In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all sentient beings, and peace and greetings be upon our Master and Prophet, Ab-al-Qassem Al-Mustafa Muhammad, and upon his immaculate and infallible household, especially the one remaining with Allah on earth.
I express my condolences to all of you and all the broadminded people across the world over the tragic loss of the Revolution's magnanimous father on fourteenth of Khordad [June 3, 1989]. I hope Allah the Exalted will give all of us the opportunity to prepare ourselves for the movement of the Iranian nation and the Muslim Ummah through commemorating this great man, who was a prominent figure in the history of Islam.
I would like to mention a point regarding Imam Khomeini's path and goals. I believe that two flags have been raised by the Imam in his recommendations, his slogans, and his demands of the public, government officials, and all Muslims across the world. In fact, our magnanimous Imam raised two flags through the great movement he established in the country and the world of Islam. One flag was the revival of Islam and invoking the great power of Islam. The second flag was the honor and grandeur of Iran and the Iranian people. These two flags were raised by the powerful hands of our magnanimous Imam. The first flag, which is in fact one aspect of the Imam's call and movement, concerns the great Islamic Ummah. Although it concerns Iran and the Iranian nation, the second flag is a source of hope and dynamism for the Islamic Ummah, as it is living proof of the inspirational Islamic movement. This great movement in Iran was a real-world outcome of Islamic awakening and the realization of Islamic goals. Therefore, it is directly related to Iran and the Iranian nation. However, the outcome of the movement is valuable and important to the entire Islamic Ummah. I would like to briefly elaborate on each of these two aspects.
The first aspect - that is, raising the flag of Islam - caused Muslims living all over the world to feel that they had an identity. After the efforts that had been made for many consecutive years to destroy the Islamic identity, the Revolution was carried out and the charismatic personality of the Imam was revealed to the people of the world, which caused all Muslims to feel that they had acquired an identity, a noble personality. As a result, the signs of Islamic awakening started to emerge throughout the world of Islam. The Palestinian nation regained its dynamism after decades of disappointment. The spirits of the youth of Arab countries, who had grown frustrated after losing three wars against the Zionist regime, were revived. That was not just an achievement for the Islamic Republic. Rather, it was an achievement for the entire world of Islam.
The Zionist regime is a malignant tumor in the heart of Muslim countries. Until the victory of the Revolution, the Zionist regime had managed to preserve its ‘invincible' image, convincing many people in Muslim countries that it really was invincible. But Muslim youth dealt them a blow. The Palestinian Intifada started, and numerous blows were dealt to the usurping regime. The First Intifada, the al-Aqsa Intifada, the defeat Zionists suffered in Lebanon 9 years ago, the 33-day war, and the 22-day war waged last year on the oppressed people of Gaza were all blows to the Zionist regime. Until the day the Islamic Revolution achieved victory, Muslim governments and nations, especially Arab nations, considered the Zionist regime as invincible. But the victory of the Revolution caused the Zionist regime to temporarily put aside its ambition to expand Israel from Euphrates to Nile and to completely forget it subsequently. Muslim nations - from Africa to East Asia - started to think of Islamic rule. They started to think of Islamic rule and the different frameworks it could adopt, not necessarily the one underlying the Islamic Republic. But what is important is that they did start to think of Islamic rule in their countries. Some countries were successful in this regard, and thanks to Islamic movements, some others are expecting a promising future.
The intellectuals of the world of Islam entered the arena with renewed hope. The spirits of the poets, artists, and writers who were filled with feelings of frustration and despair were revived after the victory of the Revolution. Their hope started to grow after the resistance of this nation and the great movement that was started by our magnanimous Imam. The Revolution started a domino effect.
I would like to take this opportunity and tell Muslim nations that the softer tone of the western powers is the result of the awakening and resistance in the world of Islam. What Allah has promised believers will not be realized unless they resist and make selfless efforts. The degree of resistance that was displayed by the Iranian nation paid off to some extent, and it turned a new page. The world of Islam was no longer humiliated by the west.
In the past, domineering powers used to make decisions for the world of Islam, decisions that had to be taken by Muslim nations. They never even asked the opinion of Muslim nations or governments. They used to make decisions for the oil of oil-rich countries. Or they used to make and enforce their own decisions for the businesses of the countries that were successful in that regard. After Islamic awakening, this state of affairs started to change for the better to a great degree. Muslims living in different parts of the world of Islam must appreciate this as a successful experience and determine their path accordingly. Resistance is what makes nations honorable.
As you can see, today even the new US administration is trying to present a new picture of the US government to the people of this region. Of course their efforts are justified because the previous US administration presented a repulsive and violent picture of the US government to the people of this region. The Muslim people of the Middle East and the people of North Africa strongly detest America. That is because for many consecutive years these people have observed the US involve in violence, military interference, discrimination, unwarranted interference, and violation of their rights by different US administrations. Now the new US administration has decided to transform the image of the American government. That is to say, it has decided to present a new picture of America. How can it make this possible? I say this with certainty: It is not possible to achieve this goal through words, speeches, and slogans. They have taken some actions that have frustrated the nations of this region. They have harmed the people of this region. It is not possible to alleviate this intense hatred through words, speeches, and slogans. They need to take action.
America has talked about democracy and the importance of public votes, but in Palestine it ignored the votes of the people who had elected a populist government. It paid no attention to their votes. How would this affect public opinion? The consequences are obvious. Regarding the rights of the Palestinian nation, a nation that has been forced to leave its homeland in an oppressive and violent fashion, not only did America totally ignore the rights of these people and refuse to support them, but it also took the opposite stance and fully supported the usurping Zionist regime. The rights of the Palestinian people were trampled underfoot by the Zionist regime, and they were displaced in different countries. Everybody knows this. There are no historical mysteries in this regard, as the event took place only sixty years ago. In addition, even when the oppressed Palestinian people decided to voice their objection, America projected their objection as malicious activities and acts of sabotage. How is it possible to set this right?
Violation of rights by the US in this region is not limited to some isolated cases. In the case of our own country, they denied so many realities regarding our nuclear program that has been hotly debated during the past few years. They twisted the truth beyond recognition and spread many lies. They made many efforts to oppose what a nation wanted - a nation that was trying to secure its legitimate right, an achievement gained though its own efforts. Our nation says that it seeks to achieve nuclear technology and that it seeks to have the capability to use nuclear energy for peaceful, civilian purposes. They say that the Iranian nation is trying to develop a nuclear bomb. Why do they tell these lies? Why do they say such things and make the Iranian nation detest them? They have been doing these things during the past years.
On numerous occasions, the Iranian people and government officials have announced that they do not seek to develop nuclear weapons and that nuclear weapons have no place in the needs of the nation and the military system of the country. We announced that it is haraam and prohibited to use nuclear weapons from an Islamic point of view and that having such weapons causes a great danger and needless trouble. We are not after nuclear weapons, and neither do we wish to have them. Even if they paid money and told us to develop a nuclear weapon, our nation and officials would not do so. However, as you can see, in the propaganda broadcast during the past few years by our opponents and the western media, they say that Iran is after a nuclear bomb instead of saying Iran is after peaceful nuclear energy. And they have been saying these things in order to justify their false claims. Is that not injustice?
American administrations, especially the previous unwise US President [George Bush], have occupied two Muslim countries - that is, Iraq and Afghanistan - during the past years under the pretext of fighting terrorism. As you know, American war planes have constantly been dropping bombs on the people of Afghanistan during the past years. They have massacred the Afghan people in groups of 100-150, and that was not just an isolated event, happening only once, twice, or ten times. What is it that terrorists do? Terrorists all do the same thing. The only difference is that terrorists kill a small number of people, but you Americans kill 100-150 people at a time. How is this a war against terrorism? According to the accurate reports we have received, they used to support the terrorist elements of the Ba'ath Party in Iraq while they were shouting anti-terror slogans. These are the factors that have caused the nations of the region to hate America. These factors have painted a bleak picture of the US. If the new US President is determined to present a better image of America, he has to change the present state of affairs. It is not possible to do this through words, speeches, and similar things. Muslim nations are also aware that the sincerity of US statesmen will be revealed only when they engage in actual change. Otherwise even if they deliver hundreds of speeches and make favorable comments about the Islamic Ummah, showering them with compliments, their efforts will prove ineffective in the absence of actual change. Such statements will not bring about any change. This Islamic awakening was the first aspect of the movement started by our magnanimous Imam.
The second aspect of the movement is related to the dignity of Iran and Iranians. The first and the most important measure that our magnanimous Imam took in this regard was to cleanse the psyche of the Iranian nation of feelings of inferiority. That is a very important point. Our nation used to suffer from feelings of inferiority. That was obvious during the Qajar era in the humiliating defeats we suffered and the cities we lost to the enemies. During the reign of the Pahlavi regime, the ruthless dictator, Reza Shah, suppressed the entire Iranian nation. Later on during the reign of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi - due to the presence of Americans in Iran, the establishment of the intelligence service called SAVAK, and the violence the people were exposed to - the Iranian people felt totally enervated. The Iranian nation felt it had been defeated in a number of cases. Regarding the Constitutional Revolution, although the Iranian nation was victorious in the beginning, it felt it had been defeated in the end. Similarly, although the Iranian nation started a great movement to nationalize the oil industry, the officials in charge of the movement were not able to preserve this movement, and, therefore, the Iranian nation was defeated. After this defeat, there was a suppressive era of dictatorship from 1333 to 1357, crushing the sprits of the Iranian nation.
Through their actions and words, the westoxicated intellectuals, many of whom were among government officials, had made the public believe that they were unable to make a difference, that they were not able to do anything on their own, and that they had to emulate westerners. They made the public believe that they had to imitate western science, industries, culture, clothing, foods, and manner of speaking. They even went as far as to claim that the writing system of Farsi had to be changed. Just imagine how much a nation has to be alienated from its independence and self-confidence to make a group of people insolent enough to claim that the writing system of the country has to be changed. They claimed that we should change our writing system, the system that had been used for a thousand years to encode and preserve our scientific achievements. They suggested that we adopt the European system of writing. That shows the extent of their tendency towards imitation. The Imam arrived and annihilated these feelings of inferiority. Our magnanimous Imam inspired confidence during his 15-year movement and this led to the victory of the Revolution. After the victory of the Revolution, he instilled self-confidence into our nation in other ways. He made us believe that we can make a difference and that we have the power to do so. He made us believe in our capabilities and greatness.
This self-confidence is one of the two pillars that are essential for the progress of any country. The other pillar is material requirements, which in themselves are not sufficient for progress. A nation may have a lot of material facilities, but it still may not achieve progress. Such a nation may not achieve grandeur and power. Before the Revolution, our country enjoyed the same oil and gas resources, the same metal mines, the same talents, and the same gifted manpower. Still, we were a backward and unknown country in the world, downtrodden by superpowers. We used to be under the yoke of a corrupt puppet government that cooperated with the enemies of our nation. Therefore, material facilities are not enough, and other factors are involved as well - that is, spiritual factors. One such factor is self-confidence, the belief that your nation has the capability to do something. The Imam made our nation believe in its capability to resist, to liberate itself, and to establish a government and make serious efforts to preserve its power. He made our nation believe that it has the capability to influence the world and international policies, and that was exactly what happened. This all amounts to what I call national dignity, which I discussed with my Kurdish brothers in Sanandaj 20 days ago. National dignity is very important for a country. National dignity is not just a theoretical concept. Rather, it can be translated into tangible outcomes in all aspects of our life.
As far as management of a country is concerned, national dignity means the reliance of the government on its people. In economic issues, national dignity boils down to self-sufficiency. A nation that has national dignity must be able to provide what the world needs and get something else in return, without being subdued.
In scientific arenas, national dignity means that researchers and young students should be able to push back the boundaries of knowledge and generate knowledge. The people who managed to advance human knowledge to its current level were not on average more talented than we are. We have an outstanding record of scientific achievements. Therefore, we must be able to generate knowledge, make discoveries, and contribute substantially to human beings' collective knowledge. That would mean dignity. In its interaction with other countries and governments throughout the world and in different policies, a nation that has dignity would be able to make independent decisions. A nation or a government that has dignity would appear so powerful to superpowers that they would not dare impose their will on it.
National dignity in the cultural arena means that a nation has to preserve and value its traditions, and not imitate foreign cultures - unfortunately, this is what happened to us in the pre-Revolution era. During that period, which lasted around 100 years, our country suffered from the destructive effects of the western culture. And we are still suffering from the consequences of imitating western cultural norms. National dignity means that a nation has to be proud of its own traditions and respect them. This means that a nation should not pay attention to those who consider its traditions as reactionary. Today some European countries do certain things that are an object of ridicule for any wise person. And when you ask them why they do these things, they say it is part of their traditions. They adhere to their own traditions, which are old and obsolete, but when other nations respect and adhere to their own traditions, they are mocked by those people. Such feelings of inferiority are against national dignity. National dignity means that a nation should not retreat from its traditions when faced with a foreign culture. This is what national dignity means. National dignity has manifestations in all aspects of life.
Concerning the methods of managing the country and interacting with the people, national dignity means that each and every individual of a society has to be respected. There is a sermon in Nahjul Balaghah which says that both those who are and those who are not from your religion have to be respected. All the members of a society have to be respected. This will result in national dignity. These are the different dimensions of national dignity which were pointed out by the late Imam Khomeini.
The Islamic Republic has made progress during the past thirty years by relying on self-confidence. Of course, there were vicissitudes but this never prevented the Islamic Republic from making progress. The nation never stopped making progress. The dignity of our nation is now reflected at the global level. I do not agree with those who say that our nation has been humiliated in the world because of adhering to its principles. This is by no means true. We have enemies. Our enemies - the global bullying powers who interfere in other countries' affairs - have formed a unified front. And when they see that a country, like Iran, has freed itself from their domination, they start to oppose and humiliate that country. And they use different propaganda tools to pursue this goal. However, this does not mean that we have lost our dignity. Those who are opposed to Islam and the Islamic Republic respect Imam Khomeini and the Iranian nation at the bottom of their heart.
In order to move towards progress and perfection, our nation has to preserve national dignity on all fronts. This is what Imam Khomeini has advised us to do. This nation can reach the peaks of progress. When a nation is powerful and makes both material and moral progress, it will have maximum security. This means that such a nation is no longer vulnerable to enemies' threats. And in this case, the enemies will no longer think of threatening that nation. Our nation has to continue treading this path if it wants to ensure maximum security and put an end to the enemies' threats. This is the path which will lead us to progress and justice. Getting isolated from the people, not adhering to Islamic values, and failing to continue the path of Imam Khomeini pose great dangers for our country.
These are dangerous for our country. If the strong framework which was created by the Islamic Revolution is preserved, many of our problems can be solved in the course of time. You should not let this strong framework be undermined. If this framework is undermined, none of our problems can be solved. We should protect the strong framework - the Islamic Republic - which Imam Khomeini developed for us. I thank God that the Iranian nation and officials have tried their utmost to tread this path during the past thirty years. Of course there have been ups and downs. During certain periods, we were more successful in treading this path. But this movement has continued up to the present moment. By Allah's favor and through the efforts of the people, especially the youth, we will continue this path until we achieve final victory.
Let me mention some points about the elections. Elections have always been decisive and of paramount importance in our country - parliamentary elections, the elections of the Assembly of Experts, and presidential elections in particular, which will be held in a few days' time. Let me mention some points in regard to elections.
The first point is that since 2 or 3 months ago, foreign radios have started to tarnish elections in our country in order to instill pessimism into our people. Sometimes they say: "This is not an election. It is selection." Other times they say: "This is a political game within the government." They also said that the presidential candidates are involved in a political game and that all the differences of opinion among the candidates are a pretense and a political game. They said that the election will definitely be rigged. Every time, they said something different. All these remarks pursue the same goal: To prevent the nation from having a strong presence in the election. Let me mention a point here. You vigilant and clever Iranian people have gone through several difficulties during the past thirty years. You should know that the enemies are opposed to democracy in our country. The enemies are opposed to your presence in the elections.
They want to undermine the support which the people provide for the Islamic Republic through their votes. They are consciously pursuing their goals. Woe is the individuals who repeat their words and help actualize their goals unconsciously or due to lack of vigilance. These people disappoint the nation. The Iranian people are proud of the fact that they been able to appoint the officials of the country through their votes during the past thirty years. The officials of the country, from the highest to the lowest levels, are appointed through the votes of the people. The Leader is also appointed indirectly by the people through their votes in the Assembly of Experts elections. Other elections include presidential elections, parliamentary elections, and councils' elections. These are all an honor for the Islamic Republic. They want to deprive the people of this right because they know that this will help strengthen the Islamic Republic. Those who support the Islamic Republic, Islam, and the Iranian nation are both legally and morally bound to take part in the elections.
The second point is that all the presidential candidates have their own supporters. The supporters of a particular candidate cannot blame the supporters of other candidates for supporting a different candidate. It is an honor for our country that different candidates with different views and policies run for elections and the people can vote for them. Different people support different candidates, and this is an honor for the country. This is a positive point about the elections. Each of the honorable presidential candidates has his own supporters. Some of these supporters are very passionate and strongly support their favorite candidate. There is nothing wrong with this. But you have to be careful so that your support for a particular candidate will not lead to riots and clashes between the supporters.
You are making efforts and these efforts are rooted in your beliefs and faith. You should not let those who are opposed to your beliefs and ideals take advantage of you. I have been informed that the youth who support these candidates go to the streets to support their favorite candidate. I am not going to comment on this, but I have to stress that this should not lead to a confrontation between the supporters of the candidates. You should be careful in this regard. If you see people who are trying to cause clashes, you should know that they are either traitors or suffer from a profound lack of vigilance.
The third point about the elections is that the honorable presidential candidates should also act cautiously. It is not acceptable for the presidential candidates to defame others in their electoral campaigns and lectures - on TV and other places - in order to prove themselves. This is not correct. I have already given some advice in this regard. And I would like to repeat now. All the candidates' efforts are aimed at the same goal. Every candidate feels responsible in some way and that is why they have decided to run for the election. I am not opposed to the debates, but you should make efforts to conduct these debates within a moral framework.
The people are all aware. The four presidential candidates who have been approved by the Guardian Council and who make speeches in different gatherings should be careful so that their speeches and remarks do not lead to enmity and hatred. They should act with a sense of kindness and brotherhood. Of course holding different views about different matters is natural. There is nothing wrong with this. But you should not let this end in confrontation. This is a point which the presidential candidates have to pay attention to.
The last point is that I can only cast one vote in the election. And I think that no one knows who I will vote for. Of course some people might guess who I will vote for. But I will never tell anyone to vote or not to vote for a particular candidate. Who I will vote for is a personal matter. And the people have the right to vote for their favorite candidates. What I would like to ask the people to do is to take part in the election dynamically and enthusiastically. Allah will help those nations who choose thoughtfully and vote for the sake of God.
O God, bestow Your blessings and mercy on this nation. Dear God, associate the immaculate soul of our magnanimous Imam with Your saints. O God, associate the souls of the two sons of Imam Khomeini with the soul of the Imam and Your saints. Dear God, associate the souls of the martyrs of Islam and the dear martyrs who have been buried in this shrine with the souls of your saints.
Greetings be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings