All praise is due to God, Lord of the Worlds, and peace and greetings be upon our Master and our Prophet, Muhammad, and his untainted, pure Progeny, particularly the Remnant of God on earth.
I welcome each and every one of you, my dear brothers and sisters, who have gone to the trouble of traveling all the way here to bring enthusiasm, meaning, and sincerity to this Hussainiyah with your presence. And from here, I send my regards to the people of Tabriz and Azerbaijan, to those dear, brave people. And [I say that] truly, as you performed and sang in that beautiful anthem, Azerbaijan is the embodiment of love and zeal. It truly is. Azerbaijan is the embodiment of zeal, love, faith, and religious and Islamic enthusiasm. This is what we have read about the history of Azerbaijan and Tabriz, and it’s what we have seen with our own eyes during the long years of struggles and this continues up to the present day.
I believe it is necessary to congratulate you on the Shabaniyah Eids. These birthdays [of Imam Hussain (pbuh), Imam Sajjad (pbuh), Abu al-Fadhl al-Abbas (pbuh), and Imam Mahdi (aj)], these Eids — especially the blessed day of the 15th of Shaban — are truly great tidings and a deep joy for the hearts of the Shia. I would like to thank the people of Iran for their fervent presence in the rally on the 22nd of Bahman (February 11th). Indeed, people worked hard and displayed their enthusiasm and fervor in all parts of the country, in all the provinces and cities, and even in villages and remote areas. There are some who hope to see the Iranian nation disheartened, but they were taken by surprise. There are others who wanted and still want the Iranian nation to gradually forget the 22nd of Bahman, but they too were taken by surprise. This year, people truly showed their proud Revolutionary spirit to the world on the 22nd of Bahman. I am sincerely grateful.
Of course, in addition to expressing my gratitude to our dear people, I would also like to sincerely thank those who were able to ensure the security of this massive, nationwide rally with God's help. This security that exists is the result of the efforts, hard work, sacrifices, and round-the-clock endeavors of a number of jihadi, devoted individuals. Their work should be appreciated.
This presence of the people motivates officials and increases their morale. This should also be known. Of course, praise God, our officials are high-spirited, they have a sense of responsibility, and they are motivated. They are truly working to the best of their ability, but the presence of the people motivates them more, gives them more energy, and keeps them on their feet. As the respected Friday Prayer Leader pointed out, it pumps blood into the veins of the society, the nation, our officials, and the Revolution.
As for the 29th of Bahman, 1356 AHS (February 18, 1978), much has been said about it including various aspects and dimensions of it. I would like to say a few words about it today, and then I will draw a conclusion from it. The event that took place in Tabriz on the 29th of Bahman, 1356 AHS was undoubtedly a historic event. When we talk about a “historic incident,” what is meant is an event that does not just begin and disappear. No, it begins, continues, spreads, and brings outstanding results. A page is turned in history.
The event that took place in Tabriz was of this nature. Yes, for example, Martyr Tajallai became a reason for the people to take to the streets, etc. The leaflets from distinguished ulama [religious scholars], such as the late Amirza Hassan Aqa Angaji, the late Qazi — Martyr Qazi, the late Sheikh Abdulhussain Gharavi, and others who had issued announcements and signed them were all effective. They pulled people to come out. But the event that took place [in Tabriz] was far greater than these things. What did this event do?
The event that took place in Tabriz made the event that occurred in Qom on the 19th of Dey (January 9, 1978) tens of times more significant. It transferred the event that had taken place in Qom to the entire country. That was what happened in Tabriz. When the spirit of resistance, revolutionary enthusiasm, and uprising was spread throughout the country, what happened is that after almost a year, the event of the 22nd of Bahman [1357 AHS] (February 11, 1979) took place and changed Iran completely around. This is what is meant by a “historic event.”
The people of Tabriz recognized their duty on time and they rose up on time, which I mentioned once previously during one of these meetings [with the people of East Azerbaijan Province]. The significance of this matter is that when we feel a sense of duty, we need to first recognize that duty in time and respond without delay. As soon as that feeling comes, we need to rise up as a part of our duty. We should not repeat the mistake made by the Tawwabin. The Tawwabin did not go to Karbala [to support Imam Hussain (pbuh) in the battle against Yazid’s army]. Their uprising took place at a later time. They all ended up being martyred, but what was the result? They had no impact on history, because they failed to rise up at the right time. They did not come when they were supposed to. They should have been in Karbala on the day of Ashura, but they weren’t there.
The event in Tabriz took place at a time when the people there felt a sense of duty and took prompt action at the right time. The uprising also took place at the right time. This is why God blessed it. When we rise up in this manner “that you rise up for Allah’s sake, in pairs or individually” (Quran 34:46), this kind of uprising brings blessings. The Almighty God blesses this kind of uprising, and indeed He did bless it and it continued to move forward until the 22nd of Bahman.
Well, these are matters of the past. Perhaps most of you who are participating in this meeting did not see that day or have any recollections of it. You are the present and future generation. There was a day when the people of Tabriz made a necessary, important move and the world witnessed its impact. At that moment when it happened, the world did not notice it. But then it reached a point where it shook the world and history was turned around. That day has come and gone, [but its effects remain].
The 29th of Bahman, 1356 AHS was one of “God's days.” Today and tomorrow are also God's days. We must learn. What we need to do is to learn from the past for our present and future.
Well, the 22nd of Bahman, 1357 AHS marks the birth of the [Islamic] Revolution. It was an exceptional, tumultuous birthday. As time has passed and continuing up until today, the Revolution has grown and become more powerful. Its bones have become stronger, it has become more powerful, and its viewpoint has become more penetrating. That Revolution is now 45 years old. During these 45 years, it has faced a myriad of experiences, events, wars, confrontations with unbelievers, confrontations with hypocrites, confrontations with political enemies, and all kinds of seditions and conspiracies. The Revolution has faced all of these things. How is the Revolution defined? It is defined as that which is in your heart. The Revolution is you, the people, and the ruling system’s ability to navigate and pass through challenging bottlenecks.
You [in Azerbaijan] call him “Mr. Mehdi Bakeri.” What did Bakeri do? Today, only the names of individuals like Bakeri — who was a young, 20-year-old man — and the other great people who were on this path, are mentioned. However, the details of their work, efforts, jihadi work, continuous sacrifices, wisdom, ideas, and strength must be ingrained in our minds. We must understand and remember them [with these]. There are duties that we must recognize and follow up on. That is what I want to highlight today. I am going to mention two general duties from which dozens of other duties arise. There are two general duties for the entire nation of Iran, for you and me, and especially for you young people. What are these two duties? One is the responsibility of “looking at oneself” and the other is the responsibility of “looking at the enemy.” These are two duties. Let me explain what I mean by the duty of “looking at oneself.”
“Looking at oneself” means assessing and evaluating ourselves. We need to assess who we are and how we are. We should not forget ourselves. The Almighty God has stated in the Quran, “… so He made them forget themselves” (59:19). They forgot God and He punished them. What was their punishment? It was that they forgot themselves. If we are unable to evaluate and assess ourselves correctly or if we are incapable of doing so, this can result in disastrous consequences. We become like a patient who is suffering from a terrible disease that leads to their death, but he/she is not even aware of it. Well, the fate of this person is obvious. In order to save themselves, they must find out what type of disease they have so they can cure it. That is the first step.
Secondly, simply being aware of our weaknesses is not sufficient. We must also recognize our strengths. I will now present a short list to you, my dear brothers and sisters. If we take a close look at ourselves — that is, our Revolution, our system, our behavior, and our identity — we find that there are some strengths and successes. The Revolution had a goal. It came forward with important goals. We have achieved some of these goals, which are important too, but we have not yet reached some of the other goals. In some places we have strengths, in other places we have weaknesses. We must strengthen, preserve, and appreciate the strengths, while attending to our weaknesses. Why do we say that we should appreciate our strengths? Because there is a policy that wants to make you forget your own strengths and prevent you from knowing that you have a certain capability. This is a hostile policy that exists. Therefore, we need to recognize our strengths.
Well, we — that is, the Revolution — have achieved a number of victories. When I say "we," I don’t mean individuals, it is the Revolution overall. That is, the nation of Iran, the system of the Islamic Republic, various officials, and all people share in these successes. We have made a number of achievements. What are these achievements? At the height of them is the overthrow of an oppressive, unjust, irreligious, dependent, tyrannical system, [i.e.] the monarchial system. This isn’t something small. It is the most significant accomplishment.
The monarchial system, which was rooted in the country, was a system that didn’t value or respect the people, nor did it involve them in the administration of the country. It didn’t care about the people. When I was in exile in Baluchistan, even the governor of that province hadn’t visited that relatively big city that I had been relocated to! [In contrast to this,] our current president visits remote areas, villages, and small towns and he is present among the people. These two situations are very different. They didn’t care about the people. The people had no role. Who did they care about? The British and US embassies.
In one of my speeches here a few days ago, I mentioned that an American agent, an American officer, would come here, board a fighter jet that belonged to Iran from inside the airport, go bomb Vietnam, and return. And the king of the country had no information about this. Not only did he [the US officer] not ask for permission, he didn’t even bother to inform [the Shah]! That was how the lives of the people were. About 40 to 50 thousand Americans ate, slept, governed, and made decisions in this country. The people had no input in anything. [The Americans] dictated who Iran could sell oil to and at what price they should sell it. They would determine where the provincial governor could go and who the members of parliament should or shouldn’t be. The embassies interfered in many areas and they made decisions and demands that had to be followed. This was the state of the governing system.
The Islamic Revolution came and it completely overthrew and eliminated that system, turning it into a democratic system. In this system of governance, the people are the owners of the system. They choose, decide, and vote. Now, in the late Qajar period and throughout the reign of the Pahlavi regime, dependence on foreign countries was also added to this tyranny of several thousand years. Additionally, sexual, financial, and moral corruption were also added in all different areas. Well, the Revolution came and transformed this system into a democratic system. So it became the exact opposite. The people choose the lawmakers and the president. They choose the Leader by way of the Assembly of Experts. They choose the city council and the rest of the country's decision-makers and executives. This was the most important thing that was done. This is one accomplishment.
The next achievement [of the Revolution] was to create a sense of belief in ourselves for the Iranian nation to be active in various fields in the country. In other words, the Iranian people [now] feel confident in their abilities in the fields of science, technology, politics, the arts, and in all other kinds of activities. They can work and get things done without relying on other countries to do these things for them. As I have said many times before, back during the Taghut [Pahlavi regime], our wheat came from America, our silos were made by the former Soviet Union, and our physicians came from India. We had thousands of Indian and Bangladeshi doctors throughout the country.
The Iranian nation and its youth didn’t feel they were capable, because this feeling of being capable had been suppressed in them. However, this has changed into a feeling of being capable. Today, the youth have accomplished remarkable feats that are widely known and recognized, such as the achievements in the military sector that all of you have heard about and are aware of. Yet, there are numerous other sectors that most people are unaware of, such as the industrial, nuclear, medical, and pharmaceutical sectors, as well as various other sectors, where significant achievements have been made. Who made these achievements? These young [Iranians]. This is the meaning of self-belief in national affairs.
Added to this is self-belief in international confrontations. The Iranian nation and their representatives no longer feel inadequate or inferior when confronted by the dominant world powers. It was not like this back then. In those days, political representatives selected by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of a particular country — regardless of their personal issues, which were very bad — lacked the initiative to actively engage in political matters. Instead, they were only the subordinates of the government of the power that was dominating them, such as Britain, the US, France, and the like.
Therefore, creating a sense of self-belief, being self-confident in global confrontations, and promoting the ideas and values of the Revolution [are also notable achievements of the Revolution, which] can be seen in the region today. The dissemination of the values of the Revolution is a natural outcome of the Revolution itself, and it is not something that we have worked on to achieve this.
[Another achievement of the Revolution] is a relative halt in the spread of Western culture as a superior culture. It was not like this before the Revolution. Western culture was considered to be superior. While this mindset has not been entirely removed, significant progress has been made. [Another achievement] is that national services are no longer confined solely to the capital city. Prior to the Revolution, essential services and public amenities were primarily available in Tehran and a few other big cities. However, as a result of the Revolution, these services have been increased and are available throughout the country. God willing, this will continue in the future.
[Another achievement] is the education and training of globally renowned scientists, surgeons, engineers, and outstanding nuclear scientists, who are recognized and respected worldwide. We all know that one of the rightful concerns today is the issue of our specialists, doctors, and the like leaving the country. This issue has worried some, and they have the right to be concerned.
But what is the other side of this issue? It is the fact that the world needs our physicians. It was not long ago that we needed physicians from Bangladesh, but now our own physicians, engineers, lawyers, pilots, and other professionals are in high demand globally. They have been trained [here]. The Revolution has developed and fostered these individuals.
Another notable achievement of the Revolution is the rise of voluntary groups formed by the public. These groups are involved in various aspects of society including the arts, literature, industry, the military, and more. They are voluntary, public groups — young individuals, independent of government support, who have no expectations from the country’s officials and who collaborate and achieve remarkable feats, which the people can see themselves.
This was about our strengths, and we possess many more such things. If we take a look at ourselves, these strengths are abundant among the Iranian people as a result of the Revolution. Well, these were some points regarding our strengths.
Don’t we have any weaknesses? We do. Are they only a few? No, we have weaknesses too. We are behind in developing a robust national economy. The establishment of social, judicial, and economic justice is also behind, even though justice was a primary focus and significant goal of the Revolution. While some efforts have been made and some positive strides have been taken, we are still far from where we should be.
We are behind in eliminating social problems. We are behind in addressing issues such as divorce, addiction, and moral concerns. If we take a look at the social media, we can see the moral problems we face there. This shows a lack of progress. We are behind in bringing our lives to be in alignment with Islamic values. Islamic principles discourage wastefulness, but we continue to be wasteful. Islamic principles tell us to avoid extravagance. Yet, we can see that in different social classes there are some people who can afford and choose extravagant lifestyles, and those who cannot afford it imitate living extravagantly! Even though they cannot afford it, they borrow money to hold a luxurious wedding for their child! Why? These are some of our problems and reflect our backwardness.
As mentioned earlier, it is a duty for everyone to engage in looking at oneself, self-assessment, and self-evaluation. By looking at ourselves, we can realize our accomplishments, acknowledge them, work on them, and take pride in them, while also striving to improve them. Similarly, by identifying our weaknesses, we can work toward solving our problems. Each of us have our own responsibilities. The government, the Majlis, and the people in general each have their own responsibilities.
What are the responsibilities of the government, the Majlis, and other official authorities? Determination, working with diligence and uprightness, being honest with the people, and prioritizing national interests over personal gains are the responsibilities of the country’s officials. Praise God, our high-ranking officials today possess these qualities, but it is essential for these positive traits to exist in all government and judicial officials. Now, I do not want to talk about who is guilty for the current problems we face today. That is a different issue which I do not want to speak about now. We want to see what our responsibilities and the government’s responsibilities are today.
The duty of the elite is to identify the lacks, recognize the dangers, devise strategies to address them, and offer intellectual support to the government, the Islamic councils, and the officials. The elite have these duties. In a vibrant, thriving society, the elite must have a sense of duty, and these are obligations they must fulfill.
The youth have a duty. The primary duty of the youth — of course there are many duties — is to build up the necessary characteristics within themselves in order to play roles in future matters. The youth can play roles. Notice how today so many talented young people are busy working in the government. Well, they must build these characteristics in themselves. The youth should be prepared to participate in various fields and prepare themselves to bear heavy burdens. The youth are the propellers, propellers of society. They need to prepare themselves in terms of various moral and scientific characteristics, etc., in order to assume an active role in being the propelling force.
The general public has responsibilities, but their responsibilities are different of course. A businessperson has one kind of responsibility, an office worker has another type of responsibility, and a cleric has another responsibility. Each one of these different people has a different duty, but their general duty is to support the officials, service providers, and good work in the country. This is one of the responsibilities.
One of the essential, important duties that is the responsibility of the people, the officials, the elite, the youth, the students, and clerics, etc., is to keep in mind that everything we are asking them to do is a form of jihad. What does "jihad" mean? "Jihad" is the effort that one takes against an enemy. That is the definition of jihad. The tasks that I spoke about are acts of jihad. When I mentioned that the elite should do such and such a thing, I meant that the tasks should be undertaken while keeping in mind that there is an enemy that does not want that task to be accomplished. It is against [the wishes of] the enemy, thus it is jihad.
The youth should undertake this task. They should know that it is against the enemy’s wishes for this to happen. The people should support the officials, maintain their unity, and pay attention to the fact that the enemy doesn’t want this to happen. If they do that, they have done an act of jihad. That is the definition of “jihad.” The enemy is against any good work that is carried out in the system of the Islamic Republic. This is not just a claim. There is reasoning behind this. The reason is that the Islamic Republic is a system that [follows the principle of], “… neither harming others nor suffering harm” (Quran 2:279). The Quran has advised us to neither harm others nor to allow ourselves to be harmed. [It has told us to] not accept oppression at any cost. Such is the system of the Islamic Republic.
The systems in which the basis of their creation has been oppressing others are against such a system and this is natural. Therefore, any progress in the Islamic Republic agitates them. So do these things, while keeping in mind that the enemy is facing you.
Now, I would like to say a few words about the second duty. Our first duty was to “look at ourselves.” The second duty is to “look at the enemy.” We’ve already discussed how we should look at ourselves. “Looking at the enemy” means we need to keep in mind that the enemy exists; the enemy is there; we must not become neglectful of the enemy; the enemy is deceitful and cunning with various tricks and tools at its disposal; we should not assume that the enemy is weak and incapable. "One should not consider the enemy to be weak and helpless.” (Gulistan of Sa’di, Chapter 1).
We should not be afraid of the enemy. An important factor to achieving victory is knowing the enemy and their capabilities, but without being afraid of them. If you fear them, you have been defeated. One should not be afraid of the enemy’s threats. You should not be afraid of their howls. You should not be afraid of the pressures brought by the enemy. You should not be afraid of these things. We should think about what it is that has agitated the enemy leading them to put these pressures on us. It is your strength. It is our strength. If we were weak and if we didn’t have any strengths, the enemy wouldn’t be agitated like this. They wouldn’t be bringing pressure on us like this. They wouldn’t be acting frantically like this. They wouldn’t try to be so cunning and deceitful like this. “Looking at the enemy” is this.
We should pay attention to the progress of the Islamic Revolution and know that these are the things that make the enemy angry. Therefore, you should not be afraid of the enemy and you should not be passive when facing them. Sometimes, some individuals feel humiliated and become passive as soon as the enemy starts humiliating them. No, the enemy's policy is to cause the opposition to lose their belief and confidence in the things they have. You should not be passive when confronting the enemy. So, that is what I wanted to say regarding this duty.
There is another topic that I would like to discuss and that is the [upcoming Majlis and Assembly of Experts] elections. We are approaching the date of the elections. There is no doubt that the front of Arrogance opposes our elections. Why are they against them? Because our governing system is an “Islamic Republic.” It is made up of two parts. They are opposed to both the republic part as well as the Islamic part. These elections are a manifestation of the republican system. So, when the US opposes the system of the Islamic Republic, it opposes the elections. It opposes the participation of the people. It opposes the coming of the people to the polls. It opposes the enthusiasm and excitement in the elections and more participation of the people in the elections.
There was even a time when near the time of the elections, a US president — of course, they don't say this now — addressed the people of Iran saying, "Don't take part in the elections!" Now, I don't recall exactly whether it was a presidential election or a Majlis election. They oppose this so much that the president of the United States at the time, it was a few years ago, told the Iranian people to not participate in the elections. Despite this, the elections that year were more fervent than ever. So, in fact, that US president unknowingly helped the Iranian nation. He didn’t want the people to participate and he told them to not participate. But in opposition to him, the people participated with even more enthusiasm. This was a help to us. They never said it again after that. They don’t say it directly, but they still try to distance people from the elections. They try to discourage and dissuade them in many different ways.
Everyone must take part in the elections. Elections are the main pillar of the Islamic Republic. The key to improving the country lies in participating in the elections. Those who are trying to solve and fix the problems should turn their attention to the elections. The correct way is the elections. This is one matter.
The second matter to note is that people need to look for the most qualified candidates. Of course, the presence of the people is the most important matter, but the next important thing is to choose the most qualified candidate. “Choosing the most qualified candidate” means that those who have been approved as candidates are all good people, because they have been verified by the Guardian Council, but the best among them must be chosen. That is common sense. How can we determine who “the most qualified candidate” is? The Iranian nation should go and do their research wherever they can in order to determine who the most qualified candidates are. In cases where they are unable to do that, they should rely on the [judgment of] the people whom they trust. Those people can introduce to them the candidates whom they deem are the most qualified, and in this way they can determine who the best candidates are.
Those who have the ability to talk with others; people accept what they say; people agree with them should encourage people to take part in the elections. Those entering the field for being elected must refrain from bad mouthing, insulting, and disrespecting others.
You see, these are the necessary things that we must do in the area of the elections. The one who is able to encourage others should encourage them. The one who wants to be elected should not display a negative behavior. When they say bad things to each other in the social media, when they use foul language, and when they throw insults and false accusations at one another, these things take away the blessings from the elections. They should avoid painting a dark picture of things. Individuals should avoid painting a dark picture of things in order to draw people’s attention to themselves. Painting a dark picture of things is wrong and is against the truth. It is lies, and it isn’t blessed by God.
Of course, the validity of the elections, the integrity of the elections, and the honesty of the elections are things that we have always demanded from the officials. I can tell you that over the years, over the past few decades during which numerous elections have been conducted, I as an official who was once president and who now holds this current position [as the Leader], have never observed an election violation in the sense that the enemy alleges. I have never witnessed such a thing. What they say is nonsense.
There were cases where some claimed that the elections had problems. So, we investigated various electoral stations and we sent people to investigate, but it became clear that no, there wasn’t a discrepancy that would have caused a change in the election results. Now, it is possible that some may have committed [some minor] violations here and there, but not such that it would have an effect on the results of the elections. Praise God, the elections in our country have always been conducted in an uncorrupted, valid, and dignified manner. And this time too, God willing, it will be the same.
The last point I want to address is the unity of the Iranian nation. My dear people! We fought with unity, we won with unity, we have continued up until now with unity, and we must move forward with unity after this. Political differences and differences of opinion shouldn’t affect the unity of the Iranian nation when facing its enemies.
May God’s greetings, mercy, and blessings be upon you.
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