Statements in Meeting with Officials of the System and Ambassadors of Islamic Countries

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

Thanks be to God, the Lord of the worlds, and peace and blessings be upon our master and prophet, Abu al-Qasim al-Mustafa Muhammad, and upon his pure, infallible family and his chosen companions.

I congratulate the blessed occasion of Eid al-Mobath to all of you dear brothers and sisters who are present here, to our guests - the ambassadors of Islamic countries - and to the great nation of Iran.

The significance of Eid al-Mobath lies in the fact that in this event of prophethood, a new relationship between God and creation, a new program for the transformation of human societies and individuals was established. This prophethood, this program, this transformation has the potential to change the lives of people towards goodness, prosperity, and happiness, just as it did in that era; this is the importance of prophethood.

Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) states: At the time when the Prophet was sent, the world was dark; and the world was filled with the darkness of light and the appearance of deception. Humanity was in darkness, filled with arrogance. Arrogance means self-deception; a person imagines themselves in a certain state and believes it to be true, while in reality, it is not so; the world was in such a state. The Quran also establishes the philosophy of divine revelation: to bring you out of darkness into light.

Well, the darkness of that era is largely reflected in history; both in the environment of the Arabian Peninsula and Mecca and its surroundings, which were filled with superstition, ignorance, ruthlessness, violence, injustice, oppression, and poverty; and in the civilized world of that day. If you look at the two fundamental points of the great civilization of that day, namely Iran and Rome, you will also observe this darkness and oppression there. In these two empires, there were superstitions, darkness, discrimination, injustice, and ruthlessness towards the weak. In Iran, the king known for justice - this Anushirvan who is famous for being just - killed several thousand people in one day under the pretext that they were, for example, Mazdakites, that they had another religion; he wiped out several thousand in one day; this is one example. In the Roman Empire, the king - this infamous Nero - killed his mother, killed his wife, and set the city on fire. They were like this: and the world was filled with the darkness of light and the appearance of deception. [Thus, this was] not specific to the Arabian Peninsula; the whole world was like this. In such conditions, the sun of Islam rose.

Well, the invitation of Islam is an invitation to light; it is an invitation to knowledge, an invitation to fairness, an invitation to love, an invitation to unity, an invitation to justice; in the lives of human societies, all of these are luminosity, all of these are light. The important thing is that this invitation does not remain on the tongue and on paper; today, if you look at the documents of the United Nations or even the documents of some arrogant countries, you will find these good words in them. If you look at the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other things, you will find the same good words in them, but there is no trace of it in the real world.

The importance of Islam is that what the Prophet stated on the first day, what the verses of the Quran taught the people during those thirteen years of difficult struggle in Mecca, these were later implemented in practice, demonstrated, and acted upon. The Prophet showed that justice, that love, that fairness, that standing against oppression, standing against disbelief in practice. Leading people to the realm of knowledge, to the realm of understanding; this foundation and groundwork that the Prophet established during ten years of governance in Medina was what later, after a century or two, turned into the greatest human civilization. Yes, various aspects of it were not observed - for example, justice was still not observed - but the knowledge and utilization of understanding and human capacities that had begun at the formation of the Islamic government advanced so much that after a short period - one or two centuries - it became the greatest human civilization from which the whole world benefited. This is prophethood.

Today we need prophethood. First, the introduction of prophethood; at the first level, the public opinion of the world must recognize the concept and meaning of Islamic prophethood; this is a very important point. After the establishment of the Islamic Republic, which is a small reflection of the prophetic government in our system, thanks be to God, it has become the source of a great transformation and a massive movement that, thanks be to God, continues and will continue. The global arrogant powers - one cannot say the enemies of Islam - the enemies of human societies have thought to fight against that which is the source of this movement and has a significant ground in a large part of the world; what was it? It is Islam. Today they are fighting against Islam; why? Because Islam is the source of the growth of societies, the source of the movement of individuals, the source of the emergence of talents, and the source of the establishment of a common spiritual and material civilization; because Islam can prevent the aggressions of the oppressive material civilization of today; hence they fight against Islam; various forms of struggle. The formation of terrorist groups in the name of Islam is also one of the conspiracies; this is a conspiracy, just as causing wars and disputes among Islamic countries is one of these hostilities. Today, the root of these hostilities is in the hands of America and Zionism. The wicked and usurping Zionist government in Palestine and behind it, the oppressive and arrogant government of America are fighting against Islam. Yes, today they are fighting against the Islamic Republic more than anywhere else. This is because Islam is more prominent in the Islamic Republic, its realization is greater, and the ground for its implementation and action is more present here. They oppose because Islam prevents their ambitions, it prevents global arrogance; [thus, in reality] they oppose Islam.

We Muslims must first understand that there is a duty towards non-Muslims to introduce Islam, and there is also a duty within ourselves; we must understand why the hostility towards Islam from the arrogant systems of the world and the bullying powers of the world exists. This must be understood. Today, Islamic governments must pay attention to the fact that the reason America cooperates with this Islamic government and opposes that one is because they do not want these to unite, they do not want these to come together, they do not want them to recognize their common interests; that is the reason. Unfortunately, America has been successful in this policy of sowing discord in our region; this is regrettable! Their hands are in the pockets of some governments to plunder their resources, and to make this easier, they create enemies; either they introduce the Islamic Republic, or Iran, or Shi'ism as an enemy to be able to plunder them. These are the prevailing policies of the powers today, at the head of which is America; this must be understood by all, this must be felt by all, we must stand against this. Standing against this means creating unity and solidarity among Islamic countries.

Today, unfortunately, our region is suffering from great problems. Yemen, Bahrain, Syria, Iraq, each is suffering from problems in one way or another. When we search for the fundamental cause of these problems, we see that it is global arrogance. The intelligence and security services of America and Zionism are the ones who are instigating these actions and using forces against each other; this must be noted.

Thanks be to God, the will and determination of the Islamic Republic in this path is unshakeable. There is a decisive and firm determination in the Islamic Republic; not only from the statesmen but from all segments of the nation. In the Islamic Republic, those who stand against oppression are the entire Iranian nation, our youth, our revolutionary people, and our faithful people who stand against the oppressions of global arrogance. And any nation and any country whose people stand united, in one direction, with one heart against the enemy, the enemy cannot make any aggression against them, they cannot do anything. The courage of the Islamic Republic, the steadfastness of the Islamic Republic is due to this unity and solidarity that exists, and due to the presence of the people in the scene. Our people consider their presence in the scene as their duty.

They referred to the elections; elections are one of the important manifestations of people's presence in the scene; I want to say this. Our dear people consider elections a duty and must know that it is a duty; it is both a right and a duty. Elections are a multi-purpose tool for the Islamic Republic system. Elections revive the dignity of the people and their right and power in forming the head of the government and the executive officials of the government, and it gives this power to the people to choose, it also prevents the enemy from aggression against the country and the nation. The presence of the people prevents enemy aggression and ensures the security of the country. The meaning of the presence of the people is that this great nation stands united. When the enemy sees this, it loses its audacity, it loses its ability to move and attack.

Of course, everyone should know and you know that the enemies of the Islamic Republic use their capabilities to strike at any opportunity they can; this has been the case until now. There is no difference between this team and that team [another] in the collection of the American government; those who were previously there constantly threatened, and those who are now there threaten; there is no difference between them. In their malicious intentions towards the Iranian nation and the country of Iran and the Islamic Republic, all of them are the same, there is no difference between them. In that they cannot make any aggression, and any of their movements against the Iranian nation will undoubtedly backfire on them, and the reaction of the Iranian nation will be a strong reaction, there is no doubt.

God Almighty has bestowed upon our nation, He has given them awareness, He has illuminated the path, and has placed accumulated experiences before us. In these nearly forty years, there has always been enmity, there has always been malicious motives from the enemy, they have always done whatever they could, and the Iranian nation has always progressed despite them and in spite of their blindness until today; after this, we will continue to progress, after this, we will advance, after this, despite the enemy, our situation will, by God's grace and with divine support, be better than the past. [These advancements] are due to the faith of our nation, due to the steadfastness of our nation; in the face of the enemy and in continuing this path, maintain this faith, maintain this unity, maintain this presence in the scene, maintain this firm and decisive determination. These hostilities will continue as long as the enemy is completely hopeless; you must do something to make the enemy hopeless.

And I say to all these honorable gentlemen who are candidates for the presidential election - this is something we have said many times - to decide, to tell the people, to state in their campaigns, and to promise that for the advancement of the country's affairs, for economic development, for solving problems, their gaze will not be outside these borders, it will be towards the people themselves. Our capabilities are abundant, our capacities are many; attention to these capacities, wise and prudent planning for utilizing these capacities can lead the country to strength and the solidity of internal construction; and this is what makes the enemy hopeless, this is what will grant security to the country, the nation, and the Islamic system, by divine success.

We hope that God Almighty will bestow this grace and, by the blessing of divine grace upon the pure souls of the martyrs and the pure spirit of Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified), divine guidance and divine support will continue to be behind this nation as in the past, and divine mercy will encompass this nation.

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