In the Name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
Praise be to God, Lord of the Worlds, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, Prophet Muhammad, and upon his Pure Progeny, particularly the remaining Vestige of God on earth.
Welcome my dear brothers and sisters. It gives me great pleasure to meet with the dear people of Qom in person again. I will never forget, I mean I always remember how the people of Qom used to come into this Hussainiyah over the years with such enthusiasm, excitement, emotion, and with the clear vision that they had in various fields. We have been deprived [of these meetings] during the last two or three years. [But] praise God, we are meeting here again this year.
The commemoration of the 19th of Dey of 1978 is repeated every year. And that is how it should be. This needs to be continued. In the future, this ray of light must continue to shine every year. Why? Because this tragedy was a major transformative event. It was not an ordinary event. It is everyone’s duty to keep such transformative, historic events alive. Now, I will discuss later on how in great historic events there is either a valuable experience or the explanation of a divine tradition in nature. Both of these are worthy of attention and worthy of being used by other nations. Therefore, they need to be kept alive.
Why do we say that the tragedy that took place on the 19th of Dey in Qom was a transformative, historic event? Because it was the beginning of a large jihad. A large jihad began throughout the country starting from here, with the aim of saving Iran from being devoured by the West. It was to save Iran from being crushed by the distorted, incorrect Western culture and the political-military dominance of the West. It was to make Iran independent and to revive the country’s historic identity. Iran’s historic identity is an Islamic Iran.
From the beginning of the rise of Islam and up until today, which other nation do you know of that has served Islam as much as the Iranians have in the various sciences, in philosophy, jurisprudence, and other sciences? Please refer to the valuable book by Martyr Motahari, titled Mutual Services of Islam and Iran. Iran’s Islamic identity had been lost. If anyone were to walk in the streets of Tehran –not just in Tehran, but in many other cities too and even in some parts of Mashhad – they wouldn’t have felt they were in an Islamic country or that Muslims were living here. That was how they had made it.
The jihad that had begun, which was started in Qom, was to save Iran from the state it was in. The goal was to return Iran to its original, real, historic, proud identity. Of course, those who were involved in this event that day, may not have realized the importance of what they were doing. They felt a sense of duty, which I will talk about, and they took action. Perhaps they didn’t notice, or at least not all of them realized what they were going to accomplish. They did not know about the great movement they were creating. They did not realize this, but when we talk about historical issues or events, we must describe them while taking into account the things that happened before and after that event. What caused that event in Qom and what was the outcome of it? This is what shows the importance and value of this event. So, this is the reality of the event that took place on the 19 of Dey in the year 1356 AHS (January 9, 1978).
This tragedy was a truly significant event. It must be kept alive. Its memory should not be erased from history or lose its importance. Of course, the Movement of Falsehood uses strategies to conceal the Days of God (Ayyam o Allah) or to cause these sorts of events to lose their importance. The strategy that the enemies use is they try to prevent these days from being remembered and from shining in history. Such days are often hidden or denied by the enemies. They even go so far as to deny these events. The 22nd of Bahman (February 11) is not talked about. [The same goes for] the 13th of Aban (November 4), the 19th of Dey (January 9), the 9th of Dey (December 30), the 29th of Bahman (February 18) – the tragedy in Tabriz and the funeral processions of Martyr Soleimani and Martyr Hojaji - these are all Days of God. They (the enemies) want to keep these hidden.
According to the enemies, each one of these events is like a torch that must be extinguished. The enemies that are against you, against this nation, and against this Revolution, cannot tolerate these torches. They want to abolish them. They want to extinguish these torches. This is exactly the opposite of what is stated in the Holy Quran. The Quran commands us to remember and mention these events, “And mention Mary in the Book; when she withdrew from her family to an easterly place” (Quran 19:16). What happened for Lady Mary must not be forgotten. This should go down in history. “And mention Ibrahim in the Book” (Quran 19:41). “And mention Moses in the Book” (Quran 19:51). “And remember Our servant Job [in the Quran]” (Quran 38:41). “… and remember Our servant, David, [a man] of strength” (Quran 38:17). “And mention [Hud] the brother of ‘Ad, when he warned his people at Ahqaf” (Quran 46:21). Perhaps there are ten or more examples like this in the Quran about remembering and mentioning [these individuals].
And in some places where they were concealing matters, God’s Prophet was assigned the job of getting them to talk, “Ask them about the town that was situated on the seaside” (Quran 7:163). Are you concealing what happened on the day of the “Sabbath”? Ask them about the case where you wanted to deceive God, where you wanted to cheat God, and the Almighty God turned you into monkeys and pigs. You want us to forget this and not know about it? “Ask them about the town that was situated on the seaside.” Ask them and get answers. This is the logic used by the Quran.
Now as I mentioned before, some of these events contain a historical significance. If you try to act cunningly and use tricks in dealing with God, then “Allah is the best of planners” (Quran 3:54). The Almighty God plans better than you do. “Indeed, they [the unbelievers] are devising a stratagem, and I [too] am devising a plan” (Quran 86:15-16). Very well, [now that] you have entered into God’s territory, God is the “Master of the Kingdom.” This is an experience that took place in the historical life of humankind. As a person living in this period in time, I must understand this. I must learn from what happened to the companions of the Sabbath [and what they did], and I should not do what they did again, or I will receive a response like what is mentioned in this divine tradition.
When a group of people deny the Day of Resurrection, the response is an event like what happened for the Ashab al-Kahf (Companions of the Cave). The Almighty God caused these individuals to sleep for over 300 years. He then awakened them and showed us [His power]. And there are numerous other such cases that have been mentioned in the Holy Quran. Pondering on the Quran leads us to many of these kinds of truths and things that can guide us during our lives. We have a beginning and an end. We must put effort and work on things during this time that we have. In fact, the period we are in right now is a sensitive, important period in time. Great importance needs to be placed on this period that you and I are living in, especially by you young people. This is a sensitive, important period. You must truly learn from these divine traditions. So, this is the significance of an event.
There are also lessons [that can be learned] from the tragedy that took place on the 19th of Dey. I have often mentioned some of these events during my talks with the dear people of Qom. But if one looks at this event comprehensively, [he/she will realize] that it was a very unusual event. This event contains many lessons. This is how it all started, but you know these things. An absurd article was published against Imam Khomeini at the order of the [Shah’s] court, that is, at the order of the upper echelons of the taghut regime. Those in middle or lower positions had not ordered this. It was from the upper echelons. [The article] contained insults to the magnanimous Imam who was living in exile in Najaf, and he had only recently lost his son who had been martyred.
The people sympathized with Imam Khomeini because of the passing away of his respectable, honorable son, Mostafa, who was truly a remarkable person. They [the regime] decided they needed to do something, [but] they acted foolishly. They created problems for themselves by publishing this article. “But Allah came at them from a place they did not expect” (Quran 59:2). They were hit hard from a place they had not expected.
So the article was published. This newspaper was usually printed at 2 pm. And it usually took two hours for it to get to Tehran from Qom. When did this happen? On January 7. As soon as this newspaper arrived in Qom and the people saw such a thing, a number of them came out into the streets. So this event began on January 7. They [the people] reacted quickly. They came out into the streets, took some copies of this newspaper, and set them on fire. They expressed their hatred. That is what happened on January 7.
On the morning of January 8, the seminary students took action. They canceled their lessons, took to the streets, and marched together as a group toward the homes of the Religious Authorities. The movement of the students lasted until night, and in that one day there were numerous clashes and conflicts between them and the regime’s soldiers. On January 9 [Dey 19], which was the main day of the tragedy, the people took to the streets. The youth came out, the merchants came out, the general public came out, everyone came. The taghut’s system was always prepared to suppress the people. They came out too, and they martyred some people and injured many others. They also beat some people. The tragedy that day ended with the martyrdom of some people, but actually it had not ended. It was just the beginning. What I have described for you was what happened in that tragedy.
So by doing this, Qom lead the Revolution. Qom takes pride in having taken the first practical step for the Revolution. Of course, at the beginning of the movement, which started in 1963 or 15 years prior to this date, the people of Qom were ahead of others then too. But at that time, the issue had not matured and had not taken its final form yet. But here [in 1978], at the beginning of the Revolution and the great revolutionary movement, the people of Qom became the flagbearers. They took the lead because they were pious people and because they took action for God. How can a person stick out his chest in confronting bullets if his actions are not for the cause of God? How is it possible for someone to put themselves in such great danger without believing in the truth and in the existence of the Almighty God? God blessed them because they were believers and because they had faith in God. This movement began in a matter of one, two, or three days, as I mentioned before. And it seemed as though it had ended. But it had not ended. It ignited the country – first Qom, then Tabriz, and then other places.
Now, there are some points about this movement, and I would like to address three or four of them. These are lessons for us. We are living in an extraordinary period. No one is able to calculate this exactly, but it is no exaggeration when we say that today, the Iranian nation and the Islamic Republic is hundreds of times more advanced, stronger, more informed, more perceptive, and more in control of its affairs compared to those earlier days. The events in the world today are very different from those days. Strange events have become common in the world. Things that were unbelievable at one stage in time are proving to be true today in the western world, in the eastern world, in the eastern half of the world, in the western half of the world, in the northern hemisphere, and in the [southern] hemisphere. Everywhere. A strange situation exists in the world as you are aware. We need to make use of the experiences of those days. These experiences never get old.
The first point is their speed of action. [The people of Qom] quickly felt they had a responsibility. Sometimes our problem is that we do not recognize our duties quickly enough. [Some say] they need to come, sit and talk with us, give reasons, and things of that sort. [But] you lose time that way. See the speed of action of the people [of Qom] in feeling a sense of duty when they saw what was happening. They immediately knew what they needed to do. They took to the streets. The shopkeepers came, the businessmen came, the seminary students came, the scholars came, some scholars from the seminaries came, and ordinary people took to the streets. They immediately felt they had a duty. That is the first point.
The second point is that they accepted the great risks of this action. They knew and recognized these risks. They accepted them. It is obvious that when you have a regime like the taghut regime with all that oppression, with all that cruelty, and with all its cold-heartedness, [it is dangerous] to come out into the streets. We had seen their callousness and so had the people. They had witnessed the 15th of Khordad [June 5] and the subsequent events. In Qom, apart from March 22, 1963, which was when the events took place in the Faiziyah School, another momentous, significant event took place in the Faiziyah School the next year. People had witnessed these things. It was not as though they were oblivious to them. They were aware of the dangers, but they accepted them. They accepted the dangers and they took action. This is the second point. After all, you cannot accomplish great things without taking risks.
The next point is that they took action at the right time. I have mentioned this many times when addressing different groups. In a production line, there may be 20 workers standing in a row. The manufactured product moves along this production line and each of the workers is responsible for doing a certain task. One person needs to hammer something, the other needs to tighten a screw, someone else has to put something on the product, and another person needs to remove something from the product. Each of these actions needs to happen at the right time. Imagine you are one of the 20 workers working on this line. If this product passes by in front of you and 10 seconds later you realize you should have done something, it is too late. It is gone. The action must be done immediately.
The Tawabbin sought to take revenge for the murder of Imam Hussain (pbuh). They fought and were killed. All of them were killed, but no one in history has praised them. Why? Because it took them too long to take action. If you wanted to sacrifice your life for the cause of Imam Hussain, why didn’t you come forward on the first or second day of Muharram so that you could have done something at least? Instead, you stood and watched. Then after Imam Hussain had been martyred, you felt sorry for him and decided to come to the battlefield. This is what happens when you fail to do something at the right time. You need to take action at the right time.
We should not neglect the duties that are assigned to us by our understanding and the laws of Islam. We must act without delay. We should not spare a moment. In addition, we need to take risks in accordance with the importance of the task. After all, one should not take every kind of risk in just any situation. No, there are some events that are not important enough for a person to risk his or her life for it. We should accept the risks of an action in accordance with the importance of the event that is taking place. Problems arise when we allow things to disrupt us from carrying out our duty, when we fail to immediately feel we have a responsibility, we fail to act at the right time, we fail to take risks, and we act too cautiously. This is how it is.
If we heed these conditions, then we are certain to make progress. There is no doubt about this. We saw examples of this during the years of the Holy Defense. I have advised you on numerous occasions to read the biographies of the families of those who were martyred in the Holy Defense and the defenders of the holy shrines of the Prophet’s Household [in Iraq and Syria] and to see what difficulties they endured. This young man leaves his dear wife and his children who are the light of his eyes behind in order to fulfill his duty. During the Holy Defense, thousands of thousands [of youth] went to the battlefields like this.
So what is the outcome of this? The outcome is that an insane person like Saddam [Hussein] enters the field with numerous weapons. He is backed by the US, Europe, NATO, and the Soviet Union. Reactionary Arab countries shower him with funds. And in the end, he is unable to do a single thing. He leaves empty-handed. When we have some youth like the youth that fought in the Holy Defense, who are certain due to their faith, and there is someone like Imam Khomeini kissing their hands and arms, this is what happens. Progress is certain. Yes, it was a war of the confederates. Iran was the winner in this war of the confederates. All the world powers joined forces to divide Iran, to separate Khuzestan, and to separate other areas . [But] they were unable to take away even one inch of Iran’s land. Is this something small? Is this a small victory? When we move [forward], when we feel as though we have a duty to fulfill, when we accept the risks and enter the field, this is what happens. This has been my experience.
Another point about this tragedy that took place in Qom, is why did this taghut regime, which was aware of the people’s love for this magnanimous man, have the audacity to do such a thing? Because it felt it was supported by the US. “They have taken gods besides Allah, [hoping] that they might be helped” (Quran 36:74). “[But] they cannot help them, while they [themselves] are an army mobilized for their defense” (Quran 36:75). It [the taghut regime] thought it had Carter’s support. A few days, just a few days before this tragedy that took place in Qom, Carter met here with the Shah and they drank alcohol together amongst other things. Carter praised the Shah when he was drunk. He praised him very much. He said, “Iran is the island of stability,” and things like that. He felt he had their support. This is what happens when one has false assumptions of support. They were of no use to him. “They cannot help them,” is about those who rely on the power of the unbelievers. You see, I am not saying those who just interact with the powers of unbelief. No, we are interacting with the powers of unbelief too. But if you rely on a power other than God, this is what happens. So, that was one side of the story.
On the other hand, the people were fighting the regime, the Taghut regime. But in fact, they were fighting the US. They were actually fighting Carter. The US presence in Iran at that time was truly a strange thing. I believe that you young people who are present here today have not witnessed that time, although some of you may have read about this in books, and many haven’t read about it. Unfortunately, our children do not read very much, and they do not know the extent of their [the US] influence. The US controlled all of the country’s affairs.
You see, in 1964, thirteen years before the 19th of Dey tragedy, and fourteen years before the victory of the Revolution, Imam Khomeini was exiled from Qom.
Why did they send Imam Khomeini into exile? Imam had made a speech.
What did Imam Khomeini say in this speech? He had spoken against capitulation, which was the legal immunity of the Americans who were in Iran. He had [verbally] attacked the US. What Imam Khomeini stated in that speech – this is the essence of his statement – was that if the Shah of Iran accidentally ran over an American dog on the streets, he would be impeached. But if an American chef runs over the Shah of Iran, no one has the right to prosecute him. This is what capitulation means.
That is what Imam Khomeini was protesting against. That is why he raised his voice against those in power. And then, they sent Imam into exile because of this [statement]. Now, Imam Khomeini’s period of exile lasted 13 years, but it was meant to be for life. According to them, he was supposed to remain permanently in exile. Fortunately, the Revolution was victorious and after 13 years [of living in exile], the Imam returned to the country. So that was the extent of the US’s influence in Iran. Well, the people rose up against this kind of influence. They rose up against such a penetrating power in the country.
Another thing I would like to say about what happened in Qom is that in both this event and in the events that occurred after it, individuals and pretentious groups without any roots were not able to infiltrate it. This is a very important matter. It was not like the Constitutional Revolution, which was initiated by religious scholars to eliminate tyranny. Well-known, or unknown, individuals joined and diverted their path and directed them to the British embassy. They went there. The British Embassy became a mediator for a request that was from ordinary people. This is what happens when unsuitable people join a movement.
Such a thing didn’t happen in the Qom movement. Such a thing didn’t occur in the event that took place due to this movement. Everyone, [even] those who opposed it, were left in awe. They were in awe of the people, they were in awe of this great movement, and they were in awe of the Imam’s outcry. [Imagine] a person addressing a group of seminary students in Najaf and crying out in such a way that he shook the world! We have failed to properly understand who Imam Khomeini was, [and to understand] the Imam’s character. This movement was a movement that others could not infiltrate. They were in awe of him, even those who opposed him. There were communists and different kinds of people in Iran who did not approve of this movement. But they did not dare oppose it, nor did they have the courage to join it. It was a people’s movement. It was a great movement. I am telling you things that I have personally experienced and seen. These are things I know about.
So why were they not able to infiltrate [this movement]? This in itself is an important point. Why weren’t other parties able to infiltrate it and create problems? The reason was that religious figures were leading this movement. They were the heads of this movement. Religious figures courageously took action. In all cities – in Tehran, Qom, Mashhad, and other places – great religious scholars and religious figures took action and they carried the flag. We saw this in different cities. A number of scholars who were living in exile in different places drew the people in those places with their words to accompany this movement. They pulled the people’s hearts toward themselves.
Eventually, the Islamic Revolution and the great movement that started in Qom was able to save Iran from the predatory, bloody claws of the US. Although, it is true that this movement was a movement against the monarchy, and against the [Shah’s] court and the corrupt, dependent, evil government [of that time]. That is how it was. Well, praise God, this movement overthrew the monarchy. But actually, it [the Islamic Revolution] pulled Iran out of the clutches of the US.
There is a reason I am saying this. It [the Islamic Revolution] took Iran out of the clutches of the US, and this was the basis for the US’s enmity with Iran. You see, some say that such and such an event caused the US’s enmity against us. [This is incorrect.] Even now after 40 years, some people ask, “Why are you causing the US’s enmity?” Are we the ones causing their enmity? They have been doing this [showing enmity] for 40 years. They are thirsty for our blood! Now we are the ones who are creating this enmity?
The US started from that very first day. A document that had just recently been published was brought to me. Apparently, [it was published] just a few weeks ago by a reputable American center that publishes important documents after about 30 or 40 years have passed. This [center] has published a document that was from December of 1979 AD, which is about ten months after the victory of our Revolution. The Revolution was victorious in February of 1979 AD, and this document was from December [of 1979]. So this was about ten months later.
Carter gave an order to the CIA. The order was for them to overthrow the Islamic Republic of Iran. This order was given on that day. That is, at the very beginning of the Revolution, the President of the United States gave the order to the CIA to overthrow the Islamic Republic of Iran, probably due to some nightmare he’d had. The interesting point that deserves our attention is that he mentions how they should bring about this overthrow.
The first method he mentions is false publicity, or propaganda. He told them to conduct propaganda operations against the Islamic Republic. Doesn’t this policy sound familiar? Use propaganda against the Islamic Republic. Use propaganda throughout the world, propaganda to change public opinion, propaganda inside the country. This is what they started that day, a propaganda operation. Of course, it was not just propaganda. There were also sanctions, acts of espionage, and infiltrations. The groundwork was also being laid for a military coup. These things were present too, but the first thing he mentions is propaganda. He says, “Use propaganda.” This has continued up until today. Since 1979 and up until today, this US policy has continued for 43 years – the policy of aiming to overthrow the Islamic Republic. By what means? By imposing sanctions, through infiltrations, by putting maximum pressure [on the country], by creating anti-Iranian alliances, and by inciting anti-Iranian, anti-Islamic, and anti-Shi’a sentiment. By using these means and especially by using propaganda. The US has been doing this for the past 43 years. They have been continuously doing this up until today.
Of course, the enemy obviously did not succeed with its evil intention. The Islamic Republic of that day is incomparable with the Islamic Republic of today, which has strong roots not only in this country but also in the region. The stability that the Islamic Republic has today, thanks to God’s grace and power, is incomparable with the way it was back then.
However, they have harmed us. The things they did slowed us down. We could have advanced much more than this, [but] they carried out criminal acts. They imposed eight years of war on us. This was a crime. Our forces spent eight years focusing on defending the country. These forces could have been used for construction. They could have been used to help the country advance. They could have been used to eradicate poverty. And it was not just the Imposed War. There is also pressure [on the country]. There are sanctions. All of these have had an effect. They have committed malicious acts in order to slow down the Islamic Republic’s progress.
So, are we able to counteract this delay they’ve caused? Yes, I believe we can. We need to work harder, manage things better, and struggle untiringly. This is what we must do. We can compensate for what’s happened. It’s not like things can’t be compensated for. This work has taken place in some areas, with God’s grace. It has taken place in scientific departments, in the defense department, and in many manufacturing departments, but there is much detail involved in trying to explain the things that have been done. Great accomplishments have been made thanks to the jihadi work, the faith and belief of workers, and the round-the-clock endeavors of certain individuals. This needs to take place in all areas. We can do this.
I would now like to speak some about the recent riots. The involvement of foreign enemies in the recent riots was clearly evident, though some have denied this. As soon as we say, “foreign enemies,” they tend to quickly deny this in order to knock down a faction, or a person, or a group, or an administration. They say, “No, it is your fault.” But no, it was clear and obvious that the foreigners had a hand in this. The efforts made by the Americans, the Europeans, and different European countries – each one of them interfered in one way or another. And they interfered openly, not secretly. It was apparent who was involved in this case. That is what happened in the recent riots.
We cannot just ignore these things. Well, here too, the most important part of their work was propaganda. The most important part of the enemy’s endeavors was their propaganda. “[I seek protection] from the evil of the slinking whisperer, who whispers [temptations] into the hearts of people, from among the jinn and people” (Quran 114:4-6) Temptations don’t just come from the jinn. Human beings also whisper temptations. You have seen how it is in the social media and also the foreign, Western, Arabic, and Hebrew media and other sources like these. So, the most important tool that was used here as well was propaganda.
Some people wanted it to appear this way. And this is how the foreigners made it appear in their propaganda, that in these riots, where a number of people came out, yelled things in the streets, used foul language, broke windows, set trash bins on fire, and things of that sort, were people objecting to the country’s weaknesses. [They said people were objecting to the] weaknesses in management, weaknesses in the economy, and weaknesses in other things. No, I tell you it was the exact opposite. Those who came out and were involved in the riots had no intention of overcoming the country’s weaknesses. They sought to destroy the country’s strengths.
They wanted to destroy our strengths and our security. Our security is one of our country’s strengths. And there is the matter of scientific education. We always take pride in the scientific progress we have made. Well, where are the sciences studied? [They are studied] in educational centers, in scientific centers, in research centers. They [the enemies] have targeted these centers so they can shut them down and stop the study of science. [They don’t want] us to have security. They don’t want people to study science. They don’t want there to be a growth in our domestic production.
At the beginning of this year, I announced that the slogan for this year is about [domestic] production, just as it had been in the past two or three years. [Domestic production is needed] in a special way and from a special perspective. Domestic production has progressed well this year. Just a few months ago, a number of people came to this Hussainiyah. That meeting was also broadcast on TV. And they explained the great, unprecedented manufacturing work that they are doing inside the country. They stood here and spoke about this, and it was broadcast on TV.
This is what they want to stop. This is what they wanted to stop. Or there is the issue of tourism. One of the government’s policies involved tourism. Tourism brings good income. It was just getting going and getting started. They wanted to stop this. They wanted to stand in the way of our strengths. But yes, we do have problems in the economy. There is no doubt about this. We have problems with the people’s cost of living. [But] can our problems in the economy be solved by setting trash bins on fire? Will they be solved with riots in the streets? They were not seeking to eliminate the [country’s] weaknesses. They wanted to destroy our strengths. Well, undoubtedly, this was treason, and the responsible organizations will and must deal with treason in a serious, just way. I would like to briefly add two more things [today].
The first issue is about “jihad of clarification,” which I have repeated over and over, and I will repeat it again. The enemy’s main plan is to use false publicity, or propaganda, as they call it. The way to overcome propaganda is with “clarification.” Clarifying the truth [must be done] by different people, with different voices, with different interpretations, and using new forms. [This is] clarification. What can remove the temptations that affect a youth or a teenager? Police batons cannot remove them. Clarification can remove those temptations. That was the first point. I said there are two points. This was the first point. Jihad of clarification must be taken seriously, by everyone, in the seminaries, in the universities, and in particular on radio and television, in the printed media, in all the places where you are, all around you. Wherever you are able to have an effect, you need to give clarification – correct explanations, accurate clarification.
Secondly, big goals require big work. Big things must be done. Transformations must be made. I believe this can be done. We have pious, hardworking officials. Transformations can be made. The Revolution itself was the greatest transformation. Each one of the preludes leading up to the Revolution were transformative events. They were the things that enabled us to pass through those difficult bottlenecks. From here onward, great transformative efforts are required in the fields of the economy, culture, security, science, and in various other fields. I believe such a thing is possible. We have the people for it, and we have the officials for it. Praise God, the country has many good, young people. We have individuals in our universities, in many of the seminaries across the country, and among the different classes in society who are capable of doing innovative, creative, transformative work.
I hope, God willing, the Almighty God will help all of you and me to be successful in carrying out our duties.
May God’s greetings, mercy, and blessings be upon you.
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