Statements to the Graduates of Imam Hussein University

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

I congratulate all of you dear youth and hopes of the future; both on the occasion of the successes achieved during your studies and your readiness for education at this university, and also on the great day of the Third of Khordad, which is an unforgettable day in the history of the Revolution, indeed in the history of our country.

Today's ceremony is a very good ceremony and at the level of the standards, like the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps itself, a blend of spirituality and spiritual and physical capabilities and intellectual and practical readiness, and a sign of the progress of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

My dear ones! The day of the liberation of Khorramshahr - which is actually the peak of the Operation Beit al-Muqaddas in Ordibehesht and Khordad of the year 61 - is a lesson and a source of admonition for all of us and for our history and future; because on this day, the self-sacrificing forces of the army and the Guard, with a remarkable and admirable coordination and with an indescribable courage and self-sacrifice, were able to deliver a tremendous blow; not only to the body of the Iraqi army but this blow was delivered to the structure of global arrogance that had positioned itself behind the war machine of the Ba'ath regime with its forces and equipment. No one imagined such an event would occur, but it did.

What was the main factor in this? Various factors can be counted; but the most fundamental factors were that spirit of trust in God and trust in one's own strength. If that day we had wanted to think based on ordinary and conventional calculations, no one would have judged that this incident could happen; but our youth, our faithful men, our warriors in the armed forces, with determination, with faith, with reliance on God and by putting their precious lives in their hands and not fearing death, entered the battlefield and brought about this great incident. The liberation of Khorramshahr is the peak of these honors, the fruit of these honors; but throughout the nearly one month that the Operation Beit al-Muqaddas lasted, there are hundreds of signs and verses of self-sacrifice in an astonishing manner.

I urge you dear youth, my dear children, to read carefully the account of this operation, which fortunately a part of it - only a part of it - has been written, and see what happened. See what our youth, our men, whose names would create a long book, did. If we want to mention individuals as examples and exceptions, we must refer to individuals like "Ahmad Motavasselian" - the brave, free, and self-sacrificing commander - who in this operation and in this great confrontation did what; what forces did they use. This sentence that has been quoted from our great Imam, which you heard him say, "Khorramshahr was liberated by God," is the most accurate and wise statement that has been made in this regard; exactly the same as "And you did not throw when you threw, but it was God who threw." The power of Almighty God manifested itself in the hearts of the warriors, in the iron will and determination of the warriors, in the patience of the warriors, in the strong arms of the warriors, in the creative power of the warriors. The enemy relied on material power. It is clear that material power does not have the ability to withstand and confront such a surge of spirituality and humanity. It has always been this way, and today it is the same, my dear ones! Today, material powers with all their might - with their money, with their industry, with their advanced technology, with their scientific advancements - do not have the power to confront and stand against that human collective that has taken faith, determination, and self-sacrifice as the indicators and criteria of their work.

Those who stood against the Iranian nation and its warriors that day are exactly the same as those who stand against the Iranian nation today; we must recognize them. That day, there was America, NATO, and the same England, France, and Germany. They provided chemical weapons to Saddam, provided military weapons, provided aircraft, provided war plans, provided up-to-date battlefield intelligence, and stood behind him, hoping to defeat the Islamic Republic of Iran, the lofty system of monotheism and spirituality, the raised flag of monotheism and humanity, the call for the freedom and independence of nations. They were behind Saddam, and today they are the same. Today, those who try to distort the facts with their propaganda, who themselves are the source of insecurity in most parts of the world, threaten Iran, are the same. Those who commit daily atrocities in Pakistan, who have been killing in Afghanistan for years, who have taken people captive; in Iraq in one way, in Palestine in another; those who stand behind the evil force of the occupying regime of Quds are the same and today stand against the Iranian nation. They were the same ones who stood behind Saddam in the year 61. They were defeated then, and rest assured they will be defeated today.

The Islamic Republic is not a republic like other governments and republics and non-republics in the world; it is a system with a message. The message of the Islamic system is a message that the nations of the world are thirsty for; it differs from a country, from a government, from any kind of political system that is only concerned with a geographical area; that too with people at its head, mixed and tainted with various human desires. Here the issue is about values; the issue is about humanity; the issue is about saving nations from the clutches of interventionist and domineering powers. Our Islamic system has a message for humanity. It is this message that has placed the world oppressors against the Iranian nation. If today were the first day of this confrontation, some might tremble; but today is not the first day. For thirty-one years, this confrontation has existed in various forms: military attack, political attack, economic blockade, various threats. Various leaders in power-seeking countries have come and gone, but the Iranian nation has stood firm. This solid foundation has become more and more glorious day by day. This fruitful and divine sapling, this pure tree in this fertile and prepared land, has become more and more rooted day by day. If the enemies of spirituality and Islamic values and the enemies of our dear Islamic Iran had hope that day, today they have no hope; they are trying with despair. They do not know the way, they do not know the Iranian nation, they compare today's calculations with those of thirty years ago, forty years ago, and fifty years ago, and the era of the unrivaled dominance of superpowers; this comparison is wrong. The world has changed, nations have awakened; therefore today you, the Iranian nation, and you young people who are the elites and distinguished youth of this nation - the dear youth of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps - are the hope of the hearts of nations. Many governments also have hope in you, they look to you. Although they know that the Islamic Republic does not interfere in countries, but the very essence of these messages, the very essence of this steadfastness, the very essence of this spiritual power that manifests itself in all arenas encourages them, compels them to stand firm. Today in Asia, in Africa, in America, even in Europe, there are many nations that have their eyes on you and admire you.

My dear ones! Value this opportunity of youth, this power, this talent. Value this opportunity for growth and flourishing that has been given to you. Both you and the youth of the army, the youth of the police force, and the pure and sacred body of the Basij must utilize the facilities available in this God-given country that have never been available to selected, faithful, and righteous youth before. Take advantage of these opportunities. Utilizing these opportunities is the greatest gratitude.

The separation of this university from the comprehensive university - which both of these universities are very valuable centers and bases established by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps - has been and is necessary for the benefit of the Guard and for the scientific, technical, and practical advancement of the Guard, and this work must be pursued seriously in both sections; both in the comprehensive university and in the officer training and Guard training university. Good professors, good managers, good youth, thanks be to God, are gathered. Each one should pursue their values, pursue their duties.

O Lord! Pour Your grace, mercy, and kindness upon this collection; O Lord! Place our dear Imam, who opened this bright path for us, among Your greatest mercy and grace; O Lord! Increase the ranks of our dear martyrs who, thanks be to God, are alive and will remain alive; unite us with those dear ones and convey the greetings of this collection to the holy presence of the Awaited Imam (may our souls be sacrificed for him).

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