Statements at the Joint Graduation Ceremony of Students from the Three Branches of the Islamic Republic Army

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

I congratulate all of you dear young graduates, your families, and the Islamic Republic Army. I sincerely thank the professors, managers, and commanders who have made this possible. Every year, I insist on participating in the graduation ceremony of young officers; this is due to honoring the place of knowledge, courage, and faithful militarism that some of our best youth acquire in these scientific and research centers, laying a foundation for their long years of effort and struggle. It is from among you young people that in the future great commanders, military geniuses, and those who can save a country in sensitive and dangerous situations will arise. It may be that a heavenly man will lead a proud army to a peak of glory for a country.

The faces that can save their nation, country, faith, and values against the onslaught of foreigners are formed, grow, and flourish among these young people. Militarism in the context of material culture is different from militarism in Islamic culture. In material culture, militarism means ruthlessness, violence, and blind obedience without awareness and knowledge. In material culture, a soldier, like his weapon, is a solid, lifeless, and inflexible entity; a tool in the hands of the wealthy and powerful. However, in Islam, militarism has a completely different meaning. A soldier in Islamic culture is a person who defends the highest values with knowledge and awareness. This defense means bringing forth one's life, existence, and health, and it signifies sacrifice; and what this defense is for are the highest human and divine values. Independence, dignity, pride, identity, and the inherent and religious values of a nation are defended. For these reasons, a soldier enters the battlefield with his life and existence. Thus, this soldier in Islamic terminology is a "Mojahed".

Jihad means striving and effort in the path of high values; and that is why "Indeed, jihad is a door among the doors of paradise"; jihad is a door to heaven. Today, look at the manifestations of material militarism in the world. In addition to the official forces of America and England, today in Iraq, tens of thousands of mercenaries have appeared on the battlefield only for money, wearing military attire. For them, children, the elderly, women, defenseless people, and the sanctity of people's homes hold no value; they cut everything down with the sword; this is the meaning of militarism in material logic. The life that is lost in this way is wasted like the life of an animal that dies and falls into a dump! There is no honor or brilliance following such a life. But that person who enters the battlefield to defend the nation and country, justice and truth, and to stand against the aggression and bullying of the centers of global power fights for value. Even if no one recognizes him and he dies unknown, in the heavens, divine angels point him out with their fingers; he does not die: "And do not think of those who were killed in the way of God as dead"; do not consider them dead; they are the eternal living and a source of inspiration. When this spirit arises in an army, that army becomes invincible. You see a group of young people with the weapon of faith and without advanced and complex equipment accomplishing what equipped Arab armies could not achieve; that is, they overcame the heavily armed Israeli army with complex tools and wrote this disgrace on their foreheads. They had neither atomic weapons, nor advanced tanks, nor ultra-modern aircraft; with the weapon of faith, with self-confidence, and relying on the supreme divine power, they used their primitive weapons in a way that a modern equipped army could not withstand against them. The secret of the believers' victory throughout the history of Islam has been this. Faith alone is not enough; faith must be accompanied by righteous action. Righteous action takes on a meaning in every place and every field. When a nation is threatened, righteous action means that individuals stand against the threats of aggressive enemies; they concentrate their resources; they utilize all their forces and talents; they mix knowledge, action, innovation, and courage together and stand firm against the bullying and aggressive enemy. When faith is accompanied by righteous action, a person is saved from loss; then nations become victorious. What the Islamic Iran has uniquely produced within itself is faith. Our enemies fear this factory and dread this production; the rest of the words are lies, excuses, and deception. You believing youth, the day you combine knowledge, faith, courage, innovation, and seizing opportunities and apply them in the field of knowledge and action, you will be the best products of this factory. If you see that the Islamic Republic has challenged the military movement of domination in all its spheres and has confronted the global system of domination for twenty-five years, despite all hostilities and sabotage, it is more alive, standing, rooted, and powerful than ever; the secret of that lies in this production of knowledge and faith. Strengthen knowledge and faith within yourselves. You are the chosen youth who have found yourselves in a critical period of this country's history; this is also your fortune. It could have been that you and I lived in a time when there was no opportunity for any work or effort. Once, a black despotism ruled this country; a worse day was when that black despotism served the enemies of this country and foreigners; thus, a bitter period passed over this country. At that time, in military attire, it was almost impossible for anyone to fulfill their duty. At that time, an Iranian soldier in the air force, navy, army, and in prominent military centers was humiliated by enemies and foreigners. The lowly ranks of the foreign army commanded the high-ranking officers of this country; they imposed their authority; they humiliated them; they both took and consumed, and they insulted and brought them to disgrace! Living in such conditions is very difficult for proud individuals. Proud individuals who could not endure at that time withdrew from the army. Today is a day when you know and feel and see with your own eyes that your country and nation, despite all the sabotage of the enemies, have completely blocked the path to the influence and domination of foreigners. We did not allow, and by God's permission, we will not allow the bloody and ugly claws of the enemy's domination to once again take control of this country. We stand against the enemy; we have relied on our God; we trust ourselves; we have faith and belief in our nation; we praise the greatness of this nation; we are proud of our flourishing youth, and we know that these youths, this great nation, and these proud and believing men and women in this country, in all circumstances, will close the path to the enemy's domination and thwart the enemy once again and for the umpteenth time.

Militarism in such a system is a source of pride, so take pride in your militarism. Do not limit yourselves to words; in action, be a believing soldier - that is, a Mojahed in the way of God. The condition of a Mojahed is readiness. Equip yourselves with knowledge, skills, experience, and advancements that human minds have achieved in all corners of the world, and teach others as well; complicate your minds and make the utmost use of the experiences of the sacred defense period. At that time, this air force and this army and the IRGC and Basij, with limited resources, under economic siege and with general sanctions, were able to stand against a front that, although its front lines were the Ba'athist soldiers of Saddam, its rear lines were all the military powers of East and West, receiving technical, scientific, intelligence, organizational, and managerial support from them. Against such a vast front, we were able to achieve victory over the enemy through the efforts of our youth, the efforts of our Basij, our IRGC, our army, our brave pilots, and the effective elements of various branches of our armed forces. Learn from this experience and familiarize yourselves with it. Consider your presence in the army as a valuable opportunity. We honor the memory of martyr Satari - whom I have known closely since the first days he founded this university - as well as the other dear martyrs of the air force and the martyrs of the three branches of the Islamic Republic Army and the martyrs of the IRGC and the oppressed martyrs of Basij and the martyrs of the sacred defense and before and after it, and we ask God Almighty for their elevated ranks.

For you dear young people and officers who will enter the units from today and will engage in serious work in various sections, I pray to God Almighty for a good outcome, capability, and success.

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