Statements of the Supreme Leader in Meeting with Foreign Guests Attending the Anniversary of Imam Khomeini's Passing

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

First, I extend a warm welcome to all the esteemed brothers and sisters who have come from various parts of the world, with faith and Islamic enthusiasm, to the Islamic Iran during these days to visit the shrine of our great Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified).

In our view, this period of time and this specific historical juncture is a remarkable and instructive one. If we were to choose the most extraordinary and astonishing phenomena of this world in this era, we must say that the most prominent is the fact that the course of world affairs is moving contrary to the desires and efforts of the dominant powers of the world! This is a sign of God's power. If one looks at the current events of the world with open eyes and reflection, and considers the movements of nations and the general movement of humanity, one will see that the general trend is against what the dominant powers of the world desire. Today, the clear manifestation of the power display of the world's bullies is America. This statement does not mean that the system of global arrogance does not exert effort with force and pressure for its purposes. Indeed, the world is full of signs of the oppression of the dominant powers everywhere. Especially those who are oppressed and pressured are those from whom the arrogance senses the scent of opposition and the overthrow of the dominant powers, mainly the Muslims of the world. However, considering all these, what ultimately progresses is what the enemies of Islam, the enemies of Muslims, and the enemies of oppressed nations fear and avoid.

If you look at the world's propaganda today, you will see that there is insistence that the method of Iran and Imam (may God's mercy be upon him) is considered a 'counter-value' in the eyes of the people and the Muslims of the world, especially the awakened nations and Muslims in awakened countries. When they want to accuse someone somewhere, they say: 'These people intend to establish a government like Iran or follow the line of Imam.' Some may, out of simplicity, become flustered in corners of the world and deny that 'No! We are not pursuing the path of Imam and the Islamic Republic and the method of Islamic Iran.' However, the truth is that the Islamic world has no choice but to follow the line of Islamic Iran and the path of Imam. If Muslims - anywhere in the world - and true followers of Islam seek salvation; if they want to repel the domination and power of the Great Satan; if Muslim nations want to pursue their path to salvation and if they want to free themselves from the pressure of America's imposition and the harms that global dominations inflict on nations, they have no choice but to follow the same path that Imam laid before the Iranian nation and pursued with power; the same path that the Iranian nation, by the blessing of steadfastness behind their great Imam, pursued.

My intention is not that Islamic countries are compelled to implement the same structures and specific activities and the same special system that we implemented in Iran. It is obvious that geographical and historical positions and the like create differences among Muslim nations. It is possible that in terms of implementation quality, each country has a different requirement than other countries. However, the essence and spirit of the matter; that which in Islamic Iran was the cause of victory and the spread of this thought throughout the world; that which was able to blunt the sharp sword of the superpowers over the Iranian nation and prevent them from doing what they wanted in this country, is encapsulated in one sentence that is the spirit of all things, and that is the spirit of steadfastness and not surrendering and not compromising and not showing flexibility in the face of power and global domination and America and the likes of America. This is the spirit of the matter.

A country may also be thinking of implementing and reviving Islam; but if the spirit of steadfastness and inflexibility in the face of the dominant power of America is not present, they will gradually be separated from Islam! A system may, at the beginning, propose the sweetest and most brilliant slogans and even start the movement based on those slogans. But if the spirit of non-surrender in the face of the comprehensive pressure of the arrogant powers is not present in that nation, that leadership, and that country, they will lose those slogans one by one! Does arrogance recognize limits?! Does arrogance stop at a point?! The fundamental secret of Imam's work and progress and the divine successes of that great man and exceptional leader was that he recognized the enemy and stood with all power and steadfastness, without the slightest trust in him and surrender to him.

At that time, there were two superpowers, and these two superpowers, despite having disagreements on ninety out of a hundred global issues, agreed on one point, and that was pressure on Islamic Iran and our revolutionary system. Therefore, you saw that the Iraqi regime, in its eight-year war with us, was able to use Russian, American, French, British, Brazilian weapons, and from all over the world. That is, everyone helped him; everyone stood behind him against Islamic Iran; everyone was hostile and at war with Iran, and these two superpowers cooperated seriously with each other against revolutionary Islam. But Imam did not hesitate for a moment; because he had faith in his path; he relied on God and believed in this nation. The nation also accepted their Imam; they knew him and stood behind him. All these factors caused this country and this system and that leader and this nation to stand against America and the Soviet Union of that day - which no longer exists today - and all of Europe and others. This is the secret of the matter.

You brothers and sisters have come from different parts of the world; from among various systems, with different traditions and customs, but with a single attachment; that is Islam. If you want to succeed in the victory of Islam; if you want to remove or reduce the pressure of America and other powers from yourselves and if you want to be safe from the domination of the tools and instruments of the world's bully politicians, the remedy for all this is in one word; a word that is the experience of Islamic Iran and the legacy of Imam for the Muslims of the world, and that is not surrendering to America. If you can find this steadfastness and recognize their pressure methods and stand against all of them, your victory is guaranteed and certain. Of course, striving is hard. The path of God is accompanied by troubles. But the goal is lofty. The goal is the salvation of humanity. The goal is the salvation of nations and countries from this degradation that the world of arrogance has brought upon the people of the world today. For such important goals, sacrifice and enduring hardship are justified, and the way and secret of progress is not surrendering. It should not be that arrogance, with its propaganda, causes the leaders of a struggle and the people of a country to think, 'What harm is there if we accept one word of what arrogance has asked of us?!' This one word - that is, surrendering to the enemy to the extent of one step - means failure. Arrogance is ruthless and heartless and is pursuing its vile and malicious goals. As soon as it senses the spirit of surrender and retreat in a nation, it will double the pressure.

See how today in the world they act against Muslims! This is because in every place, the executioners of Muslims have understood that the system of arrogance is pleased with the pressure on Muslims and their massacre; therefore, they freely harm Muslims! This is the situation of the Muslims of the Caucasus; this is the situation of the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina; this is the situation of revolutionary Muslims in Algeria; this is the situation of the revolutionary government in Sudan; this is the situation of the noble and struggling people of Afghanistan; this is the situation of the oppressed people of Kashmir; this is the situation of the oppressed Muslims of Iraq! In which part of the world are Muslims not harmed and pressured due to the malice of global arrogance and the global domination system?! What is the remedy other than the steadfastness of Muslims themselves; other than the alliance of Muslims; other than the unity of Muslims with each other; other than the awakening of Islamic societies and other than utilizing the great power of Islam throughout the world?

See what the usurping Zionists are doing to the nations of Palestine and Lebanon! There is not a day that they do not harm southern Lebanon and the Bekaa region. With more than a billion Muslims in the world, who should defend them? Should Muslims just watch and see the massacre of their children and women and their people in Lebanon and Palestine and remain silent?! All these underground resources, all this wealth, all these weapons are at the disposal of Islamic countries and Muslim societies. Why can't we defend ourselves? Because we are not united. Why are we not united? Because the governments that should guarantee unity have different goals: nationalist goals, infidel goals, non-Islamic goals. But the nations' hearts are with each other. Which two nations bear grudges against each other? The Iranian nation and the Iraqi nation, after eight years of war, embrace each other. War is not related to nations; differences are not related to nations; rather, they are related to governments that have non-Islamic motivations. This is where the remedy should be applied. The desires of the nations must be realized in countries and regions of the world, and governments must accept the path of the nations and follow that path. And this path is the path of returning to Islam, acting according to the Quran, and not fearing the enemies of Islam. Governments should not fear America; just as nations should not fear. They should not be frightened by America's threats and retreat. They must stand against the enemy's threats and rely on Almighty God, and God willing, the future belongs to us.

We hope that the dear Iranian nation and other Muslim nations throughout the world can correctly recognize the path and line of Imam - which is the path of Islam - and follow it well. God willing, may God humiliate the enemies of Islam and place the hand of the Islamic nation in the hand of honor and greatness.

Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings