Sermons of Friday Prayers in Tehran led by the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution

Sermon 1

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

Thanks be to God, the Lord of the worlds. We praise Him, seek His help, rely on Him, and ask for His forgiveness. We send blessings and peace upon His beloved, His chosen one, the best of His creation, the guardian of His secrets, and the messenger of His messages, the herald of His mercy and the warning of His wrath, our master and prophet, Abu al-Qasim al-Mustafa Muhammad, and upon his pure and chosen progeny, the guided, the Mahdi, the infallible, especially the Remaining One of God among the worlds. Peace be upon the leaders of the Muslims, the protectors of the oppressed, and the guides of the believers.

The Wise One says in His Book: "He it is who sent down tranquility into the hearts of the believers that they might add faith to their faith. And to Allah belong the soldiers of the heavens and the earth, and Allah is Knowing and Wise."

I advise and invite all dear brothers and sisters to observe the piety of God and to turn their hearts towards the Most Exalted God, seeking His mercy and grace at all times. If we adopt the piety of God, if we keep our hearts directed towards God at all times, and do not forget our presence before the sacred essence of the Lord — for the true meaning of piety is this — surely the divine blessings, mercy, and assistance will encompass us. In every Friday prayer, the hearts of the worshippers, focused on the Most Exalted God, should reflect upon this truth, this astonishing meaning; they should instill piety within themselves.

These days are connected to the blessed birth of the great lady, Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her), and they also coincide with the precious and valuable days of the month of Rajab; it is a time for remembrance, a time for supplication, a time for attention. The verse I recited gives glad tidings to the believers and reminds them of the descent of divine tranquility. Tranquility means peace in the face of various spiritual and social turmoils. This verse relates to Hudaybiyyah. In the event of the Prophet Muhammad's movement from Medina towards Mecca with several hundred of his companions for the purpose of Umrah — in the sixth year of the Hijrah — events occurred that caused turmoil in the hearts of the believers from several aspects. On one hand, the enemies had besieged them with equipped forces; they were far from Medina — Hudaybiyyah is near Mecca — the enemy forces relied on the stronghold of Mecca, they had power, weapons, and a large population; this was one aspect of the matter that caused anxiety and distress for many believers. On the other hand, the Prophet, according to that great hidden divine policy — which later became clear to everyone — made some concessions in front of the disbelievers who had come to confront him; they asked him to remove the names "The Most Gracious and The Most Merciful" from this document, and the Prophet accepted; and several issues of this kind arose. This also disturbed and unsettled some hearts, casting them into doubt.

In such cases, where various anxieties — whether personal or social — arise for the believers in Islam, one must await divine tranquility; then it is said: "He it is who sent down tranquility into the hearts of the believers"; God made their hearts firm, granted them peace, kept them away from spiritual turmoils, and the Muslims, due to this tranquility that God granted them, became at ease. The result of this divine tranquility and spiritual peace is that: "that they might add faith to their faith"; then the seed of faith grows deeper in their hearts, the light of faith illuminates their hearts more; their faith becomes deeper. This is why it is important for a group of Muslims, a group of believers, to have a good opinion of God, to know that God is their helper, to know that God is behind the seekers of the path of truth. When hearts are firm, steps also become steadfast; when steps are stable, the path is traversed easily, and one gets closer to the goal.

Throughout history, the enemies of Islam have sought to disturb and unsettle the hearts of Muslims. Many instances have occurred throughout Islamic history, and even before Islam, regarding the great jihad movements of the prophets before the noble prophet; believers who managed to maintain their faith found spiritual peace. This spiritual peace directed their movements towards the path of faith; they were not disturbed, they did not lose their way; because in times of anxiety and turmoil, finding the right path becomes difficult. A person who possesses spiritual peace thinks correctly, makes correct decisions, and acts correctly. These are signs of divine mercy.

Today, our revolutionary society, our faithful people, need to cultivate this peace, this tranquility, this calmness and dignity within themselves as much as possible. "Indeed, by the remembrance of God do hearts find rest." Remembering God preserves hearts in the turbulent events of the world and life. Value the remembrance of God. The days of the month of Rajab — as we mentioned — are approaching. The supplications of the month of Rajab are a sea of knowledge. In supplication, it is not only about bringing the heart closer to God; it is also about comprehensiveness. In supplication, there is both education and purification. Supplication also enlightens the mind — these supplications narrated from the Imams (peace be upon them) teach us truths and knowledge that we need in life, and they also direct the heart towards God. The remembrance of God must be greatly valued. This Friday prayer of yours is an example of the remembrance of God. "So strive toward the remembrance of God." Here, what should prevail over your hearts, your tongues, and your actions is the remembrance of God. The heart should remember God, the tongue should mention the sacred name of the Lord, and the movements of the hands and feet and the body should also be actions in the direction of remembering the Lord and obeying His commands. This is what each of us needs.

Let me tell you that from the beginning of the revolution until today — thirty years have passed — in various events, some of which could have uprooted a nation, could have plunged a country into a stormy sea where they would not know what to do or what to say — just as we see in some of our neighboring countries — this has happened for this country, but this sturdy ship, relying on your faith, your will, and your illuminated hearts, relying on the remembrance of God, did not experience any anxiety in these various storms. This is a sign of divine mercy; this is a sign of God's favors upon you, dear nation.

Receiving divine favors is one issue, preserving divine mercy is another issue. Let us not become arrogant; let us not, when we see the helping hand of the Lord, say: "We are indeed under the attention of the Lord" and neglect our duties; let us not forget the remembrance of God from our hearts. Especially to you dear youth across the country and wherever you are, I say: Youth! Value these pure hearts, these illuminated hearts, these soft hearts; quench them with the remembrance of the Lord; fill them with the remembrance of God, so that the Most Exalted God will continue His attention and mercy upon this nation. And you should know — I say this today — as I see this nation and as I am informed from the history of our predecessors in this country and in other countries, I am certain and confident that this nation, with divine grace, with the support and power of God, will achieve all its lofty goals.

Value this spiritual atmosphere of society; let not our political excitements distract us from God; let not the various disputes that arise in a free nation — which is a natural matter — distract us, so that we do not know where we want to go, do not know how we want to go. This revolution was founded from the beginning on the basis of pure and sincere faith, and the continuation of this path will also be based on this solid foundation.

Despite all these factors of deviation, thanks be to God, our nation is faithful, loves God, knows religion, and is interested in spirituality. Today, youth are immersed in confusion and turmoil in a world dominated by materialism; distance from spirituality has caused them to be bewildered; they do not know what to do; even their thinkers are at a loss; and some of them have realized that the way to rectify their affairs is to return to spirituality. But how can they bring back the lost spirituality, the spirituality that has been constantly attacked in Western countries for two centuries? It is not an easy task. However, our nation is not like that. Our nation has moved in this great current of spirituality, and with spirituality, it was able to bring about such a great revolution, with spirituality, it was able to raise an Islamic system based on spirituality, strengthen its foundations, and preserve it against various attacks and storms. Our nation was able to endure an imposed eight-year war with the support of this spirituality, with pride and victory. Today, most of our youth are faithful and spiritual. Even those who outwardly do not show spiritual inclinations, one sees in critical moments that their hearts are directed towards God. I have often said that in these nights of Qadr, in these days of I'tikaf, in these Eid al-Fitr prayers, what individuals, what people one would not expect, direct their hearts towards God.

O Lord! We swear to You by the Quran, we swear to You by the Imams (peace be upon them) and the noble Prophet, fill our hearts with spirituality more than ever. O Lord! Do not cut us off from the Quran and the Ahl al-Bayt. O Lord! Bestow piety, faith, and divine tranquility upon the hearts of this great nation. O Lord! Grant victory to this powerful and oppressed nation against its enemies. O Lord! Keep our hearts directed towards You. O Lord! Make what we say, what we do, for You and in Your way; and accept from us. O Lord! Convey our greetings to Your Wali and Your Proof and Your righteous servant, the Remaining One of God (may our souls be sacrificed for him); grant us the acceptance of that great one’s prayers for us.

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

By time. Indeed, mankind is in loss, except for those who have believed and done righteous deeds and advised one another to truth and advised one another to patience.

Sermon 2

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

Thanks be to God, the Lord of the worlds, and blessings and peace be upon our master and prophet, Abu al-Qasim al-Mustafa Muhammad, and upon his pure and chosen progeny, the guided, the Mahdi, the infallible, especially Ali, the Commander of the Faithful, and his beloved Fatimah al-Zahra, and Hasan and Husayn, the masters of the youth of Paradise, and Ali ibn Husayn, and Muhammad ibn Ali, and Ja'far ibn Muhammad, and Musa ibn Ja'far, and Ali ibn Musa, and Muhammad ibn Ali, and Ali ibn Muhammad, and Hasan ibn Ali, and the Awaited Mahdi, may blessings be upon them all, and upon the leaders of the Muslims, the protectors of the oppressed, and the guides of the believers.

I advise you, servants of God, to observe the piety of God.

In this sermon, I also invite all dear brothers and sisters participating in the prayer to piety and righteousness.

The issue I will address in this sermon is the issue of elections, which is currently the topic of the day in our country. I will address three points to three groups. One point is directed to our dear nation, wherever they are in the country. One point is directed to the political elites, the presidential candidates, and the activists and organizers of the electoral affairs. One point is also directed to the leaders of global arrogance, some Western governments, and the heads of the media they control.

Regarding the first point directed to you, dear people, my words are full of praise, respect, and gratitude. I do not like to speak with exaggeration or flattery towards my audience in speeches and sermons; however, regarding this election, I say to you, dear people, that no matter how much I speak with exaggeration, it is not enough; even if it sounds like flattery, there is no harm in it. You have done a great thing. The election of June 22 was a magnificent display of the sense of responsibility of our nation for the fate of the country; it was a magnificent display of the spirit of participation of the people in managing their country; it was a magnificent display of the people's attachment to their system. Truly, I do not find a similar movement that took place in the country today in the world and in these various democracies — whether they are superficial and false democracies or those that genuinely refer to the people's votes. In the Islamic Republic, apart from the referendum of 1979 — April 1979 — there is no other parallel for this election you held last Friday; participation was about 85 percent; nearly forty million in population. One sees the blessed hand of the Awaited One behind events of this magnitude. This is a sign of God's attention. I find it necessary to express my respect and humility to you, dear people, across the country.

Our youth generation, in particular, has shown that they possess the same political enthusiasm, political awareness, and political commitment that we saw in the first generation of the revolution; with the difference that during the revolution, the fiery furnace of the revolution stirred the hearts, and then during the war in another way; but today, neither of these exist, yet this commitment, this sense of responsibility, this enthusiasm and awareness exists in our current generation; these are not trivial matters. Of course, there are differences of opinion among the people, there are differences in votes; some accept one person, some accept another; this is natural, but one feels a collective commitment among all these individuals, despite their differing opinions; a collective commitment to preserve their country, to preserve their system. Everyone participated; in cities, in villages, in large cities, in small towns, various ethnicities, different religions, men, women, old, young, everyone entered this arena; everyone participated in this great movement.

This election, my dear ones! was a political earthquake for your enemies; for your friends around the world, it was a real celebration; a historic celebration. At the thirty-year mark of the revolution, for such people to express loyalty to this system and this revolution and that great Imam! This was a public and popular movement to renew the covenant with the Imam and the martyrs; and for the Islamic Republic, it was a breath of fresh air, a new movement, a great opportunity. This election showcased religious democracy to all the people of the world. All those who are adversaries of the Islamic Republic saw what religious democracy means. This is a third way. In contrast to dictatorships and oppressive regimes on one side, and to democracies far from spirituality and religion on the other side, this is religious democracy; this is what captivates the hearts of the people and draws them into the center of the scene. This has proven itself. This is one point regarding this election.

The second point regarding this election is that the election of June 22 showed that the people live in this country with trust, hope, and national vitality. This answers many of the claims that your enemies make in their biased propaganda. If the people in the country were not hopeful for the future, they would not participate in the elections; if they did not trust their system, they would not participate in the elections; if they did not feel free, they would not show a positive attitude towards the elections. Trust in the Islamic Republic was clearly demonstrated in this election. And I will later explain that the enemies have targeted this very trust of the people; the enemies of the Iranian nation want to shatter this trust. This trust is the greatest asset of the Islamic Republic; they want to take this away from the Islamic Republic; they want to create doubt, create skepticism about this election and this trust that the people have shown, so that they can undermine this trust.

The enemies of the Iranian nation know that when trust is absent, participation will weaken; when participation and presence in the scene weakens, the legitimacy of the system will be shaken; this is what they want; the enemy's goal is this. They want to take away trust to take away participation, to take away legitimacy from the Islamic Republic. This is far more damaging than burning a bank or setting a bus on fire. This is something that cannot be compared to any other loss. When people come to participate in such a massive movement with such eagerness, and then it is said to them that you made a mistake by trusting the system; the system was not trustworthy. This is what the enemy wants.

This line began before the elections as well; two or three months before this. I said on the first of Farvardin in Mashhad that they are constantly whispering in people's ears, repeating that there will be fraud in the elections. They wanted to prepare the ground. At that time, I warned our good friends inside the country and said that this narrative that the enemy wants to implant in people's minds should not be said. The Islamic Republic is trusted by the people. This trust has not been easily gained; for thirty years, the Islamic Republic, with its officials, with its performance, with its numerous efforts, has been able to deepen this trust in the hearts of the people. The enemy wants to take this trust away, to create doubt in the people.

This is also one point.

The third point is about the competitions. These competitions were completely free, serious, and transparent among the various candidates; everyone saw. The competitions, discussions, and debates were so clear and explicit that some protested against it — I will explain now — and to some extent, they are right. It also created some tensions, the effects of which we are still observing. I want to tell you that our assumption was and is that this competition among the four candidates is a competition among individuals and groups belonging to the Islamic system. What the enemies try to portray in various media — which are mostly owned by these wicked and vile Zionists — that this is a conflict between supporters of the system and opponents of the system, is not true; it was not like that; they are mistaken in saying this; this is not the reality.

These four individuals who entered the arena of this serious election are all elements of the system and belong to the system. One of them is our President; a hardworking, diligent, trusted President. One of them was the Prime Minister for eight years during my presidency. One of them has been the commander of the IRGC for many years and one of the main commanders during the Sacred Defense. One of them has been the head of the legislative branch of the country for two terms; he has been the head of the Islamic Consultative Assembly. These are elements of the system; they all belong to the system. Of course, they have differences of opinion, they have differences in programs, they have multiple differences in political orientations; but they are all from the system; these four are elements of the system. This competition was defined within the system; it was not a competition between the system and outside the system, which the Zionist radio and the American and British radio and others want to incite. No, it was a competition within the system and among elements affiliated with the system; they all have these backgrounds. I know them all closely, I know their thoughts, I know their preferences, I know their behavioral characteristics, I have worked closely with all of them.

Of course, I do not accept all the views of these gentlemen; some of their opinions and performances are undoubtedly subject to criticism; I consider some to be more suitable for serving the country than others; but the choice has been and remains with the people. The people chose. My wish, my judgment, was not told to the people, nor did the people need to observe it. The people acted according to their own criteria, they moved, they acted; millions on this side, millions on that side. Therefore, the issue is an internal matter of the system. To change the nature of the issue is entirely malicious and wicked. The conflict is not between the system and outside the system; it is not a conflict between the revolution and the counter-revolution; it is a disagreement among elements within the framework of the system.

Those people who voted for these four individuals also voted with belief in the system; they judged that this person is better for the country, that he is more committed to the system, and they voted for him. They voted for the one they considered more suitable for serving the system; the people acted within the framework of the system.

However, these competitions and debates, which were an important innovation; they were very clear; they were very serious. These debates hit hard against those who propagated from outside that these competitions were a show, that they were not real. They saw that no, it is real; they are standing seriously against each other, they are debating, they are reasoning with each other. Therefore, the debates and discussions were very positive in this regard. Of course, they had positive effects, but they also had flaws, which I will now address.

The positive aspect was that in these debates and discussions and in these televised speeches, everyone spoke clearly and freely, expressed their hearts' desires, a flood of criticism and critique was unleashed, and everyone was compelled to respond. They were criticized, and they came to defend themselves. The positions of individuals and groups were presented without ambiguity, without convoluted language, openly, in front of the eyes of the people; what their policies are, what their programs are, what their commitments are, to what extent; these were presented before the eyes of the people, and the people were able to judge. The people felt that in the Islamic system, they are not considered strangers; the system has no internal and external; everything was clear before the people, all opinions were expressed before the people, and it became clear that the people's votes would stem from these reflections and considerations. The people's vote is not ornamental. The right to choose truly belongs to the people; the people want to choose consciously and attentively. These debates demonstrated that. Certainly, one of the reasons for the increase of ten million votes compared to the last threshold of previous periods was that the minds of the people, the thoughts of the people were engaged, they came into the arena, they judged, they entered the field. These debates also spilled over into the streets, they entered homes, which raised the power of the people's choice. Such discussions and dialogues cultivate minds, elevate the power of choice. This is something desirable from the perspective of the Islamic Republic.

Of course, I want to say here that these discussions should not reach a point where they turn into bitterness and animosity. If that happens, it will have the opposite effect. If it remains as it was that day and stays within that limit, it is good; but if it is to stretch like this, to continue, to become a constant bickering, it will gradually turn into animosity. Of course, it is very good that such debates continue at the management levels — of course, with the elimination of the flaws that I will refer to later — and individuals, officials, put themselves in the position of criticism and accountability and respond and clarify. Many times, if a criticism is made against someone, it is an opportunity for them to clarify minds, to explain, to state the truth; this is very good; of course, with the elimination of the flaws that I will mention. If such debates continue throughout the year and over the four years, then when the time for elections comes, it will not create an explosive situation; all the discussions will have been said over time, heard; the criticisms, the responses, the answers. These were the merits of these debates that were very good; but they also had flaws that should be addressed. In some cases, one saw that in these debates, the logical aspect of the debate weakened; it became emotional and nervous; the destructive aspect prevailed; the blackening of the current situation was seen in an exaggerated manner; the blackening of past periods was also observed in these debates; both were bad. Accusations were made that were not proven anywhere; reliance was placed on rumors, and there were instances of unfairness; both unfairness towards this government with all its service volume, and unfairness towards past governments and the thirty-year period. The gentlemen became emotional during their speeches, and amidst good words, some unworthy remarks were made.

I, like the rest of the people, sat down to watch these debates on television and enjoyed the freedom of expression; I enjoyed that the Islamic Republic has been able to help the people to elevate their power of choice; but this flawed aspect of the matter saddened me; I was affected. For the supporters of the candidates, those flawed aspects, those insinuations, those explicit remarks were inflammatory and concerning, which were of course present from both sides.

Here, in the Friday prayer pulpit, in a sermon that is in the place of prayer, I must state the truths. Unfortunately, both sides shared in this flaw. On one side, the most explicit insults were directed at the lawful President of the country. Even two or three months before the debates, these speeches were brought to me, and I saw them or sometimes heard them; accusations were made, remarks were said; to whom? To someone who is the lawful President of the country, who relies on the people's votes. False accusations were made, the President of the country, who is trusted by the people, was accused of lying! Is this good? Fake records were created for the government, distributed here and there, which we who are in the loop know are false; they insulted; they called the President superstitious, a charlatan, and gave him these shameful labels; they trampled on ethics, law, and fairness.

This is from that side. From this side, it was similar; from this side, similar actions were carried out in different ways. The brilliant thirty-year record of the revolution was downplayed; the names of some individuals were mentioned who are the personalities of this system; these are the ones who have spent their lives for this system. I have never made it a habit in Friday prayers to mention individuals; but here, since names have been mentioned, I must mention names. Specifically, I must mention Mr. Hashemi Rafsanjani, and Mr. Nategh Nouri, and I must say. Of course, no one has accused these gentlemen of financial corruption; now regarding relatives and others, anyone who has any claims must prove them through legal channels, and before proving, they cannot be publicized. If something is proven, there is no difference between individuals in society; but if it is not proven, these cannot be raised and claimed definitively. When such remarks are made, incorrect perceptions arise in society, the youth think differently, understand differently.

Mr. Hashemi is well known. My acquaintance with him dates back to after the revolution and the responsibilities after the revolution; I have known him closely since 1957 — fifty-two years ago. Mr. Hashemi was one of the main figures of the movement during the struggles; he was one of the serious and persistent fighters before the revolution; after the victory of the revolution, he was one of the most influential personalities of the Islamic Republic alongside the Imam; after the passing of the Imam, he has been alongside the leadership until today. This man has gone to the brink of martyrdom many times. Before the revolution, he spent his own wealth for the revolution and gave it to the fighters. The youth should know these facts well. After the revolution, he held many responsibilities: he was President for eight years; before that, he was the head of the parliament; then he had other responsibilities. Throughout this period, we do not have any instance where he has made a personal gain from the revolution. These are truths; these must be known. In the most sensitive moments, he has been in service to the revolution and the system.

Of course, I have multiple disagreements with Mr. Hashemi, which is natural; but the people should not fall into delusion, think differently. Of course, there has been a difference of opinion between him and the President since the election of 2005 until today; there is still a difference; both in foreign affairs and in the manner of implementing social justice, there are differences; and in some cultural issues, there are differences; and the President's views are closer to mine.

Regarding Mr. Nategh Nouri, it is the same. Mr. Nategh Nouri is also one of the devoted personalities of the revolution; he has also done a lot of service, and there is no doubt about his attachment to this system and revolution.

Live televised debates are good; but these harms must be addressed. I mentioned this at that time — after the debates — to the President; because I knew he would take it into account.

Regarding the fight against financial corruption, the system's position is a clear one. In matters related to social justice, the system's position is a clear one. Corruption must be fought wherever it exists. I want to say this: we do not claim that there is no financial and economic corruption in our system; yes, if there were none, I would not have written that eight-point letter a few years ago to the respected heads of the three branches and emphasized it so much. Yes, it exists; but I want to say this: the Islamic Republic is one of the cleanest political and social systems in the world today. That we come to accuse the system and the country of corruption based on reports from some Zionist sources is absolutely incorrect. This is also incorrect to unjustly question individuals and officials regarding corruption; financial corruption is one of the important issues in the Islamic system and must be fought seriously; both in the executive branch, in the judiciary, and in the legislative branch. Everyone is obliged to fight this issue. If it is not fought, if it is not controlled, it will develop; just as many countries in the world — these Western countries that talk so much about fighting financial corruption and money laundering and the like — are deeply mired in corruption. You have heard about the issues of the British government and the British Parliament these days, and the whole world has learned. This is just one aspect of the issue; it is much more than this.

Let me summarize this section addressed to the people. My dear ones! The Iranian nation! June 22 was an epic. This epic became historical, became global. Although some of our enemies around the world wanted to turn this absolute victory of the system, this certain victory, into a dubious and questionable victory. Even some wanted to turn it into a national defeat! They wanted to sour your joy and prevent the highest level of global participation from being recorded in the name of you. They wanted to do these things; but it was recorded in your name. It cannot be manipulated.

The competitions are over. All those who voted for these four candidates are rewarded; God willing, they will have divine rewards. All of them are within the revolutionary front, they belong to the system; if they voted with the intention of seeking closeness to God, they have also performed an act of worship. The line of the revolution has forty million votes; not twenty-four and a half million, which is the vote for the elected President. Forty million voted for the line of the revolution.

The people are assured; but some supporters of the candidates should also be assured that the Islamic Republic does not betray the votes of the people. The legal mechanisms of elections in our country do not allow for fraud. This is confirmed by anyone involved in electoral matters and aware of electoral issues; even with an eleven million difference! Sometimes the difference between two votes is a hundred thousand, five hundred thousand, a million; now one might say that there was some sort of fraud, some sort of manipulation; but how can one commit fraud with eleven million! At the same time, I said this, the respected Guardian Council also agrees that if anyone has doubts and presents evidence, it must be investigated; of course, through legal channels; investigation must only be through legal channels. I will not submit to illegal innovations. Today, if legal frameworks are broken, no future election will have immunity. Ultimately, in every election, some win, some do not; no future election will be trusted and will not gain immunity. Therefore, everything must be followed up, carried out, and done correctly, according to the law. If there is truly a doubt, it should be pursued through legal means. The law in this regard is complete, and there is no flaw in the law. Just as it is the right of the candidates to supervise, it is their right to complain, it is their right to be reviewed. I asked the respected Guardian Council that if they want to recount the ballots, they should do so in the presence of representatives of the candidates. They should be there, count them, record them, and sign them. Therefore, there is no problem in this regard. This is regarding the elections and addressed to you, dear people.

However, my second address is to politicians, candidates, and the organizers of parties and movements. I want to say to these gentlemen that today is a sensitive historical moment for the country; look at the state of the world, look at the state of the Middle East, look at the economic situation of the world, look at the issues of our neighboring countries like Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. We are at a sensitive point in history. All of us have the duty to be vigilant at this historical stage, to be precise, to be careful not to make mistakes.

In this electoral matter, the people have truly and fairly fulfilled their duty. Their duty was to come to the ballot boxes, and this duty was fulfilled in the best possible way; but we and you have heavier duties. Those who have some sort of authority in the thoughts of the people; from these politicians and party leaders and political movement directors, and some of these people are listened to, they must be very careful about their behavior; they must be very careful about their speech. If they act a little excessively, the scope of this extremism will reach very sensitive and dangerous places in the body of the people, which sometimes they themselves will not be able to control, which we have seen examples of. When extremism arises in society, every extremist movement fuels the extremism of others. If political elites want to trample the law, or to fix an eyebrow, blind the eye, whether they want to or not, they will be responsible for the bloodshed, the violence, and the chaos. I advise all these gentlemen, these old friends, these brothers to be self-controlled; to have patience; to see the hands of the enemy; to see the hungry wolves lying in wait, who today are slowly removing the mask of diplomacy from their faces and showing their true faces; do not neglect these.

Today — I will explain now — the prominent diplomats of several Western countries, who until now spoke to us with diplomatic niceties, have removed their masks; they are showing their true faces; "Hatred has already appeared from their mouths, and what their hearts conceal is greater." The enmity they have against the Islamic system is being revealed; the most wicked among them is the British government. I say to these brothers, think about your responsibility before God: you are responsible before God, you will be questioned. Remember the last will of the Imam; the law is the final word; consider the law as the final word. What is the purpose of elections? Elections are for resolving all disputes at the ballot box. It must be made clear at the ballot boxes what the people want, what they do not want; not in the streets. If after every election, those who do not win rally in the streets, bring their supporters to the streets; then those who have won also rally in response, bringing their supporters to the streets, then why was the election held? What is the fault of the people? These people, whose streets are their places of business, their places of passage, their places of life, what sin have they committed? That we want to flaunt our supporters in front of them; one side in one way, the other side in another way. For the terrorist infiltrator — the one who wants to carry out a terrorist attack — his issue is not a political issue; for him, what could be better than hiding among these people; people who want to march or gather. If this gathering provides cover for him, then who is responsible for it? Now, the few people who were killed in these events; from ordinary people, from the Basij, who will answer for them? The reactions that will be shown to them — to use the chaos in the streets, to assassinate Basij members, to assassinate members of the police force — will ultimately create a reaction, an emotional reaction. Who is responsible for calculating these reactions? One's heart bleeds from some of these events; they go into the university dormitories, attack the youth, the students — those who are faithful and loyal, not the troublemakers — and then shout leadership slogans! One's heart bleeds from these incidents. Street power struggles after elections are not correct; rather, they challenge the essence of elections and the essence of popular sovereignty.

I ask everyone to put an end to this method. This method is not correct. If they do not put an end to it, then the responsibility for the consequences, the chaos, will fall upon them.

This assumption is also incorrect that some think that with street movements, they create a pressure lever against the system and force the system's officials to yield to their impositions under the guise of expediency. No, this is also incorrect. First of all, yielding to illegal demands under pressure, this itself is the beginning of dictatorship. This is a miscalculation; this is a wrong calculation. If it leads to consequences, those consequences will directly concern the commanders behind the scenes. If necessary, the people will also recognize them in their own time.

I ask all these friends, these brothers, to base their actions on brotherhood, to base their actions on understanding, to observe the law. The path of law is open. The path of love and harmony is open; walk this path. And I hope that God Almighty grants success to all to walk this path. Well, everyone wants the progress of the country. Let these dear brothers celebrate the victory of forty million and not let the enemy spoil this celebration; just as the enemy wants to spoil it. Of course, if some want to choose another path, then I will come again and speak more frankly with the people than this.

And now, my last address is to the leaders of global arrogance and the heads of the arrogant media. In these two or three weeks, I have been following the behavior and speech of the statesmen of America and the statesmen of several European countries; in these weeks close to the elections and the day of the elections and the night after the elections, and then in these two or three days after the elections. They had a variable and different situation. First, before the elections began, their media and statesmen aimed to create doubt about the elections, perhaps to reduce people's participation. Of course, they also anticipated the results of this election — both the Europeans and the Americans; but they did not expect this massive movement of the people; they did not believe in this 85 percent; they did not believe in forty million. After this massive presence was seen, they were shocked; they realized what a great event had occurred in Iran; they realized that they had to adapt themselves to this new situation; both in international affairs, and in Middle Eastern affairs and the Islamic world, and in the nuclear issue. They were shocked by the events in Iran; they realized that a new chapter had opened in the issues related to the Islamic Republic, which they must accept. This was when this massive movement of the people was seen, and from here, it was continuously reported through their agents, and they all expressed their astonishment; from that Friday morning, these statements began, and there were also some reactions to these statements.

When they saw the protests of some candidates, they suddenly felt that an opportunity had arisen for them. They seized this opportunity to be able to surf the wave. Their tone changed from Saturday and Sunday, and when they gradually noticed some of the popular gatherings that emerged in the streets at the invitation of the candidates, they became hopeful, and gradually their masks were removed, and they began to show their true selves. Several foreign ministers and heads of governments from several European countries and America made statements that revealed their true nature. It was reported from the President of America that he said we were waiting for such a day when the people would take to the streets. On the one hand, they write letters, express interest in relations, show respect for the Islamic Republic, and on the other hand, they say these things. Which one should we believe?

Inside the country, the agents of these foreign elements also got to work, and the line of street destruction began; the line of destruction, the line of arson, burning public property, making the business environment unsafe for the people, breaking the windows of people's shops, looting some of the stores, and depriving the people of their security in their lives and properties; the security of the people was violated by these. This has nothing to do with the people and the supporters of the candidates; this is the work of the malevolent, the work of the lackeys of Western and Zionist intelligence services. This action that was naively taken by some inside, tempted them, they thought Iran is also like Georgia (!). A Zionist American capitalist claimed a few years ago, according to his own claims reported in the media and some newspapers, that I spent ten million dollars to launch a velvet revolution in Georgia; I brought down a government, I brought in a government. The fools thought that the Islamic Republic, Iran, and this great nation are also like that. What do you compare Iran with?! The problem of our enemies is that they still do not recognize the Iranian nation.

What struck me as the worst and ugliest in this was the statements made by these American statesmen under the guise of concern for human rights and strictness towards the people, saying: We oppose such treatment of the people; we are worried! You are worried about the people?! Do you even accept something called human rights?! Who turned Afghanistan into a bloodbath and continues to do so? Who humiliated Iraq under the boots of its own soldiers? Who provided so much political and material support to the oppressive Zionist government in Palestine? In America itself — one truly wonders — during the government of the same Democratic Party, during the presidency of the husband of the same lady who is now making statements, eighty-some of the members of the Davidian sect were burned alive. This is no longer deniable. These gentlemen, these Democrats did this. The Davidian sect, as they call themselves the Davidians — for some reason, they were angered by the American government and went to a house and besieged themselves there. No matter what they did, they did not come out. They set the house on fire, and eighty men, women, and children in that house burned alive. Do you understand what human rights mean?! In my opinion, these European and American officials should consider shame and modesty as a duty for themselves. The Islamic Republic is the flag bearer of human rights. Our defense of the oppressed people in Palestine, in Lebanon, in Iraq, in Afghanistan, in every place where people have been oppressed, is a sign of this. It is a sign that the flag of human rights has been raised in this country through belief in Islam, faith in Islam. We do not need anyone to advise us about human rights. Well, these were my remarks regarding the elections.

One last address I would like to make is to our Master and Lord, the Remaining One of God (may our souls be sacrificed for him): O our Master! O our Lord! We do what we must do; we have said what we must say, and we will continue to say. I have a worthless life, a flawed body, and a little reputation that You have given us; I will sacrifice all of these in the way of this revolution and in the way of Islam; may all of these be dedicated to You. Our Master, our Lord, pray for us; You are our Master; You are the master of this country; You are the master of this revolution; You are our supporter; we will continue this path; we will continue it with strength; in this path, support us with Your prayers, with Your support, with Your attention.

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

When the victory of God and the conquest comes, and you see the people entering the religion of God in multitudes, then glorify the praise of your Lord and ask for His forgiveness; indeed, He is the Accepting of Repentance.

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