Statements of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution in Meeting with Members of Friday Prayer Headquarters Across the Country

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

I welcome all of you dear brothers and sisters who have come from various parts of the country. Serving in this position and the role you have chosen to serve the faith and Muslims is a great honor. I also thank God that today I have the opportunity to have this heartfelt meeting with you, the devoted brothers and sisters.

These days mark the martyrdom of the great lady, Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her), and we hope that all of you, all of us, and the people of Iran will be included in the attention and affections of that great lady of both worlds.

Serving Friday prayers is a service to faith and piety; because Friday prayers are for the promotion of piety and the religious spirit among the people; just as serving Friday prayers is a service to the overall awareness of the Iranian nation; because Friday prayers are not merely a ritual act; they are inherently and intrinsically enlightening; they gather the vast community of Muslims every week and present it to both friends and enemies, and through the Friday preacher, the political situation is explained and clarified for them. Truly, Friday prayers in Islam have a remarkable composition; on one hand, they encourage people towards piety and chastity and turning away from carnal desires, and on the other hand, they inform people about political currents, the plots of enemies, the needs of friends, and the conditions of the Islamic world. The value of this great obligation must be greatly appreciated.

Today, thanks to the Islamic Revolution and the vigilance of our great Imam (may his soul be sanctified), Friday prayers have become a lasting tradition in the country. Before the Islamic system, our people were not familiar with the meaning and reality of Friday prayers. This is God's grace upon our nation - and is considered one of the blessings of the Islamic Revolution - that we were able to open this welcoming window towards spirituality and awareness.

Of course, the respected Friday preachers and those involved in the establishment of prayers have the greatest role in serving this obligation to the people, and all these services are commendable. Both you, the workers and laborers and servants of the Friday prayer headquarters in providing this great obligation to the people, and the respected Friday preachers and officials who attend to Friday prayers, share in this provision of grace. This must be appreciated. The people must also value Friday prayers, and the Friday preachers and other involved parties must increase the attractions of Friday prayers day by day. Our youth are thirsty for truth, understanding, and awareness. Friday prayers must be able to satisfy this thirst in a better manner. The general needs of the youth must be addressed. If we look thoughtfully at the conditions of our country and its past and ideal future, we will better understand the role of Friday prayers and the importance of this obligation.

The foundation of all goodness in society is piety. Individual piety means that everyone should strive not to deviate from the path of righteousness and truth between themselves and God. Political piety means that anyone involved in politics should deal with political issues sincerely, compassionately, and with concern. Politics, in the sense of scheming and deceiving and lying to the public, is not desirable in Islam. Politics means the proper administration of society; this is part of the religion. Political piety means that a person acts sincerely in the political arena. Economic piety means that if anyone must engage in economic efforts to make a living and simultaneously improve their environment, they should choose the right path. Usurping, consuming forbidden things, encroaching on others' property - especially public property - using the public's resources for personal gain, and sometimes cleverness that seemingly fits within the law, but one knows how corrupt and rotten its essence is, these are against economic piety. Social piety means dealing with people in various environments - whether in the workplace, social interactions, family, school and university, or administrative environments - with fairness, God-consciousness, trustworthiness, and honesty. If these examples are realized and practiced in society, most material and spiritual problems of the people will be resolved. Piety and abstinence mean a wide range of good deeds, good actions, good behaviors, and good abstentions.

One of the most important themes of Friday prayers is the recommendation to piety. Of course, this kind of piety cannot be realized merely through words and recommendations. Although speaking and advising play an important role and we should not overlook the role of expression, admonition, warning, and good tidings, which is the job of the prophets; however, the real recommendation to ourselves - whether we as Friday preachers, or we as workers and servants of Friday prayers, or we as planners and initiators of various sections of Friday prayers - is that we must make every effort in our actions and behaviors to ensure that this piety does not only manifest in our words; rather, it should also manifest in our actions. You see; in this dear Islam, these are very natural ways for guiding and properly administering society and the country.

In the realm of awareness-raising, the issue is also very important. In Friday prayers, people must become familiar with the currents and issues of the Islamic world and understand the truth. This has always been the case, but today it is more important than ever; why? Because the arrogant powers and global arrogance spend money to ensure that they can spread their lies, rumors, deceptions, and various propaganda tricks to the ears of the world's people and divert their thoughts from the path of truth. How much is said against the truth in the world! The radios that spend money like this and have government budgets allocated for them do so to divert people's thoughts in one or more places in the world from the path of truth and deliver distorted information to them, and as a person seeks to discern and understand, they change people's understanding so that their path changes. In such circumstances, informing the people is very important.

The reason I repeatedly advise the press and media to deal responsibly with the issues of the country is precisely because of this. The enemy wants to spread its content among the people through lies and deception. We must not become agents of the enemy and make the enemy's work easier, and present what they want to create in the intellectual and cultural atmosphere of our society through the press, media, and platforms to the people. This is a very serious mistake. If it is done intentionally and with awareness, it is a great betrayal, and if it is done out of negligence, it is a great error. We must be very aware and vigilant. Today, the methods of American domination and the hellish Zionist apparatus in the world are just this. You see the worst crimes and the most horrific massacres being committed against the oppressed and usurped people of Palestine; yet in public opinion, they portray the Palestinian as the oppressor, and the aggressor and executioner as the victim! Today, they utilize such propaganda. The enemies propagate against anything that opposes their domination and illegitimate interests. It is the same within our country. The path they have taken to confront this great and dignified nation and this dear system and country is precisely this propaganda. They know that if they intervene militarily in this country, this nation will hit them so hard that they will regret it. They know that the economic blockade and the economic efforts they have been applying against us for nearly twenty-three years have little effect. The economic blockade causes the faithful, sincere, and talented forces within the country to become more active and strive; just as during the imposed war when they besieged us and our nation needed military tools, our youth and thinkers sought to produce the military tools they needed at that time. The same applies to various other sectors. When a nation is besieged, that nation becomes more focused on itself and strives to utilize its inner potential. Thus, the economic blockade does not yield significant benefits. Of course, it harms the nation; however, what they want is not achieved.

In summary, the enemies have pinned their hopes on several things that both the Iranian nation and political elements must pay attention to.

The first goal is to dishearten and demoralize the nation regarding the Islamic system; most of their propaganda and rumor-mongering is directed towards this goal. The second point they hope for is to extinguish the beliefs and faith of the people, which have been the driving force for them in difficult times. The third goal is to ensure that the livelihood problems of the people - which the executive bodies and government officials are trying to resolve - remain unsolved. On one hand, they aim to create distrust and hopelessness among the people through rumor-mongering and negative propaganda against the system, the revolution, the Imam, and revolutionary values; on the other hand, they seek to obstruct the improvement of people's affairs and prevent the resolution of people's problems; and on one hand, they want to attribute any weaknesses that exist in the country - even those weaknesses that executive managers and governments have - to the Islamic system.

With all these actions, they aim to separate this nation, which is the true and real support of this revolution and system, from the revolution and system. Of course, they have tried, but it is certain that they will not succeed. The people have demonstrated their faith and commitment to their religion, beliefs, and lofty Islamic values, and today they are not deceived by the seemingly beautiful words that the enemies of this nation utter. You see today in the propaganda of the Americans and their statements - not only at the media level but also at the level of their leaders, representatives, and president - the term reforms in Iran is mentioned. Reforms is a beautiful word. The reforms that the Americans want to implement in Iran are pure corruption. They want to destroy the Islamic Republic, which embodies the faith and independence of the people. Reforms, in the eyes of the Americans, mean the destruction of the Islamic Republic. They want the Iranian nation to step on the blood of their martyrs, trample their faith, beliefs, and convictions, turn their back on their history and past, and submit to political and propaganda pressure. They oppose any real reform in this country. You see when the fight against corruption is raised and the executive and judicial bodies take action against corruption, the same propaganda apparatus of the enemies and their agents inside start a commotion and uproar against this movement. Are they supporters of reform?! They accuse the fight against corruption with various slanders to prevent it from happening; why? Because this is a fundamental task in the country.

Last year, we raised the issue of employment; this year we emphasized it again, and multiple sessions were held, and government officials diligently pursued this matter. However, the enemies, in order to distract the officials and divert minds to other places, carried out various malicious and vile actions in their propaganda to prevent the realization of employment, improving people's livelihoods, and alleviating youth unemployment in the country.

From the perspective of America, reformists are those who come to the streets of Tehran, break people's shop windows, or set people's cars on fire! Anyone who speaks against the interests of this nation, the revolution, and the Imam is considered a reformist by them! I insist that political factions separate their accounts and slogans from those of America and clarify what the Americans mean and what they want. Reforms must be defined. Real reform in this country is to eradicate poverty; there should be no discrimination, and there should be no administrative and economic corruption. They obstruct progress in these areas; then they express concern for the Iranian nation!

Today, the most popular government we know is the Islamic Republic. The foundations of this government are not only the votes of the people; the votes, emotions, and faith of the people are the foundations of the sacred Islamic Republic. It is sacred because it deals with the faith of the people and is intertwined with it. Yet they claim this system is not popular! These are the same people who support coup d'état and dictatorial regimes and countries that have never seen any assembly, votes, or elections. These are the same people who support the usurping Israel, with all its tyranny.

Today, America has no right to speak about democracy. The American government has no right to utter a word about reforming countries; they themselves are the center of corruption. Today, the greatest struggle against America is to work, strive, and struggle for the reform of the country's affairs; the Americans do not want this. Government officials and various sectors must genuinely work and strive to create employment, combat corruption, resolve the knots of people's livelihoods, and stimulate the economy of the country. Anyone who strives in these areas is waging the greatest struggle against America; because the Americans do not want the knots of this country and this nation to be untied; they want these problems to remain.

Government officials must consider the opportunity to work very precious; the true opportunity is this. Securing the country against American threats is that government officials should work sincerely for the people as much as they can and consider this opportunity precious. Sometimes one hears from some that they mention the opportunity, but what they mean is the opportunity to surrender to America: Sir! We missed such and such an opportunity(!) What opportunity? Surrendering to the bullying and greed of a world tyrant and an arrogant power is not an honor and is never considered an opportunity. Anything that is perceived as an opportunity for this task is a threat to national interests; it is not an opportunity. Opportunity means the opportunity to work for the people. Opportunity means the opportunity to confront the agents, tools, and enemies of America inside the country. You have witnessed an example of this and heard it from the media; these are the mysterious agents of the enemy. This is the same thing that I have repeatedly warned cultural officials about for the past seven or eight years, that the enemy's fingers are trying to culturally conquer the country and distort the thoughts of the people. Now see how confessions and truths are becoming clear.

Government and judicial officials must confront those who spread rumors and deceive the people. It is surprising; some do not cooperate with the fight against corruption, but rather oppose it. These same people spread the rumor of widespread corruption; that is, they make the people distrustful, as if a wave of corruption has taken over everywhere; they also practically disrupt the fight against corruption - in those areas where corruption exists. This can no longer be tolerated.

Both government bodies - the executive branch - and the judiciary and the parliament must pay more attention to their duties. The responsibility of leadership towards the people is to remind the officials of the three branches of their true duties, and if at any time they intend to take actions that lead to the deviation of the system and the country, to warn and remind them. The responsibility for the current affairs of the country lies with the relevant bodies - the government, the judiciary, and the parliament - but the responsibility of leadership is beyond these; it is a very heavy responsibility. Where the officials and managers of the executive branch, the judiciary, and the representatives of the Islamic Consultative Assembly intend to initiate actions that oppose the goals of the Islamic system, the leadership must stand against them, and by God's grace, it will be done. The fact that the propaganda horns of global arrogance mobilize against the leadership and some internal agents, either out of negligence or, God forbid, out of awareness, join them does not mean that one forgets this great divine responsibility. We believe in the Day of Resurrection and divine questioning; the questioning of Zayd and Amr is of no importance.

Our great nation has shown that it stands firm for Islam, the revolution, and Islamic values; it has understood correctly. The affairs of this country will not be resolved by anything other than the implementation of just and noble Islamic regulations. Nothing but Islam will prevent the domination of the enemy and the establishment of the tyrannical dictatorship that the enemy wants to establish in this country.

The enemy wants chaos in the country; disbelief to prevail; distrust in the government; and under the cover of this chaos and turmoil, to bring a dictatorship like that of Reza Khan to power; the same thing that was experienced once at the beginning of this century during Reza Khan's time and once again on 28 Mordad in Iran. 28 Mordad happened in the same way; a group of their internal agents stirred up propaganda and commotion, and the rioters flooded the streets. Following that was the sidelining of the clergy, the disillusionment of the people, and the arrival of America, leading to the harsh and dark dictatorship of Mohammad Reza. Today, they want to do those things again.

Of course, the people are awake, and today is not like those days. Today is not a day when America can act like it did on 28 Mordad, or when England could act like it did during Reza Khan's time. The youth who are ready to defend Islam in this country, these families, these believing and aware men and women, have formed a nation today that is a model and example for other nations. Other nations look to you and learn from you. As long as you stand firm - which, God willing, will always be the case - the hope and enthusiasm of Muslim nations for Islam will increase day by day, and God willing, the foundations of global arrogance will be shaken and will collapse at the hands of Islamic nations.

We ask the Almighty God to bestow His grace and favor upon you dear ones who have come from various points and upon all the people of Iran, and may the attention of the Awaited Imam (may our souls be sacrificed for him) encompass you, and may the pure spirit of Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified) be reunited with his saints.

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