Ayatollah Khamenei's Opinion on Islamic Revolution

Ayatollah Khamenei's Opinion on Islamic Revolution

  • Thanks to Islamic Revolution political dependence has been completely uprooted in our country

    Oct 18, 2017

    Political dependence came to an end thanks to the Revolution... We were thankfully liberated, but that we are still dependent in terms of the economy and culture. We should work on this because dependence will lead to disaster. I will tell you that when I look at the memoirs which have been written by Mohammad Reza Pahlavi's friends, I read that in certain cases, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi himself was extremely angry at the Americans. He sometimes cursed them. Of course, he did so in his private room and in the company of his close friends. He was like a person who goes to his rooftop and swears at a policeman in a distant city. He used to swear at them in his private room, but whenever the British or the US ambassador delivered a message, made a phone call and issued a command, he was ready to bow to them and obey their command. He had no choice and he had to do so. This is dependence. This should be destroyed. Well, political dependence has completely been uprooted in our country

  • The Islamic Revolution moved the people from the periphery into the center

    Aug 3, 2017

    From the beginning of the Revolution, the people of Iran have played their role 12 times in electing the highest-ranking officials of the country...Moreover, the people's choices and votes have brought about 10 Islamic Consultative Majlises, five city and village councils and five Assemblies of Experts. All these have been achieved thanks to the Revolution. Our new generation should not forget certain things. We experienced the pre-revolutionary era with all our being. Before the victory of the Revolution, the people did not have any role in the management of the country and in the appointment of managers. Heads of countries, monarchs, kings and their cohorts used to come and go, but the people were mere spectators. They did not have any role. The Islamic Revolution came and moved the people from the periphery into the center. This way, the people were given the power to choose everything.

  • Great powers of the world confessed: they can't resist the influence of Iran in West of Asia

    Jun 7, 2017

    The policies of the greatest powers in the world have become trapped in the mud in West Asia. These policies have failed. They themselves say that this failure is because of the influence and power of the Islamic Republic. This is very important. They wanted to impose every disaster that they liked on Iraq and Syria, but they failed. Well, this is very important. This is the same thing that you wanted. This is the same thing that the Revolution wanted. The goals of the Revolution have been attained, but the goals of the US and its allies – not only the US – have not. This is only an example and such victories, capabilities and achievements are many. You should never forget these achievements.

2016
  • How was the Islamic Revolution brought into being?

    Jun 3, 2016

    There is an important point here: this Revolution did not come into being with a coup. It did not come into being with a military move, like some revolutions in which some military officers took a government and replaced it with another. This was not the case with our Revolution. This Revolution came into being through the people. It came into being with the people’s determination, revolutionary power and faith. And it defended itself, survived and grew roots with the same power. It was the people who did not show fear. It was the dear people of Iran who showed resistance and embodied this holy ayah: “Those to whom the people said, ‘Surely men have gathered against you, therefore fear them.’ But this increased their faith, and they said, ‘Allah is sufficient for us and most excellent is the Protector’” [The Holy Quran, 3: 173]. We used to be threatened all the time. They were constantly saying that they would attack and impose sanctions on us. However, the people did not show fear

  • Imam Khomeini understood the importance of the women's role in Islamic Revolution

    Jan 4, 2016

    Imam Khomeini (r.a.) understood the importance of the role that women could play, otherwise there were certain luminaries among our religious scholars who had to be convinced whether it was necessary to let women take part in the demonstrations. They used to say that women should not take part in the demonstrations. Imam Khomeini's thought and determination were the firm pillar that people used to rely on in order to stand up against such views, views which used to be presented by important centers. God bless his soul until the end of time.

2015
  • There is no difference between Shia and Sunni when it comes to supporting oppressed

    Aug 17, 2015

    In supporting the oppressed, we do not look, have not looked and will not look at the other side's religion and denomination. This is our magnanimous Imam's (r.a.) guideline. Imam behaved towards Shia resistance in Lebanon in the same way that he behaved towards Sunni resistance in Palestine. He behaved towards them without any difference. We supported our brothers in Lebanon in the same way that we supported our brothers in Gaza without any difference. The former were Sunnis and the latter were Shias. The main issue for us is defending Islamic identity and supporting the oppressed. The main issue for us is the issue of Palestine which is the main issue for Muslims in the present time... We behave in the same way towards our enemies. Our magnanimous Imam (r.a.) fought against Mohammad Reza Pahlavi who was apparently a Shia. Likewise, he fought against Saddam who was apparently a Sunni. Of course, the former was not a true Shia and the latter was not a true Sunni either

  • On which basis does Islamic Republic support the oppressed?

    May 16, 2015

    We support the oppressed as much as we can. We support them within the scope of our capabilities because it is our responsibility to do so. Islam has said to us, "Be hostile towards the oppressor and supportive towards the oppressed" [speaking in Arabic]. This is the Commander of the Faithful's advice. We do not say, "Help your brothers no matter if they are the oppressor or the oppressed" [speaking in Arabic]. This was a slogan during the time of jahiliyya. They used to say, "You should defend and support your brother, whether he is the oppressor or the oppressed". This is not what the Holy Quran says. Islamic teachings forbid this. No matter who the oppressor is, we should confront and prevent them and we should support the oppressed no matter who they are.

  • Islamic Revolution introduces an Islam which supports oppressed and opposes oppressors

    Mar 12, 2015

    We should make efforts... in the Islamic Republic to introduce original Islam, one that supports the oppressed and that opposes the oppressor the youth who live in Europe, America and distant countries become excited about this kind of Islam. They become excited and it becomes clear to them that Islam means a force, motive and thought which moves against oppressors and transgressors and in favor of the oppressed. It becomes clear to them that Islam has plans to pursue this and that it considers it its responsibility to do so. We should introduce the kind of Islam that supports reason and deep philosophies. We should introduce the Islam of thoughts and ideas and the kind of Islam that attaches great significance - through the Holy Quran - to reason, logic and thought. We should introduce the kind of Islam that supports rationality and that opposes partiality

2014
  • What was Imam Khomeini's main plan?

    Jun 4, 2014

    Imam's (r.a.) plan and main task was to create a civil-political system on the basis of Islamic reason. The prerequisite for carrying out this task was to uproot the monarchic regime which was corrupt, dependent and dictatorial. The monarchic regime had these three characteristics: it was corrupt - different moral, financial and other such corruptions. It was dependent on powers. One day, it was dependent on England and another day, it was dependent on America. It was prepared to abandon its own interests and the interests of the people for the sake of the interests of foreigners. And it was dictatorial and oppressive. For the monarchic regime, the people's votes and requests counted for nothing. Each of these characteristics forms a long chapter. Each of them forms a long book. The prerequisite for the great task that Imam (r.a.) wanted to carry out was to uproot this corrupt, dependent and dictatorial regime. He focused his efforts on doing this & consequently the regime was uprooted

2013
  • Why does global arrogance fight the Islamic Revolution?

    Sep 17, 2013

    Well, global arrogance promotes war, poverty and decadence and it does this by dividing the world into the oppressed and the oppressor. Islam - that is to say, the Islamic Revolution which is based on Islamic concepts - says, "Deal not unjustly, nor shall you be dealt with unjustly." It rejects all these negative elements. This is the main challenge. This is the root of their enmity. This is why they fight the Islamic Revolution. Other issues are all excuses. We should adopt such an outlook on sanctions, domestic wars, coups d'etat and other events which have taken place during the recent years such as the nuclear issue. Contrary to what everyone thought, our Revolution achieved victory. Then it formed a government which managed to prevail. This was while everyone in the world thought that the Islamic Republic would be destroyed in six months or in one or two years.

  • We managed to form the Islamic Republic with Islam’s guidance

    Sep 5, 2013

    When the Islamic Republic was formed, there was an opposition to the issue of reliance on Islam. We should not say that their opposition and enmity was because of our independence or because of our policy of fighting against global arrogance. Of course, this is true and this is one reason for their enmity, but fighting against global arrogance grew out of the heart of Islam. Our democracy grew out of the heart of Islam as well. It has been said many times that when we speak about religious democracy, this does not mean an unusual combination between democracy and religion. This is not the case. Our democracy has originated from religion and Islam has shown us this path. We managed to form the Islamic Republic with the guidance of Islam. By Allah's favor, it will be the same in the future. As a result of this belief in Islam, the enemies have focused their attention on Islam. If they can take Islam away from the Islamic Republic, the products of Islam will naturally be destroyed.

2012
  • We have made progress in regards to social justice

    Oct 13, 2012

    If we are determined to make progress, one of the important standards that we have to take into consideration is justice. I believe that we have made progress in this regard - of course, not as much as we wanted to. If we compare our conditions with the conditions that existed before the Islamic Revolution, we have made progress. If we compare our conditions with the conditions of other countries with different systems of government, we have made progress. But if we compare our current conditions with what Islam has demanded from us, there is a long way to go and we need to make a lot of efforts, and the responsibility lies on the shoulders of both the people and government officials. We have made progress in equitable distribution of our resources throughout the country...Today we see that all parts of the country have access to different services and to roads and highways. People in all parts of the country can receive education.

  • A sign of the strength in the Islamic Republic

    Sep 18, 2012

    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 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.

  • How did the Islamic Revolution achieve victory?

    Sep 18, 2012

    An African leader had travelled to Iran after the Revolution... I explained to him how the Islamic Revolution had achieved victory in Iran. There was no coup d'etat 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 deep faith spread among the people and they stepped into the arena. Blood overcame the sword. And this is the case everywhere.

  • Iranian women played significant role fighting Pahlavi regime

    Jul 11, 2012

    It is women who prepare and encourage their husbands and children to step into the most dangerous arenas. We have clearly witnessed the significance of the role women played during the time we were fighting taghut in Iran and after the victory of the Islamic Revolution. If our women had not fought in the battlefields during the eight-year war which was imposed on us, if they had not been present in different national arenas, we would not have achieved victory in that difficult test. Our women helped us achieve victory. The mothers and wives of our martyrs and war veterans created an atmosphere with their patience in which our youth and men were encouraged to have a determined presence. And this atmosphere spread to every part of the country. As a result, the general atmosphere of our country was filled with selflessness and self-sacrifice, and we achieved victory.

  • Iranian women have a significant role in all arenas against fighting arrogant powers

    Jul 11, 2012

    In this great wave of Islamic Awakening, women play an unparalleled role and it is necessary for them to continue this role. It is women who prepare and encourage their husbands and children to step into the most dangerous arenas. We have clearly witnessed the significance of the role women played during the time we were fighting taghut in Iran and after the victory of the Islamic Revolution. If our women had not fought in the battlefields during the eight-year war which was imposed on us, if they had not been present in different national arenas, we would not have achieved victory in that difficult test. Our women helped us achieve victory. The mothers and wives of our martyrs and war veterans created an atmosphere with their patience in which our youth and men were encouraged to have a determined presence. And this atmosphere spread to every part of the country. As a result, the general atmosphere of our country was filled with selflessness and self-sacrifice, and we achieved victory

2011
  • Islam was revitalized in the world as Islamic Revolution achieved victory

    Oct 12, 2011

    I would tell you that when the Islamic Revolution achieved victory in Iran, Islam was revitalized in the world. Many people in the world started to think about the factors that brought about this change. They started to wonder what driving force managed to give rise to such a great event, an event that shook the west. The victory of the Islamic Revolution and the greatness of Imam Khomeini (r.a.) shook the west and the arrogant powers. Many people started searching for the causes, so they referred to the Holy Quran and found out certain truths about Islam. As a result, they were attracted towards Islam. They developed a tendency towards Islam. During that time a great seasonal tide approached, like a high spring tide, towards Islam, and it has been gaining momentum ever since.

  • A characteristic of the Islamic Revolution is that it maintains its purpose

    May 24, 2011

    During the 1960s, revolutions happened in almost all North African countries: in Egypt, Sudan, Tunisia and Algeria. But these revolutions did not last long. Either the leaders of the revolutions were forced to leave in one way or another, or they turned into puppets or were replaced by puppets. Material temptations are constantly at work in the hearts of human beings. In the absence of piety, these temptations affect human beings in a short time. The paths start to change. As a result, hopes born of revolutions start to fade because of reactionary attitudes. Such revolutions are a short-lived spring and they finally come to an end. The characteristic of the impressive revolution, you the Iranian people carried out, is that it has not declined till this day [it continues]. This resistance, this steadfastness, this permanence, this commitment to the values that the Revolution brought about for the people: these are the things that keep alive the hope of those who watch our nation.

2010
  • How is the Islamic Revolution meant to be exported?

    Oct 25, 2010

    It is not our goal to export the Revolution to this or that country--not in the conventional political sense of the word "export". The Revolution is not something that can be exported through political means or advanced through military and security operations. This is wrong. We closed this path since the very beginning. The aim of the Islamic Republic is to reproduce lofty Islamic teachings: so that Muslims feel as if they have an Islamic identity; so that they become familiar with Islamic teachings which can save humanity; so that they know what Allah the Exalted means when He says that He sent a Messenger to remove "from them their burden and the shackles which were upon them." [The Holy Quran, 7: 157] Due to lack of vigilance, the Islamic Ummah had long forgotten this truth. The Islamic Ummah can be free, progressive, knowledgeable, glorious and powerful. These qualities are achievable thanks to Islamic teachings. The Revolution helped the Islamic Ummah remember these ideals.

2008
  • The movement of knowledge at universities accelerated after the Revolution

    Dec 14, 2008

    The movement of knowledge in universities accelerated after the Revolution. Of course, there are certain reasons why this happened. In the recent years during which the issue of knowledge production movement, the software movement, reliance on the domestic and attention to research in universities has been brought up, this movement has made a leap. You can see examples of this leap in a number of scientific and technological issues. Important feats have been accomplished in our universities in the area of medical sciences, new sciences, the nuclear issue, nanotechnology and other such areas. In the past, no one would have thought that our researchers, professors, students and youth would be able to achieve these positions and make this leap. But today, this has been done.What is important is that this leap should continue to be made. We suffer from a serious backwardness in the area of scientific issues. What is important is the issue of continuing this fast movement.

  • What are signs that the Islamic revolution has been exported to other nations?

    Jun 3, 2008

    Today, other nations throughout the world have fixed their attention on the Iranian nation. They are inspired and motivated by our nation. Today, the anti-domination slogans of the Iranian nation have spread to all parts of the Muslim world. If you travel to different Muslim countries, you will notice that their people have a high opinion of your slogans, motives, and aspirations regardless of their governments. They admire our slogans against oppression, the chameleon-like Zionist network, and hegemony. They admire our slogans shouted in support of the oppressed and the Palestinian nation. That is the way the Muslim nations think. That points to the spread of the Islamic Revolution.

  • How did Imam Khomeini's prophecy on spreading the Islamic revolution become a reality?

    Jun 3, 2008

    The second point is about the prophecy in the Imam's testament that the Revolution will spread to other places and will liberate the Muslim world from the clutches of colonialists. That was a prediction that our magnanimous Imam made. When we look at the reality on the ground today, we see that the prediction has been fulfilled. In Imam Khomeini's (r.a.) opinion, the Revolution - unlike other revolutions - was not to be propagated by sowing the seeds of discord in other countries, by deploying military forces, or by spreading terrorism. Spreading the Revolution among other nations is to be realized through setting a model on the part of the Islamic Republic. This means that the Iranian nation should help the Islamic Republic reach a point and a position that when other nations look at it, they are filled with enthusiasm and are encouraged to follow in its footsteps.

  • The Islamic Revolution belongs to the general public

    Jun 3, 2008

    The fact that this Revolution belongs to the general public is one of the best slogans of the Revolution. In this regard, there is no discrimination in favor of a particular social class. The youth of today are the owners of the Revolution, as were the youth of the Sacred Defense era. We are in no position to say that those who carried out the Revolution or shared part of the responsibility have more of a right to the Revolution. That is not the case, as there were some people who were not present at the time this Revolution was carried out but who laid down their lives during the Sacred Defense era and went to the battlefields. These people have the same right to the Revolution as the others.Throughout the last twenty years, there have been some youth who have brought in their wisdom, extraordinary enthusiasm, divine motives, and social, scientific, and political endeavors to help guarantee the continuance and dynamism of this Revolution. They, too, are the children of the Revolution

2005
  • The scientific progress of the Islamic Republic after Iran’s revolution

    Jan 8, 2005

    Thanks to the Islamic Revolution, the Iranian nation took a great stride forward. Under the former regime, we had a population of 35 or 40 million, and the number of our students comprised only a small percentage of our population. Today, our population has increased twofold, but the number of our students has increased by 15 times, and the number of our university instructors and centers of higher education has grown by a greater proportion. Today, our talented young people have attained the most sophisticated technology. In the former days, if a dam had to be built on a river, they had to beg certain countries and pay them huge amounts of money so that they may construct the dam in this country. Still, the structure of the dam was at times no so reliable. But nowadays our young scientists, engineers and technicians are building a large number of dams in this country.

2003
  • The wave of Islamic revivalism was brought about by a breeze of the Islamic Revolution

    Apr 30, 2003

    A wave of Islamic revivalism and awakening has swept through the Islamic world, and Muslim nations are expressing a strong desire to return to Islam and practice this lofty religion. This awakening has stemmed from the great Islamic revolution of the Iranian people under the leadership of our late magnanimous Imam [Khomeini]. This is the reason for the hostility of arrogant powers towards our own nation, our Islamic revolution, and the system and Imam Khomeini. The enemies told us not to export our Islamic revolution! And we said that revolution could not be exported, since it is not a commodity! However, our Islamic revolution, like the scent of spring flowers that is carried by a breeze, reached every corner of the Islamic world and brought about revival of Islam in various Muslim nations.

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