Statements of His Eminence in the Presence of Tens of Thousands of Pilgrims and Various Segments of the People at the Doukuheh Barracks

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 Mustafa Muhammad, and upon his pure and chosen progeny, the infallible guides, especially the Awaited One among the inhabitants of the earth.

The great gathering that has formed at this historically significant point is a great sign of the appreciation of the Iranian nation. From all over the country, men, women, the elderly, and the youth have rushed to this point and other places that have been prominent and unforgettable in the history of the imposed war, and in truth, they have honored the memory of those young men, warriors, heroes, and believers to whom our country, history, and nation are always indebted. Of course, it is necessary to express gratitude from the heart and tongue to the dear people who have participated in this great gathering today from the cities of Dezful, Andimeshk, and Shush, as well as to the rest of our compatriots who have come here from all over the country.

The time and place are very sensitive. The time reminds us of the great and unforgettable movement of Hussein ibn Ali (peace be upon him). Today is the fifth day of the martyrdom of that noble figure; it is a time of fresh grief for the family of the Prophet. In such days, the early history of Islam witnessed one of the greatest events in human history. These days coincide with those sensitive and historic days. The place is also the Doukuheh barracks, where the Ashura martyrs of our time - our self-sacrificing and brave youth - gathered over the years of the Sacred Defense, and in this atmosphere, they translated their manly and faithful resolve to defend this country into action. This barracks and land have witnessed the sacrifices, sincerity, faith, and spirits filled with waves of purity and freshness that have emerged from the devoted and self-sacrificing Basij youth.

On the other hand, it is also the beginning of the new solar year and the spring season. This year, the spring of nature - which marks the beginning of our Iranian year - has coincided with the spring of spirituality. It is appropriate to consider these days, in terms of temporal coincidence, as one of the rare phenomena of our time. I, like a drop in this roaring sea, have come here to express my devotion and sincerity to those pure hearts and souls, some of whom have become martyrs and some, thanks be to God, are alive and have repeated the great tests of early Islam in this space and region.

Some people neglect the truths, and some impure hearts take advantage of the negligence of others and spread satanic intentions and vile goals in the atmosphere of neglecting the truths. Every heart that respects the truth, every human being who values spirituality, purity, sincerity, and humanity, must always cherish such places and memories. This is the duty of all of us, and I hope that your gathering, brothers and sisters, in this place - which is a manifestation of the feelings of the Iranian nation - will respond to the slanderers and awaken the ill-intentioned and misguided.

This year has been recognized as the year of "Husseini Dignity and Honor." This title and name can guide our behavior throughout the year. These titles that are designated for years and that the Iranian nation names each year are the eternal slogans of the Iranian nation and are not specific to one year. Just as I conveyed to the Iranian nation at the beginning of the new year, the year of "Alavi Behavior," which was the title of last year, does not mean that with the end of the year, the duty of Alavi behavior has been lifted from our shoulders; no. The officials of the country have a permanent duty to place Alavi behavior at the forefront of all their work and programs. The Islamic system will experience real disruption when it forgets that it has a great symbol and role model like Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him). The Alavi government must always be in front of our eyes, and we must move in that direction, desire it, and strive for it. The aspirations of the oppressed throughout the centuries will be fulfilled in a government that is administered with Alavi behavior, and nothing else. Throughout the long history, what pains have humans suffered the most? From injustice, discrimination, tyranny, and the oppression of usurping powers. They have also suffered from cruelty and fratricide; humanity has suffered from the ignorance that has seized the lives of people in the grip of tyrannical powers; humanity has always lamented ignorance, oppression, and unjust discrimination. The main deprivations of humanity throughout history have stemmed from the domination of the tyrants and the unworthy, the savage nature, cruelty, and warmongering; humanity has been deprived of its fundamental and natural rights.

The Alavi government leads humanity to justice, tranquility, faith in spirituality, purity, and brotherhood, true peace, and friendship; not like those who proclaim peace in the world but ignite the fires of all wars and stir up all the seditions among people. The Alavi system and government, by virtue of universal and comprehensive justice, keeps people in true security and tranquility. If Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) had been given the opportunity, he would have created a prosperous world, both materially and spiritually, filled with justice, tranquility, and true peace that humanity had never seen before. Today, too, such aspirations cannot be achieved except under the shadow of such behavior. Therefore, Alavi behavior is a perpetual lesson for us and is not specific to one year; of course, great goals can only be achieved over appropriate and extended periods with effort and struggle. Great goals cannot be attained through comfort-seeking, easily and without effort; planning and striving are necessary.

As I mentioned, last year two movements were initiated by the officials in the direction of Alavi behavior: one is the issue of employment and the other is the issue of combating corruption. This initiation is auspicious and both must continue. The meaning of employment is that a capable and ready-to-work youth should have the opportunity to strive and work to meet his personal needs and also contribute to the progress and prosperity of the country and its economy. This requires planning, which our government officials have started, and it must continue with seriousness; nothing should hinder its implementation. Whether it is the threat of America, whether it is political waves, whether it is factional conflicts, whether it is the selfishness of this or that, none of these should prevent the relevant officials of the government from pursuing their work in this employment issue - which is a very fundamental issue - with seriousness. A few months ago, I told the senior officials of this sector of the government that the group working to create employment in the country should operate like the war room of the Sacred Defense, which recognized no day or night. During the war and the Sacred Defense, for those groups engaged in planning the war, day and night, holidays and non-holidays, the beginning of the week and the end of the week had no meaning; they were constantly busy working. Today, efforts must be made for employment in the same way. Our youth must be able to use their strength to manage their lives and advance the country in the true sense; the country has the capacity for this. Fortunately, the officials - as far as I have seen and know - are committed and interested in this matter and must strive.

Everyone should know that the threats of the enemies of this nation and country - whether military threats or political threats - are not of great importance to this country and do not count as a real threat to this nation. This nation is a brave nation that has tasted dignity and independence. These youth - who make up the majority of our current generation - have never seen a foreigner dominating their country; however, our time was not like this. Our generation opened its eyes at a time when, due to the weakness of governments inside the country, foreign occupying forces were in control of everything. In our Mashhad, a foreign force from one government, in Azerbaijan a foreign force from another government; in Tehran itself, there were other foreign forces from various governments. Then, when they ostensibly withdrew their military forces, they left behind their political influences. Your previous generation saw the country in this way; the officials of the country were subservient and obedient to foreigners; however, today’s generation is not like this. Today’s generation sees its nation, country, officials, government, and system as always free, dignified, independent, and dear; all the symbols of the country are seen as having signs of independence, and they take pride in it; this is a generation that does not fear the threats of the enemy. Therefore, these threats are not a serious danger to the country. The serious danger for the country is the issues that we create ourselves. Creating discord, creating disbelief, creating despair about the future, instilling the existence of division and duality, instilling a sense of weakness in the face of the enemy - which some, unfortunately, do out of ignorance or malice - the feeling of incapacity in the officials of the country - which some promote either practically or verbally - is a source of danger for the country. Officials must pay attention, and our dear people must also be vigilant and recognize the enemy’s insinuations.

The next issue is the fight against corruption. There are two extreme and moderate tendencies regarding the approach to corruption. Some, when the subject of fighting corruption is mentioned, imagine that fighting corruption is a political excuse to confront this or that; this is wrong. Fighting corruption is fighting corruption! In any society, if a corrupt point is identified, controlled, and eradicated, corruption will stop; otherwise, it will grow. The difference between the Islamic system and a righteous system with corrupt systems that are defenseless against the spread of corruption is that here the main officials of the country and the well-wishers of society are endowed with righteousness; the program and behavior of the country is a program of righteousness. Of course, corrupt individuals do exist, but they must be dealt with. Some imagine that fighting corruption is a political movement; this is a wrong perception. Fighting corruption is not a political movement; it is a genuine and necessary action. Others, on the opposite side, go to extremes; that is, when corruption is mentioned, they think that corruption has taken over everywhere; no, it is not like that. What motivates us is the existence of corruption, even if in one sector, in one corner, and by a few individuals. We know that if this phenomenon is not fought against, corruption will become institutionalized and rooted, and in that case, eradicating it will become difficult. This fight does not mean that corrupt and depraved elements have taken all the reins of power in various sectors. Righteous, faithful, and well-meaning individuals in the institutions within the country - whether in the executive or judicial branches - are numerous, and they are the ones who execute and carry out their work with complete righteousness, and fortunately, they are the majority and the dominant face of the apparatus. However, one corrupt individual tarnishes the image of others. These two movements, namely creating employment and fighting corruption, must continue.

This year is the year of "Husseini Dignity and Honor." What kind of dignity is this? What is this honor? Whoever understands the movement of Hussein ibn Ali (peace be upon him) knows how this dignity is. This great Husseini movement, which has become so enduring in history, can be viewed from three dimensions and perspectives. In all three dimensions, what most captivates the eye is the feeling of dignity, pride, and honor.

One dimension is the struggle of truth against the powerful falsehood, which Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) and his revolutionary and reformist movement did. Another dimension is the embodiment of spirituality and ethics in the movement of Hussein ibn Ali. In this movement, there exists a battlefield that is beyond the social and political aspects and the open struggle of truth and falsehood, and that is the soul and inner self of human beings. Where weaknesses, desires, pettiness, lusts, and carnal whims within a person prevent them from taking bold steps, there is a scene of war; and that is a much more difficult war. Where faithful and self-sacrificing men and women march behind Hussein ibn Ali (peace be upon him); the world and its pleasures, the beauties of the world, fall away from their eyes in the face of the sense of duty; individuals whose embodied spirituality and inner essence have triumphed over the satanic forces - the forces of reason and the forces of ignorance mentioned in our narrations - and have remained as a group of exemplary, noble, and great individuals in history. The third dimension, which is more common among people, includes the tragedies, calamities, sorrows, and heartaches of Ashura; yet even in this third scene, signs of dignity are still observed; there is still pride and honor. Those who are thoughtful and reflective must pursue all three dimensions.

In that first dimension, when Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) initiated a revolutionary movement, he was a symbol of dignity and honor. Who was the opposite of Hussein ibn Ali? It was that corrupt, tyrannical government that "acts against the servants of God with sin and aggression." The main manifestation of this was that in the society under its power, it treated the servants of God and humans with oppression, aggression, arrogance, pride, selfishness, and self-worship; this was the main characteristic of that government. What was not important to them was spirituality and the observance of human rights. They had turned the Islamic government into the same tyrannical government that existed before Islam and in various periods of history. Whereas the most prominent feature of the Islamic system is governance; the most significant aspects of that ideal society that Islam seeks to establish are the form and nature of governance and the behavior of the ruler.

As the great figures of that day expressed, they had turned the Imamate into kingship. Imamate means leading the caravan of religion and the world. In a caravan where everyone is moving towards a lofty goal, one person guides the others, and if someone gets lost, he takes their hand and brings them back; if someone becomes weary, he encourages them to continue on the path; if someone injures their foot, he binds their foot and provides both spiritual and material assistance to all. This, in Islamic terminology, is called Imam - the Imam of guidance - while kingship is the opposite of this. Kingship, in the sense of hereditary monarchy, is just one type of kingship. Therefore, there are some kings in the world whose title is not king, but their essence is domination and tyranny over humans. Anyone, at any time in history - regardless of what their name may be - when they oppress their own nation or other nations, this is kingship. When the president of a government - which has always been an arrogant government, and today is exemplified by America - takes it upon himself, without any moral, scientific, or legal justification, to prioritize his own interests and those of his supporting companies over the interests of millions of people and to dictate terms to the nations of the world, this is kingship; whether it is called a king or not!

During the time of Imam Hussein (peace be upon him), they had turned the Islamic Imamate into such a thing: "acts against the servants of God with sin and aggression." Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) fought against such a situation. His struggle was to articulate, clarify, guide, and delineate the boundary between truth and falsehood - both during the time of Yazid and before him. However, what happened during Yazid's time and was added was that that leader of oppression and misguidance expected this Imam of guidance to endorse his government; "Allegiance" means this. He wanted Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) to be forced to not only guide and enlighten the people but also to endorse the tyranny of that oppressive government! The uprising of Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) began from here. If such an unreasonable and foolish expectation had not been made by the Yazid government, Imam Hussein might have raised the banner of guidance as he did during the time of Muawiya and the great Imams after him, guiding and enlightening the people and speaking the truths. However, due to ignorance, arrogance, and distance from all human virtues and spirituality, he took a step further and expected Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) to endorse this dark document that transformed the Islamic Imamate into tyrannical kingship; that is, to pledge allegiance. Imam Hussein said, "One like me does not pledge allegiance to one like him"; Hussein does not give such an endorsement. Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) must remain forever as the banner of truth; the banner of truth cannot stand in line with falsehood and accept the color of falsehood. This is why Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) said: "Heedlessness is not for us." Imam Hussein's movement was a movement of dignity; that is, the dignity of truth, the dignity of religion, the dignity of Imamate, and the dignity of the path that the Prophet had presented. Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) was the embodiment of dignity, and since he stood firm, he was also a source of pride and glory. This is the Husseini dignity and honor. At one time, someone may say something, express their intention, but then they do not stand by their words and retreat; such a person cannot take pride. Pride belongs to that individual, nation, and group that stands by their words and does not allow the flag they have raised to be swept away by storms. Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) held this flag firmly and stood by it until the martyrdom of his dear ones and the captivity of his noble family. Dignity and honor in the dimension of a revolutionary movement is like this.

In the dimension of the manifestation of spirituality, it is the same. I have said this many times that many people referred to Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) and reproached him for this steadfastness. They were not bad or insignificant people; some were among the greats of Islam; however, they misunderstood and were overcome by human weaknesses. Therefore, they wanted to defeat Hussein ibn Ali with the same weaknesses; but Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) remained patient and was not defeated, and each of those who were with Imam Hussein triumphed in this spiritual and inner struggle. That mother who proudly and joyfully sent her son towards this battlefield; that youth who renounced the apparent pleasures of life and surrendered himself to the field of jihad and struggle; the elderly men like Habib ibn Mazahir and Muslim ibn Ausajah who forsook the comforts of old age and the warm, soft bed of their homes and endured hardship; that brave commander who had a position among the enemies - Hur ibn Yazid al-Riyahi - who disregarded that position and joined Hussein ibn Ali, all triumphed in this inner and spiritual struggle.

On that day, those who triumphed in the spiritual struggle between virtues and vices were very few; however, their perseverance and insistence on steadfastness in that field of honor caused thousands upon thousands of people throughout history to learn that lesson and follow that path. If they had not triumphed over vice within themselves, the tree of virtue in history would have withered; but they watered that tree, and you have seen many in your time who have triumphed over vice within themselves and subdued their carnal desires through correct religious and rational sentiments and insights. This Doukuheh barracks and other barracks and battlefields across the country have witnessed tens and hundreds of thousands of them. Today, others have learned from you; today, throughout the Islamic world, those who are willing to triumph over falsehood and give victory to truth are not few. Your perseverance - both during the Sacred Defense and in the other great tests of this country - has recorded these virtues in our time. Our time is a time of close communications; however, these close communications are not always to the benefit of Satan and mischief; they are also to the benefit of spiritualities and authenticities. The people of the world have learned many things from you. That mother in Palestine who kisses her son and sends him to the battlefield is one example. Palestine has had men and women, old and young for many years; however, due to weaknesses and because in the field of spiritual confrontation, the forces of reason could not triumph over the forces of ignorance, Palestine fell into humiliation, and this situation arose for it, and the enemies dominated it. But today, the situation in Palestine is different; today, Palestine has risen; today, the Palestinian nation - men and women - has been able to give victory to spirituality within itself and triumph; and this nation will be victorious.

In that third scene, which is the scene of the tragedies of Ashura, there too, signs of dignity are observed; there is also pride and honor. Although it is a tragedy and martyrdom; although the martyrdom of each of the young men of Bani Hashim, the children, the little infants, and the elderly companions around Imam Abi Abdullah al-Hussein (peace be upon him) is a great tragedy and sorrow; each one carries a core of dignity and honor.

The gathering you have formed here is mostly composed of youth. In this Doukuheh barracks, tens and hundreds of thousands of youth have come and gone. Who is the embodiment of the self-sacrificing youth in Karbala? Ali Akbar, the son of Imam Hussein (peace be upon him); a youth who was prominent and exemplary among the youth of Bani Hashim; a youth who possessed both apparent and inner beauty; a youth who combined knowledge of the truth of Imamate and the guardianship of Hussein ibn Ali (peace be upon him) with courage, self-sacrifice, and readiness to confront the cruelty of the enemy, and devoted his strength and vitality to his lofty goal and ideal. This is very valuable. This extraordinary and distinguished youth went to the battlefield, and before the eyes of his father and the worried women, his blood-soaked body returned to the tents. Such a tragedy and mourning is not small; however, his movement towards the battlefield and his readiness for struggle is, for a Muslim, the embodiment of dignity, greatness, honor, and pride. This is what God says: "And to God belongs the dignity and to His Messenger and to the believers." Hussein ibn Ali (peace be upon him) also, by sending this youth to the battlefield, demonstrated spiritual dignity; that is, he firmly holds the flag of pride and the sovereignty of Islam, which clarifies the boundary between Islamic Imamate and tyrannical kingship, even at the cost of his dear son's life.

You have heard - in these days, it has been repeated many times - that whenever one of the companions and supporters of Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) sought permission to go to the battlefield, the Imam would not grant permission quickly. He would prevent some; to some, he would say to return from Karbala altogether. He behaved this way with the youth of Bani Hashim and his companions. But when Ali Akbar - his beloved son - sought permission to enter the battlefield, the Imam did not hesitate for a moment and granted him permission. Here, one can understand the knowledge of the son and the greatness of the father's position.

As long as there were companions, they would say, "We sacrifice our lives for you," and would not allow anyone from Bani Hashim - the children of Amir al-Mu'minin, Imam Hasan, and Imam Hussein (peace be upon them) - to go to the battlefield. They would say, "First, we will go and be killed; if after our martyrdom you wish, then you may go to the battlefield." When it came to the martyrdom and sacrifice of Bani Hashim, the first one to request permission to enter the battlefield was this responsible and aware youth; he, Ali Akbar, the son of the master and the son of the Imam, is the closest to the Imam, thus he is the most deserving of sacrifice. This is also a manifestation of Islamic Imamate; this is not a place to divide worldly interests, material profits, and carnal desires; this is a place of struggle and hardship; the first one to volunteer is Ali ibn al-Hussein, Ali Akbar. This demonstrates the knowledge of this youth, and Imam Hussein also shows his spiritual greatness in response to this act, and as soon as he requests, Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) grants him permission to go to the battlefield.

These are lessons for us; the same enduring lessons of history, the same things that humanity needs today and tomorrow. As long as human selfishness dominates a person, the higher their executive power, the more dangerous they become; as long as carnal desires prevail over a person, and as long as a person wants everything for themselves, the greater their power, the more dangerous, savage, and predatory they become. You see examples of this in the world. The beauty of Islam is that it allows those who have been able to at least pass some of these tests to rise up the ladder of power. The condition that Islam sets for responsibilities is to overcome many of these desires and whims. We officials must be more vigilant than anyone; we must control our hands, tongues, thoughts, eyes, and actions more than anyone; we need piety more than anyone. When impiety dominates a person, the greater their power, the greater the danger they pose to humanity. When the power to press the button of an atomic bomb is in the hands of someone who does not care about the lives of humans or the rights of nations and does not consider abstaining from carnal desires as a merit or value, it is dangerous for humanity. Those who today possess nuclear power and deadly weapons must have control over their souls and emotions, which unfortunately is not the case. Islam promotes these issues, and the reason for the enmity of the powerful against Islam is precisely this.

O Lord! Make us more steadfast day by day in keeping alive our Islamic ideals. Make us more determined and resolute in traversing this divine and Islamic straight path that You have placed before us. O Lord! Grant success and victory to the Iranian nation in achieving its great goals. Make the officials, who are the servants of this nation, successful in serving this nation. O Lord! Defeat and subdue the enemies of this nation. O Lord! Through Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, make the heart of the Awaited One joyful with us; make the souls of the dear martyrs pleased with us. O Lord! Gather those precious youths, those brave men who sacrificed their lives in the long battlefronts for the lofty goals of Islam during the years of the Sacred Defense and before and after it, with the Prophet; make the Iranian nation increasingly grateful to them. O Lord! Send down Your grace, goodness, mercy, and blessings upon these people.

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