The following is the full text of the speech delivered on May 20, 2015 by Ayatollah Khamenei, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, at Imam Hussein (a.s.) University on the occasion of the graduation ceremony of a number of officers.
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
God's greetings be upon Muhammad (s.w.a.) and his immaculate household
Graduation ceremony of officers
I would like to congratulate you dear youth and promising children of the people of Iran - both the youth who entered the holy profession of military today and those who received their epaulets and entered this glorious stage. I express my gratitude for the innovative, beautiful and meaningful programs displayed in the arena. The military formation and the programs were beautiful, meaningful, and new and innovative. In all areas of life - in knowledge, in management, in lifestyle, in preserving revolutionary values and in all other important matters - these factors are both necessary and possible. That is to say, in all tasks, we should pay serious attention to innovation and novelty, beauty and exquisiteness, and meaningfulness. We should avoid superficial tasks on all important issues of life. Instead, we should pay attention to deep, meaningful and permanent issues.
I thank God that today, this good tree - the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps - has reached an acceptable level of capabilities, progress, and intellectual and practical growth. Thankfully, you have managed to move forward on a daily basis. You have perfected your inner and outer selves on a daily basis. This university itself is one of the signs of the forward movement of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.
The flag of the "New Islamic Discourse" which is useful and valuable for the happiness of human beings. Everyone should know this: Islamic discourse is valuable for all humans and for the entire humanity.
Dear youth, my dear children, you should pay attention that the hard-earned fruits of your university are the liberation of Khorramshahr and Operations Fath-ul Mubin, Faw, and Karbala-5. You should pay attention that the ground for your achievements was prepared by the efforts and sacrifices of your predecessors and the beacons of light that they carried in the front lines. Their efforts dazzled eyes, moved the country forward and turned the living environment of the Islamic Republic of Iran into a suitable environment for pursuing goals and ideals.
Today, after the movement of the great Islamic Revolution, the flag is in your hands. Which flag? The flag of the "New Islamic Discourse" which is useful and valuable for the happiness of human beings. Everyone should know this: Islamic discourse is valuable for all humans and for the entire humanity. This flag is available to today's youth. This new, attractive and magnetic discourse was created by the Islamic Revolution and with the leadership of our magnanimous Imam (r.a.). The Islamic Revolution offered this discourse and our intelligent, vigilant and appreciative people took it, placed great value on it and protected it until today. The sacrifice of the people of Iran - one of the manifestations of which was the Sacred Defense Era - managed to raise this flag in the present time.
Islamic discourse vs discourse of oppression
Today, this flag and discourse is faced with "jahiliyya" discourse. Islamic discourse advocates justice, freedom of human beings and destruction of arrogant and colonialist elements. It advocates the destruction of global arrogance throughout the world.
Today, this flag and discourse is faced with "jahiliyya" discourse. Islamic discourse advocates justice, freedom of human beings and destruction of arrogant and colonialist elements. It advocates the destruction of global arrogance throughout the world. In other words, Islamic discourse does not want a system which is based on the oppressor and the oppressed to exist in the world. This is the discourse of the Islamic government. This is the same flag which is in your hands. At the opposite extreme, there is the discourse of oppression, bullying, arrogance and selfishness which is advocated by totalitarian and imperialist powers in the world. These powers are dependent on great economic cartels. They have always existed and they exist in the present time as well. In the past, they revealed their nature with visible and verbal shamelessness and impudence, but today they further their goals in a hypocritical way and by hiding themselves behind beautiful slogans such as human rights and hatred of violence.
Nonetheless, the sharp eyes of peoples can recognize them. They can differentiate between these two discourses. These two discourses do not make up with each other. They do not get close to each other and they cannot be reconciled with each other. One discourse is the discourse of oppression and hostility towards the oppressed and nations in general. Another discourse is the discourse of supporting the oppressed and confronting the oppressor. How can these two discourses shake hands? How can they get close to each other? And today, the world knows and understands this.
In their propaganda, our enemies try to pretend that the Islamic Republic is isolated, but the Islamic Republic is not isolated. From the beginning of its creation until today, the Islamic Republic has held a place in the hearts of peoples throughout the world. Of course, if there is false propaganda anywhere in the world and if events are painted in a dark and magnified way, truths may be concealed, but they will remain concealed for a short time.
In their propaganda, our enemies try to pretend that the Islamic Republic is isolated, but the Islamic Republic is not isolated. From the beginning of its creation until today, the Islamic Republic has held a place in the hearts of peoples throughout the world.
Notice that from the beginning of the Revolution until today, whenever a president of Iran travelled to other countries, the people showed their love in their behavior and words. Such a phenomenon was not particular to one era only. This has been the case from the beginning of the Revolution until today. It has been the case in North Africa, in Central Africa, in West Asia - which westerners like to call "the Middle East" - in East Asia, in the subcontinent and even in those countries which are located near European countries. Wherever our presidents went and whenever they were allowed to face the people, the people of those countries expressed their love. Today, this is the case all over the world.
Enemies are busy creating challenges
Today, your name and the name of the people of Iran is a lofty and glorious name among nations and liberated individuals throughout the world. What about governments? The same is true of governments because governments are from people. Those who are not very evil, dark-hearted and malicious, those who are not drowned in lust, those who do not like to be the servants of arrogance from the bottom of their hearts acknowledge and admit to the greatness of the people of Iran and the system that has managed to move them forward in a such a magnificent way. In the congresses that have been held in our country - whether in the Islamic conferences or in the summit of non-aligned countries - most heads of countries and outstanding officials gathered here and expressed their respect and interest. It is said that Iran is isolated. The isolated are those people who can attract a few hearts with bullying, money and dollars. Neither their messages and statements nor their actions attract any hearts in the world. My dear youth, dear people of Iran, it is you who are holding this glorious flag. Our youth in this university and in all areas of the country are moving on this path in a pious way.
We will not lose our dignity which has been achieved by Islam, the Islamic government and the revolutionary movement, outlook and ideals. Today, the enemies are busy creating challenges. Every day, they pose a new challenge for the Islamic Republic of Iran, but we are not afraid. If we were a dead and inactive body, there would be no challenge ahead of us. We are dynamic, we are alive, we are growing and we are active. Therefore, we should expect such challenges to exist, but we will overcome them with power, with reliance on Allah the Exalted, with trust in His divine promises and with self-confidence.
Today, the enemies are busy creating challenges. Every day, they pose a new challenge for the Islamic Republic of Iran, but we are not afraid. If we were a dead and inactive body, there would be no challenge ahead of us. We are dynamic, we are alive, we are growing and we are active. Therefore, we should expect such challenges to exist, but we will overcome them with power, with reliance on Allah the Exalted, with trust in His divine promises and with self-confidence.
Our enemies have a wrong understanding of the people of Iran. They do not know the officials of the Islamic Republic. This is why they behave in a bullying manner. They behave in a bullying manner on the issue of the nuclear negotiations. This shows that they do not know the people of Iran. It shows that they do not know our administration. Our administration will not give in because they are from among the people. They come from the people and they have moved forward and achieved growth with the same ideals that the people of Iran have. The more a government and people, and the officials of a country retreat in the face of this enemy, the more he advances. He is greedy. He does not become satisfied with anything other than arrogance, colonialism and domination over nations. He will advance as far as he can. Therefore, we should create a solid wall - which is formed with determination, reliance on God, and national power - in front of him.
They are saying new things in the nuclear negotiations. For example, they speak about visiting and examining our centers. As we said before, we will not allow any military center to be examined by foreigners. They say that they should interview our scientists. In other words, they want to interrogate them. We do not allow our nuclear scientists and scientists in any sensitive and important area to endure the slightest insult. I do not allow foreigners to speak to our scientists and the outstanding and dear children of the people of Iran who have helped this vast science reach the current point. No wise person and government in the world gives such permission. They hide their scientists and they do not even let their names be disclosed.
We do not allow our nuclear scientists and scientists in any sensitive and important area to endure the slightest insult. I do not allow foreigners to speak to our scientists and the outstanding and dear children of the people of Iran who have helped this vast science reach the current point. No wise person and government in the world gives such permission. They hide their scientists and they do not even let their names be disclosed.
This brazen and shameless enemy expects us to allow this and to open the path for him to speak to and negotiate with our scientists, professors and researchers. What should they negotiate about? They want to negotiate about a fundamental, domestic and scientific achievement that our country has made. This permission will not be granted in any way. Both our enemies and those who are waiting for the decision of the Islamic Republic should know this.
Confronting the enemies
Our dear officials - who move in this arena in a courageous way - should know that the only way to confront this shameless enemy is to have firm determination and to avoid adopting a passive outlook. They should be able to show the message and greatness of the people of Iran in the negotiations. All of us wherever we are, are people who have managed to occupy a position in the shade of the Islamic Revolution. All the veteran teachers that you - I mean you young and studious students who have lofty goals - have in different areas enjoy the honor of making efforts and rendering services for the Islamic government and for reaching lofty goals and ideals. All of us are servants. This humble person too is the servant of all of you. All of us have the responsibility to stand up against the enemy's bullying, shamelessness, wrong expectations and plots with complete power and resistance.
I have received news that our enemies have decided to draw proxy wars to Iran's borders in collaboration with some mindless officials in the Persian Gulf region - some, not all of them. The guardians of the Islamic Revolution and all the guardians of national security in different organizations are awake and vigilant. They should know: if they do some mischief, the Islamic Republic's response will be very harsh.
This is a clear and open path. This is a clear horizon ahead of the people of Iran. The people of Iran are thankfully taking this path with complete hope. Of course, taking paths towards great goals involves tiredness, costs and difficulties. Those who are considered to be competent individuals throughout history and those nations who received the medal of competence from history were people who did not become tired of problems, who did not kneel before challenges, who did not retreat in the face of bullying enemies and who put up the solid wall of determination and national willpower against any transgression - including verbal, practical, hard and soft, and all other kinds of transgression. The people of Iran are one of those peoples. It is 35 years now that the people of Iran have been taking this path. Today, you dear youth are the newly-ripened fruits of this arena.
I hope that by Allah's favor, you and the other youth who are busy studying and pursuing their education all over the country will carry this heavy load. I hope that God willing, you will carry this load better than us and the generation before you and that you will make our dear and great martyrs feel proud before Allah the Exalted.
Dear God, by the blessedness of Muhammad (s.w.a.) and his household (a.s.), shower Your mercy and blessings on the pure souls of our precious martyrs and on the immaculate soul of our magnanimous Imam (r.a.). Shower Your mercy and blessings on these young hearts and pure individuals.
Dear God, in this month of Sha'ban and in the month of Ramadan - which is imminent - bestow on these youth the blessing of serving and getting close to You on a daily basis.
Greetings be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings