Statements of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution in the Gathering of the People of Dasht-e Azadegan, Susa, Bostan, Hamidiyeh

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 Muhammad, and upon his pure and chosen progeny, the infallible guides, especially the Awaited One of God on earth.

It is a source of pride and honor for me to be here, among you, the seekers of light and the devoted lovers of the martyrs. I extend my greetings to all the dear brothers and sisters residing in this region, as well as to you, dear brothers and sisters who have come from various parts of the country to pay tribute to the martyrs.

If it were not for these dear martyrs, and if the faithful people in this region had not stood as a barrier against the enemy, the fate of our beloved and Islamic Iran would have been different. Today and tomorrow and in the days to come, this nation and this country owe their existence to the sacrifices of the dear martyrs who protected this vast region with their bodies and souls, preserving the independence of the country and the dignity of this nation. I have seen in this region people who spent their lives here - Arab brothers and sisters - who, with their courage, self-sacrifice, and loyalty to Islam and dear Iran, stood firm in such a way that all the calculations of the Ba'athist enemy and its foreign supporters were proven wrong. I have witnessed the valiant youth of this country who, from all corners of this vast land, left the comfort of their families and their easy lives beside their parents to come here and defend the borders of honor and dignity of Islamic Iran. Khuzestan is the point where the plots of the enemies failed; Khuzestan is the region where the calculations of the enemies of Islam were proven wrong. The tyrant of Iraq had calculated differently, and the supporters of Saddam - namely, America and other elements of global arrogance - had made other calculations. The determination of you people, the zeal of the Muslim youth from all over the country, and the fervor and faith of the men and women of this land invalidated their calculations from the root. Lives were sacrificed here for the lofty goals of Islam; this dear martyr of ours - martyr Chamran - is one of the prominent examples of that. May the memory of the martyrs be honored! May the memory of the martyred commanders and the fighters in the path of God be honored! May the memory of the martyrs of Khuzestan and the devoted Arab youth - from Ahvaz, Susa, Shadgan, Hamidiyeh, Hoveyzeh, and other areas of this province, as well as the martyrs of Abadan and Khorramshahr - be honored! They insured this country.

A message to global arrogance: Global arrogance should know that this nation is tempered steel. The men and women of this country and this land, the young and old of this great Islamic homeland, and the successive generations of this great nation, who have been tempered in the furnaces of events, consider themselves to have a mission; a mission to safeguard Islam and the raised flag of Islam in this land; a flag that today one and a half billion Muslims around the world are looking up to; this is the strategic depth of our nation and revolution in the Islamic countries of the region; in Palestine, in North Africa, in the Middle East, in Central Asia, and in the subcontinent; this is the strategic depth of the Iranian nation.

The second message is addressed to our dear officials; the officials of the country should appreciate this nation; the bond between the nation and the officials is something valuable. They should work with all their might for these people and all regions of the country; especially a region like Khuzestan, which is very talented both in terms of natural resources and human power.

We thank God that the government currently in power is a government of work; a government of work, a government of service. The nation wants this; men who roll up their sleeves and commit themselves to serving these people. When I came to Khuzestan in 1975, I moved around this vast region; I saw many places up close, and we also sent delegations to see many places; if the programs that were designed for Khuzestan nine years ago had been well executed, we would be much further ahead now. It is not too late now. Efforts must be made for Khuzestan and all provinces of the country with diligence, compassion, and wisdom.

And now I want to speak to you, my Arab brothers and sisters! In the beloved Arabic language. Once again, I feel a sense of pride and happiness, and cherished memories stir within me as I find myself in this region and among the esteemed Arab brothers and sisters.

Here, among you, the Arab citizens, I witnessed with my own eyes during the years of sacred defense the greatness of your jihad and the enormity of your sacrifices here in this pure land. I saw men and women filled with faith, vigilance, and courage who were as strong in thwarting the enemy's schemes as they were in overcoming its tanks and artillery and the vile Ba'athist agents. Here, I lived with hearts overflowing with loyalty to the family of the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) and with fidelity to the Islamic homeland, who turned their youth into pieces of iron and their men into impregnable fortresses to defend the borders of the homeland. I spent days and nights here with sincere and affectionate compatriots who had religious zeal and the bravery of Hussain and great glories recorded in their jihad against the English and their mercenary agents and on the path of the Islamic revolution and the independence and dignity of the homeland. These memories were revived in me in Ahvaz nine years ago when I met dear brothers who came from Hamidiyeh, Susa, Shadgan, Hoveyzeh, and other areas of Khuzestan. They were reflected in what the poets and speakers of this region expressed, which reached the ears of all Arab nations.

I am delighted to visit once again a gathering of you, Arab citizens. And to see before me, after reflecting on the past, a bright future for this sensitive region of our Islamic homeland. Dear brothers and sisters! There is no doubt that this province, with its immense capabilities and the efforts of its people and officials, can become a model for the development of the country. If the plans we laid out for this province during my previous visit had been fully implemented, we would today be much closer to the desired situation. But I know and am fully confident that this new government - which is a government of work and service - can, with God's help and strength, take significant steps on this path and bring us much closer to what we envision for our fellow citizens in Khuzestan. I take this opportunity to ask all the people of this province - Arabs and non-Arabs - to assist the government in the reconstruction of Khuzestan and bringing it to the desired state. As you know, the Iranian people have enemies; they do not want this country to achieve progress commensurate with its greatness, and they resort to various conspiracies, including undermining security and stability to obstruct reconstruction and prosperity efforts and to distract the government with daily problems. The proximity to the British occupiers in the provinces of Basra and Amara in Iraq, who have openly shown their enmity and malice towards the Iranian people for two centuries, paves the way for the conspiracies of the aggressors. However, the government of Iran and its people, especially the valiant people of Khuzestan, will overcome all these conspiracies, and with God's permission, they will turn the plots of the enemies back upon themselves.

We ask God, the Exalted and Almighty, to remove the evil of the occupiers from the oppressed Iraqi people and to grant both the Iranian and Iraqi peoples elevation, dignity, and progress under the banner of Islam and the love of the Messenger of God and his noble family (peace be upon them all). Amen, O Lord of the worlds.

And peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings.