In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
All praise is due to God, Lord of the Worlds, and peace and greetings be upon our Master, Muhammad, and his untainted, pure, immaculate Progeny, particularly the Remnant of God on earth.
You are very welcome here my dear brothers, sisters, and members of the Basij. I would also like to welcome the assemblies that have gathered in other cities and are listening to these words. We are seeing them on camera here too.
There is much to say about the Basij. In short, the Basij is a valuable legacy that Imam Khomeini left behind for the country. Imam Khomeini is the creator and founding father of the Basij. At the same time, he himself said, “I am proud to be a member of the Basij.” This shows the important status of the Basij. I will discuss a few points about what Imam Khomeini said regarding the Basij.
The first point is that the logic behind the Basij is to make the country as resistant as possible to threats and dangers. That is the logic behind it. Imam Khomeini (ra) with his foresight recognized that in order to make the country, the nation, and the Revolution invulnerable, there was an urgent need for an extensive, large, voluntary force, because the Revolution belongs to the people; the country belongs to the people. It is the people who can defend their country and their Revolution more than any other factor or element, provided that the path is put in front of them. Imam Khomeini was the one who determined this path, the Basij. This is the logic behind [the formation of] the Basij.
So, the purpose of the Basij is to maximize the country’s resistance against any form of danger or threat. This logic was the main factor behind the creation of the Basij. The same logic still exists today, and it is up to date. Even today, the presence of the Basij is necessary with all its existing details, which I will speak about briefly. [It is needed] for the comprehensive material and spiritual defense of our national identity, the security of the country, and the interests of the people. The Basij's 40 years or so of experience proves the correctness of this objective. It shows the accuracy of Imam Khomeini’s foresight and insight.
My dears! There was a time in this country that the presence of the Basij was crucial for the country. An example of this was during the Sacred Defense. If the Basij forces hadn’t existed at that time, the outcome of the Sacred Defense would definitely have been different from what took place. The story of the Sacred Defense is a magnificent representation of the authority of the people in the form of the Basij in this country. There were other occasions too, but I do not wish to go into the details of those now.
The next point is that Imam Khomeini gave different descriptions of the Basij. I have chosen two of them to share with you. In one place, he said, “The Basij is a sincere army of God.” A sincere army of God! Pay attention to the words. In another place, Imam Khomeini said, “The Basij is a school of love.” Let’s put these two descriptions next to each other. “A sincere army of God” indicates that the Basij is a fighter. Armies are used for combat and war.
So, what does it mean to "be a fighter?" It means to have material and physical strength, to have mental resolve and courage, and to know the strategies and tactics of war. The Commander of the Faithful [Imam Ali (pbuh)] is an example of this. When facing Amr ibn Abd al-Wadd, he demonstrated his physical strength, his courage and fearlessness, and also the ploys he used during the battle. [For example], he told Amr ibn Abd al-Wadd, “You and I are the ones who are fighting. Who are these people whom you’ve brought with you?” And when Amr ibn Abd al-Wadd turned his head around [to look at whom Imam Ali (pbuh) was referring to], the Commander of the Faithful struck him [with his sword]. It was a war ploy. It was a war tactic. So "being a fighter" means having material, mental, and intellectual strength.
What is the meaning of “the sincere army of God?” It means that this magnificent, valuable reserve is not for personal empowerment. What are the world’s armies used for? What are they fighting for? The Basij fights for the cause of God, and they do so with sincerity. This is purely for God. Therefore, this is the Basij’s way of fighting. It shows their display of power and how they are “stern [against the unbelievers]” (Quran 48:29).
On the other hand, it is “a school of love.” The Basij is in love. It has given its heart. However, this love is not an aimless, misdirected, lecherous love. This love is in the form of a school. It is oriented and organized. What does this mean? It means being in love with God, spirituality, people, and the [right] path. In the direction that it is moving, it moves with love. This is what is meant by “a school of love.” He [Imam Khomeini] did not say that “the Basij is in love.” He said, “the Basij is a school of love.” He teaches a love that is on a specific path.
Well, these descriptions were not rhetorical, nor were they merely ideas. Everyone saw that these things were real, both on the battlefield and in the field of love. We all saw what the Basij were doing. On the battlefield, tens of thousands of sincere and often anonymous Basiji fighters did great things. They played a pivotal role.
My dears! You do not remember the [Iran-Iraq] war, but writings about this period are published at times. Read them and see what they [the fighters] did, how they spent those years, what their intentions were when they joined, how determined they were when they took action, and how they went [to war]. They played a pivotal role. Of course, the Basij had peaks too. The peak of Basij is Soleimani, Sayyad Shirazi, Hemmat, Babaei, Shiroudi, Martyr Hamedani, and hundreds of others like them. Not even one person like them can be seen in any of the congregations that have been formed by nations around the world. Their sincerity, forbearance, and courage [were unique].
It is the battlefield. Everyone saw this. Everyone noticed this. You could see the Basij’s way of fighting during the Sacred Defense. Those who were there at that time saw this from up close. And they were also present in the fields that came after that. Now, you didn’t witness the Sacred Defense, but you saw the Defenders of the Shrines. There have been other fields too where you have seen what the Basij does. When it comes to being kind, the public services of the Basij take place everywhere — in the field of construction, in the field of health, in places that have been struck by natural disasters, and in the field of science and research.
It is the anniversary of the martyrdom of Martyr Fakhrizadeh. He was a Basiji. The late Kazemi Ashtiani was a Basiji. In the field of science, these men transformed the boundaries of knowledge in the country. In the field of science and knowledge, some of these Basijis also went beyond the average international boundaries. Important work has been done in the field of clarification and insight [by Basijis]. So, what Imam Khomeini described as “a sincere army of God” and “a school of love,” its examples were clearly seen in practice and on the ground. We all saw it.
The Basij is more than an organization. It is a culture. It is a mindset. Therefore, anyone who has accepted this culture, anyone who has moved on this path and adopted this mindset, is a Basiji regardless of whether or not they are a member of this organization. This includes a large number of Iranians, even though there may be no mention of them within the Basij organization.
What is this culture? The culture of the Basij is based on it being a voluntary organization, where people are committed and have a sense of responsibility. They are not indifferent to the country’s current issues or to future issues. Being a revolutionary, appreciating the value of the Revolution, and realizing the meaning behind the Revolution are all parts of the Basiji culture. Abiding by the law, being disciplined, and not breaking norms are parts of the Basiji culture. This is the culture of the Basij. A Basiji might object to an issue, a reality, or an individual, and there is nothing wrong with that. But they do not break norms. As I have already mentioned before, they do not side with the enemy.
The Basiji culture means avoiding showing off. It means avoiding doing superficial activities that are merely a show. In the event that a Basiji does show something to others, it is something that is meaningful and factual. There is a meaning and a truth behind what is being displayed. A Basiji does not do something just to show off. They strive to do actual, real work. I don't know whether you paid attention to the report that the honorable Basij commander presented. There was a great deal of information in the things he said. They are true. They are real activities.
The Basiji culture involves having compassion for the weak, being stern when confronting an oppressor, and providing services to everyone, everyone. When there was a flood in the country, the Basiji walked in mud that was up to their knees in order to clean the flooded houses. They did not ask the owner of those homes, “What is your name? What is your religion? What is your ethnicity? What is your political stance?” They did not ask such things. They went and provided services. It didn’t matter who those people were. These things are important.
The Basiji culture avoids arrogance and conceit. That is the culture of the Basij. Depending on the situation, people sometimes gain a certain position and reputation. It goes against the culture of the Basij to be arrogant, conceited, and to think we are superior when we see other people showing us respect, chanting slogans in our favor, pushing us to go forward, or praising us.
In the “Makarim al-Akhlaq Supplication” [on noble traits], Imam Sajjad (pbuh) teaches us, “Do not raise me even a single degree before the people without lowering me in my own sight” (Sahifa al-Sajjadiyyah, supplication no. 20). No matter how high you may rise among others, think of yourself as being small. Do not become arrogant.
It is far from the Basiji culture to think that everyone is indebted to us. It is not in the Basiji culture to feel that the Revolution, the country, the government, the people, our neighbors, our friends, and our acquaintances are all indebted to us and we don’t owe them anything. A Basiji doesn’t feel that others owe them anything. He/she believes that it is his/her duty to do things. A Basiji is duty oriented. They seek to fulfill their duties. A Basiji does not use organizational privileges for his/her own benefit. The privileges that the Basij organization grants its members is a trust given to them. A Basiji preserves this trust with all modesty. He/she is trustworthy.
These are lessons for us. When Imam Khomeini said, “I am proud to be a member of the Basij,” he had all of these characteristics. The characteristics just mentioned were embodied in him. He always felt he owed others, he always considered himself to be weak, and he always considered other people to be higher than himself. Imam Khomeini used to consider the young people who would come and kiss his hand and shed tears for him to be higher than himself. As far as I knew the Imam and judging by the things I had observed in him in person, his life wasn’t spent on serving himself, his title, his authority, or his leadership for even a moment.
The next point which is the fourth point and is very important is the way the Basij extends beyond nations and borders. This too can be found in the words of Imam Khomeini. When he was talking about the “international cores of resistance,” he was talking about the Basij. They are not our Basij. It’s their Basij, but the culture is the same. Those international cores of resistance have now been established. That is, you are seeing examples of them in our region. “Wait to see the final results, for what you see now is just the beginning” (poem recited from Anvari’s Divan). You can see that those resistance groups that Imam Khomeini had envisioned are now determining the fate of this region. The cores of resistance are determining the fate of our region, and an example of them is the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation, which I will speak about shortly.
A few years ago, during the events that were taking place in Lebanon, the US said they were pursuing building a New Middle East. “Middle East” refers to West Asia. The West, the Europeans, and their followers like to measure everything in reference to Europe: What is close to Europe is the Near East, what is in the middle is the Middle East, and what is far from Europe is the Far East. That is, the measure is Europe [according to them].
This is one of the wrong things they have done, and others have followed in their footsteps and are using these terms too. [So, it is] West Asia. They said they wanted to draw up a new map for this region, which they called “the Middle East.” It was the “New Middle East.” That is, they wanted to design a new geopolitical map. What was it based on? It was based on fulfilling the needs and illegitimate interests of the US. However, what they wanted and sought did not take place. They wanted to destroy Hezbollah. This was one of their goals for their new map, eliminating Hezbollah.
After the 33-Day War, Hezbollah became ten times stronger. Now, I say ten times to be on the safe side, but they became much stronger than that. They [the US] wanted to swallow Iraq, but they failed. The story of Iraq is very strange. The US’s plan was to establish a US government in Iraq. They put an American general (Jay Garner) in charge. When they realized that things were not going ahead well with the US general, they put him aside and appointed an American civilian (Paul Bremer) to head Iraq. An American was to be the president or king of the country of Iraq!
When they realized that wouldn’t work, they assigned an Iraqi (Ghazi Mashal Ajil al-Yawar) who worked for them. That hasn’t worked either until today. Today, the cores of resistance in Iraq enter into the issue of Palestine, and the Iraqi government takes a firm stand. So, what the Americans called the “New Middle East” is the exact opposite of what it is today. They wanted to devour Iraq all at once, but they couldn’t. It didn’t happen.
They wanted to take over Syria. They used their proxy agents such as DAESH and the Al-Nusrah Front to attack the Syrian government. For about ten years, they continuously used them, supported them, gave them money, and equipped them, but it didn’t work.
They failed. They failed completely in trying to create the “New Middle East” that they were seeking. One of the components of this [New] Middle East was to finalize the Palestinian issue in favor of the usurping regime so that nothing by the name of Palestine would be left at all. They also reneged on the treacherous “two-state” plan that they had previously approved. They couldn’t do it. It didn’t happen. Now, see how different the situation in Palestine is today compared to 20 years ago!
See what Palestine was like 20 years ago, and what it is like today. See what Hamas was like 20 years ago, and what it is like today. Yes, the region’s geopolitical map is undergoing a fundamental transformation, but not to the benefit of the US. It is to the benefit of the Resistance Front. Yes, West Asia’s geopolitical map has changed, but it has changed in favor of the Resistance. The Resistance has won. Imam Khomeini understood this correctly. He correctly had recognized what was happening. The cores of the Resistance have been able to change the direction of movement in their favor.
This new map has certain characteristics, some of which I will tell you about. This new map that is gradually reigning over this region has a number of characteristics. Its first characteristic is de-Americanization. What is “de-Americanization?” It means the rejection of US hegemony in the region. It does not mean severing political ties with the US. We do not expect or imagine that the governments in the region will cut off political relations with the US. No, they have political and economic relations with everyone. They have relations with the US too. They have it, but the US’s hegemony is weakening day by day.
What the US wanted to achieve in certain countries — in terms of oil, weapons, and various relations — is gradually disappearing. Much of it has already disappeared, and it will continue to diminish even more. The US has been pursuing a policy for many years and that is the policy of dominating the region. The main means for establishing this policy was to support the Zionist regime and strengthen it as much as possible, empower it, and encourage other countries to establish relations with it.
Of course, this is an old policy. It goes back several decades. They intensified this policy one or two decades ago. They went after Afghanistan and Iraq and wanted to gain control of those countries by occupying them, but they failed. Today, the policy and orientation in this region is de-Americanization.
One of the clear signs [of the de-Americanization in the region] that is before our eyes today is the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation. Yes, the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation is against the Zionist regime, but this historic event is also an act of de-Americanization. The Al-Aqsa Flood Operation was a historic event in the true sense of the word. It was able to change the table of US policies in the region and, God willing, if this flood continues, it will eliminate that table.
So, one of the characteristics of the changes that have taken place in the region’s geopolitical map is that de-Americanization has started. Some countries that were completely subject to US policy are now at odds with the US, as you can see and are hearing about, and this will continue.
Another characteristic is that the factitious and imposed dichotomies that they had created in the region have been thrown into disarray. The Arabs vs non-Arabs dichotomy, the Shia vs Sunni dichotomy, and the myth of the Shia Crescent — the danger of a spreading of the Shia in the region, which was something irrelevant that they had brought up — have all been thrown into disarray. Who helped the Palestinians the most prior to and during the Al-Aqsa Flood? The Shia did — the Lebanese Shia, the Iraqi Shia, the Arab Shia, and the non-Arab Shia.
These dichotomies were thrown into disarray, and instead of these imposed dichotomies, a new dichotomy has come to prevail in the region: The dichotomy of “resistance vs submission.” This dichotomy is what’s important in the region today. What is the meaning of “resistance?” “Resistance” means refusing to submit to US coercion, greed, and interference. That is the meaning of resistance. Now some resist 100 percent, some 80 percent, and some 50 percent. The Resistance movement is an obvious movement in the region today. The opposite of this is “submission,” which means disgrace. It humiliates nations and governments.
Solving the Palestinian issue is another characteristic of the new map of our region. By God’s grace, the Palestinian issue is moving toward being solved. What do we mean when we talk about “solving the Palestinian issue?” It means the establishment of Palestinian sovereignty in all the Palestinian lands. We have put forward our proposal, which involves a referendum for all Palestinians to vote on.
Of course, those who are the occupiers have no right, but the Palestinians themselves, whether they are in the Palestinian land or in countries neighboring Palestine, inside the camps or in other places, wherever they are — there are several million Palestinians — they can all give their opinion. [A referendum] is a suitable, acceptable, civilized logic for the administration of Palestine. Now some people will say, “Well, the Zionist regime will not accept and agree to what you are proposing.” Yes, we know they will not agree to it, but that is not their choice to make. It is not up to them to decide. Sometimes a government or a country might not like something, but it is imposed on them. It doesn’t have a choice.
If this issue is pursued, and God willing it will be, if the cores of Resistance seriously pursue what they are seeking with resolve and determination, this will happen. There is no doubt about this.
Therefore, solving the Palestinian issue is one of the characteristics that, God willing, the New West Asia will see. When some of the world’s spokespersons talk about the Islamic Republic’s opinions regarding the region, they deceitfully say, “Iran says that the Jews and the Zionists should be thrown into the sea.” No, this was something that others or some Arabs had stated previously. We never said that. We don’t throw anyone into the sea. We say let the [Palestinian] people decide. The government that is established by the votes of the Palestinian people will decide about the people who are there and about the people who migrated there from other countries. They may tell them that they can all stay in Palestine.
There were a few African countries that I visited when I was president. When the British were ruling those countries, they [the Africans] fought against them and were victorious. The natives succeeded in defeating the British, but they still kept those same Britons in their country. They thought it was the right thing to do, so they kept them there. These [Palestinians] may also decide to let them stay. Or they may say, “No, some people should leave,” or “Everyone should leave.” It’s their choice. We never give an opinion on this matter. So this was regarding that issue.
I would like to say a few words about the Al-Aqsa Flood. This important, unparalleled event brought the goals closer. It shortened the path to reaching these goals and made it easier. A great task was carried out. The Zionist regime that had lost all control of itself wanted to extinguish this flood by bombing hospitals, schools, civilians, and children. It couldn’t and won’t be able to [stop this flood]. This flood will not disappear with these crimes
The Zionist regime did not achieve any of its goals. You are reading about this in the newspapers, the press, and such things, so I won’t repeat these. It attacked the people out of nervousness and anger, but it was not of any use, nor will it be of any use. Rather, it disgraced them even more.
The barbaric acts the Zionist regime committed, its ruthless acts, have not only disgraced the Zionist regime itself, they have also disgraced the US. Not only have they disgraced the US and disgraced some famous European countries, they have also disgraced Western civilization and culture. Western culture and civilization is a civilization that when 5,000 children are martyred with phosphorous bombs, the head of a certain Western country stands up and says that Israel is “defending” itself! Is this self-defense? Western culture is this. Western culture was disgraced in this event.
These tragedies that have taken place during the last 50 days are a summation of the crimes that the Zionist regime has been committing in Palestine for 75 years. What it has done now is that it has compressed its actions. Otherwise, it has been doing all these things throughout these years: Massacring people, driving them out of their homes, and destroying the homes [of the Palestinians]. Where have the settlements been built? Where have the Zionist settlements been built?
It destroyed people's homes, destroyed Palestinian farmland, and built Zionist settlements. If anyone stood up to them, they killed them. If they were children, they killed children, and they killed women. These are the actions they have been doing for 75 years. We believe, God willing, the Al-Aqsa Flood is inextinguishable, and they need to know that, by God's might and power, this situation will not continue.
Well, my speech has come to an end, but now I want to give a few recommendations to the Basij. These recommendations are for both the Basij organization and the individual members of the Basij as well. My first recommendation to you is to increase insight in yourselves and in others. Insight is a very important issue.
My next recommendation: You take the initiative in important matters. Don’t play into the hands of the enemy. If we have insight, we will understand the enemy’s plots in these situations and won’t act according to their plans. In other words, we won’t play into the hands of the enemy.
My next recommendation: Never lose hope about the future and do not allow temptations to affect you. The clear reason as to why today’s youth should always remain optimistic is that even though the country has always been under sanctions and an economic siege over the past 40-odd years, it has still made a great deal of progress.
We have made remarkable achievements not only in our weaponry, which everyone has seen on television, but also in various other fields in the country such as in services, in creating welfare facilities for different groups of people, in communications, in science, in technology, and in production. These achievements were made while the enemy thought they had closed all the doors to progress on us. Trade was banned, exports were banned, and many imports were banned. But the country progressed under these conditions.
So, is there any room left for despair in a country that progresses in this way? You are capable of doing everything. You have the ability to make advances a hundred times more than what we already have as long as you are present and active in these fields. You can make advances if you put in the work, and this is something you are doing.
My next recommendation: Avoid feelings of arrogance. As I mentioned, do not become arrogant. Do not allow thoughts such as, “We are so good. We are loved so much. We are such good Basiji. They praise us so much. Imam said this about us. Others say that about us,” make you feel arrogant. You should thank God for giving you the honor to become a Basiji. You should thank God and ask Him to not take this blessing away from you.
My next recommendation: Never feel helpless or incapable of doing great things. If we are faced with a task that we cannot do but we put in the effort and are patient, it will certainly become possible to do and it will be done. When we are faced with tasks that for the time being appear to be impossible for us to do, the solution is to strive, have enough patience, avoid any hasty behaviors, and to put in the effort. We can certainly accomplish any great task. You should never feel you are incapable.
My next recommendation: As I previously mentioned, avoid displaying or showcasing meaningless work. Yes, things can be showcased and put on display, there is no problem with that and sometimes it is necessary, but only when it is something with a meaning and a purpose.
My next recommendation: This attribute and position that has been given to you — that is, being a Basiji — has been given to you by God as a trust. You should be appreciative, be loyal, and protect this trust well.
My next recommendation: Avoid false bipolarities. Bipolarities are always being created in the country. There are the supporters of Zaid and the supporters of Amr, the supporters of this idea and the supporters of that idea. What kind of talk is this? Those people who accept your beliefs, your principles, your religion, your Revolution, Velayat-e Faqih [the guardianship of the Islamic Jurist], and these kinds of things are your brothers, even if you have different opinions. One of the things that one should complain about is some of the statements that we see in the social media. They say unkind things to each other and quarrel over worthless matters. Avoid this. You, who are Basijis, do not do these things.
My final recommendation: Employ designers and planners in addition to operational forces. Planning, thinking, and designing are required before courage and bravery. Move forward wisely.
My final words to you are to put your trust in the Almighty God, “And whoever puts his trust in Allah, He will suffice him” (Quran 65:3). May God protect all of you, God willing.
May God’s greetings, mercy, and blessings be upon you.
