Ayatollah Khamenei the Leader of the Islamic Revolution led Tehran's Friday prayers today. Speaking to an impressive gathering of the faithful and revolutionary people of Tehran, Ayatollah Khamenei explained the fundamental changes caused by the Islamic Revolution and stressed: "Thanks to the resistance of the nation, these deep-rooted changes have continued throughout the past 32 years. And after years of selfless efforts, the people of Iran can now witness the reflection of their oppressed, yet powerful yell in the events of North Africa, especially in Islamic Awakening of the people of Egypt and Tunisia."
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution analyzed the conditions that existed before the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran and the effect of the Revolution on political equations of the world. He reiterated: "The bullying and arrogant powers of the world had prepared a meticulous plan in order to protect and promote their interests in the critical and strategic Middle East region. And they successfully practiced the plan for years, but the victory of the Islamic Revolution ruined all their calculations."
Explaining the details of the arrogant powers' plan for the Middle East region up until the victory of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Khamenei said, "Weak countries which are hostile to each other, countries which are governed by rulers who are installed by the west and are obedient to it, countries which are consumers from an economic point of view, countries which are backward in terms of science, countries which follow the west in cultural areas, countries which are militarily weak, countries which are morally corrupt and degenerate, countries which are completely superficial in terms of religion, countries whose religious faith is limited to personal and ceremonial matters - these were the characteristics which the arrogant powers had defined for the Middle East countries."
His Eminence said that the great explosion caused by the Islamic Revolution and the emergence of Imam Khomeini (r.a.) as a prominent, wise, selfless, courageous and influential religious scholar ruined the strategy of the west in the extremely important Middle East region. He added that the emergence and presence of Imam Khomeini (r.a.) was indeed an act of God.
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution stated that the Iranian nation's vigilance, preparedness and unfailing support for Imam Khomeini (r.a.) prepared the ground for the victory of the Islamic Revolution. He added: "The Imam and the people stood firm as a mountain to help the Islamic Revolution continue and achieve victory, and whatever the enemy's camp did, it could not defeat this great Islamic Revolution or change its path."
His Eminence reminded the audience of the measures and plots of the enemies which were aimed at defeating the Revolution and referred to the enemy's efforts to cause street fighting, ethnic conflicts and coups, the imposition of the eight-year war and economic sanctions on Iran and their relentless and non-stop psychological warfare throughout the past 32 years. "In all these measures the enemy has been pursuing three main goals."
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution said that overthrowing the Islamic Republic has been the most important goal of the camp of the enemies throughout the past 32 years. He added: "In case the first plan failed, the second goal of America was to transform the Revolution so that the form and the appearance of the Revolution were preserved, but its nature and spirit were destroyed."
His Eminence referred to the fitna of the year 1388 as the latest plot of the enemies to transform the Revolution and reiterated: "In that fitna the designers and masterminds were outside our borders, and some people fell for their machinations because of their love for power and personal desires and cooperated with them knowingly or unknowingly."
Explaining the third goal of the camp of hegemony, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution added: "If the Islamic system remained in power in spite of all their efforts, the decision was to put weak and suggestible elements in charge of our national affairs and create a weak and obedient system that would not stand up against America."
His Eminence said that the vigilance of the people of Iran and the competence of the elites and government officials of the country were the reason why the enemies failed to achieve their goals. He added: "Due to its depth and nature, the Revolution has caused fundamental changes in the country, and the Imam and the people have built such firm foundations that this great movement will continue to prevail."
Explaining the deep-rooted and fundamental changes that took place in Iran after the victory of the Revolution, Ayatollah Khamenei referred to the efforts of the Pahlavi regime to fight Islam and added: "The Revolution completely changed this policy and made Islam the pivot of managing our society."
Ayatollah Khamenei said that the second consequence of the victory of the Revolution was to put an end to the country's dependence on America and England and to turn Iran into a perfect example of political independence in the world.
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution reiterated: "This political independence and dignity is the most attractive thing to nations, and an important part of the respect that nations have for the Islamic Revolution is due to this important characteristic."
Ayatollah Khamenei said that the people had no role in the government during the time of the Pahlavi regime, adding: "After the Islamic Revolution religious democracy became the foundation of government. And unlike the era before the Revolution when government was hereditary, the will of the people became a determining factor in government."
His Eminence reminded the audience of the security-based dictatorship before the victory of the Islamic Revolution and reiterated: "The Islamic Revolution created an atmosphere for the people to criticize, advise and even protest. And this process has been preserved throughout the past 32 years."
Ayatollah Khamenei referred to the national and scientific self-confidence as other achievements of the Islamic Revolution and reiterated: "Before the victory of the Revolution, the country was completely dependent on the west in terms of science and technology, but today apart from the amazing scientific and technological advances, our country enjoys young, prominent and great scientists in different fields."
His Eminence referred to Iran's significant role in regional and global issues as another consequence of the victory of the Islamic Revolution. "Today the dignity and greatness of the Iranian nation and its influence over regional and global issues have astonished the enemies, and they are constantly speaking about Iran's increasing influence."
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution said that the Revolution put an end to complete imitation in cultural arenas and caused the enemies to design cultural attacks. He added: "With such characteristics and bases, the country can establish the foundations of a new civilization in the world."
His Eminence quoted a western official as saying that the advanced and populist Constitution of the Islamic Republic has the capacity for becoming a role model. He further added: "In spite of the obstructionism by the enemies of the nation, this has already happened, and the Iranian nation has become a role model for other nations in different dimensions."
His Eminence said that some of the mistakes made by the west played a role in helping the Iranian nation and the Islamic Republic to become a role model. He added: "Their persistent efforts to violate the nuclear rights of the Iranian nation caused the Iranian nation and its government officials to resist more, and all people across the world realized that Iran has achieved unexpected advances in nuclear technology and that no kind of pressure can force the Iranian nation to retreat."
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution said that imposing military sanctions on Iran and creating radical Islamic movements in Iran's neighboring countries were among the mistakes of the west that ultimately contributed to the strengthening of Iran.
Ayatollah Khamenei added: "In the fitna of the year 1388, they created so much uproar that the people stepped in and gave rise to the epic of the 9th of Dey."
At the end of the first sermon, His Eminence reiterated: "If a revolution wants to affect others, it must have certain characteristics - mostly importantly, resistance and steadfastness."
Explaining the insistence of the people and the Islamic system on the principles of the Revolution, Ayatollah Khamenei said: "Since the beginning of the Revolution the Imam and the people insisted on the Islamic characteristics of the Revolution, but some people created uproar in the world and said that being Islamic is not consistent with being democratic. Of course the people and the Imam stood firm and disregarded this uproar. They yelled that their Revolution is Islamic and will remain Islamic."
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution said that insistence on democracy is another example showing that the foundations and characteristics of the Revolution have been preserved. "Since the first day after the victory of the Revolution, the Imam used to stress that the people should express their opinions, and this characteristic has been preserved so far in all matters and all elections."
His Eminence stated that more than 30 elections have been held during the past 32 years and added: "Even during the war, when the country was being bombed and targeted with missiles, our elections were not delayed even a single day, and this is the real meaning of insistence on democracy."
His Eminence said that establishing social justice is more important and more difficult than all other achievements and reiterated: "There is a lot of difference between the kind of justice that we have in the country and the kind of justice that Islam demands. But the important point is that the movement towards social justice is still continuing and that it has gained momentum."
Ayatollah Khamenei referred to the efforts by some people after the Revolution to undermine the ideal of fighting oppression and added that the plan was to make forming relations with America look normal by sidelining the revolutionary slogans. "Then they wanted to gradually force the country to obey America's policies."
Speaking during the second sermon, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution referred to the recent events in North Africa, especially Tunisia and Egypt, as very important and described them as a real earthquake. "If the Egyptian people manage to continue their movement with the help of God, they will cause an irreparable failure for America and the Zionist regime in the region."
His Eminence referred to the increasing concerns of the Zionist regime about the developments in Egypt and reiterated: "The Zionists know better than anybody else what great events will happen in the region if Egypt stops supporting them. These events will result in realizing the prophecy of our magnanimous Imam."
Discussing the causes of the recent developments in Egypt and Tunisia, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution referred to the misleading analyses of the westerners and added: "In global analyses, they try to say that the main reason behind the uprising the of the people of Tunisia and Egypt was economic issues alone. This is true however the main reason is the feeling of humiliation that has been created among the people of Tunisia and Egypt because of the performance of their rulers."
Ayatollah Khamenei referred to the performance of Ben Ali during his rule over Tunisia and reiterated: "Ben Ali was completely dependent on America, and some reports even show that he was connected with the intelligence service of America."
His Eminence added: "It is very difficult for a nation to see that their ruler is officially a servant of American organizations, and this was one of the reasons behind the uprising of the people of Tunisia."
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution referred to Ben Ali's anti-religion policies in Tunisia - especially the banning of religious slogans and hijab in public places - and reiterated: "One of the main motives behind the uprising of the people of Tunisia was their love for Islam, and western analysts are trying to deny this issue."
Ayatollah Khamenei added: "A superficial change has taken place in Tunisia now, and the people of Tunisia should vigilantly identify their interests and not fall for the enemy's deception."
His Eminence referred to the crucial developments in Egypt and its historical, cultural, political and religious background and added: "Egypt was the first Islamic country that became familiar with western culture in the 18th century, and it was also the first Islamic country that stood up against this culture."
Ayatollah Khamenei described Egypt as a historical stronghold for Islamic activists and intellectuals.
Discussing the intellectual and political position of Egypt, His Eminence referred to the liberation movements in Egypt and to the Egyptian army's battles against the Zionist regime. He further added: "With such a historical position and record, for thirty years Egypt was in the hands of a person who was neither after freedom nor opposed to the Zionists. On the contrary, he was an enemy of seeking freedom and an ally and servant of the Zionists."
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution reiterated that during the rule of Mubarak the situation of Egypt became so bad that it went from being inspirational to the world of Islam to being an ally of the Zionists and an enemy of the Palestinians.
Ayatollah Khamenei referred to Hosni Mubarak's behavior during the 22-day war on the people Gaza and added: "His behavior frustrated the people of Egypt because the Egyptian government had turned into a supporter of Israel and a devoted follower of America, and the people of Egypt felt completely humiliated."
His Eminence referred to the Egyptian people's historical fight for Islam and said that religious motives are one of the most important factors behind the movement of the people of Egypt. "The people of Egypt start their movements from Friday prayers and mosques, and they shout religious slogans, especially Allahu Akbar. And the most powerful opposition movement in Egypt is the Islamic movement."
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution added: "Westerners are extremely concerned about the fact that the Islamic motives behind the uprising of the people of Egypt may become clear to the people of the region. Therefore, they try to present the economic factor as the only factor behind the public movement."
Ayatollah Khamenei stressed: "This economic factor, which is not insignificant, is the result of Mubarak's dependence and his services to America. And this has prevented the economy of Egypt from developing, and the situation has become so bad that hundreds of thousands of people in Cairo live in cemeteries because of poverty."
His Eminence added: "The Americans did not even give an economic reward to a servant like Mubarak. They will not reward him today either, and the minute the ruler of Egypt flees the country, definitely the first gates that will be closed to him will be the gates of America - just as they closed their doors to Ben Ali and Mohammad Reza Pahlavi."
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution reiterated: "These events are a lesson for those who are enthusiastic about being a friend of America. These people should see how the Americans turn their backs on their servants."
Ayatollah Khamenei referred to the confusion of America and the Zionist regime in the face of the uprising of the people of Egypt and added: "Now they are looking for a way out of this situation, and they have started deception. Of course the success or failure of American and western scenarios depends on the behavior and decisions of the people of Egypt."
At the end of his sermons, Ayatollah Khamenei addressed the people of the region in Arabic and said that the current situation of Egypt is a war of wills between the people of Egypt and their enemies. He added: "In this war whichever side has a stronger will is going to win."
Discussing the measures taken by America and the Zionist regime in order to control the current developments in Egypt and put down the uprising of the Egyptian people, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution said: "They are trying to frustrate the Egyptian people's hopes of fulfilling their goals, but the people of Egypt should rely on God and not doubt the divine promise of assistance even for a moment."
Ayatollah Khamenei said that unity and solidarity are the important weapons of the Egyptian people against their enemies. "The people of Egypt should watch out for the enemies' plots to cause discord. They should continue their uprising in a firm and steadfast manner, relying on God and their valorous youth."
His Eminence called on the people of Egypt to be vigilant against the political recommendations and scenarios of America and the west. He reiterated: "The Americans were supporting Mubarak until a few days ago, but now that they are disappointed at him, they are trying to pretend that they are with the people of Egypt so that they can bring to power the person they have in mind."
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution described the role of the religious scholars of Egypt, especially the religious scholars of al-Azhar, as very sensitive in the current situation and reiterated: "The religious scholars of Egypt should fulfill their historic role in the uprising of the people of Egypt."
His Eminence also referred to the Egyptian army's involvement in two wars against the Zionist regime and added: "The Egyptian army should fulfill its historic role in the current developments and join the people."