The following is the full text of the speech delivered on June 4, 2006 by Ayatollah Khamenei, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, on the occasion of the demise anniversary of Imam Khomeini (r.a.). The speech was delivered at Imam Khomeini's (r.a.) shrine.
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 al-Mustafa Muhammad and upon his immaculate, pure and chosen household, especially the one remaining with Allah on earth.
Allah the Omniscient said in His book: "In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. Have you not considered how Allah sets forth a parable of a good word being like a good tree, whose root is firm and whose branches are in heaven, yielding its fruit in every season by the permission of its Lord? And Allah sets forth parables for men that they may be mindful" [The Holy Quran, 14: 24-25].
Seventeen years have passed since the setting of this bright sun. Seventeen years have passed since that sad night and that sad day when the people of Iran were drowned in sorrow. On that day, our dear Imam (r.a.) vanished from our eyes. His body left us, but the truth, thoughts, soul, lessons and school of Imam (r.a.) stayed with our people and the Islamic Ummah.
As was pointed out in this ayah, this good tree spread its branches over the entire life of the Islamic Ummah. It became stronger and more rooted on a daily basis. This is the good word and good tree of the Islamic Republic whose fruit is the awakening of the world of Islam and the greatness, magnificence and progress of our country and our people. Our people picked sweet fruits from this good tree. These sweet fruits are vital for a people.
The first point is that we used to be an unknown and unrecognized people who followed the policies of foreign powers. We used to be a passive people in the face of the decisions of influential governments. One day, it was America, one day it was England and another day, it was Russia. But this good tree turned us into one of the most influential peoples of the world and one of the most influential countries and peoples in the region. This is what our enemies themselves acknowledge.
We used to be a self-estranged people who were unfamiliar with our inner powers and who did not believe in them at all. We used to be a people who relied on the magnificence and power of foreigners, but this good tree turned us into an innovative and self-confident people with new words and ideas in different areas.
Today, the sweet fruits of this good tree are thousands of researchers, thousands of scholars, thousands of intellectual and competent brains in various arenas and scenes including humanities, natural sciences, social sciences, politics and religious studies. Today, we are a country with a mostly young, motivated and religious population that has all the criteria for progress.
Moreover, the sweet fruits of this good tree are visible everywhere in the world of Islam. Muslims throughout the world have awakened and they have found their Islamic identity. They have gained a sense of dignity for being Muslims. In Islamic countries, the hearts of youth, academic and outstanding personalities and intellectuals have become filled with Islamic goals. They place a great value on these goals and they work hard in order to achieve them.
In the shade of this good tree, a number of nations in the world of Islam have found their true national and Islamic identity. Despite the fact that they have been trapped in the claws of superpowers for many years, they are beginning to feel powerful. Today, Palestine is an example, Iraq is an example, Lebanon is an example and North Africa has numerous examples for us.
The ideal is Islam and independence for nations and they are making efforts in a hopeful and motivated way. These are the fruits of this good tree that that great man and that pious servant of God managed to grow with his uprising and with his unique qualities.
The second point is that the main factor in the progress and success of our magnanimous Imam (r.a.) was his heartfelt and strong belief in a Quranic principle and truth. He believed in this principle from the bottom of his heart and he worked with all his power on this path. That Quranic principle is what has been pointed out and stressed in this holy ayah: "If you help the cause of Allah, He will help you and make firm your feet" [The Holy Quran, 47: 7] and many other ayahs.
If you help God, God will help you too. If you take a step on the path of God, Allah the Exalted will help you take tens and hundreds of steps forward. This is a Quranic principle and it is a fact and a divine law. Helping God means helping His religion. God's religion is not confined to surface issues such as observing taharat and nejasat. God's religion means a plan for the happiness of human beings in this world and in the hereafter. As well as guaranteeing the spiritual growth and transcendence of human societies, this plan guarantees the growth of talents, individuals and their capabilities.
God's religion pays attention to people's worldly lives as well as paying attention to spirituality. It has a plan for the happiness of humans. In Nahjul Balaghah, the Commander of the Faithful (peace and greetings be upon him) states that this is the goal of the be'that of the Holy Prophet of Islam (s.w.a.): "...To unveil before them the hidden virtues of wisdom" [Nahjul Balaghah, Sermon 1].
We read in the prayer for the 40th-day ceremony of the martyrdom of the Master of Martyrs (greetings be upon him): "(Hussein) delivered God's servants from ignorance and from wandering in unknown deserts". The Husseini uprising was sparked for the sake of removing the clouds of ignorance and negligence from the lives of people and for the sake of making them knowledgeable and guiding them towards the real path. In fact, helping Allah the Exalted means moving in the direction of reviving divine traditions. It means influencing nature and society. It means influencing people's nature and making an effort to deliver humans from the sources of disaster and calamity. This is the way we can help God's religion.
Imam (r.a.) employed this Quranic truth for the sake of saving his country and his people. He helped God by sparking an uprising. And Allah the Exalted helped him as well and bestowed His blessings on his movement. When Imam (r.a.) took one step, Allah the Exalted responded by hundreds of steps. If we compare our help to God's religion with God's help to us, we see that the ratio is more than one to 100 or one to 1000. We take one step forward, but Allah the Exalted helps us take a hundred and a thousand steps forward. Therefore, the gap between our assistance and God's assistance is very large.
Millions of factors - including natural, human, international, political and economic factors - and actions and interactions are necessary for saving a country. All these factors should be employed so that a people can transform their lives. These factors are not in the hands of us humans and they are not in direct relation to our willpower and determination. But when we spark an uprising for the sake of God, with one single move on our part, Allah the Exalted will create thousands and millions of moves and actions in our social lives.
This is the way transformation is achieved. This is exactly the way nature works. Imagine that you plant a seed under the ground. This is the only thing that you do and it is not difficult. But this seed will turn into a big tree with millions of interactions under the ground and in its own structure. It will yield branches and fruits and it will change hundreds and thousands of times compared to its original condition.
What you did is nothing compared to all those interactions, but if you had not carried out that small task - which is planting the seed under the ground - those interactions would not have taken place. Imam (r.a.) sparked an uprising for the sake of God and he entered the arena with all his heart and soul. He brought the people to the arena with his cry and efforts and by accepting the difficulties.
With this move and this firm determination, Allah the Exalted employed those millions of factors and interactions and what happened was like a miracle. Thanks to this move by Imam, a system was formed in this sensitive area which was based on Islam. Of course, this area was the focus of the enmities and grudges of all the owners of power and gold throughout the world, but despite their wishes, this truth was realized.
The third point is that there is an astonishing fact about our Revolution which gives it an exceptional quality. According to the laws of social sciences, Revolutions have a peak and a trough. They are like a piece of stone that you throw up in the air. As long as the power of your arm is behind this piece of stone, it will act against gravity. But when this power is subdued by the gravity, this piece of stone will return to the ground because of gravity. Those laws say, "As long as revolutionary enthusiasm exists in people, revolutions move forward and they reach their peak. But when people's enthusiasm and this forward movement are decreased and undermined - in some cases, this movement turns against itself - revolutions fall.
All the great revolutions that we know during the past 200 years are compatible with this analysis, but the Islamic Revolution is an exception to this sociological analysis. In the Islamic Revolution, the antidote to its descent exists inside the Revolution itself. I have said many times that the Revolution is manifested in the Islamic Republic and in the Constitution of the Islamic Republic. The authors of the Constitution - who were taught by Imam (r.a.) and his school - put the preserving factor of the Revolution inside the law. This preserving factor is commitment to Islamic laws and the legitimization of the law provided that it is based on Islam and the issue of the Leadership.
A few years ago, when comparing the Islamic Republic and the former Soviet Union - the Americans and westerners managed to overthrow the Soviet Union and they greedily wanted to do the same thing to the Islamic Republic - I said that the differences between these two systems are ones that cannot be resolved in one single law. In the Islamic Republic, the basis is on commitment to principles. What is considered to be the starting point for the legitimacy of the system - that is to say, divine Wilayat which is transferred to the faqih - is commitment to divine laws.
If the person who has held the position of the Leader loses his commitment to Islamic ideals and laws and if he becomes indifferent in theoretical and practical areas, he will lose his legitimacy as well. Under such circumstances, no one is obliged to obey him. It is not at all appropriate for anyone to obey him. This has been recorded in the Constitution which is, in fact, the main document of the Revolution.
Therefore, if you take a look at the waves of enmity and grudge that the enemies of the Islamic Revolution create, you will see that the main focus of their enmity is on these two, three principles which guarantee and preserve the Revolution. So, this Revolution is invincible and it cannot fall. This Revolution will not stop its movement and path because our society is a religious and religion-based society and religion and Islamic faith have penetrated the hearts of all people from different social backgrounds.
The people believe in religion in the real sense of the word. Those things which are among religious values are vital for the people. From the people's viewpoint, preserving these values - this has been included in the law as well - is a responsibility. In the present time, you can witness that after the passage of 16 years from Imam's (r.a.) demise and after the passage of 26 years from the victory of the Islamic Revolution, a government has been elected whose main slogan is following the ideals of Islam, the Revolution and justice.
This is what the people want as well. Their hearts and wishes move in the same direction. Although the enemies and opponents of our people and those who bear grudges against them and against the Revolution and the Islamic Republic think otherwise, we know our people and they clearly show the truth of their hearts and their orientations - which are the same as the deep Islamic orientations - in their votes, movements and slogans.
The fourth point is that the legacy which our Imam (r.a.) has bequeathed to our country and our people is a historical and vital legacy. This valuable legacy and provision is our political independence, our national and cultural self-confidence, the deep faith of our people, the courage of our people and officials in the face of the enemy's threats and their refusal to be deceived by his praise and enticement.
These are the lessons that our dear Imam (r.a.) taught to our people with his warm words, with his method and with his behavior during 10 years. The environment of our country is imbued with this valuable lesson. We should not destroy this provision. We should not sell this provision. We should not leave it untapped, nor should we consume it in political areas. Rather, we should preserve it with great care and precision. We should build the future of the country and our history by reaping the benefits of this valuable provision and legacy.
My dear ones, our country has taken the path of growth and progress and it has awakened from the slumber and idleness that had been imposed on it during tens of years. This has been achieved with our great Revolution and our Islamic Republic. Besides, we have many natural and human resources in our country.
Today, experts and researchers can introduce tens, hundreds and thousands of prepared minds to work on any scientific and research movement in different fields of knowledge. Although we did not have any experience and we did not ask for other people's help, we have managed to gather hundreds of religious, intellectual and competent youth with sharp and active minds and with great competence to work on the nuclear technology - which is the most popular issue in our country and throughout the world - and to carry out the heavy responsibility which falls on their shoulders.
And we can gather such a group of people in all areas. Natural and human resources are many in our country. Previous administrations have prepared many grounds. Thankfully today, the administration of work and diligence is in office. They should make maximum use of previous work. They should make up for the shortcomings of previous administrations and they should make maximum use of the cooperation and solidarity of our great and appreciative people so that our country - which has started to take the path of growth and progress - continues to move forward, to pass through difficult precipices and to get close to the peaks of life which is the right of the people of Iran.
But what is necessary for building our future is primarily strengthening religious faith which is the main foundation of the work. Without religious faith - which is deep-rooted in our people - no task would have been carried out until today and no task will be carried out from now on. Therefore, religious faith should be strengthened.
The second [factor that is necessary to build our future] is justice which is the greatest need of people. Justice should be held up by the officials in charge of the three branches of government like a hoisted flag and they should pursue justice.
The third one is that everyone should follow and take a serious outlook towards knowledge which is a source of national power. A country whose people are not knowledgeable will never establish its rights. Knowledge cannot be begged for. Knowledge is inherent and internal. The talents of a people should be developed so that they become knowledgeable in the real sense of the word.
The fourth one is that besides these factors, what prepares the ground for employing faith, justice and knowledge is national unity and tranquility in the country. If tranquility does not exist in the country, we cannot benefit from knowledge and faith, nor can we administer justice in society.
Today, the enemies of our people give the greatest reward to those who can undermine these bases and who fight against people's faith. It gives the greatest reward to those who can weaken faith in God, in the people, in our path and in success. Imam (r.a.) enjoyed these four types of faith: faith in God, faith in the people, faith in this path and faith in our definite success at the end of the path.
These types of faith in the people's hearts make them move forward and think. Those who weaken in the people's hearts faith in God, faith in the people, faith in this path and faith in success have worked for the enemy. The enemy gives the greatest reward to such individuals. Also, those who are opposed to the scientific movement of the country and those who want to make universities, research and scientific centers drift away from science and research are working for the enemy.
The enemy is willing to give the most rewards to such people. Those who work against and harm national unity and those who want to undermine national unity in the name of supporting tribes and ethnicities - these ethnicities are all Iranians, all of them are loyal to Iran and all of them consider themselves to be Iranians and they are proud of it - are working for the enemy.
The responsibility of the organizations in charge is to know the enemies of the Iranian nation. They should know the orientations of the enemy, they should defend the rights of the people of Iran and national security and they should support acquisition of knowledge and scientific progress in the country. This is the responsibility of organizations in charge.
The last point is that all of us should preserve the good tree which our magnanimous Imam (r.a.) planted and on which Allah the Exalted bestowed His blessings and spread its branches and leaves. Officials, all the people, political and outstanding personalities, seminarians, academic personalities, laborers and people from other different social backgrounds should carry out this responsibility. This is the responsibility of everyone.
Everyone should consider the Revolution and the country to be part of themselves. Everyone should consider the Islamic Republic to be part of themselves. Everyone is part of the Islamic Republic. We consider those individuals to be outsiders and to be outside this circle who work for the enemy. Those who believe in Imam (r.a.), his path and his testament are insiders. Those who attach great significance and who are committed to Iran's dependence are insiders. Those who pursue the dignity and scientific progress of these people are insiders.
Outsiders are those who are interested in America's domination. Outsiders are those who work at home for a thief who has lain in ambush. Outsiders are those who work to the advantage of such thieves. Outsiders are those who act like a megaphone for the thoughts and goals of the enemies of these people. Those who chant the slogans of these people, those who represent them, those who show enmity to their enemies and those who move on the path of their interests in any area are the soldiers of the Islamic Republic.
Those who deliberately shatter unity in words and in action and who move in the direction of the enemy's wishes have formed a front against the Islamic Republic. Of course, insiders should be careful lest they show negligence. Sometimes, it is witnessed that a number of insiders further the goals of foreigners because of some personal grudges. Some of them do this out of ignorance and some of them do it in an unfair way. Of course, the latter happens rarely.
Our people have moved forward. Our people have sparked an uprising. Our people have taken an important part of the path. Our people have shown their power to their enemies. These are the same people who have been subject to the hostility of all arrogant governments throughout the world for 27 years. All these governments have joined hands and formed a coalition against them, but they have not managed to defeat them and bring them to their knees.
These people deserve that we work for them. This country enjoys magnificence and greatness. This country can achieve its historical position which is influencing the whole world. We have moved on this path. Our people have taken difficult paths and they can finish it with diligence.
I would like to say a few things about the enemies' propaganda. The propaganda uproar that mainly the Americans, Zionists networks and the news empire which is dependent on Zionism use against the people of Iran and the Islamic Republic constantly stresses a few points. These networks always repeat their nonsensical statements so that they may be able to provoke the world against the Islamic Republic and the people of Iran.
These few points are: first, there is a global consensus against Iran. Second, Iran is a threat for the world. Third, Iran intends to build nuclear bombs and weapons. Fourth, Iran violates human rights. All the propaganda moves of the enemy rely on these few points and they repeat them with different words and methods. Of course, the truth is clear for our people and for many intelligent people throughout the world. However, I would like to say a few things in this regard:
There is no consensus against Iran. This is the lie that the Americans and a few of its allies tell. One hundred and sixteen non-allied countries have supported the courageous move of Iran in the area of nuclear technology. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has supported Iran on this issue. All independent governments have supported Iran.
Those who represent America and repeat their ideas for us under the pressures of the Americans and out of considerations for them tell us in private that this is what the Americans have asked them and that it is not their opinion. All the countries that want to build their own future are opposed to the monopoly of nuclear technology to a few countries in the world.
The idea that no country has the right to achieve nuclear technology means that in 20 years, all countries throughout the world will have to beg a few western and European countries in order to supply their energy. In 20 years, they will have to ask these countries for their energy so that they can manage their lives. Which person, which country, which people, which honest official can accept this?
Today, our people have taken a step on this path and they have taken a leading role in this regard. They have stood courageously on this path. Nations throughout the world do not have any motivation to form a consensus against this. The consensus has been formed between a few monopolistic and political countries and therefore, their consensus is of no value whatsoever. All nations and countries in the world support and approve of - in their words and in their hearts - the people of Iran and the move that the Islamic Republic has made on this path.
American and Zionist propagandists say that Iran is a threat for the whole world. Iran is not a threat for any country and everyone knows that this is the truth about Iran. We have not threatened any of our neighboring countries. We have friendly and brotherly relations with all regional countries. The relations of our country and our administrations with European countries are healthy and good relations.
In the future too, when gas plays a more significant role in supplying energy, our relations with the Europeans will even be better because they will need gas. Our relations with the Arab world are friendly relations and our most important issue in Arab community is Palestine. On this issue, we say what they want to say and we say it outspokenly. On the issue of Palestine, we have a very clear position and Arab nations love this position from the bottom of their hearts.
Because we express this position, they have gained a sense of dignity. The hearts of all officials in Arab countries want this as well, although they cannot express this position as outspokenly as we do because of a number of considerations. Our relations with different countries in the region, Asia and other regions in the world are amicable relations. They know Iran's rights, role and influence and they attach great significance to it. Our relations with Russia are good relations as well. The Russians know very well that if a government that supports America had come to power in Iran, what would have happened to them.
We have common interests with them. We have common interests with the people in Central Asia, Middle East and in this region. We have no problems with the world. We are not a threat for the world at all and the whole world knows this. With their propaganda uproar, the Americans want to mislead public opinion in the world. Of course, they have failed to do this and they will continue to fail.
Another issue that they raise is that Iran is after building a nuclear bomb. This is a nonsensical, false and completely untrue allegation. We do not need a nuclear bomb. We do not have any target for which we want to use our nuclear bomb. We believe that using a nuclear weapon is not compatible with Islamic rules and we have said this frankly and outspokenly. We believe that if we impose the cost of building and preserving a nuclear weapon on our people, this is an illegitimate and unnecessary imposition.
Building and maintaining such a weapon is very costly and we do not at all consider it appropriate to impose this cost on our people because we do not need it. We do not claim - like the Americans - that we want to dominate and bully the world. So, we do not need a nuclear bomb. Our nuclear bomb and explosive power is our faith and our youth and the people who have stood in the most difficult arenas with complete power and faith. And they will continue to stand in these arenas.
It is the Americans' political and propaganda apparatuses that are behind these false allegations. Of course, the Zionists are with the Americans and they help them. What exists in the area of nuclear weapons is related to them. I want to address two, three points to American officials and to the team and group which has taken America's affairs in its hands in the present time and which claims to lead the world. I wish that they listen to, think about and understand these points. I want to say to them:
You should compare yourselves with our government. You should compare your president with ours. In the present time, your government is the most hated government - inside America - throughout the history of the United States. In their polls, the people of America have announced this to the whole world.
Today, the government that is in office in America is the most hated government - from the viewpoint of the people of America - throughout the history of the United States. You should compare your government with ours which is one of the most popular governments since the Constitutional movement until today - that is to say, during the past 100 years.
Wherever your president - Mr. Bush - goes, he is faced with the demonstrations and hatred of opposing people. This is the case in Europe, Asia and Africa. In Latin America, governments are elected with the slogan of opposition to America. Today, if you take a look, you will see that when presidential candidates in Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela and many other Latin American countries chant anti-American slogans, they are elected by the people. Is there a kind of hatred that is greater than this?
In their ordinary phone conversations, the people of America are not secure from their own government. This means that the government does not trust the people to allow them to speak freely on the phone. They have officially passed a law to tap phone calls. This is your situation.
You should compare your condition with our condition inside the country. You should compare your condition with the trips of our officials. Compare it with our president's trip to Indonesia and with the trips of our former presidents to Lebanon, Sudan, Pakistan and other countries and see what enthusiasm the people in these countries show to the presidents of Islamic Iran. Why do you not understand these things? Why do you not acknowledge them?
As you yourselves have acknowledged, you have spent 300 billion dollars in Iraq in order to bring to power a government which is obedient to you. But the people of Iraq behaved in an obstinate way towards these governments and therefore, you failed in doing this. They themselves have acknowledged that they have spent 300 billion dollars, but it is probably more than this.
In Palestine, you did your best to prevent the government of Hamas from holding office, but despite your wishes, the people of Palestine elected the government of Hamas. You exerted different pressures on the Palestinian government, but the people of Palestine increased their solidarity with this government in order to defy you.
High-ranking officials in charge of the U.S. Department of State went to Beirut in Lebanon and they spent a few months there so that they may be able to grab Lebanon in their claws, weaken the Lebanese resistance and create a kind of Lebanon that follows Israel. But you failed. The people of Lebanon defied you. The same is true of everywhere else.
Why does Mr. Bush not confess that with his behavior, he has made America and the American nation a hated country in the world? Why do you not acknowledge that you have become weak? Why do you not admit that your blade has become blunt in the world? Despite these facts, you continue to issue threats.
Compare the message of our president to the president of America with the impolite and cheap message of the Americans. This message was broadcast throughout the world a few days ago. It was a message that did not comply with diplomatic conventions and it was full of stupid arrogance, threats and absurd statements. If you had been able to harm the Islamic Republic, you would not have hesitated even for one single minute during the past 27 years. The former U.S. secretary of state had openly said, "We should uproot the people of Iran". But he went to the grave. This was while the people of Iran progressed on a daily basis.
You speak about human rights. You speak about opposition to terrorism. The government that has the record of Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib prisons and crimes such as Haditha, the latest Kabul crime and tens and hundreds of other crimes in its performance sheet does not have the right to speak about human rights.
In order to threaten Iran, you say, "We can do something to provide energy in the region". You are making a mistake. If you make a stupid mistake against Iran, the movement of energy will definitely be faced with serious dangers. You should know this. You will never be able to ensure the security of energy in this region.
We do not start a war. We do not want to wage a war with any government. We have a lofty ideal on which we want to focus all our energy. This ideal is building a kind of Iran which ensures the worldly and otherworldly happiness of Iran and which can be a model for other nations. In such circumstances, it is in the hands of other nations to make a decision and they can make their own efforts.
We want to manage this great country and utilize the great human and natural resources that Allah the Exalted has bestowed on our people and our officials, in the right place and in the right way. We want to liberate the people of Iran from the humiliation that they have been subject to during the past centuries. Our people have a sense of dignity and they have the right to have such a feeling. Our people enjoy dignity and power, but they have kept us backward.
This has been done by oppressive, dictatorial and corrupt governments and their malevolent and evil foreign supporters. Today, our people are a free people. We want to take this path with complete power, with open eyes and with national solidarity and we have nothing to do with others. We are not a threat for anyone. We are committed to our ideals and our national interests and those who threaten our interests will witness the sharpness of our people's rage.
Dear God, make what we said and heard serve You and Your path. Accept what we said and heard. Make us steadfast on Your path. Make us be among Your righteous servants. Purify and cleanse our intentions and hearts. Raise the position of our dear Imam (r.a.) among Your saints and Your righteous servants. Associate our dear martyrs with the martyrs of the early Islam. Save Muslim nations from difficulties, calamities and humiliation. Approve of the people of Iran on the blessed path that they have taken on a daily basis. Make the holy heart of the Imam of the Age (may our souls be sacrificed for his sake) satisfied and pleased with us. Bestow success on the diligent officials of our people. Defeat the enemies of the people of Iran and make their evil harm themselves.
Greetings be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings