist act, our president and prime minister were martyred and the perpetrators of these terror attacks are now living in some European countries under the protection of European governments. With such behaviors, it is a shame to claim to be leading the fight against terrorism.

Meanwhile the Untied States and its allies call Palestinian freedom fighters as terrorists, a deceitful definition which constitutes the basic problem of terrorism in the present world.

From the standpoint of the leaders of hegemonic powers, everything that threatens their illegitimate interests is viewed as terrorism. All struggles intended to defend a cause against the occupiers and interventionist forces are regarded by them as terrorism.

But they never call those evil forces and evil cells that are a plague against the life and security of innocent people as terrorists.

A clear and exact definition of terrorism can be one of your fundamental works and objectives in the present meeting.

By relying on the noble teachings of Islam with its underlying principles for human dignity, where the loss of an innocent life is considered the loss of the entire humanity, and as a nation which has suffered heavy losses on the part of violent terrorism we believe that the fight against this evil phenomenon is an unavoidable responsibility, and by the grace of Allah we remain dedicated to continue this great fight with greater force.

Greetings be upon you and upon God's servants

Sayyid Ali Khamenei

http://english.khamenei.ir//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1472

http://www.leader.ir/langs/en/index.php?p=contentShow&id=8207

Friday, June 24, 2011

'Relying on God brings victory against dictators'

'Relying on God brings victory against dictators'
6/24/2011 5:23:05 PM


Tehran's interim Friday prayer leader Ayatollah Mohammad Emami Kashani considered uprisings in Islamic countries in the region as the result of Islamic awakening, saying: "The nations' victory against dictators is only obtained through relying on God."

"Only through justice, can the crises in these countries be solved, not through terror and crackdown," Ayatollah Kashani added.

He said that the dictators' dossiers will be heavier by suppressing popular uprising in the region.

Regarding the revolutionaries and the region's nations as the main winners of these uprisings, Ayatollah Emami Kashani added: "God will help that nation and society which moves on the basis of Islamic awakening and its mottos are taken from Koranic verses."

Elsewhere in his sermon, Tehran's interim Friday prayer leader said that the Judiciary should pay special attention to moderation, which should be observed in all aspects of life.

"The Branch is a strong backing for the Islamic Republic system and rights of the nation," he added.

Ayatollah Emami Kashani said rights and dignity of people are given the priority by the Judiciary Branch.

He noted that all, especially the elite, scientists and personalities in an Islamic community should behave in a way to be turned as a role model, while considering moderation.

http://english.iribnews.ir/NewsBody.aspx?ID=14344

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Leader visits exhibition on armed forces' achievements

Leader visits exhibition on armed forces' achievements
2011/06/22 - 19:31


Islamic Revolution Leader, Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei on Wednesday visited an exhibition showcasing more than 300 scientific and technological achievements of the Iranian Armed Forces.

Islamic Revolution Leader paid a four-hour visit to the exhibit, where space and maritime equipment, air defense systems, aircraft, helicopters, unmanned planes, vessels, submarines sophisticated two-and three-dimensional radars, electronic jet equipment, cyber war systems, and other scientific and technological achievements of the Armed Forces including the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, the Islamic Republic Army, Police and Defense Ministry, have been put on display.

After visiting the exhibition, Ayatollah Khamenei appreciated the organizers of it and highlighted deep researches as main base for new achievements and urged acceleration of scientific researches among the armed forces.

Islamic Revolution Leader called for establishment of research centers in different organizations related to the armed forces and urged promotion of knowledge and technology as well as new productions in these centers.

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution underlined necessity for expansion of armed forces' research centers and support for scholars and elites.

"The research centers should cooperate with universities in the field of scientific research," Ayatollah Khamenei added.

"Our main goal for production of weapons in the Islamic Republic of Iran is to bolster deterrent and resistance against arrogant powers, while the West seeks trade through production of arms," IR Leader added.

Ayatollah Khamenei concluded that the efforts made by the Iranian experts in the army forces would foil the sanctions against Iranian nation.

http://www.leader.ir/langs/en/index.php?p=contentShow&id=8198

Supreme Leader’s Speech on the Occasion of Imam Khomeini’s 22nd Demise Anniversary

Supreme Leader’s Speech on the Occasion of Imam Khomeini’s 22nd Demise Anniversary
04/06/2011

The following is the full text of the speech delivered on June 4, 2011 by Ayatollah Khamenei the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution on the occasion of Imam Khomeini's (r.a.) 22nd demise anniversary.

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, and peace and greetings upon the Holy Prophet, the most noble descendant of Adam, our Master and Prophet, Ab-al-Qassem Al-Mustafa Muhammad, and upon his immaculate and infallible household, especially the one remaining with Allah on earth.

God's greetings and mercy be upon the immaculate soul of our magnanimous Imam and the martyrs of the Islamic Revolution. Today the Iranian nation commemorates the demise anniversary of our magnanimous Imam once again with the aim of following his path and his school of thought. Each year the 14th of Khordad provides us with an opportunity to introduce a new dimension of the Imam's pure life and his sacred and auspicious path. This year the 14th of Khordad has coincided with the first day of the holy month of Rajab. Rajab is the month of divine mercy and blessings. The Holy Prophet of Islam (s.w.a.) has been quoted as saying, "O Allah, make the months of Rajab and Sha'ban blessed for us." Rajab and Sha'ban are the months that lead faithful Muslims to the holy month of Ramadan.

This year the demise anniversary of the Imam has coincided with another important event as well. This important event is Islamic Awakening, the event that our magnanimous Imam used to wait and wish for, and he had predicted that it was going to happen. Our magnanimous Imam had predicted the wave of awakening among Muslim nations. By Allah's favor, his prediction was fulfilled, just as he had predicted the collapse of the Soviet Union, and Allah the Exalted helped his prediction come true.

Today I will divide my speech into two parts, and I hope I will be able to finish the two parts in a short time. The first part is a review of the lesson that our magnanimous Imam taught us. It is a review of the Imam's timeless school of thought, and this school of thought is an asset for our nation. Relying on this asset, the Iranian nation has managed to overcome the hurdles that are natural for any nation with such ideals. In the second part of my speech, I will briefly discuss regional issues.

Regarding the Imam's school of thought, the honorable Iranian nation is fully aware that the respect and love of the Iranian people for our honorable Imam is not just an ordinary emotion. Although hearts are overflowing with the love for the Imam as far as emotions are concerned, the issue is not limited to these emotions. Rather, the respect that our people have for our magnanimous Imam means that they have accepted his school of thought as the bright path for the entire Iranian nation. The Imam's school of thought is theoretical and practical guidance that will help our country achieve dignity, progress and justice. Practically this has been the case throughout the past 32 years. That is to say, whenever we had the opportunity to practice the recommendations of the Imam and whenever we could follow the path shown by the Imam, we benefitted a lot. This is how the people consider the path of the Imam and his timeless legacy. During the past 30 years, our nation has managed to stand up against the most complex plots. The Iranian nation was faced with military, security, propaganda, political and economic plots. On the economic front, the Iranian nation has been faced with different kinds of sanctions during the past 30 years. As far as negative propaganda is concerned, the huge media and propaganda empire has been working hard against the Iranian nation. Thanks to the Imam's path and his school of thought, the Iranian nation has managed to stand up against these plots.

The Imam's school of thought is a complete package with different dimensions. It is necessary to consider all these dimensions together. Two of the main dimensions of the Imam's school of thought were the spiritual and the rational dimensions. As far as the spiritual dimension is concerned, our magnanimous Imam did not just rely on material factors and manifestations to continue his path. His hope in Allah the Exalted was inexhaustible. Regarding the rational dimension, using wisdom and rational calculations are important in the Imam's school of thought. I will briefly discuss each of these dimensions.

There is also a third dimension - namely, justice - which is the result of Islam, just like the other two dimensions. The Imam's rationality originated from Islam, and his spirituality were Islamic and Quranic. Similarly the third dimension originated from Islam and the Holy Quran. It is necessary to consider these dimensions together. Stressing one of these dimensions at the cost of ignoring other dimensions would derail our society. These dimensions and this complete package are the intellectual and spiritual legacy of the Imam. Our magnanimous Imam used to pay attention to both the rational dimension and the spiritual dimension. He also used to pay careful attention to the dimension of justice.

I would like to discuss a few manifestations of the Imam's rationality. The first manifestation was that he chose democracy as the political system of the country. That is to say, he chose to rely on the votes of the people. Choosing democracy was one of the clear manifestations of rationality in the Imam's inspirational and revitalizing school of thought. Dictatorial governments had ruled our country for many years. Even during the time of the Constitutional movement when the law seemed to have been institutionalized in the country, in practice the autocracy of the Pahlavi era was more severe and more oppressive than the previous dictatorships. In a country with such a historical background, our magnanimous Imam found the opportunity to turn voting and the presence of the people into an institutionalized reality. Our people had not experienced free elections except in a short period of time during the early years of the Constitutional movement. In such a country and in such an atmosphere, our magnanimous Imam took the first step and institutionalized elections in the country. You have heard several times that 32 or 33 elections have been held in the country during the past 32 years. The people have decided to go to the ballot boxes and vote. They have freely voted to elect MPs, presidents, members of the Assembly of Experts, members of city councils and other such organizations. This is the most outstanding manifestation of the Imam's rationality.

The Imam's firmness and lack of flexibility against the aggressive enemy was another manifestation of his rationality and his reliance on wisdom. The Imam did not trust the enemy. After he got to know the enemies of the Iranian nation and the Revolution well, he stood up against them like a mountain. Certain people think that rationality requires backing down against the enemy on occasion, but the Imam had the opposite idea and he moved in the opposite direction. The rationality and wisdom of this divine man helped him conclude that even the slightest flexibility and compromise against the enemy would result in the enemy's further transgression. In a battlefield, your enemy does not feel sorry when you retreat. Every small retreat against the enemies means that the enemy will take a step forward and spread his domination. This was one of the manifestations of the Imam's rationality.

Another manifestation of the Imam's rationality was that he infused the spirit of self-confidence and self-sufficiency into the Iranian nation. Since the beginning of the domination of westerners over our country - that is to say, since the early 19th century when westerners came to Iran - they used to constantly humiliate the Iranian nation over many years by presenting different analyses with the help of their agents. They used to make the Iranian nation believe that it was incapable of scientific endeavor and scientific progress. They used to convince the Iranian people that they were incapable of standing on their own feet. The heads of the Pahlavi regime and the regimes that preceded it used to constantly humiliate the Iranian nation. They used to pretend that if there was any possibility of progress and great achievements, westerners had to step in. They used to pretend that the Iranian nation did not have the potential to do these things. Our magnanimous Imam infused the spirit of self-confidence into such a nation, and this became a turning point for the Iranian nation. Today our youth, our industrialists, our scientists, our politicians and our clergy feel that they can do whatever they want. "We can" was the slogan that our magnanimous Imam instilled into the heart of our nation. This was one of the important manifestations of the Imam's rationality.

Another manifestation of the Imam's rationality was his emphasis on preparing the Constitution. The Imam ordered Iranian experts to prepare the Constitution. Those who prepared the Constitution had been elected by the people. The Imam did not choose a group of people to draw up the Constitution. It was the Iranian people who chose them. The people relied on their own judgment to elect certain experts, and those experts drew up the Constitution. Later on the Imam decided to put the Constitution to the vote again. He arranged a referendum so that the people could vote for or against the Constitution. This was one of the manifestations of the Imam's rationality. This was how the Imam strengthened the foundations of the Islamic system. In terms of legal aspects, in terms of politics, in terms of social activities and in terms of scientific progress, our magnanimous Imam established a firm foundation which could form the basis of a great Islamic civilization.

Another manifestation of the Imam's rationality was that he convinced the people that the country belongs to them. He convinced the people that the country has an owner. During the time of autocratic governments, they used to promote the idea that the country had an owner, and the dictators ruling the country were what they meant by the "owner". The Imam convinced the people that the country has an owner and that the people are the owners.

The primary manifestation of the Imam's spirituality was his religious devotion. The Imam used to do everything for the sake of God. Since the beginning, he used to do whatever he thought was his divine responsibility. He did not spare any sacrifices on this path. This was how he acted since the beginning of the revolutionary activities in the year 1341. He used to move forward with the aim of carrying out his religious obligations. He repeatedly told our people and government officials that what is important is to carry out one's religious responsibilities. We only do our obligations: it is God who determines the outcome of our efforts. Therefore, the Imam's devotion was the manifestation of spirituality in his behavior. He never said or did anything in order to be praised. Allah the Exalted blessed whatever he did for the sake of God, and the effect of his actions became permanent. This is the characteristic of religious devotion. The Imam used to repeat the same recommendation in his meetings with government officials of the country. He used to advise us to rely on God. He used to advise us to trust God and to make effort for the sake of God. He himself used to rely on God. He used to engage in supplication and worship. He used to ask God for assistance. One could clearly feel the spirituality emanating from the Imam after the month of Ramadan had ended. He used to make use of every opportunity to get closer to Allah the Exalted and to purify his immaculate heart and soul. He used to advise others to do the same thing. He used to say, "We are present before God." The world is being watched by Allah the Exalted.

The world is full of divine manifestations. The Imam used to advise everybody to keep this point in mind. He himself used to observe moral principles, and he used to advise other people to do the same thing. An important part of spirituality in Islam consists of morality, avoidance of sins, avoidance of slander, avoidance of suspicion, avoidance of backbiting, avoidance of spite and avoidance of separating hearts from one another. Our magnanimous Imam used to observe these things, and he used to advise the people and government officials to do the same thing. The Imam used to advise us against becoming arrogant. He used to advise us against considering ourselves superior to the people. He used to advise us against considering ourselves flawless and above criticism. All high-ranking officials of the country had heard the Imam telling them to be ready and to welcome criticism. All high-ranking government officials had heard him advising them to avoid considering themselves flawless and above criticism. The Imam himself used to act like this. In his writings and his statements, especially at the end of his holy life, His Eminence admitted on several occasions that he had made a mistake in certain cases. He admitted that he was wrong in certain cases. This requires a great character. One needs a great soul to be able to say such things and to admit that one has made a mistake. This was a manifestation of the Imam's spirituality and ethical principles. This is one of the important dimensions of the lesson that the Imam taught us.

The dimension of justice is also very important in the Imam's school of thought. Although in a sense justice originates from rationality and spirituality, the prominence of justice from the Imam's perspective makes justice especially outstanding. Since the victory of the Islamic Revolution, the Imam used to emphasize the needs of underprivileged social classes in his statements. He used to emphatically advise our government officials to cater to the needs of underprivileged social classes. He used to emphatically advise our government officials to avoid aristocratic lifestyles. This was one of the most important recommendations of our magnanimous Imam. We must not forget these things. In a government which relies on the votes and religious faith of the people, a serious problem will occur if the officials start to think about their own welfare, if they start to think of accumulating wealth for themselves, if they do everything to satisfy their aristocratic passions. This is a very serious problem for such a government. The Imam completely avoided this problem, and he used to repeatedly advise our government officials to avoid developing a tendency towards aristocratic lifestyles and accumulating wealth. He used to advise our government officials to develop a close relationship with the people. The Imam wanted government officials like myself to have a close relationship with the people.

The Imam used to stress that facilities and services had to be available in every part of the country. He used to stress that services had to be made available to the people living in remote places. These things point to the justice of our magnanimous Imam. He used to stress that government officials had to be elected from among the people. He used to stress that government officials had to be from among the people and that being well-connected was not a good criterion for appointing people to different positions. The prevalent favoritism during the time of Qajar and Pahlavi dynasties had made the Imam sensitive to this issue. Sometimes he used to praise certain government officials by saying, "He is from among the people." This was the standard for the Imam. He believed that taking wealth and power into consideration when appointing people to different positions was one of the greatest threats to the country and to the Revolution. These are the dimensions of the path of the Imam.

Dear brothers and sisters, dear people of Iran, the Imam's school of thought has helped us through great dangers during the past 32 years. The Imam's school of thought has improved our national dignity and international honor. The country has made progress and moved towards the ideals thanks to the efforts to tread the path of the Imam. We must observe the principles promoted by the Imam, but we must also take all aspects into consideration. If a person or a movement turns away from Islamic and revolutionary values in the name of rationality, there will be a deviation. Giving up piety and making us dependent on the enemy in the name of rationality is an instance of deviation and treachery. The kind of rationality that we find in our magnanimous Imam's school of thought requires us not to turn a blind eye to the enemy's plots. It requires us not to trust the enemy and to avoid backing down against it. The more we back down against the enemy, the more we will lose the great spiritual support inside the country.

Similarly, if we trample on ethics in the name of justice and revolutionary sentiments, we will suffer from the consequences and we will have deviated from the path of the Imam. If, in the name of justice and revolutionary sentiments, we insult or persecute our brothers, faithful people and those who are opposed to us on an intellectual level but are believed to have faith in the essence of the system and Islam, we will have deviated from the path of the Imam. If we deprive a portion of our society and our country of security in the name of revolutionary sentiments and revolutionary behavior, we will have deviated from the path of the Imam. There are different opinions in the country. If an action or a statement qualifies as a crime, it is possible to take legal action. The organizations in charge are responsible to follow up this action or statement, and this is what they do. But if the action or statement does not qualify as a crime and if there is somebody who has no intention of overthrowing the government, or committing treachery and carrying out the order of the enemy but is opposed to our political taste, we cannot deprive him of security and justice. "Be upright for Allah, bearers of witness with justice, and let not hatred of a people incite you not to act equitably. Act equitably: that is nearer to piety." [The Holy Quran, 5: 8] The Holy Quran orders us not to deprive a group of people of justice simply because we are opposed to them. "Act equitably." The Holy Quran teaches us to observe justice even in the case of our opponents. "That is nearer to piety." The Holy Quran tells us that justice is nearer to piety. It is wrong to think that piety requires that we trample on the rights of our opponents. No, observing justice is in line with piety. All of us should be vigilant. All of us should be careful. The dimension of justice should not overshadow the other dimensions.

The same is true of the spiritual dimension. Thankfully we love reliance on God, spirituality, remembrance of God and worship. The general atmosphere of our society is full of attention to God. The month of Ramadan is a beautiful month in our country. It is the spring of spirituality. Our dear youth are so enthusiastic about dhikr, worship, reliance on God and reciting the Holy Quran that one cannot help enjoying their enthusiasm. The itikaf ceremonies that our youth will arrange in a few days are also amazing.

In my youth, during certain days of the month of Rajab on which itikaf ceremonies are traditionally held, only about 10 to 20 seminarians used to take part in itikaf ceremonies, and this was Qom Islamic Seminary, the center of all Islamic seminaries. Itikaf was not very common at that time, and people did not know about it. Today in different universities throughout the country, thousands of young students - both girls and boys - take part in itikaf ceremonies. They worship God for three days, and they establish a relationship with Allah the Exalted. Itikaf ceremonies are even more impressive in big mosques. These are manifestations of spirituality. Our people love spirituality, but our spirituality is accompanied by the sense of responsibility. This spirituality must not at all distance us from our great revolutionary responsibility, rather it should help us continue our revolutionary movement. Those who try to distance our society and our youth from politics by relying on piety, those who try to prevent our youth from playing an active role in the country in the name of piety - these people are making a mistake. They are suffering from a deviation. These dimensions go hand in hand.

I hereby testify at the holy shrine of the Imam and the shrines of the martyrs who have been buried in this spiritual place - in Behesht-e Zahra - that our nation has moved well on this path and that it has preserved the path of the Imam. I see with my own eyes and I can testify that today our revolutionary youth are as good as - if not better than - the youth of the early revolutionary era in terms of faith, piety and firmness of belief. I testify from the bottom of my heart and I sincerely believe that the people have played the most important role and that they have preserved and protected the values. It was the people who foiled the plots of our enemies.

I do not want to go into the details in this regard. There is not enough time for this, and maybe this is not a good time for such a detailed discussion. But I would like to mention in passing that our enemies thought the demise of the Imam would trigger the collapse of this holy system. They thought that the departure of the Imam would gradually put out the fire of the Revolution. They thought that this light would dim over time. But later on they were disappointed by the sentiments that were expressed during the Imam's funeral ceremony and by the impressive popular movement in support of the decision by the Assembly of Experts. They prepared ten-year plans. Of course this is my personal analysis, and it is not based on hard evidence. It is an analysis that is supported by certain pieces of evidence. They were hoping that their plans would produce results in ten years. When those events happened in the year 1378, it was the people who stepped in and foiled the plots behind those events. On the 23rd of Tir, 1378, the people took to the streets and foiled the enemies' plots in one day, plots which had taken years for the enemy to design. After that day, a second wave started, which continued into the year 1388. This new wave consisted of another set of ten-year plans. They believed that they would find an opportunity. They believed that they had prepared the way for this opportunity.

The people had certain demands - people who were relying on the system and were loyal to it. The enemies started to think that they could make use of these demands. Therefore, they gave rise to those events in the year 1388. They created turbulence in Tehran for two-three months. Of course it was only in Tehran. For two-three months, they managed to keep hearts and minds busy with their activities. The people stepped into the arena once again. After the enemies' masks were removed, the people realized what they really wanted on Quds Day. On the Day of Ashura, the people realized the depth of their plans, so they stepped into the arena and gave rise to that epic on the 9th of Dey. Millions of people took to the streets - not just in Tehran but throughout the entire country - on the 9th of Dey and on the 22nd of Bahman and put an end to the turbulence. This is the art of our people. Praise be upon the people of Iran. Praise be upon the faithful, resistant, insightful and vigilant people of Iran. By Allah's favor, the people of Iran would pursue this path and ideal with this determination until the end.

Fortunately this impressive movement by the people has produced its own results. Thanks to the confidence that the people showed in their government officials and thanks to the security that has been established throughout the country due to the presence of the people, our government officials have managed to expand the scope of their services and make great achievements. As a result, great infrastructural accomplishments were made in the country, and infrastructural work is the requirement for any country's progress. Today such infrastructural achievements are being made one after the other. The people can see that these achievements are being made in the country, and by Allah's favor, they will see the results in the short and long term. Thanks to the security which has been established due to the presence of the people, the security plots of the enemies will be foiled. The propaganda plots of the enemies will be foiled. It is because of this public presence that our country has achieved a high level of scientific and technological progress. According to international reports and according to the international figures which have been officially announced, today the rate of our scientific progress is 11 to 12 times more than the average rate of global progress in science. This is not a small achievement. This achievement is acknowledged even by our opponents, and our enemies announce it officially. Today our young scientists have made such progress in more than 10 important scientific and technological fields that our country is considered among the top 10 countries in the world in those areas. These achievements have been accomplished thanks to the presence of the people. If this public presence, this mutual trust and this general sense of responsibility continue, our country will achieve further progress. This is the path of the Imam.

Now I would like to make a few comments about the regional issues. First of all, the events that have happened in North Africa and in our region are very important and historic. The events that happened in Egypt and in Tunisia and the impressive awakening that has happened in Islamic countries are among the kind of events that would take two, three centuries to happen. They are among crucial, significant and historic events. Of course the Egyptian nation was successful, and the Tunisians were also successful. The Egyptian Revolution was a particularly brilliant victory. It was an impressive development. In certain other countries such as Libya, Yemen and Bahrain, the people are fighting, and the situation of each of these countries should be analyzed in a particular way. The popular movements in those countries will definitely succeed as well. It is just a matter of time before they achieve a victory. When the people awaken and when a nation feels that it has the capability to do what it wants, nothing can stop them. Of course the enemies of Muslim nations - namely, the order of domination, the Great Satan and the oppressive and brutal Zionists - are making efforts. They are planning to prevent people from achieving ultimate victory in the real sense of the word. But if we Muslim nations remain vigilant, if we listen to Quranic recommendations - which call us to patience and steadfastness and which give us hope- if we do not doubt Allah the Exalted, if we remain hopeful about divine promises and make efforts in that direction, Muslim nations will undoubtedly achieve victory.

Of course in Libya, the policy of western governments is to weaken Libya. Their policy is to let the civil war continue until Libya loses all its power so that they can, directly or indirectly, take the affairs of that strategic country into their own hands later on. First of all, Libya has massive oil resources. Second, it is very close to Europe. Therefore, Libya is very important to America and to the arrogant countries in Western Europe. They do not want to give up the control of this country easily. They want to weaken Libya. If they had let the people fight on their own, they could have succeeded. If a populist Islamic government came to power, it would pose a threat to them. Therefore, they are planning to prevent this from happening.

The situation of Yemen is similar to the situation of Libya. From a geopolitical perspective, Yemen is an important country. Yemen is a very important country in that it is a neighbor of the countries which have good relations with America. The do not want to let the people of Yemen achieve ultimate victory. The policy of the US and the west is to prevent the people of Yemen and Libya from achieving ultimate victory.

The people of Bahrain are living under absolute oppression. Under the pretext that the majority of the people of Bahrain are Shia Muslims, they want to present the popular movement as a tribal and sectarian movement, but this is not the case. Of course the people of Bahrain are Shia, and they have been Shia throughout their history. The majority of the Bahrainis are Shia. But the issue is not a Shia-Sunni issue. The issue is that the Bahraini nation is under oppression. The issue is that the people of Bahrain are being deprived of their civil rights on their own soil. They are demanding their rights. They are demanding their right to vote. They say they want to have the right to vote and to be able to play a role in electing their government. This is not a crime. This is a legitimate demand. This is while the lying, hypocritical and deceitful Americans, who claim to support human rights and democracy, step in like that to suppress the people of Bahrain. Of course they deny this and say that they are not involved in the issue and that it is the Saudis who are doing these things. But the Saudis could not have entered Bahrain and given rise to those bitter and bloody events there without a green light from America. Therefore, the Americans are responsible as well.

Now I would like to mention a few more points. There is not much time left. The first point is that the popular movements in these countries have three main characteristics: being Islamic, being anti-America and anti-Zionist and being popular. The movements in all these countries share these three characteristics. The Egyptian nation is an exemplary nation in the Arab world and in the world of Islam. It was the Egyptian nation that started this wave. The Egyptians gave rise to a revolution in their country, a revolution which is Islamic, popular and openly anti-America and anti-Zionist. The same is true of the other countries.

Our position on these popular movements is clear: wherever there is a movement that is Islamic, popular and anti-America, we will support it. But if we notice that a movement has been instigated by the Americans and the Zionists, we will not support that movement. Wherever America and the Zionists step in to overthrow a regime and occupy a country, we will move in the opposite direction of the Americans. America cannot think or act in favor of the interests of the regional nations. Whatever it does and whatever it has done so far have been against the nations of this region. This is our position.

The second point is that the countries which achieved victory - especially Egypt, which is a big country with a rich Islamic, spiritual and cultural background - must be cautious. They must take care not to allow the enemy that escaped through the door to go back in through the window. The aid that is reportedly provided by America for Egypt or any other country is itself a source of trouble. It is through such aid and such dollars that the Americans establish their domination over other countries and impose their demands on them. They use these things to spread their oppressive domination over nations that have achieved freedom.

Everybody must remain vigilant. Of course the Egyptian nation is vigilant. The impressive movement that the Egyptian nation carried out to protest against the position of the former Egyptian regime on the issue of Palestine, Gaza and the Rafah crossing was a very valuable movement. It is necessary to continue this movement. Egypt plays a significant role in the Arab world. It was due to this significance that Egypt was targeted by those who wanted to bring Arab countries to their knees against the Zionist regime. They imposed the disgraceful Camp David Accords starting with Egypt. It was only after Egypt had accepted the Camp David Accords that other Arab countries gradually surrendered to America's will. The issue of Palestine was totally wiped off the scene of Arab decision-making. They must be careful. They are very sensitive about Egypt. Westerners and the arrogant powers retuned to Egypt only one day after the era of Gamal Abdel Nasser, who had forced them out of Egypt. This experience must not be repeated in Egypt. The Egyptian people are vigilant, and I hope Allah the Exalted will help them in this regard.

The next point is that such suppression is useless. After all, when nations awaken and come to know their power, they will follow this path. By Allah's favor, the movement of the regional nations - both the countries that are currently involved in this movement and the countries that have the potential for such a movement - will achieve ultimate victory. The people of these countries will achieve ultimate victory, but they must watch out for the divisive activities of the enemies. Today in North Africa, in Egypt, in Tunisia and in other Islamic countries, the enemies are after fomenting discord. In particular, they want to create a rift between Islamic Iran and other countries because Islamic Iran is the center of the movement against the arrogant powers. They want to create an ethnic and sectarian gap between Islamic Iran and other countries. They even want to create discord inside those countries. Today in Egypt, there are certain people affiliated with takfiri, Wahhabi and other such groups who are trying to foment discord among the Egyptians under different pretexts. It is necessary to be vigilant against these divisive efforts.

Our position on the issue of Palestine is also clear. We believe that all Palestinian lands belong to the Palestinians. Those who tried to wipe Palestine off the map of the world made a mistake. Such a thing will not happen. Palestine will survive. The usurpers have occupied Palestine for a few decades, but there is no doubt that Palestinian lands will be restored to the people of Palestine and to the world of Islam. And this will happen. The people of Palestine are vigilant. Palestine cannot be partitioned. Palestine belongs to the Palestinians entirely. The Islamic Republic presented the solution to the Palestinian issue several years ago. The solution to the issue of Palestine is not the kind of solutions that America and other such countries present. Such solutions will prove ineffective. The solution is to hold a referendum among the people of Palestine. Any government that receives the majority of the votes in the referendum will rule the entire Palestinian lands. Then that government will decide what to do with the Zionists who immigrated to Palestine. And this depends on the decision of the government that will be elected by the people of Palestine.

Dear God, bestow Your blessings on Muslim nations - on the Egyptian nation, on the Tunisian nation, on the Libyan nation, on the Yemeni nation, on the Bahraini nation and on the oppressed Palestinian nation - and help them achieve ultimate victory. Dear God, increase Your blessings for the honorable Iranian nation on a daily basis. Dear God, bestow the highest positions on the immaculate soul of our magnanimous Imam and the immaculate souls of our martyrs. Dear God, make us benefit from the prayers of the Imam of the Age (may our souls be sacrificed for his sake).

Greetings be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings

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Supreme Leader’s Speech at Imam Hussein Military Academy

Supreme Leader’s Speech at Imam Hussein Military Academy
31/05/2011

The following is the full text of the speech delivered on May 31, 2011 by Ayatollah Khamenei the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution to a gathering of cadets at Imam Hussein (a.s.) Military Academy.

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to you dear youth who have achieved these accomplishments at a young age. I would like to extend my congratulations both to the graduates of this prestigious university and to the youth who received their epaulettes today and will start their training officially. I pray to Allah the Exalted to bestow success on you.

Today's ceremony was beautiful, impressive and significant. Of course this is what is expected of the dear cadets and those who have been put to the test in the battlefields of jihad in the way of God. I hope God will increase your accomplishments on a daily basis.

The Islamic Revolution's Guards Corps was established in the most sensitive and complex conditions in the history of this country, and it was not easy to establish it. This holy organization has been entrusted with difficult responsibilities since its establishment. During the early days, the assets of the Islamic Revolution's Guards Corps were nothing but faith, motivation and revolutionary enthusiasm. Of course the young members had different qualifications. They were from universities and military centers, and they had qualifications. But they completely lacked experience and were not at all equipped for that difficult arena. Their valuable assets were their faith, their revolutionary enthusiasm, their preparedness for selfless efforts and their willingness to lay down their lives for their goals. And they were successful. Shortly after it had been established, the Islamic Revolution's Guards Corps had to engage in serious confrontations. The faithful and young members were faced with real battlefields in different parts of the country and in Tehran. The first war games of the Islamic Revolution's Guards Corps were real battles. They really had to lay down their lives and enter the battlefields, and this was what they did.

Thanks to the revolutionary enthusiasm, all the other requirements were achieved later on. They gained experience. The spirit of innovation started to develop. They learnt whatever they needed. There was enthusiasm for knowledge. They learnt whatever they needed to learn. They used their innovation to develop whatever they needed for their spiritual and material battle, and they had a brilliant performance in the battlefields. They were successful both in the battle against the aggressive enemy and in revolutionary jihad in the highly confusing context of our society at that time.

Dear youth, the sincere and devoted men who created the foundations of the Islamic Revolution's Guards Corps were like this. Thanks to the presence of such men, the Islamic Revolution's Guards Corps managed to establish and consolidate its roots as an active and innovative organization capable of training the workforce required by other organizations. During the past 32 years, thanks to the firm foundations that had been built by faithful men, the Islamic Revolution's Guards Corps was present in different arenas. It had a brilliant performance and played a significant role in the revolutionary and progressive movement of our society. Of course certain members of the Islamic Revolution's Guards Corps were martyred, and many others stayed alive and continued playing their role. However, our national issues and our need for innovative, enthusiastic and insightful manpower are increasing on a daily basis. The foundation of the Islamic Revolution's Guards Corps, which is being renovated on a daily basis, should be formed in such academies and such training centers in interaction with different events. Today you are the foundation of the Islamic Revolution's Guards Corps. You are the future of the Islamic Revolution's Guards Corps. You are the auspicious foundation that will support this firm structure in the future after facing different trials. Prepare yourselves for this important and difficult mission.

If the foundations of an organization are not firm and healthy, the structure which will be built on those foundations will not be reliable. The reliable structure of the Islamic Revolution's Guards Corps was formed during these years thanks to the faith and selfless efforts of the men who built the foundation of the Islamic Revolution's Guards Corps. Allah the Exalted helped them in this process, and battlefields of the Sacred Defense Era put them to the test. The presence of our magnanimous Imam (r.a.) and his blessed words were the beacon of guidance. Therefore, they managed to accomplish this mission in an appropriate way. And today you should prepare yourselves to build that future.

I would like to tell you that with the progress of our society, with the advancement of science and technology in the world and with the natural evolution of man the duty that you should carry out today has grown far more important and complex and much more subtle than the duty that your predecessors had to carry out 30 years ago, and you need to be more careful, more capable and more innovative in order to carry out your duty. Just as our Revolution and the government that was born of it are far more advanced compared to 30 years ago, so the men in charge of this government and the selfless and innovative people who work for this government should be equally sophisticated. They should be far more knowledgeable, far more pure-hearted, far more courageous and far more insightful than our glorious past. And this is how they are.

I would like to tell you that today our faithful and insightful youth are more sophisticated than the youth of the early revolutionary era because of the experience that our nation has gained during its historic movement. During the early years of the Revolution, those who laid down their lives for the Revolution used to rely on their faith in a bright future, but today's youth have already achieved the future that the youth of the early years of the Revolution were striving towards.

Allah the Exalted kept His promise to our nation. Allah the Exalted has promised to help us if we make efforts in a faithful way. "If Allah assists you, then there is none that can overcome you." [The Holy Quran, 3: 160] When God helps you, no power will be capable of overcoming you. This is a divine promise. Today our nation and our youth can clearly see that this promise has been fulfilled.

The dominant military, financial, propaganda and political empire - namely, the Great Satan, America - made use of all its facilities against the Islamic Republic and the Revolution, and it was sure that it would manage to bring the Revolution to its knees. Take a look at the world and see what has happened today after the passage of 30 years. It is the Americans who have been brought to their knees. The extremely sensitive and important Middle East policy of America has failed completely. Everybody can see this, and everybody acknowledges this fact. They were defeated in Palestine. They lost their mercenaries and close allies. One day they had only lost the satanic and corrupt Pahlavi regime, but today they have lost or are losing other regimes. Therefore, their situation is precarious. Today America has been isolated in the western part of Asia - in North Africa and in the Middle East. Today Islam is alive in these areas. Today the youth enter the arena with Islamic slogans. Thirty or forty years ago, if somebody wanted to speak about nationalistic and revolutionary sentiments in North African countries, he had to resort to leftist slogans. Today such things have been thrown away. Such slogans have been thrown into the trash can. Today Islam and the Quran are very common and play a determining role. Is this a small achievement? The same thing happened when the Islamic Revolution achieved victory and the Islamic Republic raised the flag of Islam and the Quran in the region: they started to shake with fear. They thought a similar event would take place, so they tried to prevent it. But this has happened today despite their will. Today our youth can see this for themselves.

When the mother of Moses cast him into the river, Allah the Exalted made two promises to her. God said, "Suckle him and when you fear for him, then cast him into the river and fear not nor grieve." [The Holy Quran, 28: 7] God promised to return Moses to his mother and to appoint him a prophet. After a short period of time, the child was returned to his mother. God says, "So We gave him back to his mother so that her eye might be refreshed and that she might not grieve and that she might know that the promise of Allah is true." [The Holy Quran, 28: 13] God had made two promises: one was to return Moses to his mother. So God told the mother of Moses, "Know that the promise of Allah is true." God told her that Moses was the prophet who would come and overthrow the Pharaoh. Allah the Exalted fulfilled His first promise to the mother of Moses in a short time so that she would have faith in the fulfillment of the second promise.

The promise that Allah the Exalted has fulfilled in the case of the Iranian nation is far more important than the promise He fulfilled in the case of the mother of Moses. Who would have thought the Palestinian youth would be courageous enough to unite, shout slogans and attack the brutal and oppressive Zionist forces in the name of Islam? This has already happened. Two weeks ago on Nakba Day, the Palestinian youth broke through the borders of Israel for the first time in sixty years. These are examples of "the promise of Allah is true." This shows the truth of the divine promise: "That He might cause it to prevail over all religions." [The Holy Quran, 9: 33] Allah the Exalted will cause this prophetic mission to prevail over all intellectual and religious products of the world. Allah the Exalted is fulfilling this promise. The only condition is that as pioneering soldiers of this movement in the contemporary era, you and I must remain steadfast and take care not to be distracted.

The great and unpardonable sin of those who looked back or catered to their passions and their thirst for power during the great revolutionary movement of the Iranian nation, the great sin of those who forgot why the nation had carried out a Revolution and those who forgot the meaning of the movement is that they failed to remain steadfast. Of course our nation did not follow them and it never will. But all of us must be cautious. Nobody should give up in the course of this great, accelerated and progressive movement during which Allah the Exalted has shown us the signs of victory one after the other.

Dear youth, you are among the prominent people who are involved in this pioneering movement. You should prepare yourselves. You need knowledge, so try to acquire it. You need self-purification, so try to purify your soul. If we fail to purify our soul, alluring manifestations of the material world will keep us busy. When those who are treading a path forget the goals, when rest stops prevent travelers from moving towards their destination, a great danger would threaten them. Be careful. Knowledge, self-purification, experience and discipline in military environments are very important. The effect of discipline that is rooted in spiritual motives would definitely be more than imposed and superficial kinds of discipline. Fortunately different organizations affiliated to our Armed Forces - the Army, the Islamic Revolution's Guards Corps, the Police Force, the Basij - enjoy this spiritual asset today. Today young members of our Armed Forces think about the significance of things, and this is a great opportunity that promises a bright future.

Dear God, make these honorable youth genuine soldiers of Islam and the Holy Quran. Dear God, make them successful in continuing this path and make them benefit from the prayers of the Imam of the Age (a.s.).

Greetings be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings

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Supreme Leader’s Speech to MPs

Supreme Leader’s Speech to MPs
29/05/2011

The following is the full text of the speech delivered on May 29, 2011 by Ayatollah Khamenei the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution in a meeting with MPs.

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

Dear brothers and sisters, welcome. I hope Allah the Exalted will reward you for every moment of your determined efforts and your sense of responsibility. I hope Allah the Exalted will bestow increasing blessings on you dear brothers and sisters.

I would like to thank Mr. Larijani [the Speaker of the Majlis] for presenting that good report and for acting as your representative and expressing the parliament's clear and transparent positions against the arrogant powers, against America and against greedy international figures who talk nonsense against the Islamic Republic. Of course what he said is what our people want to say as well. We should be thankful to Allah the Exalted for helping our nation preserve and even increase its accurate and clear insight into political groupings of the world and their goals over the past three decades. It is a fact that one of the problems of nations is the lack of this awareness or the failure to acquire this awareness, which harms them in global developments and in different events and which makes them prone to mistakes in the case of political dilemmas. If the reality of the major political and economic groupings of the world were clarified for the nations of the world and if they thought about these groupings in a conscious way and kept the goals of different groups in mind, the sword of the arrogant powers would become blunt. The main goal of the widespread propaganda - broadcast through the media and propaganda tools that are at the service of the policies of the arrogant powers - is to create confusion so that nations cannot gain or preserve this awareness and this insight. Our nation has preserved this insight, and we should be very thankful for this.

I would also like to thank the honorable members of the parliament for expressing these positions clearly until today, and by Allah's favor, they will continue acting like this until the end of their term. It would have been a serious disappointment for the country and for the Revolution if the Majlis had made a mistake in one of these important political developments, failing to adopt a position or adopting the wrong position. We should be grateful to the Majlis and we should be proud of it for standing firm and for adopting clear and unambiguous positions in the case of different political developments and during the enemies' attacks against the Islamic Republic. I express my heartfelt gratitude to the Majlis, and I insist that these positions should be continued in a firm way. This is because the conflict between the Islamic Revolution and global arrogance is a continued and ongoing conflict. Of course, by Allah's favor, this conflict will not continue until the end of time. The Islamic Republic is becoming stronger with the passage of time. The attacks will gradually decrease the day the enemies feel disappointed, but until that day it is necessary for the nation and its prominent figures to resist. It is necessary to continue this resistance. The subtlety with which the Revolution treats the enemy must not be ignored. Today we should see what plot the enemy has designed for the Revolution. In other words, we should try to guess the enemy's scenario and see what it is looking for. If we manage to make accurate guesses and plan our response to the enemy's scenario, the enemy will definitely be defeated.

All the proofs show that today the enemy has focused on a few essential areas. The economic area is the most obvious example. This is why I named this year as "The Year of Economic Jihad". One of the essential things that they are trying to do is to bring the economy of our country to its knees and to push the country backward in the economic arena so that they can cripple our economy and disappoint the people. This is obvious. Even they themselves are saying these things. This provides clear guidelines for the Majlis, for the administration and for each and every government official working in different sectors.

Another obvious example is their efforts to foment discord among the organizations in charge of managing the country. This is one of the essential goals that they are pursuing, and they do not even try to hide it. This does not mean that they do not want to hide this goal: it is just that the goal is impossible to hide. The way the enemies act in important, large-scale and global issues requires that they do certain things and make certain comments. Therefore, the plans and policies of the enemies cannot be kept a secret. They want to foment discord, and they do so in whatever way they can. We must be vigilant. Differences of taste and differences of political opinion must not result in a conflict among different political groups and elements of the country. If we adopt an optimistic perspective on the post-election events and say that the seditionists only had certain doubts, their great sin was that they turned their doubts into a challenge for the Islamic system. This great sin cannot be ignored, and the effects of this sin still exist in our society. Of course the Iranian nation is a vigilant nation. The level of insight that the Iranian nation enjoys offsets many effects of such events. But these people tried to deal a blow. Creating conflict and fomenting deep discord is a very bad thing. It is very serious and reprehensible. It is exactly what the enemy wants.

You should play your role in the Majlis in this regard. This issue has nothing to do with the political sympathies and tastes of the MPs. These political tastes make no difference in this case. It is a matter of defending the country, the Revolution, Islam and the great achievements of the Iranian nation. All political groups of the country share these concerns, except those who are outsiders. Otherwise, these concerns are shared by all political parties of the country, irrespective of their political sympathies.

Another obvious example is to undermine Islamic beliefs and sentiments and to promote sacrilegious or quasi-sacrilegious ideas in different ways. This is among their policies. They spend huge amounts of money and make widespread efforts in order to deploy various propaganda organizations to change the mentality of our youth. Of course this is not limited to our youth. Today the same policy is being pursued vehemently in the Arab countries in which these uprisings and revolutions are taking place. They spent billions of dollars in order to change the mentality of the youth who used to gather in certain squares in Cairo or Tunisia and who gave rise to those great events. These are the events that are happening, not guesses and analyses: they are facts. Well, the enemy is making efforts. It is working with all its power. Promoting corruption and immorality and shaking the beliefs of people: such things are common actions that the enemy takes.

The enemy has prepared a comprehensive and well-thought-out scenario for the Islamic Republic, the Islamic movement and Islamic Awakening. Fortunately we are capable of confronting this scenario. There is no doubt in this regard. I say this decisively: with its firm ideological and philosophical assets - both potential and actual assets - and with its competent and enthusiastic manpower, the Islamic Republic is capable of countering this attack, and it has shown this capability during the past 32 years. The enemies were not standing idly by over the past 32 years. They have been thinking and working constantly, and their so-called think-tanks have been working over these years. They have spent money. They have prepared many plans. They have employed agents. They have been active. They did everything they could in diplomatic areas. However, the result of their actions is that the Islamic Republic has moved forward and they have moved backward. Of course if it were not for certain moral and other weaknesses and certain shortcomings that we were suffering from, we could have made even more progress. After all, we were suffering from certain problems. But in spite of these shortcomings, we have obliviously made progress and the enemy has obviously been pushed back. The America of the Reagan era is radically different from the America of the Obama era. Similarly the Islamic Republic of 1360 is radically different from the Islamic Republic of 1390. We have moved forward, and they have moved backward. Therefore, the Islamic Republic is capable of countering them, but there is a concern that we might fail to maintain our vigilance and that we might feel overconfident, both of which are dangerous. We should neither lose our vigilance, nor should we keep ourselves busy with secondary issues. We should neither feel overconfident, nor should we underestimate the enemy and consider him helpless. We must be vigilant. I am addressing this point to everybody. I am addressing this point to each and every one of you 290 members of the Majlis. Each and every one of you has this divine responsibility. You must be vigilant. The same is true of the administration, the officials of the judiciary and government officials working in different sectors of the country. All of us are responsible: members of the military in one way and civilians in another. But the responsibility of government officials is clear and often well-defined. All of us are responsible. This is how we should think of our jobs. All of us are responsible: me in my own job, you in your own job and other people in their own jobs.

We are shouldering a heavy responsibility. Allah the Exalted has put this heavy responsibility on our shoulders. We do not have the choice to abandon this responsibility. No, this is a duty that we must carry out in a powerful and responsible way. We must always keep this in mind whenever we do something: whenever we engage in political, intellectual, economic or managerial work. If we continue working without keeping this point in mind, there is a danger that our efforts might work against the goals. Then we will have to deal with divine censure. Allah the Exalted will not forgive such big sins. Imam Khomeini (r.a.) said the same thing about certain social, political and other problems. He used to say, "This is a sin that Allah the Exalted will not forgive because it is not easy to repent of this sin." God forgives every sin if the sinner repents. But if a person does something and harms a nation, how can he repent of his sin? How can he make up for the sin? How can he ask forgiveness of each and every person who has been harmed? So Allah the Exalted will not forgive such sins. This is why our jobs are so sensitive.

As I said, regarding national, regional and global issues, the Majlis and the administration have fortunately adopted good positions and they have resisted. Fortunately our government officials have managed to convey the clear message of the Revolution to the people of the region in spite of the different kinds of uproar that have engulfed the region. In spite of the uproar that the enemies caused, the Iranian nation and its officials managed to clearly express the right and logical words. Fortunately this has already happened, and it should continue.

After all, this is a battlefield. In a battlefield people try to harm the enemy, and they should also expect the enemy to harm them. The enemy does not stand idly by: he tries to deal a blow as well. In these vast international arenas, one should consider oneself in the middle of a battlefield. It is not a time for peace, kindness and other such things. Even when they say soft things, they hide a dagger behind their soft words, waiting for a moment of carelessness so that they can sink the dagger into the heart of their opponent. Therefore, it is necessary to be vigilant. We must be vigilant. We are already vigilant, and I recommend and stress that this vigilance must be maintained.

Of course I would say that it is time for communal piety. As far as individual piety is concerned, each person should watch his or her actions. Perfect piety requires that one should constantly watch one's actions, just like a person who is walking through thorny bushes - and this is an example which has been used both in Islamic narrations and in the statements of prominent figures. That is to say, one should always watch where one is stepping. If you fail to pay attention, the thorns will damage your clothes and injure your feet. Piety has been likened to walking through a field with thorny bushes. This is individual piety, and it is necessary because it is the only way in which people can achieve success and salvation. If somebody wants to achieve ultimate salvation, he or she must have piety. The more piety one has, the more success and salvation one will achieve.

On the other hand, there is communal piety which requires groups of people to watch themselves. Lack of communal piety causes even those who have individual piety in a group to slip and to go where they do not want to be. We have been harmed for this during the past 30 years. This area is where we have had weaknesses.

During the past decades we had a political current in the country which was called "leftist". They used to shout good slogans, but they failed to watch themselves and exercise communal piety. There were people among them who had individual piety, but lack of communal piety ultimately made the situation so bad that seditionists who were opposed to Imam Hussein (a.s.), Islam, Imam Khomeini (r.a.) and the Revolution could rely on them. They did not shout slogans against the Imam or the Revolution, but those who were shouting slogans against the Imam and the Revolution finally came to rely on them. This is a very serious danger. They slipped. Therefore, communal piety is necessary.

Last year I suggested that you should establish self-regulation mechanisms in the Majlis. This is an example of communal piety. You should watch your own organization. Certain criticisms were voiced here and there, saying that MPs must be free. Nobody disagrees that MPs should have freedom. It is only deviant behavior that we are opposed to. MPs with deviant behavior might tarnish the reputation of the Majlis. Is it not a pity to see the reputation of such a great legislative organization become tarnished?

We visited Imam Khomeini (r.a.) at the beginning of the Revolution to have a prominent figure approved by the Imam so that we could nominate him as the president of the Islamic Republic. The Imam did not accept this proposal due to certain reasons. Then he told us to refer to the Majlis. He told us that the Majlis is important. The Majlis enjoys such a position from the perspective of the Leader of the Revolution and the founder of this system. It is necessary to preserve this position. It is necessary to preserve the reputation of the Majlis and save its face. This requires self-regulation. In the absence of self-regulation, we would face problems, and you can see the consequences already. I made this suggestion last year. Of course small steps have recently been taken in the Majlis in this regard, but the importance of this issue was not properly understood. This self-regulation is communal piety.

There are different tastes and political tendencies in the Majlis. I do not at all insist that different political tendencies should come together and unite as one. No, differences of taste, differences of opinion, different political opinions are natural. Such differences of opinion are beneficial in many cases though they may have certain consequences in certain situations. There is no emphasis on eliminating these differences. The emphasis is on what I explained earlier: the MPs must not attack each other, and these differences must not result in personal hostility and in ignoring America. Unfortunately this is how certain parties behave in our country. When they are opposed to a certain party, they tend to forget America, Israel, the opponents of the Revolution and the enemies of the Imam. Overcoming their opponent becomes their main concern. This is wrong. Therefore, political parties must not fight each other like this. Moreover, they must have self-regulation mechanisms among themselves. They must watch themselves. They must not let their party be derailed. Otherwise, there is no shortage of good individuals in these political parties. But when a political group is derailed, both good and bad members suffer from deviation. These points are among clear and natural things. I do not want to fully explain such points to the dear brothers and sisters.

Now I would like to mention an important point. Because this year is the last year of your term in the Majlis, take care not to let the upcoming election - which will be held at the end of this year - make the Majlis suffer from stagnation and lack of effort over the next ten months. There is a concern that the focus of the honorable MPs on the election might overshadow all the things that should happen over the next ten months. I am asking you not to let this happen. I have advised all administrations to take care not to give up trying during the last year of their term. This is more important in the case of the Majlis because the consequences are more serious. For our administrations, their last year is the end of their term in office. They cannot do anything to continue holding office. But this is not the case with our MPs: they can try to keep their position. These efforts must not overshadow their current responsibility, which is essential. I seriously demand the brothers and sisters to pay attention to this point.

Another issue is developing a relationship with owners of power and wealth. I will not stand on ceremony with you in this regard. After all, we are brothers, and we must call each other to the truth and to benevolence. It is a big danger to approach owners of power and wealth just to ensure one's position in the parliament. This is very bad. It is one of the things that Allah the Exalted will not forgive - one of the things that will provoke divine revenge. Such things have a negative effect on society and on people and their destiny.

The dear MPs should try to formulate the self-regulation bill - which has been partially approved by the Majlis - in a way that genuine supervision can be carried out. That is to say, it must be formulated in a way that collusion is prevented and the Majlis can really be supervised in proper way. You must not let standing on ceremony, collusion and other such things get in the way of this supervision.

Another point is the advice that I have always repeated: the need to cooperate with the executive branch. There should be cooperation with the executive as well as the judiciary branch, but cooperation with the executive branch is particularly important because the Majlis is primarily engaged with the executive branch. It is necessary to proceed in a way that discord and tension are avoided, otherwise this would have very negative effects on the people. Sometimes it is noticed that a certain comment is made in the Majlis during a speech. Once you have said something, it is out of your control. If your comment levels allegations against a person or a group, it will not be easy to make up for the consequences. The people will get disappointed. Today our government officials are working hard. Do not say there is this and that shortcoming. I am aware of the shortcomings. I may be aware of certain shortcomings that many people do not know about. In spite of these shortcomings, the executive branch enjoys a good and favorable structure today. Good things are being done in the country. It is necessary to cooperate. It is necessary to help. Both the Majlis and the administration should help each other. The law has the final say on the actions of the administration, and the tendencies and judgments of the administration is a signal to our lawmakers to watch the quality of their legislation. This issue does not go against independence of the Majlis.

I used to be an MP. I also used to be president. I have experienced both these positions. Over these years I have observed both our parliaments and our administrations. There is nothing wrong with formulating an appropriate, effective and logical law in a way that it becomes easy and practical for the administration to put the law into practice. If the Majlis passes such laws, it does not mean that it has lost its independence. There are certain people who have serious problems with the existence of the Majlis, but the same people are claiming to care about independence of the Majlis. They say that the Majlis should have independence. This would not affect independence of the Majlis. The Majlis should see how it is possible to formulate laws in a way that implementing these laws becomes easy for the administration. It is possible to do this, and nothing is wrong with it. On the other hand, once a law has been formulated and approved, the administration is responsible to act according to that law with all its power and without any excuses. This is true of both sides of the issue. That is to say, the two sides can cooperate and help each other. This is necessary, and it must be done. It becomes an impossible situation if the two sides make excuses. If the Majlis refuses to change a particular law just because the administration insists that it should be changed, and similarly if the administration refuses to practice a law just because it has a certain problem, then it will not be possible to run the country. Leniency and flexibility are good. We have Islamic narrations in this regard. People should be flexible. It is only the enemy that one must not be flexible with. One should be flexible with friends. After all, it is necessary to tolerate. It is necessary to tolerate each other's flaws.

The parliamentary election is about ten months from now, and elections are important. Elections are the flag of the Islamic Republic. Thankfully we have always held our elections without any delay, much to the disappointment of the enemies. This is very important. Since the first election in the year 1358 up until today, we have had 31 or 32 elections, and all of them were meticulously held on time. During a certain parliamentary election, they did everything in their power to delay the election, but they failed. Heads of the branches of the government joined hands to prevent the parliamentary election from being held on time, but they failed. They made a lot of efforts. They debated the issue and spoke in favor of delaying the election. They published newspapers in this regard. They drew up a petition. They deployed government agents, but by Allah's favor they failed. By Allah's grace, the situation will be the same in the future as well. Elections are important. Elections are a flag of honor for us: they are the symbol of religious democracy. It is necessary to hold elections in an appropriate way. In spite of all the bad behaviors from different sides and in different elections, in spite of all the nagging, in spite of all the premature warnings about possible vote-rigging and other such things, they have not been able to prove any of their claims. Thankfully all elections were held in a transparent and good way. By Allah's favor, the same is true of the upcoming election as well. Of course there is a long time before the election, but I would like to advise our government officials to be careful and to maintain respect for elections. The Majlis, the administration and the judiciary must all maintain respect for elections. Nobody is allowed to interfere in elections in one way or another. It is the people who should act on the basis of their judgment and determine the result of our elections.

I would like to add one more point [in response to excessive praise by one of the MPs present in the meeting]. I was really embarrassed by the comments of the dear brother who spoke after Mr. Larijani. Although I know for sure that the comments were out of sincere love, such comments are harmful both to me and to the person who makes them. It is necessary to avoid making such comments in this way. We have happened to come together at this point in time, and we are working together as a team. I am responsible for one thing, and you are responsible for another. Such comments are not the kind of comments that would make one feel good or the kind of comments that would help one move forward. We are all servants of God, and by Allah's favor we will manage to serve the people as well.

I hope Allah the Exalted will make all of us benefit from His blessings.

Greetings be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings

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