Statements of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution at the Inauguration and Epaulette Awarding Ceremony of Imam Hussein (AS) Officer Academy

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

I congratulate all Basijis and the people of Iran on the eve of the blessed week of Basij; and also the beginning of your service, dear youth, who today have officially donned the sacred uniform of military service in defense of the Islamic Revolution; and I also congratulate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps for providing this organization.

The issue of military service and militarism - which we consider a sacred matter - is fundamentally different in Islamic logic from what has existed in the material logic of the world today and yesterday. In the logic of the material powers, militarism is a means to extinguish their own flames of power-seeking; a flame that does not extinguish and grows ever more intense in the hearts of the worldly and power-seeking individuals. Throughout history, the atrocities committed by the powerful and the wealthy have often relied on the very means and tools that their perception and understanding of militarism provided them. The logic of Islam is entirely different from this logic. In Islam, arming oneself is recommended for defending the rights of nations and the weak, and for establishing truth and justice as a value. All members of the Islamic community are obliged to prepare themselves for defending truth and reality, for defending their rights against aggressors, for establishing security, and for preserving their dignity. However, among all members of the nation, based on the division of responsibilities, a number of determined individuals with resolve and will, like the vanguards of the nation, don this sacred garment as a bastion and fortress of national security. Militarism, military service, and being armed in Islam mean this.

A youth who enters this field of honor and dignity with this resolve has entered the realm of worship from the very first moment. You dear youth are preparing yourselves today so that your collective becomes a secure bastion for the nation, the country, and the values of this great nation.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has the privilege that its inception was based on Islamic values from the very beginning. The continuity of this sacred institution requires individuals who can, even in conditions where the circumstances of the early Revolution and the Sacred Defense do not prevail, cultivate themselves with the same values and lofty goals and remain prepared. You dear youth are the continuers of the path of those personalities who, through their jihad, steadfastness, and resistance, and with their spirit of innovation, led the country safely through one of its most critical historical passages.

Equip yourselves intellectually, physically, and in terms of training, and strengthen your connection with God the Exalted. Your young and radiant hearts are ready for a connection with God. This connection empowers you in the most difficult arenas. Trust in God, reliance on God, and the feeling of a relationship with the Almighty God create dignity in a person, give them self-confidence, and bestow courage upon them. A nation needs these qualities to navigate through difficult challenges. Prepare yourselves in every respect. Let this nation continue to taste the flavor of security and mental comfort with the presence of valuable youth in the armed forces, and feel that, by the permission of the Lord, a strong fortress guarantees its security. The enemies, upon observing the readiness of the armed forces, will have a different perspective on the country and the nation. Many of their ambitions stem from the assumption of weakness in nations. Nations must not feel weak. You are the embodiment of the power, resolve, and will of the Iranian nation.

I beseech the Almighty God to grant you success; may divine blessings continue to encompass the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and may you always be a standard for the security and comfort of the Iranian nation and the protection of the values of the Islamic Revolution, in all times - whether or not a danger threatens this country.

May the blessed spirit of the martyrs and the pure spirit of the Imam of Martyrs be pleased with you, and may the prayers of the Awaited Savior encompass you.

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