Statements of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution in Meeting with the People of Pakdasht on the Anniversary of Eid al-Ghadir

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

First of all, I extend my greetings to all the esteemed attendees, dear brothers and sisters, especially to the brothers and sisters who have come from the Pakdasht region. I wished to participate in Pakdasht among you; however, you took the trouble and came here. God willing, may the Almighty God bestow His blessings upon all the dear people of Pakdasht and the great nation of Iran.

I congratulate you on the blessed Eid al-Ghadir, which is a great feast of God and one of the very important and decisive moments in the history of Islam. The issue of Ghadir and the designation of Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) as the leader of the Islamic community by the noble Prophet of Islam (peace be upon him and his family) is a very significant and meaningful event; in fact, it is the intervention of the noble Prophet in the management of society. The meaning of this action, which took place on the eighteenth of Dhul-Hijjah in the tenth year of Hijrah, is that Islam regards the issue of societal management with great importance. It is not the case that the matter of management in the Islamic system and Islamic society is neglected and disregarded. The reason is that the management of a society is one of the most influential issues in society. The designation of Amir al-Mu'minin, who is the embodiment of piety, knowledge, courage, sacrifice, and justice among the companions of the Prophet, clarifies the dimensions of this management. It becomes evident that what is important in Islam regarding societal management are these qualities. Those who do not accept Amir al-Mu'minin as the immediate successor do not doubt his knowledge, asceticism, piety, courage, and his sacrifice for truth and justice; this is a consensus among all Muslims and all those who know Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him). This indicates what kind of management and governance the Islamic community should pursue as its desired goal according to Islam and the Prophet.

The problem of human societies has often been at this point during the most critical moments; that is, whenever human societies have had wise, pious, and courageous leaders, they have been able to make progress. When societies have suffered from leaders who had no regard for piety and integrity, who prioritized their own interests over those of the people, who had no fear of God and no accountability to Him—weak individuals, attached to personal interests and desires—problems arose for them; both material and moral and spiritual problems. The reason you see Islamic nations and countries falling victim to oppressive and aggressive powers at certain points in history is precisely this. If, on the day when colonialism and military invasions and territorial expansions by the West began in Islamic regions, Muslim leaders had been endowed with religion, integrity, honor, and courage, the situation would not have unfolded this way. If they had not been attached to their desires and their temporary power, the situation would not have been as it is. The weakness of Muslims and Islamic societies has often stemmed from the weakness of their managers and leaders; of course, both sides affect each other. Incompetent and unworthy management weakens the moral and political system in society and leads individuals to weakness; then, in such a society, naturally, the leaders suffer from even more incompetent and weaker individuals and become afflicted by them.

Today, when you look at the Islamic world, you see that the awakening of Muslims in all Muslim regions and countries is thanks to the awakening of the Iranian nation, and the Iranian nation, thanks to the leadership of Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified)—who brought his life into the arena, shielded his chest against the enemy's arrows, spoke sincerely, and acted sincerely—has stepped into this great field. In a world that wishes to see Muslim nations humiliated, the Iranian nation, thanks to the courageous and sincere leadership that Imam Khomeini demonstrated, imposed its dignity upon them. The guardianship of Imam (may God’s peace be upon him) was a ray from the radiant spring of the sun of Ghadir; thus, it was able to bring about all these effects, awaken the nation, and spiritually and materially rebuild Iran.

An ancient nation, with this history and culture, had become a plaything in the hands of foreign aggressive powers; they decided about it, did whatever they wanted with its existence and wealth, humiliated it, and pursued their interests minus those of this nation. The greatest humiliation and insult to a nation is this. The nation awakened and regained its dignity with power and with the strength of its dignity, decision, and will.

Today, you, the nation, are dear in the Islamic world. You see that when the officials of your country travel to other countries, the people of those countries—who see that official as the symbol of the Iranian nation—show them great respect. Such a thing does not exist in relation to others. Many heads of state travel to various countries; however, the fact that the people of a country pour into the streets and show respect to the head of another country and repeat your slogans with the same words is unprecedented in the world; there is no other example for any head of state. It has been this way from the beginning of the revolution until now; this is due to the dignity of the Iranian nation; and this dignity is because the Iranian nation has maintained its independence by relying on its belief in Islam and Islamic faith and has not backed down. This is why they are enemies of the Iranian nation and the Islamic Republic system.

You hear that the officials of global arrogance, especially the Americans—who are the ugliest manifestation of global arrogance, the leaders of the American government—constantly speak ill of the Iranian nation and insult it. Sometimes they also threaten; thinking that the Iranian nation will retreat from the field due to their threats and will submit to them and kneel before them; a foolish and absurd assumption. The Iranian nation, when it did not have today’s capabilities, did not have this massive young population, did not have the technical abilities that today have been achieved through the efforts of the youth of this country, did not fear the threats of America and the Soviet Union at that time and the superpowers. Today, the Iranian nation is much stronger, more steadfast, and better equipped with all the equipment it needs than it was at the beginning of the revolution. Therefore, the Iranian nation is not intimidated by the threats of any power.

They are also hostile to the Islamic Republic system; because the Islamic Republic and its officials are not willing to submit the Iranian nation to them; that is what they want. Any government in any country that is willing to betray its own nation and submit its nation to America is favored by them and they like it and praise it; whether it is a reactionary government, an old one, a coup regime, or a monarchy, it makes no difference to them; there, human rights are no longer an issue! If the Islamic Republic government were—God forbid—willing to submit its nation to the enemies, they would not accuse the Islamic Republic of human rights violations, nor would they accuse it of supporting terrorism. Their enmity with the Islamic Republic system and the statesmen of this system is because these individuals stand firm and are not willing to turn their backs on their own nation to win the favor of foreign enemies. The legitimacy of these statesmen is based on this. Any government in the Islamic Republic that does not rely on its own people is not legitimate. That official who prioritizes the desires of the enemy over the desires of the nation, shows weakness in front of the enemy, and is willing to impose his own weakness on the nation is not from the people; the people do not accept such an official and statesman. The Iranian nation is strong and courageous. Anyone who wants to work with this nation and for this nation must possess courage, wisdom, strength of heart, and self-confidence in the face of enemies.

The clamor of the enemies is great. The art of superpowers is precisely this intimidation and uproar. Those who are unaware of the secrets of the work think that they can turn the entire earth upside down with their own fingers; it is not so. Where the will of the people stands against arrogance, the sword of the enemies is blunt. Where people understand and know that arrogance takes no step except to the detriment of nations and that people are not willing to submit to arrogance, arrogance cannot do anything. In places where you see the Americans have been able to enter and dominate with their military forces, the problem was internal to those countries; the issue was that there was no shared will and determination between the nation and the government to stand firm, or there was no government; otherwise, where there is a cohesive and united nation, endowed with faith and determination, and there is a bond between the nation and the government, arrogance cannot do anything. The experience of the Americans themselves also teaches them this; they know it themselves.

The Iranian nation has instilled fear in their hearts. They know this nation is mature, courageous, and steadfast. They open their filthy mouths and accuse the pure, faithful, and noble Iranian nation of racism and things that they themselves are worthy of. They speak of human rights! The Americans have no right to utter the name of human rights. Those who bear the stain of disgrace from actions such as Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib prisons and the bombing of residential areas in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere are the very embodiment of human rights violations; they have the audacity to speak of human rights again.

They accuse countries of supporting terrorism! Terrorists have grown under the wings of the Americans. The Taliban in Afghanistan emerged and grew under the wings of the Americans. Today, the Mojahedin, who are the most despised and ugly of terrorists, are under their wings. Terrorism is a tool in the hands of the Americans; then they accuse this and that of being supporters of terrorism! The terrorism they speak of refers to the brave, self-sacrificing struggles of the Palestinian martyrs. They expect the Iranian nation to participate in their oppression of the Palestinian nation! This is yet another of their foolish expectations.

The Iranian nation continues its path with strength. We have found the path of material and spiritual construction of our country. The Iranian nation, thanks to Islam, is capable of building its world and the hereafter, as well as its ethics and spirituality. The Iranian nation has recognized this path and has advanced and stands firm. In the face of these very words, the Iranian nation will become even more resolute. Your presence, the Iranian nation, in confronting the nonsense of the enemies, in the rallies of the twenty-second of Bahman, in the presidential elections, and at the ballot boxes, will, by God's grace, manifest itself. This presence will demonstrate the power, dignity, and determination of the Iranian nation.

We have acted in all international arenas with logic and by following the rational path that Islam has taught us. Our logic is one of wisdom, reason, and pursuing national interests; it is always like this; in the nuclear negotiations with the Europeans, it is the same. What is in the interest of the nation is pursued by the officials of the country. In these negotiations, the Iranian negotiators and the government of the Islamic Republic are serious; however, the other side—comprising several European countries—must also enter the negotiation arena seriously and realistically; but unfortunately, this has not been the case until today. Until now, these few European countries have not shown that they are genuinely seeking to resolve the issue. It is a problem for global arrogance that the Iranian nation has been able to take a significant step in the path of science and technology with its inherent will and capabilities; like nuclear energy. They want the country’s energy to always depend on oil, which is also influenced by the policies of global powers. They want to keep nations in their grip with invisible strings; the Iranian nation does not accept this.

We trust those who are negotiating on behalf of Iran and support their work; however, the other side must know that with political tricks and wasting time, they cannot deter the Iranian nation from its firm resolve to pursue the path of nuclear energy technology. Our officials have calculated, and their calculations are correct. Pursuing this work for the advancement of the country—both material advancement and political and scientific advancement—is beneficial and necessary; this is part of national interests; the officials have understood this correctly and are standing firm on it. If the Europeans want to reach a real understanding with Islamic Iran in this regard, they must reduce the influence of American and Zionist pressure on themselves; they must not be influenced. They must confront the Iranian nation as they would with any other nation. The Iranian nation is a great and cultured nation—this has been proven—they cannot treat the Iranian nation as a backward nation and a colonized country; such an insult will not be forgiven by the Iranian nation.

Some European countries still have memories of the nineteenth century and the early twentieth century in their minds. The day when the English came to the Persian Gulf by ship and a British military commander ruled over all the countries of the region—from Iran included—has passed. The era when Mohammad Reza Pahlavi sat in this country while the English and Americans told him through their ambassadors whom to appoint as prime minister, whom to appoint as minister, whom to remove, how to handle oil, and so on, has passed. At that time, the Iranian nation had not risen. At that time, the Iranian nation had not awakened. Today, you are faced with an awakened nation with determination and will. The officials of the country also feel no fear in the face of the threats of the enemies; the officials are also from this nation. The European parties negotiating nuclear energy should know who they are talking to. If the officials of the country feel that there is no seriousness in these negotiations, the process will change; it will change in a different way; everyone should know this.

The Iranian nation also has the great test of elections ahead. Iran has great capacities; with a population of over seventy million, with all these resources, with all this talent, with all this potential for work; when there is a good manager in any sector, one can see how much work is done there and how much relief is provided for the people. In every sector where there is a caring, efficient, faithful, and revolutionary manager, one observes the effects and blessings of that. This is the case throughout our country. We are a great nation; we are a blessed country; God has provided good resources; with these resources, from the beginning of the revolution until today, very significant works have been accomplished; but we are still at the beginning of the work; because great works take time.

In this country, poverty, corruption, and discrimination must be fought against. The remedy for the problems of this country is that justice must be pursued seriously; discrimination must be eliminated; real battles must be fought against corruption and poverty and the factors of poverty; these tasks are the responsibilities of the three branches of power; including the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. Of course, the most important part is in the hands of the executive branch.

The people must seek a president who possesses this capability, this vitality, this power, this sense of responsibility, and this readiness to work. The people are not influenced by the words of this or that; they discern; our people have shown this. The opportunity exists; the people should discern and choose. Of course, in the elections that are a few months away, what is primarily important is the public determination of the people. The Iranian nation should show that it is not indifferent to the issue of elections; it should give importance to this matter; this is the foundation of the work. Then, God willing, may the Almighty God grant success and guidance so that the hearts and minds of the people turn towards someone who possesses such qualities. Then the public movement of the Iranian nation will gain more momentum day by day, and the Almighty God has promised that whenever a nation strives and works, it will be rewarded and the results will be granted to it. The blessings and mercy of God are not coincidental or random that we sleep and these blessings descend upon us without reason; no, the Almighty God has made it clear in the Quran, and our saints in their words have clarified for us; we must strive, we must work, we must struggle so that, God willing, we reach the results.

We hope, God willing, that you dear ones who are here and all the people of Iran on this day of Eid receive a true gift from the sacred presence of the Awaited Savior (may our souls be sacrificed for him) and be included in the prayers of that great one. May God grant the Iranian nation further progress, dignity, and power.