Statements in Meeting with Commanders and a Group of Guards of the Islamic Revolution Committees

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

One of the things that, throughout the twelve-year period, pleased and delighted the officials of the Islamic Republic system, and even Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified) himself—who was truly a superior human being beyond ordinary people—and relieved them of their fatigue, was the meeting with the faithful, sincere, and steadfast youth and the devoted soldiers of the Islamic Revolution, who are indeed considered the most valuable product and achievement of this revolution. Among them, you dear brothers of the Islamic Revolution Committee are included; especially the commanders, veterans, and pioneers of this pure revolutionary organization, who have witnessed hardships, endured efforts, were born with the revolution, grew with the revolution, were nourished by the revolution, served the revolution wholeheartedly, and did not value their lives—which is the most precious possession of any human being.

Many have pursued academic degrees, many have gained positions, many have become famous; but you did not value becoming famous, you recognized and sought the straight path, placed your hands in the hands of the wise, knowledgeable, and aware elder, and moved forward with hope in God. Among the brothers of the committee, there have been and are many such elements, and they are very valuable. I also consider today's meeting with you a sweet and joyful event for myself, and for several weeks since it was mentioned that we would meet with you, I have often remembered this meeting with you.

Truly, it is a reality that for a revolution, human development is more important than anything else. If a revolution does not develop humans, it has done nothing. If someone thinks, the reason for this is clear. This statement does not really require argument; because the world without a righteous human is a lifeless, blind, and dark phenomenon. What gives life, value, light, and meaning to the earthly world is the human being. "Indeed, I will make upon the earth a successive authority." Successor is a title that God has given to humans. Where have they placed this successor? "Upon the earth." What is the earth without this successor, and what value does it have?

All prophets and righteous servants of God have aimed to create, preserve, nurture, and multiply righteous humans on this earth. This is also the goal of Islam. What you saw, when Imam stated in a declaration a few years ago that the greatest conquest of the Islamic Revolution is the creation of such youth, was not a mere statement that flowed from the Imam's pen. It has a very strong Islamic and divine foundation. Truly, the greatest conquest means creating a righteous human.

These miseries that you see have engulfed the earth, and in the visits and works related to the Awaited Savior (may our souls be sacrificed for his advent), it is mentioned: "As it was filled with injustice and oppression"; the earth, throughout all periods of history, has been and will be filled with injustice and oppression, and that great one will come and fill the entire earth with justice and equity. What is the cause of this injustice and oppression on earth? It is due to the absence or scarcity of righteous humans, due to the dominance and lordship of unrighteous humans.

What is the world lamenting today? The answer is clear. The world today laments discrimination, imposed deprivations on humans, the humiliation of humans, the atmosphere filled with the stench of arrogant pride of a particular class in the world. Humanity is under the pressure of these bitter events. Five thousand years ago, what was the world lamenting? Was it lamenting the lack of airplanes? The lack of computers? Does a computer make anyone happy? Five thousand years ago, the world was lamenting the same discriminations and injustices, the same humiliation of the essence of humanity and the domination of unworthy people over the lives and destinies of humans.

As long as pure and unadulterated justice and religion are not established in the world, humanity will always lament the same things; otherwise, humanity cannot say that the day I did not have electric trains and jets, I was miserable; today that I have them, I am happy. Is humanity happy today? Is the oppressed human not in the majority in the world today? Is there not a corrupt group—who are in absolute minority in the world—governing the destinies of humans today? These same words have always existed throughout history, and this is the unchangeable nature of humanity. The essence of humanity has always been one essence and has always stood against a corrupt current.

Our revolution came to nurture righteous humans. The role of the righteous human is this. My dear brothers! What has kept this revolution alive until today is the righteousness of humans; the amount of righteousness that we as a nation possess. We do not exaggerate about our nation. Today, righteousness prevails, holds the flag, and is in control, and the movement towards righteousness is planned. Of course, there is still a long way to absolute righteousness.

That you and those under your command and working with you, as young committee members, are present wherever the enemy's conspiracy appears in the form of a smuggler; if it appears in the form of an imposed war, you are present there; if it appears in the form of spreading immorality and corruption, you are present there; if it appears in the form of promoting futility, drugs, and decay, you are present there; this means the guardianship of righteous humans and righteous youth towards the revolution and its achievements, considering it as their own, and firmly guarding and protecting it; it is not exclusive to you. All righteous youth, all good humans, and all faithful brothers from various sectors are like this. Of course, responsibilities vary in weight, people are not the same, and experiences reveal the essence.

This is the group that has kept America and global arrogance at bay and slowed down the influence of money, power, and propaganda. Where in the world can stand and resist against conspiracies like those against the Islamic Republic? The Islamic Republic not only stood and resisted and preserved itself but also shook the enemy. Today, the false leadership role that the Americans claimed for themselves in the world has been severely shaken and questioned. The worst-performing governments towards humanity claim the leadership of humanity! This is the worst disaster for humanity.

What right do you have to cause those disasters in East Asia; to commit so much wrongdoing and inhumanity in Latin America; to have your allies and protégés commit so much oppression in Africa; to be the source of so much crime and oppression in the Middle East, you and your vile protégé—namely Israel? What did you do in a country like Iran? What did you do elsewhere? You leaders of American policy, what right do you have to claim the leadership of today's world? What nonsense and absurdity is this that sounds melodious to American ears and is constantly repeated by themselves and their flatterers? What leadership?! Leadership belongs to the prophets. The leadership of humanity belongs to those who tread the path of human justice.

Have you been able to establish justice within the United States? Can you claim that African Americans—who number forty, fifty million—at the end of the twentieth century, enjoy equal rights with whites? What leadership?! Just because wherever an incident occurs—whether related to them or unrelated to them—they immediately puff out their chests and step forward, they consider themselves the leaders of the world! Like those neighborhood bullies we used to see in the past, wherever anyone had a word with someone, they were present there, inserted themselves into the fray, spoke, and interfered! This is policing and highway robbery and Cossack behavior. What leadership?!

Americans should know that their presence in the Persian Gulf region and in the Islamic countries around the Persian Gulf is today, in the eyes of all Muslim nations of the world, a detested and repugnant matter. No nation—whether those nearby or those far away—has endorsed this issue. Do not think that just because they sit in their political circles and economic assemblies and think they have made conquests, they have truly made conquests. We, of course, condemned and condemn Iraq's invasion of Kuwait; it is a wrong act, and no one defends it; but in the Islamic region of the Persian Gulf, aggression, bullying, and thuggery are forbidden. The one who should enforce this prohibition is the nations of this region themselves. If the governments of this region rely on their own nations, they can make this region safe and peaceful. We can do this.

These murmurs that were heard from the Americans a while ago and then denied, have now started again, and they say they want to stay here and lease such and such a place for ninety-nine years and establish a new security order in the Persian Gulf! Each and every American and their allies should know that the nations of this region will break the leg of the aggressor. Do they allow America to come here under the pretext of maintaining the security of a country or a specific region and become a gendarme and set up a post for itself? What kind of talk is this? Any government that gives such permission, its nation will bring that government down from the seat of power; do they allow it?

Americans have experienced and understood that equipment, atomic bombs, and other things are very small and insignificant for confronting nations and their will. They frighten governments, they frighten armies; but not nations at all. If nations do not want to allow America to remain on these Arab shores of the Persian Gulf, does anyone dare to stay there? Can they stay? Do we let them stay? I declare that nations and personalities who condemned Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, and they should have, will consider the presence of Americans in any part of this region as aggression and will condemn it ten times more than Iraq's invasion of Kuwait and will confront it.

What matters to the nations of this region is Islam. Nations are Muslim. Yes, sometimes in a nation, due to the enemy's indoctrination, non-Islamic culture may become prevalent and deceive some; but the hearts of the people are in the grip of the power of Islam and the Quran. You saw that Muslim nations everywhere—in Europe and Asia, especially in Pakistan—what they did in response to the insult of that satanic loudspeaker, which was revealing satanic verses to the hearts of criminals; it was not exclusive to the Islamic Republic. This Islam is the belief and Islamic faith of the people. Nations are like this. Some leaders may have unbelieving and infidel hearts and only consider their own interests; but nations are not like this. The flag of this Islam is today in the hands of you young people made by the revolution, including you dear brothers, the guards of the committees.

I advise you—in whatever capacity you are. Of course, this advice is primarily directed at myself, and that is to uphold the limits set by God. The main issue is this. After believing in Islam, what is raised is the preservation of the boundaries of Islam. "And whoever transgresses the limits of God, it is they who are the wrongdoers." Transgressing the limits set by God is not permissible. Islam has precisely defined the boundaries. If someone thinks that Islam has not set boundaries, they should blame themselves and go increase their knowledge. The Islamic government and the Islamic Republic system are proud when they can uphold the limits set by God.

Abad Basri saw Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him) on the way to Hajj and said: "You have left jihad and its hardships and turned to Hajj and its ease." He also recited this verse to the Imam: "Indeed, God has purchased from the believers their lives and their properties [in exchange] for that they will have Paradise. They fight in the cause of God, so they kill and are killed." He was reciting a Quranic verse to Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him) asking why you come to Hajj instead of jihad! Jihad under whose banner? Abdul Malik Marwan! Should Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him) go under Abdul Malik's banner and perform jihad? Is this jihad? The Imam said: Do you know the continuation of this verse? He said: Yes. The Imam said: Recite it. He recited: "The repentant, the worshippers, the praisers [of God], the travelers [for His cause], those who bow and prostrate [in prayer], those who enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong, and those who observe the limits set by God." The Imam said: Whenever the repentant, the worshippers, the praisers, the travelers, those who bow and prostrate, those who enjoin what is right, those who forbid what is wrong, and those who observe the limits set by God come to power, I will go under their banner and then perform jihad; now is not the time for jihad.

Recognize the limits and act accordingly. Whatever is the limit set by God, that is correct. Personal preferences should not interfere. I repeatedly advised the brothers of the committee, and I still give the same advice, that the limit should be observed; whatever it is. We have no reservations with anyone. Sometimes the limit set by God may anger Zayd; let it. Someone may not like it; let them not. We should not consider it. Sometimes the limit set by God may not please me. When I want to act, I must know that the limit set by God that must be observed is not always what others may not like; sometimes the limit set by God is what I do not like. A man is one who says even here, I was wrong to not like it; the limit set by God takes precedence. We should not overdo it, nor should we fall short; we must move precisely on the border. This is my advice.

You have sensitive tasks in your hands. Fighting against vices is sensitive. Fighting against drugs is sensitive. Fighting against counter-revolution is sensitive. Confronting humans is sensitive. Every human is a world. These are very sensitive and important. If we understand the religious rule clearly and certainly and rely on it, let anyone say whatever they want; let anyone dislike it, dislike it; let anyone like it, like it. "Indeed, the pleasure of people is not owned." Can all hearts be won one by one? We must see what is right and what God's command is.

I believe that the most important characteristic of our great Imam was that for him, friend and foe, familiar and unfamiliar, made no difference. Truly, God knows that that great one, in this dark and gloomy world, like a sun, came and shone for a few days and left, so that people would know that there is also a sun. After the Imams and the infallibles, neither we nor others have seen anyone like that person. If someone says otherwise, in my opinion, they are being unfair. Humanity must understand that this gem exists in the divine treasury. That man, if he understood it was a duty, he acted. Did he not say that if I remain alone, I will tread the path of truth? He was telling the truth.

The day he addressed the people and began the struggle, among the scholars and great personalities and capable individuals who were there, honestly, no one thought that people would follow the one who is the owner of this call and cry. Of course, the Imam had faith in the people and believed they would come; but at the same time, that courage from reliance on God and the fact that I am fulfilling my duty, whether they want to come or not, was important. The Almighty God also has a rule: "Whoever is for God, God is for him." "Whoever reforms what is between him and God, God will reform what is between him and the people." Whoever corrects and reforms what is between himself and God, God will correct what is between him and the people.

In the prisons of Palestine, in the corners of African countries, in Tunisia and Morocco, under oppression, they chant in his name. Who has done this? Have we propagated it? Can the propaganda apparatus claim that we have done this? I was president for eight years; I know what is happening in this country. No one can say that I mentioned the name of the Imam in such and such a place. The name of the Imam, like water flowing in a smooth and fertile land, went by itself. It does not need anyone to paddle it; it flows by itself and goes, until it finds its taster and drinker.

During the presidency, I had an official visit to one of the African countries. As I descended the steps of the airplane, I saw that the president of that country was intimidated by me. This situation was completely evident on his face. We sat in the ceremonial car to take us to the guesthouse. In the car, I saw that this person, without wanting to, sat on one side and did not dare to look at my face! I gradually brought him to talk with effort, smiles, and soft words. When I returned to Iran, I told the Imam, I saw there that they see a trace of your existence in us.

That president was not so humble in front of me—I was nobody—he was humble in front of the Imam; the Imam who was the embodiment of the revolution. That person—I do not want to mention his name—could not control himself. He is a well-known and reputable president; not one of those small-time people; but from the Iranian delegation, he saw and smelled the Imam.

Where you must act according to your religious duty, do not consider that someone will say, go act harshly, what kind of consideration is this that you are making. Absolutely not. Even in the battlefield, when you are facing the enemy, where you must be harsh, act according to your religious duty and do not consider that someone will blame you for being harsh; you must know the limit.

These days, the issue of merging the security forces is being discussed. I also wrote that consider the merger as law. The law of the Islamic Republic is part of the limits set by God that must be observed in the best way. Of course, you should know that I have complete trust in our dear brother Mr. Nouri and I am confident. I truly consider and know him as one of the worthy ones of this revolution. Of course, in this matter, I did not interfere in the details. Some of the committee brothers had prepared a plan and sent it to me, which I looked at. I also saw the plan of the Ministry of Interior; but it is not my habit and I do not intend to get involved in the details and say make this chart in this way, bring that here, take this there. They must organize and manage it themselves, and I will intervene and act where my responsibility is; but at this stage, it is not my responsibility.

You are guards, remain guards, and you will remain. It is an honorable title; you must preserve this title. The brothers' program is also the same. According to your status and revolutionary duties, they will give you missions and responsibilities; perform them. More important than the name of the guard is the real title and the spirit and attitude of guarding. It is bad that we have someone with the name of a guard, who does not have guarding Islam in his mind and personal and selfish issues are important to him. These have no value. Such a person is better not to exist at all. The issues of the Islamic Revolution—what you say we are guarding—must be the focus. The main issue is this.

Wherever you are, try to be like this. Try to make others guards as well. Try to instill the spirit of guarding in others as well. I always used to give an example to the youth before the revolution during the period of oppression and say, in a heap of coal, be like a flower of fire. Does it leave its surroundings? Does it suffice to say I am lit? No, it turns the entire heap into a flower of fire. Be like this. That day, our shortage was this. I used to say, unfortunately, there is no gentle breeze to blow and accelerate; but today there is. Today, the life-giving breeze of Islam and the words of that interpreter of Islam and that great and esteemed sage and that man of God and servant of God—which is above all titles—is at our disposal. You must create and light this heap of fire and illuminate and warm everyone with your ethics and actions.

Do not let the name of guarding be tarnished by the actions of an individual. What our dear brother Mr. Mokhtar Kalantari said is related to this. I have repeatedly given him these reminders. Be careful, a guard should not, out of carelessness, out of emotions, and not observing the dignity of guarding, do something that questions all these good young people. Thanks be to God, he also told me privately a few days ago; today he also gave you the good news that they have taken action. Yes, take action. Confront and deal with evils.

When they come and report to me that in such and such a city, we saw a committee guard acting in this way, God knows it puts pressure on my heart; not only because a bad act has been committed—this is one part of the badness and not the only one—but because all this sincerity and effort and struggle have been spent in an institution and all this precious blood has been shed on the ground; but because of one person, it is questioned; it is a pity. Their work is like those court clerics of the past who questioned the greatness of the clergy. They would go and do something ugly, collude with oppression, and for the sake of worldly gains and a morsel of bread—like what those tyrants threw in front of their dogs and slaves, they also threw in front of them—they would praise and flatter them. Because of the actions of such a person, all those noble students who studied in rooms and schools with poverty and hunger and dignity and did not bow to the heavens, were questioned; was it good? The Imam, who in his statements, whipped the court cleric so much, is for this reason; be vigilant.

Here, I would like to say a sentence to the dear clerical brothers who are present. The responsibility of preserving the spirituality and spirit and state of these brothers is on you. Humans are susceptible to wear. Every human being, except the infallibles, wears and diminishes in encounters and frictions, and their spiritual prominences change; they must be watched. This is why they have said constant remembrance. Humans must constantly be reminded; otherwise, they will be ruined.

Our great ones and Imams and infallibles were careful of themselves, their self-building, their prayers, their remembrance, their supplications, their attentions, and their devotions; so that they would not be ruined and destroyed. We will be ruined. If you do not watch over yourselves, you will be ruined and destroyed. These dear clerical brothers must pay attention to this aspect.

May God grant you success and support and assist you. God willing, in this current stage of the revolution and the country and also in the future, you will perform your worthy and God-pleasing duty and, as always, move energetically and fully in the path of serving the goals and ideals of the Islamic Revolution, while observing the limits set by God. The Almighty God will also help, and God willing, the evil of the enemies will be reduced from the world of Islam.

Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings