The following is the full text of the speech delivered on November 7, 2007 by Ayatollah Khamenei, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, at the 17th graduation ceremony of army cadets held at Ulum-e Entezami University.
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
I would like to congratulate you dear youth - both the graduates who will enter the arena of military action and practical services to their country from today on, and the dear youth who received their epaulets today and who formally became students of this scientific and educational center.
If one is supposed to select a goal from among other important goals in order to determine one's path of life and education, then the goal that you selected is undoubtedly one of the best ones. You should appreciate the value of this opportunity, you should thank Allah the Exalted and you should be proud of yourselves because the issue of security is a very important and exceptional issue. Notice that in the Holy Quran, God refers to security as one of His greatest blessings and He shows it off to the people that He addressed: "Who provides them... with security against fear of danger" [The Holy Quran, 106: 4].
Security is a condition for all kinds of success and achievement. Besides, if security does not exist in society and if people are concerned about insecurity, one of the most important rights of human beings has been violated. You have accepted and shouldered this responsibility.
In all human societies and among all classes of people in different eras, there are some individuals who create insecurity by breaking the law, violating social norms and preferring their vicious goals to those of the others. Who should confront such individuals? The center and organization that shoulders this responsibility displays two important and lofty human characteristics. One is sympathy towards the people that it wants to defend and whose security it wants to preserve. Another is showing power in the face of those who do not place any value on order and discipline and who confront the law that belongs to the public. The first characteristic is showing kindness to people and the second one is showing power against those who ignore people's rights. These two things should exist together. You should be proud of such a responsibility and you should thank God for it. You should think of the significance of this responsibility and you should really prepare yourselves.
Today, our Police Force is significantly different from past years. It has remarkably changed compared to the taghuti era. We remember that era, but you were not born in those days. In those days, police officials did not do anything for the people except for causing fear, creating panic and disappointing the people. Today, the Police Force is for and with the people. It supports them and the people have trusted it. When you are in the middle of the arena, you should carry out your duties in the right way and you should pay attention to the matters which the people are concerned about in terms of social order and security. The people trust, love and rely on you and they are proud of you.
In the course of implementing the security, behavioral and social plans that the Police Force had formulated for confronting hooligans and other such individuals with the purpose of ensuring psychological and social security, whenever you made an achievement, the people felt that they themselves made an achievement and they felt proud.
I cannot claim that today, our Police Force has fulfilled the expectations of the Islamic community in every way, but I can claim that the path that you have taken in order to reach this position has been a very long, difficult and glorious path and you should continue it.
The main ingredients of your work are belief in God, commitment, sense of responsibility, love of the people and courage against those who break order and cause insecurity in society. It is a very great but delicate and complicated task. Dear youth, you should prepare yourselves as much as you can.
We need a sense of public security in society as well as different scientific and political achievements and national dignity. Fortunately, our people have achieved - on a global and regional level - national dignity and scientific and political progress thanks to the positions of the Revolution. A nation is like an individual whose success arouses others' jealousy. Those who make an achievement should thank God as well as watch other people's jealousy. A people should do the same. There are some ill-wishers who are jealous of and unhappy about the progress of the people of Iran. This is because the interests that they have defined for themselves in the region are not compatible with the progress - scientific and national progress - of nations. Well, such elements and enemies and such jealous, ill-wishing and vicious individuals do not sit idle. And one area of causing harm to any country and people is the issue of security. You should be very vigilant. Thankfully, paths have become smooth and you can move forward.
The environment of this educational center is fortunately religious and spiritual. It is a very good environment. Therefore, you should preserve and strengthen it. You graduates who have entered the arena of police work should pay attention that you should preserve this spirit at all times. You should not allow different detriments and obstacles to decrease your motivation.
Another point is that in creating security and in giving a sense of security to the people, political and partisan motives, denominational and tribal differences and other such things should not play any role. Security in society belongs to all the people. Only those who decide to undermine and harm the people's security should feel insecure. Only such people should feel endangered by you. All other people - no matter what religion, religious denomination, political orientation and opinion they have - are equal in terms of the great responsibility that falls on your shoulders. This great responsibility is ensuring security.
I ask Allah the Exalted to bestow success on you so that you can have a glorious term of service, so that you can feel proud before God and the pure souls of martyrs and so that the people can feel secure - on a daily basis - because of your services.
Greetings be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings