Statements in Meeting with Various Segments of the Nation

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

I extend my heartfelt and profound gratitude to all brothers and sisters, especially the esteemed families of martyrs, the distinguished scholars, and the respected Friday prayer leaders and congregations who have come from various regions of the country and different centers, and who are engaged in serving the nation, the country, Islam, and the revolution in various service sectors.

The brothers and sisters involved in the literacy movement are truly performing a very significant and urgent duty of great importance. We hope, God willing, they will be successful. Similarly, the brothers related to the Ministry of Roads, the flight crews, the brothers in the Army's intelligence protection, and also the hardworking brothers who are engaged in the foundation and construction of the mausoleum of Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified), and all the brothers and sisters who have come from distant cities and are engaged in various sectors, making great efforts. I sincerely thank each and every one of you and hope that divine guidance and the boundless gratitude of these dear, hardworking, and devoted people will be upon all of you.

Appreciate these services and employment in the Islamic Republic. Everyone, despite all the hardship and toil endured in the path of service, must be aware that today, joining the ranks of service to these people and being part of the Islamic Republic system and its working apparatus is a divine blessing. This blessing must be appreciated.

Now, the matter I wish to discuss with you today is the events occurring in the world, which are among the rare and very decisive events in the state of the world and history, and are a source of reflection and contemplation for us, a source of joy from one perspective, and a lesson for the nations and governments of the world. Two important events have occurred in these recent days: one is the events related to Eastern Europe, and the other is the armed attack by America on a small neighboring country. Each of these two events deserves careful consideration and attention.

As for the events in Eastern Europe—the latest being the incident in Romania—it has been two or three months since the Marxist systems and regimes of the Eastern European communist countries have been collapsing one after another. The Communist Party in these countries is being sidelined, and governments that ruled in the name of socialism and communism are being overthrown by bloodshed or street demonstrations, ultimately by the people, and the structure that was built over decades, with so much money, weapons, and politics spent on its foundation, repair, and embellishment, collapses within a few weeks, and this collapse continues in other parts of the world as well. This is a matter of great importance.

From the beginning of our revolution, we understood several principles. Islam taught us these principles, and our wise, great, and noble jurist Imam repeatedly reiterated these principles in various languages. One of these principles was that any system not founded on the people is not sustainable. It is the people who can create a system and, once created, preserve it, even if all powers oppose them. If a system is not based on the people's shoulders and their beliefs, feelings, desires, and will, this structure is not sustainable. This was one of our principles, and this matter was constantly repeated.

Another principle was that imposing a thought, belief, and social order on the people is not a successful endeavor, especially when this thought and belief contradicts and opposes the people's religious beliefs. This is among our intellectual and Islamic principles. What ultimately remains is the people's heartfelt and religious belief.

Today, these truths are proving themselves in the realm of reality. The Marxist systems, contrary to the people's will, were imposed on the people of Eastern Europe—whether in Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and the rest of these countries—through money, force, tanks, and foreign power intervention. For forty, fifty years, they maintained this system with utmost precision and apparent power in these countries; but because it had a weak and unreliable foundation, it could not last, and when a fundamental blow was struck, these systems began to collapse and disappear one after another. Even if some leaders showed obstinacy and resistance—like the fate of the person you observed in Romania in these past few days, who behaved harshly with the people—when the time came, the people did not retreat and stood against the harshness and severity, and as a result, those who were imposed were forced to retreat.

The people are fundamental. Any system not based on the people's will and belief will meet the same fate. The world's tyrants, dictators, and those who rule nations with the force of the sword and whip must open their eyes and take heed. Those who maintain systems against the people's will on the basis of bayonets and oppression should see the fate of Eastern Europe. The iron order in the communist countries was such that they themselves did not imagine it possible for it to collapse one day; but it did. Of course, we have seen other examples. One example of a different kind was the Pahlavi regime and the past oppressive monarchy of this country, which we saw with our own eyes, and the nation dismantled that regime with their own hands, and it disappeared.

In these countries, religion was opposed. Religious people—whether Muslim or Christian—were oppressed. The people's religious belief was suppressed for decades; but we saw and they saw that fighting against religion and the people's religious belief leads nowhere, and religious belief and faith ultimately emerge from under the rubble and impose themselves on their opponents. Therefore, the world's tyrants and those who rule nations by force and disregard them, and those who fight against religion and engage in conflict with the people's religious faith anywhere in the world, should take heed. These are lessons, and Islam and the Quran instruct all of us to take heed.

As for the second incident, it is the military aggression of America against a small country located in a sensitive area where America's arrogant power has interests! They took their tanks, planes, and soldiers and entered another country and intervened there. This incident is a strange and astonishing event. Of course, this is not the first time the American government has done such a thing.

I want to remind a few points in this regard: We say that Islam opposes global arrogance. The meaning of arrogance is that a government, power, or person, relying on the force they have, sees the way open to exert force wherever they want and to pressure and strike whoever and whichever nation they wish, to take the wealth of any nation they desire, and to interfere in the affairs of any nation, group, or person they wish, without shame. To commit the ugliest acts and to name the ugliest act they have done as the most beautiful act, without shame or fear.

Arrogance means being overbearing, bullying, killing, and not being ashamed, not refraining, and aggression combined with brazenness, holding one's head high and puffing out one's chest. The system that the powerful powers of the world have today is an arrogant system. America enters another country and fights with its people. The people fought against America; the issue is not about individuals. The people did not want America to enter their country, kill them, destroy their homes, and bring tanks, armored personnel carriers, and foreign soldiers into their streets, in front of their shops, schools, and homes, while the British government and others support them, and others in the world sit and watch and remain silent. The global system and the system of domination mean this.

A few years ago, when we participated in the Non-Aligned Movement conference and the United Nations, we told the people of the world this very point. We said: People of the world! Leaders of the world! Today, a system of domination rules the world. The system of domination means that someone in the world, relying on the bayonet and force, acts arrogantly and is not ashamed, and others tolerate his arrogance. Today, you see its example, and the current President of America, despite the mild face he initially adopted and pretended to oppose Reagan's policies, showed that he is also his brother and there is no difference between them, and the policy is one policy, and arrogance is one nature, and they cannot be otherwise. He, too, in the first two or three years of his presidency, attacked Grenada and overthrew a government. This one is like him.

These are the ones who kept the Shah's government in Iran standing for almost twenty-five years. In 1953, they staged a coup here and overthrew a government and brought the Shah to power and supported him for twenty-five years. These are the ones who today support reactionary and dictatorial regimes against the people of countries. These are the ones who brought and planted the Zionists in Palestine and took a country from its people and placed an usurper there and have continuously supported the Israeli government for the past forty years. This is the system of domination. The greatest calamities for the nations of the world are this system of domination. If nations do not have control in their own countries and homes, it is more dangerous than cholera, plague, and the worst diseases.

I must say with great regret that the governments ruling in various countries of the world, some of which have a somewhat popular aspect and are not dependent or not to that extent, all remain silent in the face of such a great crime and enormous calamity. Of course, nations organize demonstrations and marches here and there—as you observed in these past few days, there were demonstrations against America's action—but they are few and scattered, and the movement that should take place does not occur. We must use this incident as a lesson in the line of our revolution's goals and learn.

This is the arrogance against which you, the Iranian nation, have risen. For eleven years, the Iranian nation has been fighting this arrogance after the victory of the revolution. Our nation stood against this arrogant spirit; it stood powerfully. America, with this arrogant spirit, did everything it could to bring the Iranian nation to its knees and force it to retreat; but despite its desire and will, our nation, government, revolution, and the Islamic Republic system grew stronger and more steadfast day by day, and in this confrontation and against this popular and Islamic revolution, global arrogance was defeated.

I want to say that firstly, our nation should know—as they thankfully do—that we have chosen the right path by not compromising with the devil of arrogance for a moment. This is the nature of the enemy against whom we chant 'Death to him' on our people's lips. He is oppressive, brazen, and aggressive, and wherever he can, he does not refrain from aggression and assault. They even put a good name on it: defending democracy, defending human rights, and such things that even the most foolish people should not believe today and do not. Therefore, our nation has chosen the right path. We will continue this path. By God's grace and relying on God and with the strength of our nation's solidarity and the solidarity of other nations with our revolution, we will not compromise with America and its bullying for a moment in the future, just as we have not in the past. Secondly, what will lead to success and victory is our path, not America's path. America's bullying will be broken. The horn and teeth of this wild and inconsiderate beast that considers nothing in front of it will be broken.

The nations of the world today see Eastern Europe before them. You observed the Czech nation last week, how they took to the streets and removed the high-ranking rulers over themselves and brought or proposed those they wanted to the head of government. This is the same nation that about twenty years ago, Soviet tanks and armored personnel carriers entered its capital from all sides, removed a person who was at the head of the government, killed those who defended him, started a bloody war, and carried out a bloody suppression against the people and left Czechoslovakia. Exactly what America is doing in Panama today, they did at that time. These are not new actions. The world's arrogant powers have always done these things and will continue to do so as long as they have power. The Soviet Union, during its despotic governments, experienced these actions in Eastern European countries (Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia).

Today, the same countries that entered the streets of Czechoslovakia with tanks are apologizing to this nation and sending messages: Forgive us for coming twenty years ago, we made a mistake by coming, forgive and pardon us! Can today's American leaders claim that twenty years from now, the American nation will not be forced to apologize to the nations of Panama, Grenada, Iran, Palestine, and dozens of nations that have suffered America's wounds? Can those who today hold America's policy in their grip and, relying on power, foolishly act like the old neighborhood thugs who imposed their words with a knife and did whatever they wanted, be sure that a few years later, their nation will not curse them or their name or their grave and kick them? They should not be sure. What will ultimately prevail is the will of the nations. What will be humiliated in the face of the will and courage of the nations is the oppressive and tyrannical power. If nations will, they will overthrow the oppressor.

Our dear nation should be aware that the scene in which they are present and have lined up in the front lines against global arrogance is a very blessed scene. You will be the pioneers and leaders of the world's nations. Nations will learn from you and have learned. Even now, the model we observe in the world is the same model that was implemented in Iran. This coming to the streets and standing with faith and body against the ruling powers is the model of the Iranian revolution. Such an action was not common in the world and had no precedent. You gave this lesson, and nations will continue to learn from you.

Of course, today our nation must pay attention to two points: one is unity of word and the other is the effort to build the country. Do not forget these two. If, God forbid, these two are taken from you, leadership, sovereignty, and power will also be taken. You must maintain unity. Beware that in corners, some may forget what conditions the world is in today and who and where our nation is, and bring back the divisive words and gestures that were common a few years ago—and thankfully have disappeared recently—back to the scene.

The government and the nation must strive. Each of the various government apparatuses must make their appropriate efforts, and thankfully they do. I witness that the government apparatuses are making good efforts. Today, we need efforts in the domestic and foreign arenas. In the domestic arena, efforts to rebuild the country, solve the people's problems, revive the dormant and silent wealth of this nation, and bring to the field the amazing talent that exists in this country are necessary. In the foreign arena, intelligent confrontation with the enemy's poisonous policies and propaganda is inevitable, for which the foreign policy agents and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are responsible.

This work is very delicate and sensitive, and thankfully they are doing it well. Although in corners, some, on the pretext of a minor incident, start making noise and criticizing; but criticizing is easy, and acting is difficult. The one who acts is in the field and must be supported to act correctly and, if there is a mistake or deficiency, to rectify it.

Following our great Imam, I am strongly opposed to weakening the apparatuses that bear sensitive tasks, including our foreign affairs apparatus and those on the front line of dealing with foreign policies. What a bad habit it is that some do not see the positive points at all and as soon as they observe a negative point, they raise political and press voices from all sides! How can we, in a time when we are facing all the arrogant and aggressive policies on the diplomatic scene, allow the country's diplomatic officials to be attacked by irresponsible individuals? Do we allow it?

You see how foreign policies are in the world. You see how in the Security Council, the resolution condemning America's entry into Panama is vetoed. Today, these are the global policies. The Islamic Republic must combine power with delicacy and vigilance in confronting these policies. We have sent a few people to the front line of diplomacy and told them to go to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and be the foreign minister or responsible there and work. They are making their efforts; they are making good and strong efforts and are succeeding and conquering in many fields. Of course, in one place, due to human nature, a deficiency occurs. Irresponsible people, as soon as they see this deficiency, raise voices from several sides; unaware that we are at war. The front-line soldier should not be attacked. Why do some not understand this?

All apparatuses must work well, and all people must support the apparatuses. Today, the flag of Islam is in your nation's and government's hands. You must preserve this flag. With conflict and strife, this flag will not be preserved. Responsibility rests on everyone. Everyone must maintain unity, harmony, cooperation, and good faith; it is a duty.

With the strong quality, faith, and decisiveness with which you, the soldiers of the revolution and various segments of the nation, are advancing today by the grace of the Lord, I have no doubt that no mountain of power can stand against you. We hope that the Lord of the worlds will grant us all success, guide and assist us all, and fill our hearts with the spirit of obedience and love for His sacred essence and His saints.

Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings