The
following is the full text of the speech delivered on November 17, 2014
by Ayatollah Khamenei, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, at
the eighth graduation ceremony of army cadets held at Imam Ali (a.s.)
University.
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
I thank Allah the Exalted for the existence of religious youth and the pure and virtuous soldiers who signify a bright future for the Islamic Republic of Iran Army and for the defense of the country.
You dear youth - whether those of you who have completed your education at this university and received your epaulets or those of you who have entered the arena of knowledge and experience and who, by Allah's favor, will produce many results - are my dear children and the dear and outstanding children of our people. I congratulate all of you on your achievements and I sincerely thank your commanders and the managers and officials who have undertaken this heavy responsibility.
Today's program was a beautiful and meaningful one. I hope that Allah the Exalted will keep these statements - on the basis of these slogans and these methods - in your hearts and souls and in your thoughts and actions for many years.
In any country, the armed forces are one of the bases of power. Without a doubt, the military power of any country can represent the public and international capabilities of that country. However, the armed forces themselves should not look at the meaning of power in a shallow and superficial way. Powerful armed forces are those forces whose motivation, spirituality and firm determination can shape, channel and guide their methods, behavior and moves.
If faith, foresight, firm determination and a long-term outlook towards the goals of the enemy's lines do not exist, then even a large number of military forces and military supplies will not be decisive and fateful. The large number of military forces and the existence of advanced supplies and up-to-date education alone are not enough. They alone cannot make the armed forces of a country and a people the source of power for those people. Faith, determination, sense of responsibility and understanding about the truth of the responsibility of armed forces are necessary as well.
It is these things that can make the armed forces a source of power for a people in the real sense of the word. The Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic - including the glorious Islamic Republic of Iran Army, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, Basij Force and the other organizations which are present in the Armed Forces - have proved their capabilities in the course of many years. They have shown in practice their spiritual and scientific capabilities, their power of innovation and their firm determination.
This is why the world counts on our Armed Forces and it takes them seriously. It knows that in the Islamic Republic of Iran our Armed Forces do their best in the arena of responsibility and warfare.
You dear youth and self-sacrificing children of the Iranian nation, you - who have chosen this critical arena for your services - should prepare yourselves for the increasing progress of the Armed Forces. When you study, go to your classes, think, carry out research, learn discipline and other military skills, you should accompany them with the intention, thought and lofty goal of trying to be this important base of power for your country in the real sense of the word.
This university, which has been ornamented with the blessed name of the Commander of the Faithful (a.s.), has many achievements. All the martyrs whose enlightened pictures we witness here emerged from this university. They were built here and they managed to play their role from this university. A number of young students from this university were present among our soldiers and our dear martyrs.
This university is a blessed and auspicious place. This university is a place for building and cultivating those individuals whom the people of Iran are proud of and whom they consider as a source of their spiritual power. You should appreciate the value of this and you should feel proud of preparing yourselves in this center.
Today, the world of Islam or rather the entire world of humanity, needs your Islamic message and the message of the people of Iran. Today, the world is faced with many events which have taken place because of selfishness and greed. With the existence of new, destructive and deadly instruments, today the world is in the hands of those people who understand nothing except for their personal and collective temptations. They do not understand what virtue is and they know nothing about human values and principles.
In such a world, when Islam's liberating call is let out and when Islam raises its flag, its gravity attracts the world and today, Islam has done this. Of course, the enemies react to this so that they can damage the reputation of Islam. They use art, the military, politics and all possible tools in order to achieve this goal.
Today, one of the important and fundamental tasks which is carried out in well-known art and entertainment institutions in the world is frightening people of Islam. Why is that? If Islam had not threatened the interests of those who swallow the world, these reactions would not have been produced. When you see that they create, sculpt, arm and support certain groups in the name of Islam and the Islamic government and when you see that they use them to kill people and create insecurity in countries, this indicates the influence of Islam's message.
They are afraid of true and original Islam, one that your predecessors introduced and showed to the world in the arenas of battle, politics and the Revolution. As these dear youth pointed out, today you are the inheritors of those great martyrs and those magnificent men.
Islam's message for humanity is the message of tranquility, dignity, honor and a secure life. The enemies do not want this message to be introduced in the world. They do not want nations to become familiar with it.
My dear ones, study well and learn military skills and rules in a complete way. You should accompany military skills with Islamic rules and principles. You should engage in innovation. As our researchers and our young scientists present new scientific achievements in different arenas, you too should create military achievements, engage in military organization and introduce those new phenomena that can help a military organization to reach its peak. You should promote this among yourselves.
I ask Allah the Exalted to bestow success on you. By Allah's favor, you dear youth will witness a better, brighter and more glorious future in this country. I hope that you will fully participate in creating that bright future.
Greetings be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings