The following is the full text of the speech delivered on September 18, 2012 by Ayatollah Khamenei the Leader of the Islamic Revolution in a meeting with members of the Armed Forces and their families at Imam Khomeini Naval Academy in Noshahr.
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
Being in the company of you dear brothers and sisters makes anybody feel prepared to make great achievements. A gathering of those who serve in the Armed Forces and their families is a sample of the Iranian people whose hearts and minds are filled with noble values. I am happy that Allah the Exalted gave me this opportunity to be present among you today and I pray to Him to bestow His grace and blessings on all of you.
The program which was performed by the dear young students of this university was a good program. They recited hope-inspiring verses from the Holy Quran and stressed that any hardship brings about comfort in the end and provides a way forward. This is a way of thinking which is effective for all communities. I will briefly discuss this issue later on.
I have repeatedly stressed this point and I would like to stress it again: we must not let virtues which are appropriate for the Imam of the Age (may our souls be sacrificed for his sake) be reduced to the level of small and flawed human beings like myself. This is why it is said that those who are on this ship are not worried about storms:
"What danger is there to the wall of the faithful with thee for a buttress?
What fear of the waves of the sea has he whose pilot is Noah?" [Gulistan of Saadi Shirazi, 13th century Persian poet]
In this poem, "Noah" refers to the Imam of the Age, but when we take a look at the history of Islam from a general perspective, which is what Saadi had in mind when composing this poem, the Last Prophet (s.w.a.) is the captain of the Islamic Ummah's ship. Yes, the Islamic Ummah has experienced certain peaks and troughs throughout its history. Sometimes the Islamic Ummah was stuck. Some other times it suffered humiliation. Yet other times it had to confront problems that cannot be described in words. This is because the Islamic Ummah did not embark on the ship. If we truly rely on Islam's ship of salvation, if we stay with the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.), we will definitely achieve victory. Of course, the sea is turbulent. There are hardships and problems ahead of us. There are great horrors awaiting us. But when the captain of the ship is a person who has been chosen by God, when the captain of the ship is infallible, there should be no worries. This is the point that I wanted to discuss briefly. Consider these characteristics as particular to those great servants of God. The Noah of this ship is the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.). He is the supporter of the Islamic Ummah. Allah the Exalted bestows His grace on each and every one of us, on our hearts and souls, on our minds and bodies, and on our personal and social lives through the Last Imam (a.s.) and at a higher level, through the Last Prophet (s.w.a.).
You and your families are in the vanguard of the Iranian nation's social movement. The main point is that thanks to Islamic Awakening, our country and our people - who awakened before other nations - is moving forward on a glorious and promising path. Anybody who denies this is denying an obvious truth.
In spite of the good capacities that our nation enjoyed, in spite of our glorious historical background, in spite of the numerous natural resources that we enjoyed, we used to be among backward nations in the world. We did not play any role in global developments. We used to be under the influence of the will of interfering global powers. For many years, our Armed Forces, our knowledge, our social issues, our politicians and our leaders used to be under the influence of the enemies of our nation and those who bear grudges against the values of our nation. Their conditions were pathetic. Of course, there were certain sparks in our history, particularly during the recent eras, but the atmosphere was so heavy that these sparks could not illuminate the path for the people. This was the case until the Islamic Revolution took place, until the revolutionary activities began. Things were difficult during the time of revolutionary activities. Some people had no hope in the success of these activities and others had very little hope. There was not much hope. Our magnanimous Imam (r.a.) - with the exceptional personality that Allah the Exalted had bestowed on him - managed to follow this path. Thanks to his warm voice, thanks to his wisdom, thanks to his sincerity and piety, thanks to his faith in God, this path continued. Those who were following this path started to have doubts hundreds of times. They lost their faith hundreds of times. But whenever the warm voice of that divine man reached them, everything was revitalized. God was helping him. He had the necessary capacities and Allah the Exalted would inspire and guide him. Allah the Exalted assisted him until the Islamic Revolution achieved victory, much to the surprise of the entire world.
I would say that in many Islamic countries throughout the world, Islamic Awakening is revealing itself. This is very auspicious and we have welcomed it since the beginning, but there many differences between the Islamic Revolution of Iran and the revolutions that are taking place in other Islamic countries. In the popular Revolution by our nation, there was probably not even a single village or town in the country in which there was no spark of this holy fire. In every part of the country, all hearts and minds were preoccupied with the same slogans, the same demands, the same aspirations. The people deployed their bodies, their souls and their hearts to carry the heavy burden of the Revolution. They took to the streets to stand up against taghut. And this was unprecedented in the world.
An African leader had travelled to Iran after the Revolution. He is famous in the world but I do not want to mention his name. I explained to him how the Islamic Revolution had achieved victory in Iran. There was no coup d'état in Iran. Young officers did not step in to overthrow the regime, not in the way that was common in the world. Political parties were not able to do anything. Outstanding figures did not play a role. It was only the people who stepped into the arena to play a role and they did so without resorting to weapons. You see that in some of these countries, the people are using weapons in order to achieve their goals. But the people of Iran did not have any weapons. They stepped into the arena with empty hands, without weapons. They laid down their lives and stepped into the arena. This is not possible in the absence of faith. This is impossible in the absence of deep faith. This deep faith spread among the people and they stepped into the arena. Blood overcame the sword. And this is the case everywhere. Wherever the people are prepared to make sacrifices, wherever the people lay down their lives and step into the arena, nothing can stand in their way. When the people step into the arena, blood always overcomes the sword. When I explained to that African leader how the Islamic Revolution had achieved victory in Iran, he said it was very interesting to him. Shortly after he left our country, I found out that a similar popular movement had been launched in his country. I felt that he had been inspired by the behavior of our people and our magnanimous Imam (r.a.) and he achieved victory in his country. He managed to overcome a domineering superpower and he saved his country.
This was how the people of Iran acted. Everybody stepped into the arena. It was for this reason that since the first day, our government officials did not feel that they had to give in to the unreasonable demands of the superpowers. The countries which have carried out a revolution recently are pressured by America and westerners, and their government officials are forced to adopt certain positions. Do not think that this was not the case with Iran. The same things happened to Iran as well. The same pressures used to be exerted on Iran too, but nobody would pay attention to those pressures: nobody felt the need to do so. Our government officials were relying on the willpower and religious faith of the people. They were sure that they had the support of determined and insightful people. As long as they had the support of the people, they did not need anything else. This has been the case up until today. Thankfully, the Islamic Republic does not feel that it has to listen to any superpower and give in to the demands of any domineering and interfering power. The Islamic Republic only accepts whatever that is good and rejects whatever that is not, even if this enrages the global powers. This is the policy of the Islamic Republic. This is because the Islamic Republic relies on the faith of the people. [People shout, "Allahu Akbar"]
Ever since the first day of the Revolution, revolutionary values have become more tangible to our people. At that time, we used to speak about "Islamic Republic" and "Islamic progress", and these concepts became more tangible over time. We know what "Islamic Republic" is. We know what "Islamic democracy", "reliance on the votes of the people", "people's choice" and "popular demand" are. We know what "independence" means in "Independence, Freedom, Islamic Republic". At that time, this slogan represented certain values which were not very clear to us, but the passage of time has clarified different dimensions of independence for our people, our outstanding personalities, our politicians and our youth. We know what independence is. We know what the dangers are. We know what the advantages are. We know the ways in which we can achieve independence. We know the ways in which we can counter the dangers and move forward. This is the most important instance of our progress.
Progress has certain manifestations. Progress is the strengthening of the roots of the Islamic Republic. A tree which has the capacity to stay healthy for a long time has strong roots and a strong trunk even if it is fifty years old. Some trees might look healthy and fresh, but they become hollow after 10, 20, 30 years, at which point a strong wind is enough to blow them down. But a tree that has the capacity to stay strong for a long time is fresher than its first year even after the passage of two, three centuries and its freshness in spring overshadows the freshness of other trees, "Yielding its fruit in every season by the permission of its Lord." [The Holy Quran, 14: 25] One manifestation of a government's progress is that its roots and structure become stronger over time. Today the structure of the Islamic Republic is more solid than in the years 1359-1361 and the early years of the Revolution. At that time, our enemies were more hopeful about overthrowing the Islamic Republic. Today their hope of success is far less than in the past and their hope has turned into despair in many cases. This shows the strength of the Islamic Republic. [People shout, "Allahu Akbar"]
Where does this strength come from? What is the source of this increasing strength? Does it originate from strong religious faith? Does it originate from deep understanding and knowledge? Does it originate from faith that has seeped into the hearts of our people? Does it originate from the health of our slogans? Does it originate from the warm voice of our magnanimous Imam (r.a.), that truly great man who founded this movement? What is the source of this strength? These are important questions that are and should be discussed by our youth and our scholars in Islamic seminaries and universities. However, I do not want to discuss these questions in this meeting. The point is that our movement is progressive. We have already achieved progress in this area and this is the important point. One can see the manifestations of progress in other areas as well. For example, we have made progress in science. We have also made progress in technology, which is rooted in science. The first time I visited this naval academy was around 20, 25 years ago: today the conditions of this naval academy are not comparable to that time.
Growing motivation in the country - which results in scientific growth - is an amazing phenomenon that fills one with a deep sense of satisfaction. It surprises knowledgeable people. Of course, this is the case everywhere: in our universities, in our research centers, in our newly established scientific centers. Our scientists are also becoming more hopeful. Iranian scientists who belong to previous generations could not believe the nuclear advances that our young generations had achieved. Of course, we truly respect those scientists. We respect and thank anybody who makes efforts in scientific areas. When these advances had been made, a few of our scientists - who are outstanding in terms of both their knowledge and their pure intentions - wrote a letter to me and warned me against believing the reports about nuclear advances in the country. They warned me against believing the reports about advances in the areas relating to nuclear technology and stem cells, which were in the vanguard of our scientific movement over the past few years. They could not believe the advances that had been made, but we had achieved those advances and the passage of time proved this. Our scientific advances were unbelievable to our previous generations, to individuals whose knowledge and sincerity had been proven to me. And I would tell you that today our youth are doing certain things in areas relating to science and technology which might still be unbelievable to our previous generations, although everybody is starting to believe these advances.
Global scientific centers announce that at certain points, Iran's rate of scientific growth has been 11 to 13 times more than the average global rate of scientific growth. Of course, this does not mean that we are ahead of the rest of the world in terms of science. We are backward, but we are making progress at a fast rate. If we continue at this rate, in 10, 15 years we might be among the top countries in the world in all scientific and technological areas, but there is a long way to go.
The same is true of political areas, our presence in international arenas. The same is true of our social institutions. We are making progress in different areas and at different levels, but in certain areas, our advances are more outstanding than in other areas. The country is making progress and it is necessary to continue this progress. This is the point that I want to make: anybody who is playing a role in building a new Iran under the flag of Islam, anybody who is moving towards our values, is valuable. Anybody who plays a more significant role in this regard or takes more risks is among the pioneers and deserves more credit than others. We must never become tired. The ayah that was recited in this meeting says, "Therefore, when you are free (from your immediate task), still labor hard." [The Holy Quran, 94: 7] When you have finished your work, start doing something else. There should be no break. "Therefore, when you are free (from your immediate task), still labor hard. And to your Lord turn (all) your attention." [The Holy Quran, 94: 7-8] Whenever you move towards the accepted and announced Islamic values in an appropriate way, it is an instance of turning your attention to God. Of course, spirituality and developing a spiritual relationship with God play an essential role in this regard. Everybody should know this.
Now I would like to discuss the role of families. The honorable families and wives of those who serve in the Army, in the Islamic Revolution's Guards Corps, in the Police or in the Ministry of Defense, should be fully aware of who they are helping and who their partner in life is. Your partner in life is among the people who play a sensitive role in safeguarding this glorious and impressive monument, the Armed Forces. As the Commander of the Faithful (a.s.) says, armed forces of a country are like a protective wall that safeguards the people of that country. The mere existence of independent, aware, innovative, brave and selfless armed forces brings about security for any country, even if they do not fire one single bullet. They put the enemies back in their place. This shows the importance of the Armed Forces. You are the wives of such men. Quoting from me, the honorable commander said that whatever virtues you acquire in the arena of jihad, half of them belong to your wives. If the wife of a person who is making selfless efforts does not support him, if she keeps complaining, if she creates problems for him, if she considers living with him as difficult, that person will not be able to do his work. If you are able to work well, it is because you have a good and kind wife. This is something that should first be appreciated by the wife. You should appreciate the value of being the wife of a man who engages in selfless struggle and you receive half of the divine reward for his efforts. You should appreciate the value of a man who is playing a role in the noble structure of the Islamic Republic, a new Islamic system which by Allah's favor, will prepare the way for a new Islamic civilization. This is how you should think of your partner in life. The same is true of the children of those who serve in the Armed Forces: they should feel proud of their father.
I would like to take this opportunity to express my respect for our martyrs and their honorable families. Our martyrs gave up everything they had for a divine cause and Allah the Exalted accepted their offering. Of course, many people laid down their lives for the sake of God, but Allah the Exalted did not accept their offering for different reasons: some of them were not worthy of martyrdom and some others were allowed to stay alive to fulfill necessary responsibilities. Those who were worthy of martyrdom and were martyred - they were very virtuous people. Martyrs are indeed brilliant beams of light that illuminate society, the future and history. And their families showed steadfastness when they engaged in jihad, when they decided to leave for arenas of danger. The steadfastness of a woman who sees her husband leaving for a dangerous place is as valuable as the work of her husband. And when her husband is martyred, she patiently accepts his martyrdom. This might look easy, but it is very difficult. I would say that if it were not for the patience and steadfastness of the families of our martyrs, martyrdom would not be welcomed so enthusiastically in our society. Our society is indebted to the families of our martyrs for this great blessing. In any case, we respect and salute them. Both the children our martyrs and the children of you members of the Armed Forces should feel proud of the fact that their fathers are following this path.
I would also say that there are bright future prospects for us. Of course, TV channels which are affiliated with the arrogant powers are not expected to discuss this truth. They pretend that future prospects are bleak. They know that one way to stop our people is to take away their hope. Therefore, they constantly describe future prospects as bleak. [People shout, "Death to America", "Death to Israel", "Death to England" and "The blood that is in our veins is a gift to our Leader."] May God protect you. Please let me finish my statements. You mentioned the triangle of evil and corruption: America, Zionism and wicked England. They really are evil. With their propaganda machine, they are trying day and night to influence the way our people think. As I said in a previous speech, they are trying to change the calculations our people and our outstanding personalities, but thankfully they have failed in all of their efforts and there are bright future prospects for our nation. The future prospects are good, but this does not mean we can rest comfortably. No, we need to work hard. We need to make efforts. There will always be a need for hard work. In all eras, there is room for hard work. We need to identify the areas that require our hard work and we need to make efforts in a determined way. "O my Lord, My Lord, My Lord, strengthen my limbs for Your service and sustain the strength of my hands to persevere in Your service and bestow upon me the eagerness to fear You and to constantly serve You." [Part of Dua Kumayl] In Dua Kumayl, the Commander of the Faithful (a.s.) teaches us to ask Allah the Exalted to strengthen our bodies and our determination to render services. He teaches us to fear God and to observe piety. He teaches us to truly believe that God is watching us. Another point is that we should not make isolated efforts. We need to make concerted efforts. By Allah's favor, our youth - particularly, those who study at this university and other youth - our honorable basijis, our pious and selfless youth, our male and female students, our young seminarians and our youth from different social backgrounds will give energy and dynamism to older people of our country through their movement, their hard work and their efforts. By Allah's favor, they will teach older people of our country how to move forward.
Dear God, bestow Your mercy and blessings on the people who have gathered here. Bestow Your mercy and blessings on the people of Iran. Help Muslim peoples in every part of the world to overcome their enemies. Bestow material and spiritual salvation on all of us. Make the holy heart of the Imam of the Age happy and satisfied with us and help us benefit from his prayers. Associate the immaculate soul of our magnanimous Imam and the pure souls of our martyrs with Your saints in the hereafter.
Greetings be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings