Statements of His Eminence in Meeting with a Large Number of Families of War Prisoners and Missing Persons

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

Certainly, one of the important occasions of the Islamic Republic — which is also very appropriate — is this day of prisoners and missing persons, which is associated with its historical memory. You all know that on the eleventh day of Muharram, one of the greatest tragedies in the history of Islam occurred. A captivity took place that no other nation or the history of Islam has seen, nor will it see such greatness. Those who were captured were from the family of revelation and prophethood and the dearest and noblest people in the history of Islam. Women were paraded in captivity through the streets and markets, whose dignity and honor had no equal in the Islamic society of that day. Those who captured these dear ones had no scent of Islam and had no relation to it, and were the most wicked and vile people of their time. On the eleventh day of Muharram, the family of the Prophet and Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon them) were subjected to captivity, and this memory has remained and will remain as one of the bitterest memories for us until today and until the end.

Of course, the captivity of that day was different from today's captivity. Today's captivity is such that a soldier, an officer, a combatant, or — when the captor is a vile regime like the Ba'ath regime — a civilian, is held in prison and captivity for a period and is separated from their family and loved ones. It is certainly difficult; but it is as different from the captivity of that day as the earth is from the sky. On the eleventh day of Muharram, it was the collective captivity of women, children, and men who remained; a captivity accompanied by humiliation, insult, starvation, exposure to cold and heat, harassment, parading through the streets and markets, keeping them in the harshest conditions, and taunting them, and such.

The point I must make here to you families of prisoners and missing persons is that you are among the devoted segments of this revolution. After the families of the martyrs, it is you. Of course, the suffering of the families of the missing is greater. The missing person we have is either a prisoner or a martyr. The grief of these families is heavier and their suffering is greater; but in any case, there is a light of hope in their hearts that they will see their dear one someday, and God willing, and our prayer is that it will be so. But our dear prisoners' families are sure that — now a little later or sooner, God willing, their dear one will return to them safe and sound, with many experiences and having been built in the hardship of the enemy's prison. The martyrs and their families are in the foremost rank and should not be compared to anyone; but behind the families of the martyrs, it is these families of prisoners and the disabled and missing persons who certainly play a fundamental and important role in preserving the dignity of the revolution. To the extent that you are patient and grateful and understand the greatness and honor of striving in the path of God, to that extent, the dignity, nobility, and divine reward belong to you. Therefore, you families should be proud that you are among the serving segments of the revolution and can create dignity and honor for your nation and country, and certainly, in the case of patience, divine reward and recompense will be yours. This is a great honor.

And another point I must make about our prisoners and dear ones who are in captivity. The feelings of a prisoner, especially in conditions where they feel a responsibility on their shoulders, are special feelings. Those who themselves were once or for a period in captivity and in the enemy's grip and felt this responsibility can more or less understand this; in addition to the fact that some of the freed dear ones who have come have said things that turn conjecture into certainty.

Our prisoners are among those whose names will remain eternal in the history of the revolution and Iran; because they preserved the dignity of Islam and the country and the revolution in the worst conditions and did not surrender to the enemy or suffer internal defeat. What completely destroys and annihilates a person is internal defeat. Some people appear very good outwardly, but inwardly they are broken, and inside they have no hope, pride, or sense of dignity and honor. Some are not like this. When Islam says: "And to Allah belongs the honor, and to His Messenger, and to the believers," one aspect of the believers' honor is this. A believer, even in the hardest conditions, feels dignified and does not feel humiliated and does not feel inferior to the enemy; because they have preserved their spiritual and internal power and have not lost it.

In the prisons of the tyrant regime, it often happened that a prisoner living in the harshest conditions of a cell felt more strength and stability and confidence than the one sitting across from them at a desk, relying on weapons, whips, money, and apparent power. This one was more unstable because their inner self was ruined and they had no reliance; but the other relied on God. A believer is like this. Our dear ones who are in captivity have preserved this self-reliance and dignity and internal and domestic power. We are aware of this. Of course, the conditions were different. Some camps had normal conditions, and some had very harsh conditions; but those whose hearts are illuminated by the light of faith — which is the overwhelming majority of our dear ones in captivity; except for a very rare few — have been able to preserve their dignity and internal strength and Muslim identity in all conditions, and the enemy has been unable and powerless to humiliate them and break them and crush them. You may know these points from receiving their letters; but I say these so that the Iranian nation knows that their dear combatants not only showed bravery like lions on the battlefield but also remained the same brave and strong lions in captivity.

The second point is that apparently, our war on the front and in the military trenches has ended, and we are now in a ceasefire period. Although the stubbornness of the enemy and the ill intentions of the leaders of the Iraqi regime have so far prevented peace from being established and the two nations from breathing a sigh of relief and engaging in their usual activities, and the enemy still maintains a bone-in-the-wound state; but in any case, there is no longer war on the fronts. The important point here is that although our battle in the warfields and military trenches has ended, the battle of our combatants in captivity continues, and they are still resisting. If you mothers and wives and sisters and fathers and brothers pay attention, you should be proud of this resistance; which of course you do. Who can deny the honor of a soldier who fights valiantly for the revolution and religion and homeland and nation? Is there any greater honor than someone fighting for their compatriots and country and revolution and belief? This is a very great honor. This honor reached its peak for our various combatants on the fronts; but for those dear ones in captivity, it still continues, and they must resist.

Our prisoners will be freed; there is no doubt about this. Can the enemy keep the prisoners for a long time? But I declare that the enemy will not be able to use our prisoners — who are our dear ones — to bully our nation. They want to use the issue of prisoners as a means to force the Iranian nation to give concessions. Is such a thing possible? If our nation wanted to give concessions, why fight for eight years? If our nation wanted to accept the bullying and tyranny of anyone, why did it make a revolution? The greatest crime and sin of the previous regime was that it handed over the country and nation to the world's bullies — America and the great powers — to do whatever they wanted. Today, Iraq is not the only neighboring country that confronted us and imposed an eight-year war on us, but it is the same America and the West that were partners and supporters of Iraq. Do not be mistaken.

If anyone compares Iran-Iraq relations today with before the revolution, they will find that before the revolution during the Pahlavi regime, the same people who are now opposed to the Iranian nation were defenders of the illegal and treacherous Pahlavi regime. Why? Because the country was handed over to them with both hands. Today, when the Iranian nation has risen against global enemies and world-devourers and has taken control of the country itself and cut off the hands of the enemies, the same former masters and plunderers, because their table has been removed here today, are pressuring the Iranian nation through pushing Iraq forward and such actions to surrender. Is such a thing possible? Does the great Iranian nation accept that we surrender to anyone's bullying? By God's grace, we will not surrender to the bullying of any government or power — even America and the superpowers — in any matter; Iraq is another matter.

To ensure that the issue of the resolution and peace negotiations reaches a conclusion and issues are resolved, we do not stop our efforts for a moment. Indeed, the officials are working with dedication and effort; but we have said and we say again that we will not give concessions. Until Iraq withdraws from the points it has occupied and is today inside our country, we will not move beyond the first clause of the resolution. This is what they want. They want the first clause to be nullified. The first clause says: ceasefire and withdrawal. Withdrawal is also in the first clause. They wish that we pass the first clause and go to other clauses so that the issue of withdrawal is forgotten and this bone-in-the-wound remains for the Iranian nation. Is such a thing possible? Withdrawal is the prelude to any other movement. They constantly say in their global propaganda: Iran should come and negotiate directly with us. We have no problem with that. Let the withdrawal take place, and after that, we are ready to negotiate directly.

If our counterpart had spoken logically and reasonably from the beginning, these issues would not have arisen between us. The Iraqi regime is an illogical and unreasonable regime. We act logically and reasonably. We act according to accepted global regulations and are not willing to negotiate even a bit about our nation's rights with anyone. This is the principle. The greatest right of a nation is its national sovereignty. It must be able to have sovereignty within its borders. They want to take this right away from the Iranian nation. Then they say let's exchange prisoners! They want to use the issue of prisoners as a means to strip the Iranian nation of its sovereignty over its land and borders. Is such a thing possible? First, withdrawal. First, ensuring the Iranian nation's sovereignty over its land; that is, the enemy's withdrawal to behind international borders. After that, everything is possible. Once this is done, we will resolve the issue of prisoners the next day and negotiate on various issues.

The world of global arrogance and this America — the governments that spoke of peace — this is where they show their enmity and wickedness towards the revolution and Islam and the Iranian nation. All the Iranian nation remembers that the same people who were shouting about Resolution 598 and in every negotiation and meeting, were talking about the resolution — like presidents and kings and some of the region's reactionaries — their cries have now ended! As if the whole problem was that the Iraqi regime should not be threatened by the warriors of Islam. Now that there is a ceasefire and that threat has ended, nothing else matters to them!

In all matters, America is like this. Right now, in these Lebanon issues, America is committing the greatest wickedness against the people of Lebanon and the Muslim people. They encourage Israel, which is their puppet, to take hostages and kidnap people, to rise up with helicopters to another country and land inside a city belonging to another country and openly and blatantly kidnap a respected cleric from his home and take him away! Is there anything uglier and more obvious than this terrorism and hostage-taking in the world?! Which government does such a thing? But we saw that Israel did it. Such an act was only possible with America's encouragement and Israel's confidence in America. Why did they do this? To extort tribute from the fighters and Mojahedin and Muslims and to force all the apparatuses of this country and other governments that they think have a connection or motivation regarding Lebanon issues to strive for the release of American hostages; that is, extortion through hostage-taking!

We have said many times that we do not support hostage-taking. We have said many times that the first government from which a hostage was taken in Lebanon was us. Our chargé d'affaires was taken hostage by the same Phalangists who are supported by America. We strongly condemn hostage-takers like the Phalangists and Israel and America — which supports them. We ourselves are not hostage-takers and do not encourage hostage-taking.

In comparing the hostage-takings that have taken place in Lebanon, are those oppressed Lebanese — whom we do not even know who they are — who capture an American spy who has come to their country, more condemnable, or is it Israel that comes to Lebanon and kidnaps the homeowner from his house and takes him away? Which of these two actions is uglier and more detestable? If a Lebanese is asked: why did you take an American colonel or another person hostage? They will say: this person came into my house and is spying; let him go so he does not get caught. But if Israel and America are asked: why did you come and take "Sheikh Obeid" from his house? What answer do they have to give? Is that hostage-taking detestable, or this one? Then the President of America, with complete impudence, says: we do not talk to hostage-takers!! You are the supporters of hostage-takers. The worst and most wicked of all hostage-takers is Israel, which is your puppet and protégé. This is their judgment in international matters, which is miles away from truth and humanity and justice. Americans are like this.

For the Iranian nation, nothing is more laughable and ridiculous than America claiming to negotiate with the Iranian nation and setting conditions for it and saying we will establish relations with Iran on the condition that such and such happens!! You are today, in the eyes of the Iranian nation, the most detestable governments after the usurping Zionist government. What need does the Iranian nation have for communication and negotiation with you? Who in the Islamic Republic system has negotiated with you? Our negotiation with America is this: in public forums, we warn and rebuke the leaders of that country and say you will not be able to influence our great and revolutionary nation and our country's officials with these methods and threats and temptations. Today, as in the past, we say: we do not want a relationship with America.

As long as America is in such positions, we reject a relationship with it. As long as America's policy is based on lies and deceit and crime and support for a vile government like Israel and oppression of oppressed nations, and as long as the memory of the crimes committed by American leaders against the Iranian nation remains in our nation's mind and has not been compensated — like the memory of the plane crash, like the blocking of the assets and properties of the Iranian nation in America — it is impossible for us to negotiate with the American government or establish any relationship with it.

Thanks be to God, our nation is an awake and alive and strong nation. We do not need a government like America for the welfare and construction of our nation and country. We have very good actual and potential capabilities at our disposal and can pursue the path of prosperity and welfare for the Iranian nation without relying on our enemies. Of course, we engage openly in global interactions. We cooperate with those who have not shown such blatant and shameless hostility towards the Iranian nation. We have always announced this. It has been like this in the past, and it is the same today. But if anyone in the world thinks that our country's officials will extend a hand — and that too a hand of humiliation — towards America for the construction of the country, they should know that they are gravely mistaken. Such a thing has not happened and will never happen.

You dear Iranian nation, you have maintained your reliance on God and your strength as always, and God willing, you will continue to do so. We observe that our nation is one of the strongest and most powerful nations. This nation is worthy of leadership and dignity. The nation that knows its worth and avoids accepting humiliation will be honored. The nations you see that have become humiliated, they themselves submitted to humiliation. Our nation, thanks be to God, is a capable and intelligent and active nation with the means of work and effort and construction; that too with faith in God and with unity of word. With the strength of management within the country and with the comprehensive effort and activity of officials and the government and all people, by God's grace, all problems will be solved in their appropriate time and will be eliminated. The enemy cannot focus on some of the problems that exist for all nations and think that these problems will weaken and tire our nation. Such a thing is not conceivable.

We hope, God willing, that our dear ones — whether prisoners or missing persons — first, until they are freed, will be under God's grace and favor and help and assistance. Secondly, God willing, the means for the release of these dear ones will be provided as soon as possible, and the hearts and eyes of their families and those waiting for them will be brightened by seeing them. O Lord! By Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, bestow your patience and reward and grace and favor upon these dear families.

Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings