In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, and peace and greetings be upon our Master and Prophet, Ab-al-Qassem Al-Mustafa Muhammad, upon his pure, immaculate and chosen household - those who guide the guided, and who are infallible – and upon our martyrs, those righteous and esteemed personalities.
The greetings of Allah the Exalted, His righteous servants and His angels be upon the pure souls of martyrs: all martyrs of history – the martyrs of Islam, the martyrs of the Islamic Revolution and the martyrs of defending the Revolution, Islam, the holy shrines of Ahlul Bayt and the security of the country.
You are very welcome, honorable families of martyrs – you fathers, mothers, spouses and children. It is the righteous servants of God who appreciate the value of the families of martyrs including fathers, mothers, spouses, children, brothers and sisters and those who bereave their loss. The reason is that Allah the Exalted has sent His greetings to you: “They are those on whom descend blessings from God, and Mercy” [The Holy Quran, 2: 157].
That God sends His greetings is a lofty and important position. This is because you showed patience and because you turned the loss of your child – which is a source of great sorrow for most people in the world – into an eid and a joyous occasion. You found solace by knowing that Allah the Exalted has placed your youth next to Him: “They live, finding their sustenance in the presence of their Lord” [The Holy Quran, 3: 169]. The patience of the families of martyrs is such a valuable thing.
The message of the martyrs contains a piece of good news. We should sharpen our ears so that we can hear this message. Some people do not hear the message of martyrs, but this is an ayah from the Holy Quran: “And with regard to those left behind, who have not yet joined them in their bliss, the martyrs glory in the fact that on them is no fear, nor have they cause to grieve” [3: 170]. The message of the martyrs is a message of denying fear and sorrow. Of course, this denial of fear and sorrow holds true for themselves as the most obvious example.
In that frightening and gloomy arena [Judgement Day], when all individuals are busy attending to their own affairs, the message of those who were martyred in the way of God – in other words your youth, including the ones who were martyred during the Sacred Defense Era, the ones martyred in defending our borders, those who were martyred trying to ensure security and the ones who were martyred while they were defending the holy shrines of Ahlul Bayt – contains a piece of good news for themselves and for those who are listening.
When our magnanimous Imam said, “A people who benefit from martyrdom will not suffer from captivity” this is what it means. When you look at self-sacrifice in the way of God as a great achievement and when you rush towards danger in a courageous manner because of martyrdom, there will be no force in the world which can resist you.
Victory and power belong to a nation and people who believe that they are winners – not losers – even if they face certain dangers and calamities on this path and even if they are martyred and lose their lives. There is no defeat for a people who have this morale and this belief. Our people will move forward, as they have moved forward until today despite their perilous and troublesome path. Is this a minor achievement? All corrupt, oppressive and malevolent powers in the world joined hands and stood against the people of Iran, but they could not do a damn thing in the past 40 years. And the former thin sapling of the Revolution has turned into a powerful and pure tree which cannot be shaken.
Who did this? Belief in martyrdom brought about this glorious destiny for the country. In other words, it was your youth who did so. A number of our youth shed tears, desiring martyrdom in the way of God. They say to their parents in a beseeching manner, “The reason why I was not martyred in that operation was that you were not satisfied. You should be satisfied from the bottom of your heart so that I can be martyred.” I read in the biography of one of the martyrs of defending the holy shrines that one of these youths says to his wife, “You did not want me to go and become a martyr. You do not let me be martyred.” They beg their spouse to give their blessing to their martyrdom from the bottom of their heart. The material world does not understand the meaning of these words. They do not understand this. It is this spirit and belief that keep our revolutionary youth upright like a mountain against various events.
Of course, as I have said many times, some revolutionary personalities turned from the path. The Revolution has suffered from some “falls”. Some people became attached to the world. The same thing happened in the early Islamic era. At that time too, some people who were revolutionaries in the beginning turned into materialistic individuals in the middle and late stages of life. This exists, but we have had “growths” several times more than those falls. The growths and miracles of the Revolution mean this. After the passage of 40 years, you can see pious and Muslim youth – who have neither seen Imam nor the revolutionary era, the Sacred Defense Era and those early valorous acts – enter into the middle of the arena with their revolutionary spirit, just like the youth of the early revolutionary era – the likes of Hemmat, Kharrazi and other such great personalities. They enter into the arena and stand up against the enemy with enthusiasm, with a sense of responsibility and with complete courage.
When I say, “If today’s youth are not more motivated than the youth of the early revolutionary era, they are not less motivated than them” this is what it means. They are the “growths” of the Revolution. This is the miracle of the Revolution. It is the miracle of the Islamic Republic that can reproduce those diligent, strong and iron spirits in the form of your martyrs in the present time. They are a source of support. They are the pillars of the Revolution and the country. It is your youth who have preserved the country. It is your youth and their pure blood that prevented the arrogant in the world and criminal US from dominating our country just like they did in the era of taghut. It was they who did not let this happen. It was your youth who did so.
If it had not been for those cases of martyrdom, those courageous courses of action and the patience of parents and spouses, it would not have been clear in what condition the country would be and it would not have been clear if the country would be able to resist that arrogant front in the first place. We resisted because our country had youth like yours. And youth continue to exist. And the people appreciate their value.
Notice what the people do in the funeral ceremonies of those pure bodies – the recent martyrs, the martyrs of defending our borders, the martyrs of defending the holy shrines, the various martyrs of security and other such martyrs. Yesterday, you witnessed that in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad, a large crowd buried the pure body of a martyred soldier. The issue is like this. The people appreciate the value of martyrs.
If a few narrow-minded and foolish individuals – who are attached to the western materialistic world – say certain things and make irrelevant and meaningless analyses, the truth of the issue is different from what they say. The Islamic Republic is powerful because of its spirituality, its thoughts, its self-sacrificing individuals, its faith, its pious parents, its pious spouses and its pious youth. These are youth who abandon their families, their loving wife and their sweet-tongued children and who go fight in the way of God and risk their own lives. It is these youths who have preserved the country. The power of the Revolution is because of such individuals and such instances of faith. However, the enemy does not understand this.
I will tell you that the notorious enemies of Islamic Iran are covered in filth: the filth of moral and political corruption. They are soaked in filth. Take a look at American politicians today. Take a look at their materialism, their violation of the truth and their indifference to the lives and property of individuals and nations. One example is in Yemen. In Yemen, it is the Saudis who are committing the crime, but the Americans are their accomplices. They themselves have acknowledged this. They target hospitals, markets, the parliament and the places where the people gather. The issue is not about a military dispute, rather they are opposed to nations. They are criminals and soaked in filth.
This is the real face of the US. If the people of Iran wish to gain a correct understanding about the US and arrogance – which is manifested by the US – they should look at what the current US president is doing and at the current politicians in the US. All of them are the same. It is not particular to them. The current politicians revealed that ugly and hideous nature, otherwise all of them are the same.
Islamic Iran has stood up against them. Islamic Iran has stood up against the violation of the truth, injustice and moral and political corruption. Of course, with its independence and resistance, Islamic Iran has caused the enmity of world-mongering powers. They would like to have domination and supremacy. They like Iran to be like the pre-revolutionary era during which time they dominated all its affairs, just like the other weak countries which exist today. They extend the hand of friendship to another country, but they suck away and take its resources. Then, they say that such countries are their “dairy cow”. They want dear, great and glorious Iran and the brave Iranian nation to be obedient to them, just like those countries. However, they did not reach that goal and they will certainly not reach it in the future either.
Our magnanimous Imam referred to the US as “The Great Satan.” What does Satan mean? Satan is a creature and element which should be confronted by all pious and religious individuals in the world. With this naming, Imam in fact deployed all the pious in the world and all fair-minded nations against the US. And this goal has materialized to a great extent and it will even produce more results from now on too.
The enemy is trying to dissuade the Iranian nation. Of course, America’s plots against the Iranian nation have been divulged. With the recent measures – the measures that they adopted in the past one, two years, the most important of which is sanctions – and the recent plots that they are hatching – they appoint special agents to confront Iran and they help the various enemies of Iran including munafeqeen and other such groups. The goal of the US is to create discord and division, wage a civil war and create different problems with the help of sanctions, anti-security plots and other such plans in the Islamic Republic and in our dear Islamic Iran. This is their goal and they have done their best in this regard.
In the beginning of this year – the year 1397 or a little before that in the early Christian year – they announced that Iran will have a “hot summer”. They meant that they would preoccupy Iran in the summer and thus, their plans would be implemented. In other words, they wanted to create discord, cause skirmishes, draw some people into the streets and wage wars between this and that group. Their goal was this. However, despite their foolish desires, this year’s summer was one of the best summers of all time!
Later on, they said that the Islamic Republic would not witness its 40th anniversary. They meant that they would implement their plots in the fall and winter of this year. However, the Iranian nation has stood with utmost power. By Allah’s favor, the people will hold the 40th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution on the 22nd of Bahman in a much more glorious way than previous years.
The people are vigilant. Officials are busy working and endeavoring as well. Of course, they should work harder. Our dear people should preserve this vigilance. When they said that they would do such and such things in the year 1397 and when they spoke about certain schemes for the Islamic Republic – in fact, their schemes were revealed – this might be a trick. They might kick up a fuss in the year 1397, but their real plan might be for the year 1398 – for example. Everyone should be focused. I am saying this to all the people. The US is a malicious and deceitful enemy. They have joined hands with the Zionists and regional reactionaries and all of them are the enemies of Islamic Iran and the Iranian nation.
We should be vigilant. Of course, we are stronger than them. With that strong motivation, they have failed to do a damn thing against the Islamic Republic and from now on too, they will not be able to do anything either. There is no doubt about this. The enemy is weak: “Feeble indeed is the cunning of Satan” [The Holy Quran, 4: 76]. This is a Quranic ayah. However, we should not be negligent. We should not fall asleep.
My advice to all our youth, to all different organizations, to all parties and to all political orientations of the country is that they should take care not to help the enemy take advantage. They should take care not to prepare the arena for him. They should be vigilant. If we show negligence and fall asleep, the same weak enemy will spit his venom. We should all be vigilant, as is thankfully the case in the present time: today, the people are awake and they have been awake throughout all these years. We should preserve this vigilance. This is my advice to our youth.
Everyone – wherever they are – should work for the country. Everyone, wherever they are, should work hard for strengthening the country and its economy and for boosting domestic production – we chose “domestic production” as the slogan of this year. Producers, consumers, decision-makers, legislators, executives, the administration, the Majlis and the judiciary branch should all work in their own way. Each should carry out its duty with complete vigilance and awareness. This is my advice to the people.
I also advise the officials of the country to intensify their efforts. They should take care not to be deceived by the enemy’s glib tongue and appearance. They should be careful not to let the enemy enter through the window when they kick him out of the door. The enemy uses all sorts of methods and tricks in order to bite and spit his venom. Officials should be careful. As for economic matters and the economic problems of the people, what I feel should be done is strengthening domestic production. I have pointed this out to officials. Domestic production should be attended to. If a good and serious move is made in this direction, the people’s economic problems will decrease, God willing.
Some people in the world of Islam have pledged their friendship to the enemy. The move which is being made by the Saudis and the crimes that are being committed by them for the sake of occupying Yemen and against the oppressed people of Yemen will end in their disadvantage. They should understand this. This will be to their disadvantage. It is about four years now that they have been committing crimes in Yemen. They thought that they would dominate Yemen and all its affairs within a few days or at most a few weeks, but they have been failing for four years. The more they move forward, the harsher their downfall will be and the more severe the blow that they will receive will be.
How can a government which rules over a Muslim nation and an Islamic country turn into an agent of the enemies of Islam and of the US? How can it become its “dairy cow”? Why? The Custodians of the Two Holy Mosques [reference to Saudi rulers] should be “strong against unbelievers” [The Holy Quran, 48: 29]. They should not be “strong against the pious”! However, they are strong against the pious. They are strong against Yemen and against Bahrain. They place the pious under pressure. This is a very foolish policy which will provoke divine rage.
The people of Iran should keep all circumstances under surveillance with open eyes and with insight and they should stand firm. They should know that in the stormy sea of this region and this world – this storm has engulfed Europe as well: take a look at France and other European countries which are all stuck in the storm – amid this storm which has engulfed the world and particularly the region, the people of Iran are in the safe ship of Ahlul Bayt’s and Islam’s kindness. You should preserve this insight. You should preserve this method. By Allah’s favor, you should continue this method in a powerful way. Victory belongs to the people of Iran.
God’s mercy, peace and greetings be upon the martyrs and upon the families of martyrs. Once more, I would like to express my respect and admiration for the fathers, mothers, spouses, children, brothers and sisters of martyrs.
Greetings be upon you and Allah’s mercy and blessings
