Statements in Meeting with Builders of the Basij

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

First of all, I welcome you dear youth, my beloved children, valuable brothers and sisters who, with your presence, your energy, your youth, and your spirit of hope and faith, are revitalizing the country and society and dignifying this period of time in history.

Let me first express a sentence regarding the esteemed position you dear youth hold today; whether you present here in this intimate gathering or the tens of thousands or perhaps hundreds of thousands of youth who have moved along this path and are not present here today. And that sentence is: My dear ones! Everyone envies your youth and the passage of youth for you at this juncture. This youth, this way of being young, this precious and valuable period of youth spent in this manner is enviable for anyone who has passed through their youth.

Today, what feelings, what illusions, what activities do young people of your age experience during this precious and valuable period? In the most advanced countries, the dust of despair, depression, and aimlessness covers the beautiful life of youth; many young people only aim for small and trivial material desires for themselves; they neither taste the pleasure of serving the people nor expend the immense and rare energy of youth in a worthy path; and many not only lack lofty goals but have no goals at all, living their lives day by day, immersed in materialism, transient desires, and depression; they understand nothing of that radiant spiritual essence that a faithful and service-loving young person, who is aware of the source of love, beauty, and truth, possesses. Your youth is, for such individuals—if they have the insight—worthy of envy.

Value this period and this orientation and this spirit; appreciate the blessing of being a servant and the ability to serve that God the Exalted has gifted you; thank God; ask for the increase of this spiritual treasure from God. And know that any society and any country that possesses such a tremendous and valuable asset will undoubtedly be able to reach the highest peaks of dignity and greatness. And this is the certain destiny of your society and your nation. The factor behind it, the driving force behind it, is this very spirit that you possess.

Well, let me say a word about this great movement of the Builders of the Basij and the migration camps that has officially begun ten years ago. Of course, I must confess that this work started first from the youth themselves; the students and schoolchildren in various sectors initiated this movement; in the year 79, the report of this beautiful and glorious movement reached us and led to the message of the Builders of the Basij being conveyed to the entirety of the youth of the country. This is a grassroots movement; just like the Jihad for Construction at the beginning of the revolution. The Jihad for Construction was the same; initially, the youth started it themselves, they went into the villages and engaged in service during those very difficult and complex circumstances. This movement encouraged Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified) to issue the command for the Jihad for Construction. The people's actions inspire the initiatives of managers and officials.

So, what is the factor here? Love and faith, insight and determination; these are the main pillars. Love and faith. A person who lacks faith cannot envision a central point for their movement. A person who does not possess a deep and passionate heartfelt feeling cannot continue this movement and sustain it. A person who lacks determination settles for small tasks, for limited heights; they do not fix their eyes on the highest peaks. A person who lacks insight goes astray; if they have love and faith, they waste it on the wrong path, going astray. Love and faith, determination and insight; these were given to our people and our society by the revolution; thus, the revolution became that pure tree mentioned in the Quran: "Have you not seen how Allah has struck a parable of a good word like a good tree." (1) A good word is like a well-rooted, healthy, and pure tree. "Its root is firm and its branches are in the sky"; deep-rooted, possessing a strong and deep root and extensive branches. "It yields its fruit at all times by permission of its Lord"; it provides fruit according to the season, fruit that meets the needs of society. This good word is the revolution. The revolutionary movement that our Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified)—the true follower of the pure and the saints and martyrs and the infallible and the truthful—placed before us is that good word.

One day there was a need for a defensive movement within society, one day there was a need for a defensive movement at the borders of the country, one day there was a need for knowledge and science, one day there was a need to strengthen beliefs and faith, one day there was a need for service; in all these conditions, fruits suitable for the season are provided to the people. This is the revolutionary movement.

Some thought the revolution had aged or was aging. They declared the revolution was over! They themselves had become obsolete; their reserves had run dry, they were unable to continue the path; they compared the world, society, and the revolution to themselves; they were mistaken. "They forgot Allah, so He made them forget themselves"; (2) when the relationship with God is severed, a person cannot even recognize themselves properly, let alone their society, let alone their ideals. How does a person sever their relationship with God? When material desires, self-centeredness overpower the soul, and these attractions, like a spider's web, ensnare the weak insect of their determination and faith, then they stop. This is how it was. We have seen this in the past, and we will see it in the future; these are the fallouts. Those who stray from the path of the revolution and the path of the revolution are not necessarily those who have always been hostile to the revolution. When material motivation overpowers a person, they remain on the path; when small and trivial personal goals: attaining wealth, achieving luxury, gaining leadership, attaining power become the goal for a person, the main goal is forgotten.

In a path when we are pursuing a destination, if we find a meadow, a spring, a good café along the way, and our feet become weak and we assume that place is the goal, we will be pleased to spend this moment happily, the goal will be forgotten; we will stray from the path. This was the calamity that befell some; they compared themselves to others, saying the revolution was over, saying Imam was forgotten; they were mistaken. The revolution is a divine reality, based on faith, based on passionate feelings, based on insight. Does it ever end? Therefore, I have said many times, and I say it now: our youth today, who are the third generation of the revolution, if their faith is not stronger than that of the first generation, if their enthusiasm is not greater, if their insight is not clearer, they are certainly not behind.

In those days, many individuals entered the fields but could not remain. Today's youth, with all these temptations, with all these tools of spreading materialism and lust and self-worship, when it comes to fulfilling their duties, they sacrifice themselves like this; they enter the field like this. This is very valuable; it is very valuable.

Value the Builders of the Basij and these migration camps. You who are the main pillars of this great movement, appreciate this; be thankful to God the Exalted. Officials, others, managers, and those involved in affairs should also appreciate this great movement. In the academic year, study well, study with research, aim to reach the peaks of knowledge. In your free time, enrich your hours, day and night, with this beautiful and glorious movement of serving the people.

The work of the migration camps and the great movement of the Builders of the Basij has the blessing of serving millions of people directly benefiting from your service. In terms of material, in terms of daily life, in terms of spiritual guidance, they benefit. Even if you do not teach the Quran there, the mere presence of a faithful, religious, and committed young person in a rural community, among the youth, among the people, is a living embodiment of a Quranic verse; it guides them towards faith, towards the revolution, towards spirituality. "Be callers to the people without your tongues"; (3) you invite people to faith, to Islam, to religion through your actions. This is service; material service and spiritual service. More importantly, it is the service you do for yourselves; you activate your inner potentials; you actualize the potentials within you; you gain experience; you become familiar with the lives of the people; these class barriers are broken; you touch the realities of life; you feel the joy and delight of serving, and you revive this feeling within yourselves. A person who tastes the pleasure of service does not tire of work. Just as the dear brothers mentioned in the reports, I have also read in previous reports; a young person who discovers this pleasure within themselves does not tire of serving; this is the second benefit, which is a very great benefit.

The third benefit is that you will become ambassadors of work and effort. When you are present in an environment; in the desert, in the mountains, in remote areas, working among deprived people, the youth there are inspired by you, and you become ambassadors of effort, work, service, and jihad. "Whoever revives it is as if he has revived all the people"; (4) you revive hearts; this is a great benefit. There are numerous benefits in this work. Preserve this great movement.

My dear ones! Your country and your nation are moving through a dangerous historical turning point. For thirty years, we have been traversing this turning point. We have reached dangerous and perilous points, we have passed through them; but it is not over yet. This sensitive historical point is not only related to the history of Iran but to the history of the Islamic Ummah. The Islamic Ummah, which has been stagnant for centuries, is humiliated, has fallen behind the caravan of civilization, and has suffered from some or many corrupt and dictatorial rulers, today it is time for the Islamic Ummah to free itself from all these problems, all these impurities, all these predicaments. The Iranian nation has taken the first great step. The world is a world of conflict, a world of war, a world of material wrestling among powers; powers that do not want independent nations to rise and feel their identity and presence, do not remain silent, do not remain idle; especially since they know that the Islamic Ummah possesses an inner potential arising from Islamic laws; thus, they line up against it, as you have seen they have lined up. From the very beginning of the Islamic revolution, the alignment between the international tyrants, the international greedy, and the great and brave Iranian nation began. They pretend the target is Iran; however, the target is Islam; the target is the Islamic Ummah. They know that the engine of this great movement is spirituality, the Quran, Islam; thus, they oppose Islam and the Quran. Of course, the Iranian nation is the vanguard, and they direct their blows at the vanguard. But this great vanguard, after more than three decades, has not only not weakened, not only has its determination not wavered, not only has it not retreated, but it has also accelerated its momentum.

I have said many times, and this statement is not a slogan, it is a reality: today our determination, our insight, and our various capabilities are far greater than thirty years ago. The guidance of the revolution, the spirit of the revolution, the direction of the revolution in us has not aged; that is what they hoped for. The best witnesses are you dear youth; this dynamic and vibrant generation, insightful and determined, present in various arenas.

If the discussion of complex technological works is raised, it is these youths who are standing up for nuclear energy; in fundamental cells, our youths are active; and in biotechnology, nanotechnology, and various types of technologies, wherever we go, there are youths; youths who have neither seen the war nor met the Imam nor have any memories from the beginning of the revolution. Thus, this movement is a vibrant and flourishing movement. When we reach the field of action and service and effort, we see this great movement of the Builders of the Basij; when we reach the field of politics and declare our presence, we see the movement of the 9th of Dey, we see the movement of the 22nd of Bahman, we see the massive presence in elections; what do these mean? It means that today our youth—who are the overwhelming majority of our nation—and the generality of our nation are moving in the same direction as the Islamic revolution and with the same rhythm of the revolution, they are advancing. So we have progressed.

The enemy is exactly the opposite. It was stronger then, today it is weaker; it had more hope then and said we will destroy the revolution, the system, in three days, then it said within a week, then it said within two months; today no one hears such absurd words from them; they have become hopeless, they have retreated. So this movement is a forward-moving movement. We are cautiously, wisely, attentively, and with great force moving forward in this great historical turning point. And this is due to several main factors; one of these factors is you youths. You are advancing the country. One of the strong driving forces is the presence of the youth. Everyone must appreciate the presence of the youth. And God willing, day by day, the expansion of this spirit among our youth will increase; whether in girls or boys; whether in the university environment or in high schools; whether in various social environments. And this will happen. The despairing words, the words stemming from depression—often the cause of which is the despair and depression of the speaker of these words—will not lead anywhere.

These days are the anniversary of the beginning of the imposed war. For eight years, all the military powers of the world joined hands against Iran. It is true that America and the former Soviet Union did not send soldiers into the battlefield— they do not send soldiers, there was no need to send soldiers. The unfortunate people of Iraq were captives in their hands—but they sent equipment, provided war plans, prepared spatial images of the battlefield for Saddam, sent him money, created political credibility for him; they did everything they could against the revolution, against the Imam, against the system, fabricating and spreading lies and rumors and propaganda. They did all these things. What was the result? Where is Saddam today? Saddam, whom they had put forward to confront the dear Iranian nation and the Islamic revolution and Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified), was first severely humiliated, then died in disgrace and left this world; but Imam is alive, the revolution is alive, the children of the Imam are alive, the nation of the Imam is alive. This is an experience.

All those who stand against the Islamic Iran and are the forefront of the global arrogance will face the same fate. This is an experience and it will be the same in the future. Imam will remain alive, the revolution will remain alive, you will remain alive; your enemies will be crushed and humiliated and will be removed from the path. This movement must reach the highest peaks of the revolution's goals and, by the grace of the Lord and with divine support, it will reach.

Value yourselves; value this path; strengthen your connection, the connection of your pure and untainted hearts with God day by day; seek help from God the Exalted. This sense of responsibility that you have, increase this sense of responsibility day by day and, like a burning point that ignites and illuminates its surroundings, influence your environment. Wherever you are: in the family environment, in the workplace, in the study environment, in the community, influence those around you. Day by day, the grace of God the Exalted will expand more, and God the Exalted will not remove His hand of grace from over you, O dear nation, God willing. We hope that all of you will be included in the prayers of the Awaited Savior (may our souls be sacrificed for him). May God, God willing, keep all of you dear ones safe.

Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings.