In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
All praise is due to God, Lord of the Worlds, and may peace and greetings be upon our Master and our Prophet, Abul-Qasim al-Mustafa Muhammad, and upon his untainted, pure, chosen Progeny, particularly the Remnant of God on earth.
Welcome my dear brothers and sisters. First, I would like to congratulate you on the blessed birth anniversary of Imam Mahdi (pbuh) which is truly a global celebration for all of humanity. The promise of justice and the hope for the establishment of justice has been one of humanity's long-standing desires and a source of joy throughout history. You won’t find any time in human history when people didn’t long for justice or wish for a savior. According to the Shia teachings, this hope will definitely be fulfilled. Of course, both the Shia and the non-Shia have no doubts about the presence of Imam Mahdi (pbuh). The entire community agrees on this. However, a distinctive feature of the Shia belief is knowing Imam Mahdi with certain attributes, including his identity, his name, and also the names of his father and mother. This is one of our defining traits. We are hopeful, God willing, we will be able to see this noble figure.
I would also like to congratulate you on the [anniversary of] the 22nd of Bahman. The 22nd of Bahman is truly a great holiday for our nation and in our history. Anyone familiar with Iran’s situation before the Revolution, during the monarchy, will wholeheartedly acknowledge that the Revolution is a great, historic holiday for the Iranian people. And our people cherish this holiday. You won't find this anywhere else in the world. Major revolutions have taken place in the world. But for a revolution to take place that even after 46 years every year on that day the general public — not the Armed Forces or the government — come out into the streets to show their presence, to express their devotion, to show their joy, and to celebrate is something unique. This doesn’t exist anywhere else in the world. This is unique to our country.
We know about other revolutions. We are aware of their histories and outcomes. We see their effects and the results, and we have fully understood how their people and nations have responded to those revolutions. The situation in Iran where on the 22nd of Bahman men, women, various levels of society, children, the youth, and the elderly come out into the streets for several hours in cold weather, in the snow, in biting weather, and in harsh weather conditions to celebrate this holiday is unique to Islamic Iran.
The recent 22nd of Bahman [rally] was one of the most prominent celebrations since the Revolution. It was one of the most important celebrations. In fact, people rose up on Monday. They came into the streets, chanted slogans, spoke, and expressed their opinions in the media. And this took place throughout the country. The people rose up. It was a large, national movement. Under the bombardment of propaganda and the enemy’s insidious soft war movements — they constantly talk against the 22nd of Bahman and its owners, which is the Iranian people, and the hero of the 22nd of Bahman, which is the magnanimous Imam [Khomeini] — the people came forth in response to such bombardments of the media and propaganda and made their presence known in this way. The presence of the youth and their vibrant faces were visible throughout the entire country and not just in Tehran and other major cities. Even the villages participated in this tremendous movement. In some cities, the weather was extremely cold and unfavorable. This [turnout] conveyed the message of the Iranian people’s unity. The Iranian nation truly, genuinely did something significant. In response to the ongoing, foolish threats directed at them, the people of Iran demonstrated to everyone their identity, character, capabilities, and steadfastness.
This tremendous, popular movement on the 22nd of Bahman was complemented by the clear, guiding words of the honorable president, who articulated the heartfelt sentiments of the people. He communicated the matters that needed to be stated. I consistently remind my audience, the wonderful young people whom I am deeply attached to and care about, that actions should be taken at the appropriate time. The Iranian nation acted at the right time on Monday, at a time when it was needed. They showed themselves when it was necessary for them to show themselves. May God's mercy be upon this nation. We are hopeful that, God willing, a better future awaits this courageous, knowledgeable, aware nation.
The exhibition that we saw up close for an hour today was one of the best, most outstanding exhibitions of those that I occasionally visit. This hour spent in the exhibition was truly very pleasing and enjoyable for me. It showed a part of the great efforts being made in areas related to the country’s defense. Each one of you and others who are working in related defense organizations — whether it is in the Defense Industries Organization or elsewhere — have contributed to the honor of this exhibition. We are deeply grateful for every one of these contributions, and the Iranian nation should thank each and every one of you. The matter of defending the nation and ensuring its security isn’t a small matter.
Today, the strength of our country’s defense is renowned. The strength of Iran’s defense is well-known. Iran's friends take pride in the strength of our country’s defense while our enemies fear it. This is very important for any nation or country. What’s important is that there was a time when there were, and still are, aggressors and bullies in the world who, when we needed defense capabilities and were willing to pay double or even many times the price, they clearly said, “We’re not selling!” They wouldn’t even allow those who wanted to sell to us to do so. They would say, “We won’t sell to Iran.”
Today, the very same aggressors are telling Iran, “Don't sell!” There is a very long distance between the stage of “We’re not selling!” to the stage of “Don't sell!” Our scientists, those who are working actively, laborers, our skilled hands, and our youth and people’s educated minds have been able to go this distance. Today, we are in a good position in terms of defense. This exhibition showed us things that are more than what we knew about. Or it brought before our eyes things that we had only heard about.
And what's important is that all of this has taken place during the sanctions. These advancements were made during the period when we were under sanctions. That is, this took place during the period [when they said], “We’re not selling,” and were unwilling to give us anything. Even now, they continue to advise one another, “Don’t let certain components fall into Iran's hands.” However, our own youth here are producing even better alternatives. This [exhibition] was a very good situation, praise God. It was pleasing. I would like to sincerely thank each and every one of you, your managers, your outstanding people, your dear professors, and your outstanding scholars.
I would like to discuss a few points. The first point is that the advancements we have made today have raised the level of the strength of our defense. However, this doesn’t mean that we should feel satisfied or say, “Praise God, the problem is over.” No, since we started from the bottom and despite the significant work and effort that have been put in, we still have not reached the front lines in many areas. We must reach the front lines. Why? Because those who are our ill-wishers are at the front lines in some areas. Therefore, we must be capable of defending ourselves against them, and this can only be achieved by reaching the front lines. That’s the way it is.
The Quran provides us with a necessary lesson in this regard, “And [to fight the enemy] prepare against them whatever you can” (8:60). The phrase “whatever you can” is very important. It means that you must prepare yourself as much as you can! The meaning of this lesson is that we must continue the movement that has started over the past few years and which has given tangible results in various situations. Some of these were referred to by the honorable minister, and others we observed and heard about in the exhibition. We must increase these. This must continue. That is the first point.
So advancements [in the defense sector] should not be stopped. We must not feel satisfied. Let’s say for example, a particular threshold of missile accuracy may have been considered to be enough in the past, but now we feel that’s insufficient and not enough. We must make even further advancements. We must advance. This is the first point. Progress must continue. The second point is that if you want progress to continue, innovation must be one of your goals. Focus on innovation. You shouldn't confine yourselves to using conventional methods. There should be no limit on creativity and innovation. Innovation is essential.
It isn’t enough for us to have the ability to build or complete a device that others have made or to make it slightly more advanced. That isn’t enough. We must pursue what others haven’t done. In the natural world, there are many things, many resources, that we don’t know about. There was a time when people didn’t know about electricity. [However], it’s existed in the world since the beginning of time. Electricity was present in nature, but human beings didn’t know about it. They discovered it later.
There are billions of capabilities and possibilities like this in nature. You’re seeing the advancements in science. They’re taking place every day. There was a time when there was no internet, then it was created. After that, various new features of it emerged. There was a time when there was no artificial intelligence, then it was developed. These are facts. Some people focus on something, there’s a spark in their mind, they pursue it, and they achieve results. That’s what you should do. That’s what innovation is about. Innovation differs from merely completing things that have already been done. If you want to make real progress, you must innovate. That is the second point.
Of course, young, pious, revolutionary, talented, scholarly people must be brought to work in this field. “Young” people possess both energy and intellect. We say “pious” because faith gives strength to a person, empowers them, and keeps them on the right path. It keeps them on the straight path. We say “revolutionary” meaning that they should believe in this great transformation that has taken place, the political and social transformation that has come about in the country due to the blessing of the Revolution. Such people can bring about this innovation.
The third point is that in the academic research carried out by the Armed Forces, focus on meeting the country's defense needs. In other words, the goal should be to fulfill defense requirements and to fill the gaps. Why do I say this? Because in some universities across the country, the efforts of professors and scholars are focused on writing and publishing articles without considering what lack in the country they are addressing. Sometimes these articles are written, and others use them more than we do. It’s as though they were written to meet the needs of others. Research centers of the Armed Forces should ensure that this mistake isn’t made. Just look to see what our needs are, where our defense needs lie, and work on that, pay attention to that, and conduct research and studies on that.
What you have today — these bright ideas, your research abilities, the ability to build, and your capacity for innovation — are a divine blessing. Be grateful for these blessings and recognize that they are coming from Almighty God. “Whatever blessing we have is from You; there is no god but You” (Misbah al-Mutahajjid wa Silah al-Muta’abbid, 1: 75). All blessings have been given to us by Almighty God, so thank Him. In addition to expressing your gratitude verbally and from your heart to the Sacred, Divine Being, the way to show your appreciation for these blessings is to make use of the abilities that Almighty God has given you.
May God’s greetings, mercy, and blessings be upon you.
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