Monday, April 23, 2012

Leader underlines Iraq's growing authority

Leader underlines Iraq's growing authority
2012/04/23 - 17:06


Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei on Monday stressed that Tehran is pleased with the increasing authority of Iraq both in the region and in the entire Arab world.

IR Leader made the remark in a meeting with the visiting Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and his accompanying delegation.

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution said efforts to promote scientific status of the country will further stabilize the position of both the Iraqi nation and government in the region.

Ayatollah Khamenei said that the full withdrawal of the US forces from Iraq was a great success achieved through the resistance of the Iraqi government and public firm will.

IR Leader referred to holding of the Arab League meeting in Baghdad as another sign of Iraq’s authority and said though many tried to push Iraq out of the Arab world, hosting the meeting puts the country at the head of the organization.

Ayatollah Khamenei reiterated that the Iraqi nation will face a brighter future.

The Iraqi premier, for his part, expressed great happiness over his presence in Iran and meeting with Ayatollah Khamenei.

Pointing to growing ties between the two countries, he hoped his talks in Tehran would pave the way for further expansion of mutual relations.

http://www.leader.ir/langs/en/index.php?p=contentShow&id=9369

IRI Army, key part of Islamic Awakening process

IRI Army, key part of Islamic Awakening process
2012/04/22 - 17:41


Islamic Revolution Leader Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei inspected an army base in Tehran where he met with a group of Army commanders and was briefed on the activities of the Ground Force.

The visit to the army base started with the IR Leader reciting the first sura of the Holy Koran in homage before a memorial put up in commemoration of the memory of the martyrs of the eight-year Sacred Defense (1980-88).

Ayatollah Khamenei then inspected an exhibit of the Army's research and engineering activities and talked through video conference with units of army situated in Abuzar garrison in Sarpol Zahab, west of Iran and an aerial logistics unit situated in Zahedan, southeast of Iran.

The Commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces then held a meeting with the ground force's operational units where he delivered a speech, saying that the IRI Army must above all boost its faith as source of motivations and that faith in God would generate a strong and effective motivation.

Ayatollah Khamenei said such profound motivation could be seen in faithful and brave individuals at sensitive times and that the victory of the Armed forces during the eight-year Sacred Defense against the fully-equipped, superpowers-backed Baathist army of Saddam Hussein was a fruit of the faith-based motivation.

Ayatollah Khamenei then advised the military commanders to boost their knowledge and personality and at the same time cut on their worldly desires. The IR Leader also instructed the commanders to boost military training in the Ground Force.

Following his speech, Army Commander, General Sayyed Ataollah Salehi delivered a report on the army's activities and records. Commander of the Ground Force, Brigadier General Ahmad-Reza Pourdastan too delivered a repot on the status of the Ground Force's units nationwide.

Ayatollah Khamenei then held a meeting with top commanders, cadets and staffs of the Army's Ground Force where he described the IRI Army as a popular, national body and a divine, Islamic army that serves the national interests.

Ayatollah Khamenei rejected the domineering powers' claims that their armies were established just to protect their national interests, saying that those armies were actually serving the powers' political transgression rather than national interests. "Does the US army seek to serve the American people's interests by massacring of Iraqi and Afghan people," the IR Leader enquired.

Touching on the significant position of the IRI Army, Ayatollah Khamenei pointed to the current developments in the Middle East and said the army was a key element of the ongoing Islamic Awakening movement.

"A political current has been developing in the world that challenges a classification of the world countries into a dichotomy of domineering versus domineered; the Islamic Iran centers the political current," Ayatollah Khamenei said, adding that the superpowers' intimidations and threats of sanctions against the Islamic Iran stem from the very political reality.

"Having imbued the mind and body of Muslim nations for the past three decades, the vital movement has emerged as an accumulated force, leading to recent developments in Egypt and some other countries," the IR Leader said.

Ayatollah Khamenei said the colonial powers are afraid about the Islamic Iran's faithful and firm youths as well as the people's political foresight and high national sentiments that have boosted the political current.

"The IRI Army is a key and vital part of the process and must always maintain and boost its genuine preparedness," the Islamic Revolution Leader urged.

http://www.leader.ir/langs/en/index.php?p=contentShow&id=9362

'Iran's power at the service of regional countries'

'Iran's power at the service of regional countries'
Saturday, 21 April 2012 06:42


Tehran's interim Friday Prayers Leader, Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, has said the power of the Islamic Republic of Iran is at the service of regional countries, including the Persian Gulf littoral states.

Addressing a huge crowd of Friday prayers worshippers and the faithful in Tehran, Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati criticized the stances adopted by various Persian Gulf littoral states , saying it is wrong for these countries to have the same interests as that of the United States of America and the Israeli regime. Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati added: "The power of the Islamic Republic of Iran is at the service of regional nations".

In further remarks, Tehran's interim Friday Prayers Leader said the united states and its allies cannot stop or resist the wave of Islamic awakening sweeping middle east and north Africa -- a wave which will eventually lead to their downfall.

In further remarks, Ayatollah Jannati referred to recent negotiations between Iran and the 5+1 Group at Istanbul , Turkey, and said these negotiations have been successful, and that Westerners have accepted that Islamic Iran has the right, and possesses the means, to enrich uranium.

Emphasizing that the Leader of the Islamic revolution on numerous occasions has said that Iran is not after nuclear weapons, Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati said the 5+1 Group countries know very well that Iran is not after nuclear weapons, and they have also realized that Iran's nuclear policies inspire confidence.

Elsewhere, Ayatollah Jannati referred to naming of the current Iranian year as the year of national production, manufacturing, and support for jobs and investments in Iran by the Leader of the Islamic revolution , and emphasized that all Iranians, from all walks of life, need to redouble their efforts to support national production, manufacture, and advancement of Islamic Iran.

Tehran's interim Friday Prayers Leader pointedly added: "By supporting investments and increasing manufacturing output, Islamic Iran will become stronger and Iran's dependence will be totally a thing of the past".

Tehran's interim Friday Prayers Leader went on to urge the Iranian people to take part in balloting in the second round of parliamentary elections in Iran, arguing this will scupper all enemy conspiracies.

http://english.irib.ir/news/political/item/90873-irans-power-at-the-service-of-regional-countries

Leader: Satisfying people, satisfies God

Leader: Satisfying people, satisfies God
2012/04/15 - 20:21


In a meeting with senior officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran's Police, the Leader said that if officials managed to bring peace to the hearts of people by their services, it will be rewarded by God.

Ayatollah Khamenei said that IRIP personnel are the soldiers of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

"Security is the fundamental requirement of the society in order to make planning. In the absence of security, no planning can be made for the progress and development," he added.

Elsewhere in his address, IR Leader highlighted the significance of collective decision making and planning for the development and progress of the country in light of peace of mind and security.

Ayatollah Khamenei drew attention of the police officials to vulnerability of individuals and certain organizations to corruption.

"As some individuals may be vulnerable to corruption and certain organizations may also be affected by corruption, it requires enough care and measures must be taken to remove vulnerability," he said.

IR Leader highlighted the need to be trustworthy and to prefer the interests of the organization to those of individuals and said that if such a spirit prevails it will guarantee the progress of the country.

Prior to the Leader's remarks, Commander of IRIP Brigadier-General Esmail Ahmadi-Moqaddam presented a report on the performance of the personnel under his command.

http://www.leader.ir/langs/en/index.php?p=contentShow&id=9346

Leader: Expediency Council in charge of key issues

Leader: Expediency Council in charge of key issues
2012/04/08 - 23:20


Ayatollah Khamenei made the remarks while addressing the Chairman and new members of the System's Expediency Council in Tehran on Sunday.

"Counseling the Leader on the general policies of the Islamic System and regulating such policies are two important tasks undertaken by the System's Expediency Council,' the Leader said while elaborating on the status of the System's Expediency Council within the system and its duties as brought in the Constitution.

He referred to another duty of the System's Expediency Council as resolving the issues when the three branches of power face deadlock.

"The exigencies as recognized by the Council should be confirmed by the majority members of the Council," Ayatollah Khamenei added.

http://www.leader.ir/langs/en/index.php?p=contentShow&id=9327

IRI military power, a thorny issue for enemies

IRI military power, a thorny issue for enemies
2012/04/04 - 17:37


The Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday that Iran's military power is a thorny issue for the enemies.

Ayatollah Khamenei said that the enemies are well aware of eight-year glorious defense by Iranian armed forces in an imposed war on Iran in which the western governments had mobilized all their defense capabilities to back Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.

In a meeting with commanders of the armed forces, Leader of the Islamic Revolution said that both the western and eastern superpowers and their allies stood up against the fledgling Islamic Republic of Iran in 1980s and provided Saddam Hussein with advanced military hardware to destroy Iran.

Elsewhere in his speech, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces said that the western governments and so-called advocates of human rights provided Iraq with chemical weapons to kill Iranian soldiers on the warfronts.

"Despite all the treasons and all-out support for Saddam, the western governments could not bring the Iranian nation to their knees. The nation set a glorious record of national defense serving as a bright experience for the armed forces," IR Leader said.

Ayatollah Khamenei said that the nation must exercise patience, stay steadfast on the scene and continue its path towards progress and prosperity.

"God willing, the nation will set another example of glory vis-à-vis the current treasons against Iran."

The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces called on the army to maintain the spirit of the Sacred Defense, a reference to the US-backed imposed war against Iran.

Prior to the Leader's address, chief of joint staff of the armed forces Major General Hassan Firouzabadi presented a report on preparedness of the armed forces to defend the country.

http://www.leader.ir/langs/en/index.php?p=contentShow&id=9317

Leader emphasizes national production

Leader emphasizes national production
2012/04/03 - 22:33


The Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says supporting national production is an urgent need because the enemies of Iran have focused on economic issues.

In a meeting with Iran's high-ranking officials on Tuesday, the Islamic Revolution Leader noted that the cooperation between Iranian Majlis and government is necessary for supporting national production and countering the efforts of the global arrogant front.

“Today, the country needs endeavor, dynamism and innovation in various fields; and collaboration, prudence, and cooperation among officials, especially between the government and the Majlis, are required to achieve this goal,” Ayatollah Khamenei added.

The Leader noted that the global “arrogant front” has launched all-out efforts to increase economic pressures on Iran, but Iranian officials and youths, through their resolve and faith, will mobilize all their capacities and capabilities to bring another failure to the arrogant front.

“The most obvious reason for the futility of the efforts made by the arrogant front is the inefficiency of more than 30 years of sanctions and economic pressures on the Islamic establishment as well as the increasing progress and power of Iran,” Ayatollah Khamenei said.

The Leader stated that unity and empathy in the country has been a major reason for the failure of the Islamic Republic’s enemies.

“The Majlis and the government should take practical steps to support national production through sincere cooperation,” the Leader added.

Pointing to the wrong culture for consuming foreign products in the society, Ayatollah Khamenei said the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) plays an important role in building a correct culture for consuming domestic products.

“Building culture for the consumption of domestic products requires thinking, studying, deep insight, planning and attention to the socio-psychological aspects of this issue,” the Leader noted.

In his New Year message to the Iranian nation, Ayatollah Khamenei named the new Iranian year (started March 21) as the year of “National Production, Supporting Iranian Capital and Labor.”

The Leader added that if domestic production prospers, most of the enemies’ efforts will undoubtedly fail.

Ayatollah Khamenei said the prosperity of national production is the key to resolving the problems of inflation and unemployment and will strengthen domestic economy.

http://www.leader.ir/langs/en/index.php?p=contentShow&id=9308

Supreme Leader’s Speech at Imam Ridha’s (a.s.) Shrine

Supreme Leader’s Speech at Imam Ridha’s (a.s.) Shrine
20/03/2012

The following is the full text of the speech delivered on March 20, 2012 by Ayatollah Khamenei the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution to a group of pilgrims at Imam Ridha's (a.s.) shrine in the holy city of Mashhad.

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, and peace and greetings be upon our Master and Prophet, Ab-al-Qassem Mustafa Muhammad, and upon his immaculate, pure and chosen household, especially the one remaining with Allah on earth.

I am thankful to Allah the Exalted from the bottom of my heart who gave me another opportunity to meet you dear people and youth - including the honorable people of Mashhad and the surrounding areas as well as the esteemed pilgrims who have travelled from other cities - at the spiritual shrine of Ali ibn Musa ar-Ridha (a.s.) and to enjoy the spiritual blessings of sitting in the shade of Imam Ridha (a.s.) and his holy shrine.

I extend my congratulations on Norouz and the arrival of the new year and I hope that for all the people of Iran, this new year will be full of happiness, blessings, joy, dynamism, activity and success in acquiring religious knowledge and achieving piety.

I would like to discuss a few issues with you dear brothers and sisters in this meeting. The first part of my speech is a brief look at the events that happened in our country in the year 1390 and at the regional and global developments that were related to us. The reason why I want to discuss the developments of the year 1390 - and particularly the achievements that were made by the Iranian nation last year - is that our enemies and ill-wishers are making threats against our dear nation. The leaders of the arrogant powers, those who have power and wealth and their followers in our region are doing everything in their power - their financial, propaganda and political power - to intimidate the Iranian people and to disappoint them. Anybody who has followed the political propaganda of the ill-wishers of the Iranian nation realizes that all the activities, all the economic and political efforts and all the security and military threats are aimed at stopping, disappointing and intimidating the vibrant, living, dynamic, determined and capable Iranian nation, a nation that is standing firm in the middle of the arena in a totally courageous way, a nation that is moving forward. In fact, aside from the slogan of "we can" which our magnanimous Imam (r.a.) taught us, the Revolution also gave us the courage to say, "We can". They want to convince us that we are incapable. They are doing everything in their power to achieve this goal and their activities reached full swing in the year 1390. I would like to stress that despite their will and much to their disappointment, in the year 1390 the Iranian nation once again convinced the enemies and the entire world - with its activities, advances and decisions - that it is capable.

The reason why we stress our strengths is to prove that the Iranian nation made use of its capabilities. The Iranian nation proved that it is capable in spite of the will of the ill-wishers who wanted to prove that the Iranian nation was incapable. We are aware of our weak points. We have our own weak points, but in general, our strengths are far more than our weak points.

The year 1390 was named "The Year of Economic Jihad". For this reason, I will start with economic issues. What is noteworthy is the economic movement of our government officials which was accompanied by the exemplary and praiseworthy cooperation of the people throughout the year 1390. Among the things that can be mentioned in this regard is the issue of redistributing state subsidies. All economic experts - both the ones who served in the previous governments and those who serving in the current government - unanimously agree that redistributing state subsidies is a necessity for the country. Everybody has acknowledged this. In spite of the fact that everybody agreed on the necessity of taking action, nobody had done anything due to the complexities and hardships involved. In the year 1390, the executive and legislative branches of government made efforts and carried out important stages of this work while we were under sanctions and while the hardships and complexities were more than ever before. The work is not finished yet, but what has been done so far by our government officials both in the executive branch and in the Majlis - which have been mostly successful due to the support and cooperation of the people - are very important and remarkable.

The subsidy law pursues a number of objectives which I will discuss briefly. All our honorable people are familiar with the objectives, but it is necessary to reflect on them. The work that has been done is great. It is important work. One of the objectives of this law is fair distribution of the state subsidies. I explained in a speech that state subsidies have always been distributed among the people in an unfair way: this is the nature of general subsidies. Through targeted subsidies, a kind of balance and justice has emerged in the way subsidies are distributed in the country. I have received reliable reports from across the country that targeted subsidies have played a significant role in improving living standards of the lower social classes. This is one of the goals, which is also the most important objective of the subsidy law.

Another goal is to reform the structure of production and the structure of our economy. The cycle of production in the country has been a faulty cycle. The process of production has been wasteful and expensive, and productivity has been low. Economic experts unanimously agree that targeted subsidies can resolve this problem. They agree that wasteful and low-yield production can be remedied and a balance can be created between input and output.

Another goal is to manage energy consumption. Because we have been an oil-rich country, we have been in the habit of using gas, natural gas, diesel and kerosene in a wasteful way. Our consumption has been more wasteful than many countries - and in a sense, more wasteful than all countries in the world. Targeted subsidies will encourage the country to economize on energy sources. Reliable statistics have been published which show that if the subsidy law had not been implemented, we would be consuming gas almost twice the amount we currently do. When we do not produce sufficient gasoline to meet our domestic needs, what do we have to do? We would have to import it. That is to say, the Iranian nation would have to be at the mercy of the ill-wishers and the enemies. The subsidy law encouraged us to economize on gasoline. Today our domestic consumption of gasoline is approximately as much as our production. We do not need to import gasoline, which is a great advantage for the country. This was done in the year 1390, exactly when our enemies increased their sanctions on us in order to bring our nation to its knees. But our youth made efforts and foiled the plots of the enemy with their actions.

Another important economic measure which was taken with the help of our people was in the arena of science and technology. Science and technology is one of the pillars of a nation's economic power. A nation that enjoys advanced knowledge and technology will achieve wealth, political independence, honor and power. I am sensitive to the issue of scientific and technological progress because of the key role it plays. I receive different reports from different channels on a regular basis and I can say with certainty that the level of our country's advances is much higher than what has been reported.

According to the reports prepared by reliable scientific centers of world - and not our own scientific centers - the fastest scientific growth is taking place in Iran. Reliable scientific centers of the world reported that in the year 2011 - which ended three months before the year 1390 - the scientific growth of the Iranian nation was 20 percent more than the year 2010. What is the meaning of this? The Iranian nation acted like that in a situation in which the enemies of the Iranian nation were betting on our collapse and were describing their sanctions as crippling.

Reliable scientific centers of the world also report that Iran is the top country in the region in terms of its scientific level and that it ranks 17th in the world. These reports are prepared by those who would not refuse to present false reports against us if they could, yet they acknowledge our growth like this. In the year 1390 we made progress in biotechnology. We made progress in nanotechnology. We made progress in aerospace and we launched the Navid satellite. We made progress in nuclear industry and managed to enrich uranium to 20 percent. In the year 1389 the Americans and others proposed certain preconditions for this 20-percent uranium. We had to prepare it for our research reactor in Tehran, which has been built to produce radiopharmaceuticals: we had run out of 20-percent enriched uranium. They proposed certain preconditions for providing this uranium. They said that we had to ship our uranium abroad to be enriched to 20-percent. But we did not accept their offer. The Americans used the Brazilian and Turkish governments as intermediaries in order to reach an agreement with us. We accepted their offer of negotiations. Turkish and Brazilian officials travelled to our country and arranged meetings with the President. They spoke and signed an agreement. After the agreement was signed, the Americans broke their promise: the agreement was not the kind of agreement they wanted. They wanted to win many concessions. They wanted to bully and blackmail us. Because the Americans broke their promise, the Brazilian and Turkish governments were embarrassed in front of us. This is the story of the 20-percent uranium.

Our youth said that they were prepared to produce 20-percent uranium in spite of all those problems and all that obstructionism. In the year 1390, they produced 20-percent enriched uranium for the research reactor in Tehran and they announced their achievement to the world. Our enemies were astonished. Although they knew the nuclear reactor in Tehran only produces radiopharmaceuticals, they refused to provide the 20-percent uranium we needed. The reactor in Tehran fulfills the needs of our hospitals and laboratories across the country and thousands of patients need these radiopharmaceuticals, yet they proposed preconditions to blackmail us. Our youth produced the uranium we needed. The work was complicated and difficult, but our youth managed to do it. Currently various kinds of radiopharmaceuticals are being produced at the research center in Tehran with domestically produced uranium. This was done in the year 1390.

In the year 1390 fuel plates were produced domestically in the nuclear industry. It would take a long time to fully recount the story in this meeting, but in short, they said that we should send our 3.5-percent enriched uranium to Russia in order to be enriched to 20 percent. Russia was supposed to give the 20-percent enriched uranium to France to be turned into fuel plates and sent back to Iran, a truly complicated process. Our scientists and youth said that they would produce plate type fuels on their own. They made determined efforts and produced the fuels. Then they announced the achievement and put it on display. This was done in the year 1390.

The sixfold increase in recombinant drugs and the increase in the export of knowledge-based products and services - these achievements were made in the year 1390. These are part of achievements which were made in "The Year of Economic Jihad". These are scientific advances. These are technological advances. These achievements are indicative of the scientific power of the country, but they also affect the economy of our country directly. This is economic jihad.

Last week at the end of the year 1390, I visited the Research Institute of Petroleum Industry. There were certain things in the institute which can be witnessed when touring different other research centers of the country as well: they convince one that these advances are the rule, not the exception. These important advances - which our people would not even dream about - have been made already and they have become the rule.

Now I would like to mention a number of the characteristics and phenomena that I witnessed at the institute. First of all, jihad-like spirit and thought were predominant in the institute. The scientists were working with a jihad-like spirit. They were working as if they were involved in jihad, as if they were fighting in the battlefield in the way of God. There is a big difference between those who work for the sake of money, social position, fame or knowledge and those who work for the sake of jihad in the way of God. This spirit is predominant in the Research Institute of Petroleum Industry as well as other scientific organizations of the country. This is very valuable.

The second characteristic is that our scientists consider the sanctions that are imposed on our nation as opportunities. During the visit to the institute, which lasted a long time, a few people told me, "Thank God they imposed sanctions on us. We were awakened and spurred into action." The feeling that the sanctions imposed by the enemies provide us with an opportunity is very valuable. As a result, they paid serious attention to domestic production. They provided opportunities for our youth. They provided opportunities for innovation and creativity. And the work still continues like a continuous stream.

The third characteristic that I noticed among the employees of the institute was their great self-confidence. Certain parts of the oil industry have been monopolized by three, four countries in the world: they do not allow other countries to access their technologies. Over these years, our country has always asked them to do such important and complex things for us and we have paid for their services. I realized that they were determined and they were saying, "We can. We will do this on our own. We will build these things on our own." This self-confidence is very valuable for a nation, for the scientists of a nation, for the youth of a nation.

Another characteristic is the tendency to employ young people. The work is being done by the youth. It is the youth who are in charge. The youth are a source of innovation and creativity.

Another characteristic is the relationship between industry and university, which has always been among my wishes. I used to advise the officials in charge of the relevant sectors in the previous governments that they should try to establish a relationship between industry and university. Fortunately I saw at the institute that the relationship has been established. Of course, the relationship should be prevalent and all our industries should be linked to our universities. Then both our knowledge and our industries will grow. I saw these characteristics at the institute, but the characteristics are not particular to the Research Institute of Petroleum Industry: I have noticed the same characteristics during my visits to other research centers as well, which shows that this is the rule in the country and that our movement is such a movement.

This was the situation of the economic sector in the year 1390, a year in which the enemies and ill-wishers of the Iranian nation were constantly trying to intimidate us. Sometimes they made threats. Other times they mounted political pressure on us. Yet other times they imposed sanctions on us. The agents of the US government are making efforts throughout the world to implement the sanctions, hoping that they will harm the Iranian nation and create a rift between the Iranian people and the Islamic Republic.

In the year 1390 we made other great achievements as well, including the active diplomacy that we employed in case of the regional issues. The Conference on Islamic Awakening, the Conference on Palestinian Intifada, the Conference on Disarmament and Non-Proliferation, the World Without Terrorism Conference and the Islamic Awakening and Youth Conference were among the activities which were carried out in Tehran. The Islamic Republic became the center of attention in the world of Islam which has awakened today.

In the area of economic services, tens of thousands of houses were built in the country and were made available to the people. These statistics are great. They are important statistics. Houses were built in rural areas. Roads were built. Highways and freeways were built. These are the preliminary stages of "The Decade of Progress and Justice". We named the current decade "The Decade of Progress and Justice" and these things are the preliminary stages. Three years of this decade have passed. In spite of the efforts by our enemies, in spite of the efforts by our evil and spiteful ill-wishers, our vibrant and dynamic nation has managed to achieve these advances.

One great example of the praiseworthy movements which were carried out by the Iranian nation in the year 1390 was the parliamentary election that was held on the 12th of Esfand. Of course, I would stress that the election is not over yet. Our people should show the same magnificence in the second round as well. The election was extremely important. As I have pointed out before, the enemies did everything in their power for around six months in order to discourage the people from taking part in the election. Sometimes they said the election would be rigged. Other times they said if the people did not take part in the election, the enemies would become less hostile, and they broadcast various kinds of propaganda in order to drive the people away from the polling stations and ballot boxes. Yet other times they tried to intimidate, discourage and disappoint our people by assassinating our scientists. They carried out three assassinations in less than six months.

The election was held in such an atmosphere, yet the voter turnout was so large. The turnout rate of more than 64 percent is a significant rate. You should know that this rate is higher than the average rate of voter turnout in parliamentary elections throughout the world. In America the average rate of voter turnout in congressional elections is thirty five percent. Over the past ten years, the rate of voter turnout in the congressional elections - the Senate and the House of Representatives - has never reached forty percent. If you compare this with the turnout rate of the Iranian people and their dynamism and presence, then the significance of the matter will be revealed. Through those pressures, through that psychological warfare, through those threats, through those assassinations, they wanted to make the 12th of Esfand a day of disappointment for the Iranian people and the Islamic Republic, but despite their will and much to their disappointment, the 12th of Esfand became a day of honor and glory for the Islamic Republic and the people of Iran. The parliamentary election acted as an honest and powerful media outlet. They distort the news related to Iran. They report events that have not happened in Iran and they do not report the events that have happened, but they cannot deny the election. It happened in front of everybody's eyes. The election presented an accurate picture of the Iranian nation to the world like a great and powerful media outlet.

These were the events that took place in the year 1390, a year in which the enemies made so many investments in order to harm the people of Iran and the Islamic Republic. These things are only part of the achievements made in the year 1390. Why are they so hostile? I would say that on different occasions they have different pretexts for hostility. Since the time the nuclear issue was brought up, the pretext for their enmities has been the nuclear issue. Of course, they know and they acknowledge that Iran is not after nuclear weapons, which is true. We have our own reasons not to go after nuclear weapons. We have not manufactured any nuclear weapons and we never will. They know this and the nuclear issue is just a pretext. One day their pretext is the nuclear issue, another day their pretext is human rights and yet another day their pretext is other domestic issues of our country, but they are all pretexts. What is the real problem? The real problem is that the Islamic Republic is safeguarding the great oil and gas resources of the country in a powerful way. As has always been the case, economic and political power - and the resultant scientific and military power - depend on energy sources, on oil. The world will need oil and gas for decades and this is an undeniable truth. The arrogant powers know that their survival depends on oil and gas. The day they fail to acquire oil at a cheap price, the day they are forced to make concessions and stop bullying for the sake of oil and gas - that day will be a tragic day for them.

On the other hand, western countries have faced problems in terms of oil resources and their problems will increase on a daily basis. Some of the European countries - and western countries in general - will run out of oil in four years. Some others will run out of oil in six years. Yet other western countries will run out of oil in nine years. As a result, they have to use the resources of other countries. According to the calculations of our experts, which are based on the statistics presented by the Americans themselves, the US currently has oil reserves of thirty-something billion barrels and it will run out of oil by 2021. That is to say, the US will run out of oil in nine years.

Currently more than fifty percent of the world's oil flows out of the Persian Gulf and in the future the global flow of oil will depend on three oil-rich countries in the Persian Gulf region. Of course, Iran is one of the three oil-rich countries and I will explain this point later. Among all the countries of the world and not just the Persian Gulf region, the Islamic Republic of Iran has the greatest sources of oil and gas. Some countries have more natural gas than we do and some others have more oil than us. We are the second country in the world in terms of our gas reserves and Russia is the first. In terms of our oil reserves, we are the fourth country in the world. There are three countries in the world which have more oil than we do. However, in terms of total amount of oil and gas reserves, the Islamic Republic, your dear homeland, has more proven oil reserves than any other country in the world. This is very interesting for the consumers of oil in the world and for the arrogant powers whose survival depends on energy sources, on oil and gas. This is the wealth that Iran enjoys. They will run out of oil in four, ten, fifteen years, but considering the proven oil reserves, the Islamic Republic will have oil and gas for another eighty years. A country that ranks first in terms of its oil and gas reserves is very interesting.

What do the arrogant powers want? They want our country to be ruled by a government whom they can easily control, just like certain countries in the region which have a lot of oil, yet they are like putty in the hands of the Americans. The Americans order them to produce certain amounts of oil and they say, "Yes, sir." The Americans order them to sell their oil at a particular price and they say, "Yes, sir." The Americans tell them where and where not to sell their oil and they say, "Yes, sir." In our oil-rich country, which has the largest proven oil and gas reserves in the world, they will oppose any government that safeguards this national wealth in a proud way, does not allow other countries to plunder this wealth and does not follow the policies of the enemies. This is why Islamic Iran is faced with so many enmities.

Those who think that if we had backed down in the case of the nuclear issue, America would no longer be hostile - they are unaware of this truth. Their problem is not the nuclear issue. There are certain countries in our region that have nuclear weapons, but they do not care at all. The problem is the issue of nuclear weapons or nuclear industry. The problem is not the issue of human rights. The problem is the Islamic Republic which is standing firm against them like a lion. If the Islamic Republic had agreed to betray its own people like certain regional regimes, if the Islamic Republic had surrendered to them, they would not be bothering it. The problem is their arrogant greed and this is the reason behind their enmity towards the Iranian nation.

Of course, the Americans are making a mistake. It is a big and fatal mistake to think that they can force the Islamic Republic to retreat or back down through hostility, enmity and threats, and they will be punished for this mistake. They should treat the Iranian nation respectfully. They should be satisfied with their rights. They should see the tragedy that is awaiting them. Western countries do not allow their people to learn about the future oil tragedy. They do not want their people to realize what is awaiting them in the case of oil and energy sources. They do not want to tell this to their people. They think that they can move things forward by being hostile to the Iranian people, but they will not succeed.

Dear brothers and sisters, dear people of Iran, you should know that today the situation of America is precarious in spite of all its muscle-flexing, in spite of all the uproar it causes. I do not want to use confidential reports or superficial things as evidence: what I am saying is simple mathematics. Notice that the America President came to power with the slogan of change. What does change mean? It means that the existing situation is very bad and that we are determined to change it. He stepped in with this slogan and the people of America voted for him because of his slogan of change, otherwise racist people were not prepared to vote for a person from an African-American background. But they did, hoping that there would be change. The fact that the slogan of change affected the people like that shows that the situation was very bad. That is to say, on the admission of the American people, the situation of America was very bad when he decided to run for president. And he promised to bring about change. Therefore, it is an undeniable truth that the situation of America was very bad. This is not what we say: it was the American people themselves who admitted that their situation was bad. Then he came to power, but did he bring about change? Did he manage to change the situation? Did he manage to change that bad situation? Today America has a debt of fifteen trillion dollars. This debt is equal to - or bigger than - their gross domestic product. This is a big problem for a country. As for their political situation, they were forced to leave Iraq without any achievements and in Afghanistan their situation is becoming worse on a daily basis. They are becoming more disgraced on a daily basis in Pakistan, a country which used to be their ally. In Muslim countries, in Egypt, in North Africa, in Tunisia, the Americans have completely lost their original awe. Besides all these things, the Occupy Wall Street movement has started in the cities of America. Is this situation good? This is simple mathematics. It is not complicated. The people of America accepted that they needed change, thus admitting that their situation was bad. And that bad situation has not changed so far. Therefore, America is in a dire situation.

America might pose threats to other countries. It might do crazy things. And I would like to take this opportunity to say that we do not have atomic weapons and that we will not build such weapons, but in case the enemies attack us - be it America or the Zionist regime - we will attack them on the same level that they attack us in order to defend ourselves.

The Holy Quran has promised us, "And if those who disbelieve fight with you, they would certainly turn (their) backs, then they would not find any protector or a helper. Such has been the law of Allah that has indeed run before, and you shall not find a change in Allah's law." [The Holy Quran, 48: 22-23] Nowhere in the Holy Quran is it said that if you start a war, you will definitely win it. You might win or lose the war you start, just as the Muslims did not always win the wars they started during the early years after the introduction of Islam: they were defeated in certain cases. But it has been promised that if the enemy attacks, he will definitely be defeated. You should not say that this is only true of the early years after the introduction of Islam. No, "Such has been the law of Allah that has indeed run before, and you shall not find a change in Allah's law." This is a divine law. The Iranian people are determined and dynamic and they are not thinking of attacking other countries, but they are firmly attached to their identity, to their wealth, to their religion, to their Islamic Republic.

This year's slogan is "National Production" which has been explained in the rest of the slogan: "Supporting Iranian Labor and Investment." That is to say, when you consume domestically produced products, you help Iranian laborers, you create job opportunities, you contribute to Iranian investment, you give rise to growth and development. Consuming foreign products is a wrong cultural norm, which has unfortunately become prevalent in certain portions of our society. Consuming foreign products will harm us. It will stand in the way of our progress. It will harm our future. Everybody is responsible in this regard. The government is also responsible: it must support and strengthen national production.

Fortunately the "National Development Fund" was approved by the Majlis. Today a valuable source of money is available to our government officials who can channel the money into national production. They should facilitate national production. The Majlis should cooperate and the executive branch should make efforts in this regard so that they can boost national production. And the people should also cooperate: both those who have capital and those who have the power to work. We should manufacture high-quality and durable products inside the country. We must try to decrease the cost of production as much as possible. This requires cooperation from everybody. Different parts of the government should cooperate - both the parts that are in charge of financial and monetary affairs and the parts that are in charge of other economic affairs. The Majlis should also cooperate so that this goal is fulfilled in our country.

The people have the most important role to play. You dear people should develop a tendency towards Iranian products. It is wrong to prefer foreign brands - in the case of clothes, utensils, furniture, foodstuffs and other things - to domestic brands while in many cases our domestic products might be far better than their foreign equivalents. I have heard that the clothes which are produced in certain cities across the country are taken abroad and foreign brand names are attached to them, and then they are shipped into the country to be sold as foreign products. If these clothes do not go through this process, Iranian customers might not like to pay for them, but simply because the clothes bear French brand names, Iranian customers buy them. This is wrong. Domestic production is important. Pay attention to what Iranian laborers produce. Pay attention to the investments made by Iranian investors. In the area of consumption, the people play the main role. This is part of the effort to reform the norms of consumption, which I discussed with our people in this place two years ago. It is also part of economic jihad, which I discussed last year. National production is important and it must be the goal.

Now I would like to make a recommendation regarding political issues. Dear people, dear brothers and sisters, today we need unity and solidarity across the country. There are many pretexts for discord. In the case of certain issues not even two people have the same opinion. This must not become a pretext for discord. Sometimes a person might have a certain tendency that might not be shared by other people, but this must not become a source of discord. All opinions should be treated with respect. Internal disagreements and conflicts would cause weakness. The Holy Quran teaches us, "And do not quarrel for then you will be weak in hearts and your power will depart." [The Holy Quran, 8: 46] If we quarrel about different issues - political issues, economic issues, personal issues - if we fight with each other, our enemy will be encouraged. Some of the courage that our enemy has found in the past years is due to our quarrels. The Commander of the Faithful (a.s.) teaches us a lesson. He says, "A person who seeks the truth but makes a mistake is not the same as a person who seeks falsehood and achieves it." Opponents are of two kinds. One kind of opponent wants the truth, the Islamic Republic, the Revolution, Islam and God, but he might choose the wrong path. We must not be hostile to such opponents. Such opponents are different from those who work against the Islamic system and pursue hostile objectives. Make hearts tender towards each other and treat each other with more kindness.

Unfortunately these electronic and internet media outlets have prepared the ground for widespread slander. Our government officials should take certain measures in this regard. However, the most important factor is that we should feel committed to observing the Islamic rules of conduct. We should feel committed to observing the law. My statement must not be used as a pretext to criticize and persecute our revolutionary youth as extremists. No, I consider all our proud youth and all our faithful and revolutionary youth as my own children and I support them. I support our revolutionary, faithful and proud youth, but I also advise everybody to observe the Islamic rules of conduct and the law in their behavior. Everybody must observe the law. The Constitution of the Islamic Republic embodies the values of the Revolution.

The same is true of our government officials. The executive branch must not undermine the authority of the Majlis. Similarly the Majlis must not undermine the authority of the executive branch and the President. They must work together and cooperate. This does not mean that everybody should think in the same way. It just means that two people who think differently must not fight each other. Any internal quarrel and any internal fight would make the enemies hopeful and happy.

I hope the year 1391, which starts from today, will be full of dynamism, activity, success and happiness for the people of Iran.

Dear God, by the blessedness of Muhammad (s.w.a.) and his household, make our dear youth and people steadfast on the straight path. Dear God, suppress and defeat the enemies of this nation. Dear God, help our dear, self-sacrificing and resistant people achieve their great wishes. Make the holy heart of the Imam of the Age (a.s.) satisfied and happy with us and help us benefit from his prayers.

Greetings be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings

http://english.khamenei.ir//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1620

Sunday, April 15, 2012

IRI's nuclear program, civilian: Emami-Kashani

IRI's nuclear program, civilian: Emami-Kashani
4/13/2012 4:53:14 PM


Tehran's Provisional Friday Prayers Leader Ayatollah Mohammad Emami-Kashani criticized western propaganda allegations that Iran was harboring military intentions in its nuclear activities, saying Iran's activities are for peaceful and scientific purposes.

Ayatollah Emami-Kashani cited an edict (fatwa) issued by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei prohibiting production and use of nuclear weapons.

Concerning the upcoming nuclear talks between Iran and G5+1, Emami Kashani urged the G5+1 to adopt a logical stance.

“G5+1 should respond to Iran's proposals logically and stop its current unconstructive accusations against the Islamic Republic,” he said.

An IRI delegation, headed by Supreme National Security Council Secretary and chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili, arrived in Istanbul on Friday.

The Islamic Republic of Iran and the Group 5+1 agreed to resume talks in Istanbul, Turkey, on April 14 and a second round in the Iraqi capital city, Baghdad.

http://english.iribnews.ir/NewsBody.aspx?ID=18134

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Iran opposes any foreign intervention in Syria

Iran opposes any foreign intervention in Syria
2012/03/30 - 23:44


Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei says Tehran categorically opposes any foreign intervention in Syria and supports Damascus for backing the resistance front against Zionist regime.

“The Islamic Republic will defend Syria because of its support for the resistance front against the Zionist regime and is vehemently opposed to any intervention by foreign forces in Syrian internal affairs,” Ayatollah Khamenei said in a meeting with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the holy city of Mashhad on Thursday.

The Islamic Revolution Leader also expressed Iran’s support for the reform process underway in Syria and called for the reforms' momentum to be maintained.

Ayatollah Khamenei further slammed the instrumental view of the hegemonic powers and the US in particular towards the regional states, noting, “The Americans recognize no nation as an independent nation.”

“The Americans treat all countries in instrumental way, and therefore the interests of Islamic countries should be taken into account in decision-makings,” the Leader said.

Pointing to the recent developments in the region, Ayatollah Khamenei said that they have all served the interests of Islam and Muslims so far and will continue to do so in the future.

"The most important issue at the current critical juncture for the region is that independent nations make correct decisions," the Leader emphasized.

For his part, the Turkish premier called for the expansion of bilateral ties between his country and Iran, in light of the two countries' long-standing historical commonalities.

“We believe that, given this long history of bilateral relations, the ties between the two countries should be further deepened, particularly in the area of infrastructural collaborations,” Erdogan said.

He also noted that the make-up of the delegation accompanying him to Iran is a testament to Turkey's determination to strengthen its relations with the Islamic Republic, especially in the energy sector.

http://www.leader.ir/langs/en/index.php?p=contentShow&id=9293

'Leader's remarks on Syrian developments highly important'

'Leader's remarks on Syrian developments highly important'
Friday, 30 March 2012 14:38


Tehran's interim Friday Prayer Leader, Hojjatoleslam Kazem Seddiqi, has pointed out that the Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei's remarks in a meeting with the Turkish Premier, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, about Syrian developments and Iran's support for reformations in Syria, are highly important.

According to IRIB World Service, Tehran's interim Friday Prayer leader also noted that focus on the emphasis of the Leader of Islamic Revolution on support for Syrian government, as the main pivot of resistance against the Zionist regime's attacks in the region, is to the benefit of all Middle Eastern countries.

Furthermore, Hojjatoleslam Seddiqi termed the holding of Arab Summit in the Iraqi Capital, Baghdad, as a victory for the Iraqi government and nation, and noted that with the pullout of occupation forces from Iraq; the abilities of Iraqis in establishment of security in this country were proved.

Referring to remarks made by a number of Arab leaders about the Islamic awakening in the region and its positive impacts in the world, Tehran's interim Friday Prayer leader noted that these remarks influenced the statement released at Arab Summit in Baghdad.

Hojjatoleslam Seddiqi attached significant importance to the support of Arab leaders for Iran's right to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, and for Tehran's stand toward the issue of Palestine and the campaign against terrorism, while adding that the commitment of all Arab countries to the sacred religion of Islam will undoubtedly lead to their victory in all scenes.

Tehran's interim Friday Prayer leader emphasized that the West's opposition to Iran's peaceful nuclear activities manifests the enemies' fear of Iran's major advances and progress in the domain of science and technology, while reiterating that the Iranian nation will stand firm against all threats and pressures aimed at obstructing Islamic Iran's progress.

Furthermore, Hojjatoleslam Seddiqi referred to the naming of the new Iranian solar year 1391 as the Year of National Production and Support for Iranian Labor and Capital by The Leader of Islamic Revolution, while pointing out that paying attention to this topic immunes Iran against all dangers and threats and will reinforce Iran's security and stability.

http://english.irib.ir/news/political/item/89819-leaders-remarks-on-syrian-developments-highly-important