In meeting with thousands of Basijis this morning, Imam Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, explained the basis of the formation of the Basij (the Mobilized Resistance Forces) to be an organization for transforming threats into opportunities. He described the extensive activities and services of the “pure tree” of the Basij in the various areas of the hard and soft wars. His Eminence then mentioned the magnificent movement of the great Iranian nation over the past week and deeply appreciated this powerful move. He stated that the Iranian nation quashed an extensive, very dangerous, planned conspiracy of the enemy with this move.
At the beginning of his speech, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution congratulated the audience on the Week of Basij and referred to the great and magnificent movement of the Iranian people in the past week. He stated, “I express my deep respect and admiration to the great Iranian nation. With this move, the Iranian people have once again truly demonstrated their power and greatness.”
Imam Khamenei described the recent events as a grave, widespread and extremely dangerous conspiracy, adding, “The enemies had spent a great amount of money designing this conspiracy and were waiting for an opportunity to implement it with destruction, killing, and villainy. They assumed that the matter of (the policies on) petrol was the desired opportunity they were looking for and brought their army onto the scene. However, the Iranian nation quashed the enemy's movement with its magnificent display.”
He considered the movement of the Iranian nation to be more important and higher than the actions of the police, the Revolutionary Guards and the Basij in the difficult confrontation. He emphasized, “The magnificent movement of the Iranian nation that began in Zanjan and Tabriz, even spread to some villages, and ended in Tehran was a hard blow to Global Arrogance and Zionism, forcing them to retreat.”
Emphasizing that the main enemies of the Iranian nation understand the meaning and message of this magnificent, popular movement, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution added, “This week was truly the highlight of the Iranian nation’s magnificence and greatness. I thank the Almighty God and the dear people.”
Imam Khamenei went on to explain the position and scope of the Basiji member’s activities and services saying, “The formation of the Underprivileged Mobilized Forces was a unique initiative by the honorable Imam (Khomeini) that was based on the principles of the Revolution and Islam. Now, the Basij (Mobilized Forces ) are perhaps the largest cultural, social and military popular network in the world.”
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution described the formation of the Basij as a prominent case of transforming threats into opportunities, stating, “On November 4, 1979, following the capture of the spy den (American embassy) and the humiliation of the US, they started real threats in action, in addition to their verbal threats, and sent their ships to the Persian Gulf. The Islamic Republic did not possess adequate military and defense facilities at that time. However, less than a month after November 4, the Imam ordered the formation of the Basij on November 26, 1979. In practice, he turned that threat into an opportunity.”
Pointing out that Imam Khomeini's action was a great display of power before the United States, Imam Khamenei added, “If an appropriate measure hadn’t been taken at that time against the threat of the US, it wasn’t clear what may have been the fate of the country. Therefore, the main essence and logic behind the Basij is to eliminate threats and to turn them into opportunities.”
He then went on to address the current threats and why the Islamic system always faces threats. He reminded his audience, “The Islamic system is based on Islamic principles and values, and Islam is the outspoken champion of justice and freedom. On the other hand, the Domineering Powers — led by tyrants — are fundamentally opposed to freedom and justice.
They are against justice. (You can see) in the rich countries of the Domineering Powers, some people starve to death in the streets. They die from the heat in the summer and the cold in the winter. The majority of the wealth belongs to a limited number, and the rest must work overly hard. The Domineering Powers even inflict any injustice they can on the other people of the world.”
Mentioning examples of the contradiction of the Domineering Powers with freedom and justice in America, Europe and other countries, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution went on to say, “The Domineering Powers have always opposed the independence of nations and insulted them. In this regard, they never hesitate to express their intentions, as the Americans explicitly say they have entered the East of the Euphrates for Syrian oil. Or, they say that they have entered the military bases in Iraq without permission, completely disregarding the government and capital of the country.”
Imam Khamenei regards Islam to be the exact opposite of this hegemonic thinking and emphasized, “Islam openly and forthrightly defends freedom and justice, and opposes oppression and injustice, in the same way that the Islamic Republic opposed the Soviet Union for its invasion of Afghanistan at the beginning of the Revolution and at a time when it was in extreme conflict with the US.”
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution added, “The Domineering Powers and the US have done everything in their power to oppose the Islamic Republic during the past forty years. However, this pure tree has become stronger and sturdier day by day and has displayed this to the enemy.”
Ayatollah Khamenei emphasized, “The word "resistance" finds meaning with such a basis and logic. This term may be seen in the Resistance Front in contemporary times. This enormous Islamic movement with the logic of resistance has been able to obstruct the Domineering Powers.”
He mentioned the term "resistance" in the phrase "the Underprivileged Mobilized Resistance Forces" comes from such thinking and said, “The underprivileged, contrary to what they mistakenly say today to refer to the vulnerable and weak, means human beings who are potential leaders of humanity and Allah’s representatives on Earth. Therefore, resistance requires a spiritual vigor, and this spiritual vigor will be influential in the nature of the movement, especially the forward movement of the youth.”
Imam Khamenei emphasized that the Basij are in fact a community with such characteristics, and he stated, “A large and magnificent group such as the Basij in Iran, or similar examples in other countries, are exposed to the hostility of the Domineering Powers more than other groups, in the same way that the Hashd al-Sha'abi in Iraq and the Hezbollah in Lebanon are opposed and confronted.”
At the end, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution stressed, “For the same reason that the Basij is very important to the people and the country, it is heavily subject to the enemy’s conspiracies and infiltration in order to disrupt this enormous movement from the inside. But of course, the Basij will triumph in this battle and confrontation, with God’s grace.”
