Leader's Address to the People of East Azerbaijan
The following is the text of the speech delivered by Ayatollah Khamenei the Leader of the Islamic Revolution in a meeting with the people of East Azerbaijan on February 17, 2008.
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
First of all, I would like to thank all you dear brothers and sisters who have traveled such a long distance and who have come to this Hussayniah to form this gathering which is full of cordiality and serenity. Brothers and sisters, welcome [in Azeri]. The memory of the liberal and intellectual fight of the people of Azerbaijan will not be forgotten by the Iranian nation. Bahman 29, 1356 [February 18, 1978] marks one of such memories. Both before and after the Revolution and both during and after the imposed war, you experienced a lot of such events. Of course, the history of Azerbaijan which is full of glory has had certain peaks, and one of these peaks is February 18, 1978.
If one wanted to depict the issue in two sentences for you dear youth who have not seen that day, one would say that a movement was started by the people and the Islamic seminary of Qom to withstand the treacherous regime. And the reckless and treacherous regime that was reliant on America crushed it forcefully. It was so shocking that one could barely breathe. Everyone thought it was over. The factor that did not let the issue end there, and changed an accident into a movement and a process was Azerbaijan and Tabriz. To put it another way, the brave, clever and zealous people of Tabriz changed an accident into a movement. They did not let this accident be buried in Qom. If we wanted to compare it to the events of early Islam, we could say it was like what Zein ul-Abedin and Zeinab did to keep the events of Ashura alive and prevent the events from being buried and forgotten in Karbala. You made a flag out of it and held it in your hands powerfully so that the flag became a benchmark. That shows the very importance of this event.
If we wanted to reflect upon this event and compare it to the tendencies and characteristics of the people of Azerbaijan, we would come to the conclusion that these people are enthusiastic and eager in addition to being sensible and vigilant. They know what is important, and they also know when things become important. They are both passionate and brave to do what they want to, although it might be very dangerous. As is reflected in their slogan ("Azerbaijan is awake, and it relies on the Revolution"), they are very vigilant people. I personally believe in this very slogan. I have said that for many years, and in response to what you said, and in order to confirm what you said I would like to say "Azerbaijan is awake, and it relies on the Revolution." [A well-known Azeri slogan]
And it all boils down to alertness, sound reasoning, appropriate evaluation of circumstances and taking timely and brave action. What would a nation need if supposedly it wanted to change everything? A nation that has, for centuries, lagged behind under corrupt tyrannical regimes, has been unaware, has not been able to keep up with civilization, has afterwards been colonized by means of complex and mysterious actions, has been made inert, its natural resources as well as its cultural and historical values have been destroyed and whose control has been in the hands of others. Can we go to the cruel and perfidious colonizers and ask them politely to stop colonizing and forget their interests? Can it be done? Is it effective? Let's say we wouldn't plead, and we would negotiate instead, would it be solved by negotiation? Can we take the prey out of the jaws of a wolf by negotiating, speaking logically, and pleading? Is it possible to do such a thing?
At such junctures, there remains only one solution: nations must show their true abilities, reveal their power, and make use of their abilities so that the enemy would not take advantage of their weaknesses. There is no way other than this for a nation. This is what the Iranian nation did. Accomplishing such a task necessitates watchfulness, alertness, being diligent, inattention to trivial and petty material desires and amenities, and aiming for important goals and ideals. It needs all these. It is based on awareness. This is what Iran did.
February 11, 1979 marks the peak of this accomplishment. Our great Imam was the awakener whose shout for justice continued for years to awaken the people. All the people who were benevolent and were seeking reforms as well as scholars and sympathetic intellectuals helped. People from different walks of life gradually joined in and helped. All of a sudden, our nation that had experienced the Qajar dynasty and had been completely trampled upon during Pahlavi period turned into a nation that was alert and alive. It entered the arena and made its power known. It brought its power to the arena. This is national power. It is the power of all the people and no force can withstand this power. Nations must try to obtain that power. Of course it is not going to be easy. It requires sacrifice and effective leadership. If this were made possible, no nation would be oppressed in the world. No nation would suffer from poverty. These circumstances were provided in our dear country.
This awakening would not have occurred in the absence of faith. People's faith acted like an engine that made them move. If there were no faith, death would not be considered that petty by people. What makes death petty before the eyes of people is faith, so if faith is strengthened, death will appear even pettier. A faith was like that of Ali Ibn Abi Taleb. He made death appear so small and unimportant. Imam Ali said he was not afraid of death, rather, he said he embraced it. He said he had an affinity towards it and liked it. He said: "I not only like death but I also welcome it." This is a result of faith. When there is faith, death is not the end of life.
"Everything is perishable except the Being." Death is a distance between one ecstatic point and another. Some people are dragged by a chain because they are tied to this mundane life. Some other people eagerly rush towards the other point. Why is that? They do it because they know what is happening there. They see God's promise. The dear martyrs whose names you have heard, whom you knew, and whom some of you have been with and lived with, were not afraid of death. They loved life. When one looks at their wills, one realizes all these facts. This is a nation's solution, and our nation has started putting this solution into practice.
The difference that existed between our nation and its revolution in comparison to other nations' revolutions was that our nation connected itself to a strong position. It is holding on to a very strong and "firm rope." That is to say, when you want to walk on the edge of a precipice, there should be a strong rope that you can hold on to. When you are holding on to a rope, you are certain that you will not fall. This is what is meant by "the firm rope". "So whoever disbelieves in the devil and believes in Allah, he indeed lays hold on the firmest handle which shall never break." Our nation refrained from blasphemy and had faith in God, so it could go across this precipice. The nation did not face any worries, and that was what made this movement permanent among people.
Our dear youth and all scholars and intellectuals should notice that every revolution is a movement. It is the same everywhere. It is a movement, not an isolated incident. But in many cases, this movement is stopped while it is proceeding. Observe the history of different great revolutions. They fail in the middle. Some achieve a victory. They cherish it a lot and forget the people. Therefore, people gradually leave the scene and everything ends.
The French Revolution that started in the eighteenth century - in the late 18th century - was disintegrated in early 19th century. It failed completely and nothing was left of it. They stood up to the dictatorial regime. They disintegrated it, and after nearly fifteen years, another authoritarian and tyrannical ruler, named Napoleon Bonaparte, was enthroned. They had problems for decades. Afterwards, they gradually managed to avoid some of those issues.
Revolutions are never permanent. They are left incomplete because there is a lack of faith and there is no "firm rope" either. The Revolution was welcomed by our nation and was rejuvenated day by day, and it showed its efficacy more and more as time elapsed. Look at this year's February 11 ceremonies. It has been 29 years since the Revolution. This year on February 11, according to what Mr. Mojtahed Shabestari said about Tabriz, and according to the information I gathered - both in Tehran and other provinces - those who are aware of current developments almost unanimously agree that this year people's turnout, enthusiasm and participation have been more than last year and all the previous years. Why? It is because this nation and the Revolution are alive.
Those who were suddenly excited during the years after the Revolution and said that the Revolution ended, that it died and that Imam Khomeini was forgotten, were wrong. They miscalculated, and they made a mistake. The Revolution has been rejuvenated and its values have been revitalized.
Today, if someone promulgates the mottos of the Revolution among people, they will vote for him, and they will want him because they see the efficiency of the Revolution. The achievements that the Revolution brought about for this country - the global status it provided our nation with and the spirit of self-confidence it disseminated among the youth of this nation - cannot at times be gained even after a century. The Revolution did all these things, and problems will be solved this way.
The youth, potentialities, and the necessary resourcefulness will gradually change from potential into active. Ordinary human beings would become outstanding human beings, and the power of management, construction, production along with racing abilities in the competitions all over the world and among nations will be given to them, and the nation would excel. The Revolution and its values are the very essence of all these accomplishments.
These values have been preserved, and they must remain so. So far, all these values have been preserved and have been fostered more and more. I have repeatedly mentioned that the young people today are readier than the youth of 1989 when the war had just started. Their readiness to join the war is not less, if not more, than that time. We have clear plans for the future, and macro level programming by God's mercy and grace provided the guidelines for the Revolution. We know what we are planning to do.
The Iranian nation has so many treasures in the country, in its people's talents, and in the depth of its history. We want to revitalize these treasures. If a nation revitalizes these treasures, it will become rich and discerning. That nation will gain technology, knowledge, civilization, eloquence, and a better position in international debates. Then, that nation would become a model for other nations. Our nation has been a model up to now.
Palestine had not made any progress and had always lagged behind before the Islamic Revolution. The Islamic nations who had young people with a tinge of passion, gained leftist tendencies and everything ended after their bastions had been disintegrated. But the Revolution restored these nations. It awakened these nations. If we take a look at the world around us and the world of Islam, this concept will be clarified completely. Iran has been a model so far, But the day our talented youth who are to be found all over our country, realize all these talents, this nation will become a practical model for all the oppressed countries. This is very important. The key to the prosperity of this nation and other nations lies in the hands of our nation. It lies in the hands of our youth, and the enemy knows that. The enemies have realized this point, and that is why they want to stop this nation from continuing what it is doing.
The reason for all their propaganda, and political and economic efforts, and the reason behind all the diverse pressures, sanctions and resolutions is that they want to make this nation believe that they should not continue what they are doing. They are aiming for stopping this nation from continuing its way. They know that if our nation continues this way at its present rate and with the present strength, the power of oppression, tyranny, greed and pillage that is overshadowing the Muslim nations and Islamic nations will be dismantled and destroyed. The existence of tyranny will be endangered in the countries that rely on the Islamic Ummah. The enemies know this. Therefore, they will make every effort to prevent this from happening.
A few days ago, the president of the United States said: "we are going to mount pressures on Iran, so that Iranians would come to the conclusion that moving towards nuclear energy is useless." This means that when the Iranian nation reaches a technological peak - the manifestation of which, they think, is the nuclear energy - other nations will be enthused. This would make Muslim nations believe in their abilities and that is what they cannot control. They cannot restrain that power. They do not want us to obtain that power. Of course, they label this achievement differently, and they say that they are afraid of atomic bombs. But they themselves know, as do a lot of other people throughout the world, that this is a lie. The issue for them is not the issue of an atomic bomb. They know that Iran is not after nuclear weapons. Iran only wants to acquire nuclear technology and it is only after the technology. The reason for their worries is that a nation has progressed and reached a peak of success by itself without asking their permission or begging for their help. That is what makes them angry. They say that they support a certain party or a group. Why? It is because that party has stated or promised that it is not in favor of continuing these efforts, that it is not in favor of resistance either, and that it is in favor of asking America to let us make progress. We cannot take the prey out of a wolf's jaw by negotiation. We have to take it by force. It has been 1100 years since it was mentioned in the literature of this country that: "if a great man is in the claws of a lion, one should endanger his life and save the man from the lion." This is a notion that we have had in the literature of our country for the past 1100 years. At times, this (notion) has been put into practice in our history, but most of the time it has not. Today, Iran is putting this notion into practice by its resistance. "One should sometimes jeopardize himself/herself". That is the issue at stake.
This is our problem with the United States and all other tyrants throughout the world. They state that we should not make use of our talent and power so that their power, weapons and their ability in spreading propaganda would remain unrivalled, and so that they would stay dominant and control of everything. Here is the answer that our youth provide them with: "No, we can defend our rights". Our Youth say: "We can stop your violence, and if we do not do so, then God will reproach us".
The path Iran has chosen is the right path. Being present in the arena and not giving up on this great accomplishment is what the Iranian nation has opted for. Trivial issues and disagreements are not important. The petty spats that exist among different groups and different people are not important. These are trivial issues. The Islamic Revolution must preserve its integrity. In the beginning of this year, I brought up the subject of "National Unity". It means that the nation and the Revolution must keep their integrity and unity. The nation must not allow any divergence to grow. Thankfully, the nation is already aware of the importance of this principle. Maybe I did not even have to say that. We are the followers of the great rationality that exists among our nation. We said that to our nation, and they proved that it was true.
We are holding elections in the near future. Participation in the elections is another example of such rationality. It proves public presence. I emphasize participation in all elections. We should go to the ballot boxes. We should vote so that the enemies would be disappointed. The enemies don't want our nation to have elections. Neither do they want us to stage the February 11 and the Qods day rallies. They do not want us to participate in religious ceremonies and they do not want us to echo religious sentiments either. They want our youth to be immersed in apathy and indifference, and they want the youth to sink in lust, corruption and drugs. The enemies want such things. This is what is good for the enemy, and that is why they sometimes propagate it by their ideology, by political and military threats, by their gangs of drug dealers and by pornography. The enemy makes use of all means and tries very hard to distract this nation from strongly continuing on this right and esteemed path. You might remember that when it comes to elections, they mostly say something prior to the elections that means they do not want the people to participate in the elections. They take some actions, and they put efforts into it. Sometimes they hire uninformed, deceived and dependent people in order to stop the people from taking part in important events, and elections are one of those important events.
First of all, my advice to the people is that they should take part in the elections, and they should fill the ballot boxes. Standing in line may trouble the people. It may be cold. You may have to stand in line for one hour - more or less - but it is an act of struggling in Allah's way. It is jihad. One who exerts this effort deserves to be rewarded by God. People should vote. This is the first step.
Who should they vote for? This is the second point. The yardstick is that the mottos of the Revolution should be revitalized by the officials as well as the elected candidates day by day. This should be the yardstick. It has nothing to do with different parties, and it has nothing to do with names either. Putting the mottos of the Islamic Revolution into practice will put an end to the sufferings of this nation and will act as the means for achieving the ideals of this nation. All these should be preserved. Those who are in every sense of the word opposed to these mottos should not be allowed to enter decision-making centers. They may live in our country as a part of the nation. There is no problem regarding whatever belief the members of the nation hold, but those who believe that the vehicle of the Islamic Revolution should not be set in motion are not qualified to drive this vehicle. This vehicle will never start moving if we allow such people to drive it. The person who is in charge of this movement must have faith in this path, must believe in our goal, must believe in national abilities, must believe in Islam and the Revolution, and he must accept the benchmarks. This is that critical point.
Of course, we must stay vigilant. We should be afraid of duplicitous and insincere people. Islam has suffered from this insincerity and hypocrisy throughout the history. There are also many traditions regarding this issue. This should be taken care of. You are intelligent people. Whether people like me know it or not, and whether they talk about it or not, our history, revolution and the events during these twenty-nine years have proved this. It is not only proved to us, but it is also proved to the world. Therefore, the world is proud of your name, nation, and your Imam. The outstanding martyrs of the world of Islam and the martyr who was killed by the Zionists a few days ago considered themselves as Imam Khomeini's sons, and they were proud of that. Haj Imad Mughniyah who was martyred considered himself as Imam Khomeini's son. That is, he did not believe that an Iranian young man was closer to Imam than he was. He considered himself as close to Imam as the Iranian youth. Why? It was because Imam had given him a new soul, and he had revitalized him.
Such young people have always existed in Lebanon, Palestine, Gaza and everywhere else, but they would not do such great tasks. Who would have thought that the young Lebanese people, making use of ordinary weapons, could force an army that claims to be one of the greatest armies in the world to retreat that shamefully? In the first days after the 33-Day War had ended, the Zionists would say that they had not been defeated. Now, the reports of Winograd committee have revealed the truth. They put on a brave front so that they would not be that much discredited. But everything is obvious. A fully-equipped American army was also involved. You should know that America was secretly involved in the 33-Day Lebanese War, but they were all defeated. Who defeated them? A group of young people defeated them, those whose equipment included self-confidence, reliance on God, no fear of death and persistence in the battlefield. The myth that superpowers are invincible was dispelled this way.
We are thankful to God. We thank God for the blessing of the Revolution, we thank God for having such an Imam, we thank God for the grandeur that Iran has revealed, and we thank God for the grace he has bestowed upon our nation. Every one of you people and youth is a splendid blessing of God and one should thank God for having you. "And if you count Allah's favors, you will not be able to number them."[The Holy Quran 14:34] One should not waste the blessings of God. All of these blessings should be preserved. All the officials should be aware of these blessings; they should keep them and thank God to have bestowed those blessings upon them, and it is in this way that those blessings would become permanent. The people themselves should also appreciate this God-given blessing. You should know that the future of this nation is far brighter, better and more promising than its present condition. And, God willing, you young people will see those days, and you will be able to harvest the fruits of all these great efforts, and, God willing, you will make the world a place of prosperity and salvation.
Dear God, let our beloved Imam of the Age be pleased with us. Dear God, make us the warriors of that honorable person. Let us live and die under his leadership and kindness. O God, let the holy spirit of our Imam Khomeini and our martyrs be pleased with us, and associate them in the hereafter with your saints at the greatest levels possible.
Greetings be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessing