Statements on the 24th Anniversary of the Passing of Imam Khomeini at His Shrine

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

We express our gratitude to the Almighty God for granting us another opportunity, a chance, and life to commemorate our dear Imam and to express our devotion and sincerity to that great man. Although the memory of the Imam is always alive among our people, the 14th of Khordad symbolizes the attachment of the Iranian nation to the great Imam. This year, these days coincide with the anniversary of the martyrdom of our Imam's esteemed grandfather, Imam Musa ibn Ja'far (peace be upon him); this year also marks the fiftieth anniversary of the significant and decisive event of the 15th of Khordad in 1342. The issue of the 15th of Khordad is an important matter and a significant turning point. I will briefly discuss this matter before we reach the main and necessary points.

The 15th of Khordad is not the beginning of the great movement of the clergy and the people. Before the 15th of Khordad, in 1341 and the beginning of 1342, significant events occurred: on the 2nd of Farvardin 42, the incident at the Fayzieh School took place, involving the beating and injuring of religious students and insults to the esteemed Marja' Ayatollah Golpayegani. Prior to that, in late 1341, demonstrations by the people occurred in the Tehran bazaar, where there were also insults directed at the esteemed Marja' Ayatollah Haj Seyyed Ahmad Khonsari. These events indicate that the clergy's movement had reached such a peak and vitality in 41 and the beginning of 42 that the police of the oppressive regime and the security apparatuses were violently confronting scholars, students, and even the sources of emulation. Nevertheless, the 15th of Khordad 42 is a very important turning point. The reason is that the incident that occurred on the 15th of Khordad 42 demonstrated the bond between the people and the clergy at this dangerous and sensitive level. On the day of Ashura that year - which was the 13th of Khordad - the great Imam delivered a decisive historical speech at the Fayzieh School. After the Imam was arrested, on the 15th of Khordad, a massive wave of popular movement erupted primarily in Tehran, as well as in Qom and some other cities, and the tyrannical regime, with all its might, with its army, police, and security apparatuses, resorted to suppressing this popular movement. On the 15th of Khordad, a popular uprising occurred. This indicated that the Iranian nation, with the clergy, with the source of emulation - of which the great Imam was the symbol - had such a strong bond. The point is that this bond is what guarantees the progress of the movement, the peak of the movement, and the victory of the movement. Wherever a movement relies on the people and the people accompany it, that movement can continue; however, if the people do not connect with a protest movement, it will remain unsuccessful; just as after the Constitutional Revolution in Iran, events occurred, struggles began, both from leftist groups and from nationalist groups, but all of these throughout the history of Iranian movements ended in failure and defeat because the people were not with them. When the people enter the field and the backing of a movement is the sentiments of the people, the thoughts of the people, and the presence of the people, that movement can continue and victory will be achieved for that movement; the incident of the 15th of Khordad demonstrated this; it showed that the people stood behind the clergy. With the arrest of the great Imam, such an uprising erupted in Tehran and in some other cities that the regime was forced to intervene and brutally suppress it; an unknown number - very many - of people were killed; the streets of Tehran were stained with the blood of God's servants and the believers and the valiant youth of this nation. On the 15th of Khordad, the harsh face of the dictator, the ruthless face of the tyrannical regime, was fully revealed.

However, another point that existed in the issue of the 15th of Khordad - which our youth and dear people should pay attention to; these are important - was that in the face of this ruthless massacre that occurred in Tehran and some other areas, no institution from the organizations of the world, from these so-called human rights organizations, raised a voice of protest; no one protested. The people and the clergy were left alone on the scene. The Marxists and leftist governments and groups even condemned the people's movement on the 15th of Khordad; they said it was a feudal movement! The nationalists who claimed to be fighting also condemned this movement; they said it was a blind and aimless movement, an extremist movement! Wherever the comfort-seeking and ease-seeking people do not carve out a place for themselves in the midst of the struggle and do not take risks, they accuse the faithful and fighting individuals of extremism and radicalism; they said these were extremists; the movement was an extremist movement. The Imam, backed by these people, was left alone in the field; but in the true sense of the word, he showed a decisive and determined heavenly and spiritual leader to all the people and to history.

Three beliefs existed in our great Imam, which gave him decisiveness, courage, and perseverance: belief in God, belief in the people, and belief in oneself. These three beliefs manifested themselves in the true sense of the word in the being of the Imam, in the decisions of the Imam, in all the movements of the Imam. The Imam spoke to the people with his heart, and the people responded to him with their souls, they came to the field and stood bravely, and a movement that had no kind gaze from any corner of the world and no helping hand was gradually moving towards victory and ultimately achieved victory.

I will elaborate a bit on these three beliefs that existed in the Imam. These are important matters that if they open a place in our hearts, they will clarify our path of movement.

In belief in God, the Imam was the embodiment of this noble verse: "Those to whom the people said, 'Indeed, the people have gathered against you, so fear them.' But it increased them in faith, and they said, 'Sufficient for us is God, and He is the best disposer of affairs.'" The Imam expressed "Sufficient for us is God, and He is the best disposer of affairs" with all his being and believed in it from the bottom of his heart. The Imam had trust in the Almighty God, was certain of God's promise, acted and spoke for God, and knew that "If you support God, He will support you" is a divine promise that is certain and unbreakable.

In belief in the people, the great Imam truly recognized the Iranian nation. The Imam believed that this nation is a nation with deep faith, intelligent, and courageous; that if capable leaders emerge among them, this nation can shine like the sun in various fields; the Imam accepted this. If one day an unworthy element like Shah Sultan Hussein caused the Iranian nation to retreat into its shell, on another day, a brave man like Nader Qoli - without those titles and epithets - when he appears among the people and courageously takes on the leadership of the people, this nation can expand its field of glorious movement from Delhi to the Black Sea; the Imam had seen this in history, had observed similar instances, and had faith and belief in this matter; he recognized the Iranian nation and trusted the Iranian nation. The deep faith of the people, which had been hidden and concealed under the layers created by the worldly seekers, the great Imam brought forth this unchangeable deep faith; he awakened the religious zeal of the people, and the Iranian nation became a model of perseverance and insight. The people were the dearest in the eyes of the great Imam; the enemies of the people were the most despised. The reason you observe that the Imam never faltered in the face of the oppressive powers was primarily because the oppressive powers were the enemies of the people's happiness, and the Imam regarded the enemies of the people as enemies.

In belief in oneself - self-confidence - the Imam taught the Iranian people "We can." Before the Imam instilled and taught "We can" to the Iranian people, he revived "We can" within himself; he manifested his belief in his own personal capabilities in the true sense of the word. On the day of Ashura in 42, the Imam, in the midst of isolation, among the students and people of Qom at the Fayzieh School, threatened Mohammad Reza Shah, who was ruling the country unconditionally and without restraint, relying on America and foreign powers, saying that if you continue this way, I will tell the Iranian people to expel you from Iran! Who says this? A cleric residing in Qom, without weapons, without equipment, without money, without international backing; only relying on faith in God and self-confidence, he could stand in this field. The day the Imam returned from exile, at the same Behesht Zahra, he threatened the Bakhtiar government and loudly said: I will hit the Bakhtiar government in the mouth; I will determine the government. This was self-confidence. The Imam had faith in himself, in his power, and in his capabilities. This belief in oneself was transferred to the Iranian nation through the actions and words of the Imam. My dear ones! For a hundred years, we, the Iranian nation, were led to believe that we cannot; we cannot manage our country, we cannot achieve dignity, we cannot build, we cannot move in the field of science, we cannot, we cannot; we had come to believe it.

One of the effective tools of the enemies for dominating nations is this instillation of "you cannot"; that nations become hopeless, saying we cannot do anything. With this trick, for a hundred years, the Iranian nation lagged behind in the fields of politics, science, economy, and all areas of life. The Imam turned the matter around, took this tool of domination from the superpowers, and told the Iranian nation "You can"; he restored courage to us, restored determination and decisiveness to us, restored self-confidence to us, and we, the Iranian nation, felt we could; we moved, we acted; thus, the Iranian nation has succeeded in all fields - which I will briefly mention - in these thirty-some years.

These three beliefs in the Imam - namely belief in God, belief in the people, belief in oneself - became the axis of all his decisions, all his actions, and all his policies. At the beginning of the movement, these three beliefs empowered the Imam; during the period of exile, the same; when the Imam moved to Paris, the same; when he returned to Iran, these three beliefs gave the Imam the power to enter Tehran under those conditions; in the events of Bahman 57, in the internal seditions, in the declaration of the Islamic Republic system, in the clear stand against the oppressive global order, in declaring "Neither East nor West", in the imposed war, and in all the events of that ten-year period of the Imam's life, these three beliefs were manifested in the Imam. The source of the Imam's decisions, the source of the Imam's actions, the source of the Imam's policies, were these three beliefs.

Until the last days of his life, no one found any sign of depression, doubt, fatigue, surrender, or submission in the words and actions of our great Imam. Many revolutionaries of the world, when they exit their youth and reach old age, become doubtful, become conservative; sometimes they even retract their main statements. The Imam's statements in the last years of his life were sometimes more revolutionary, sharper, and stronger than his words from 42; he aged, but his heart remained young, his spirit remained alive; this is the perseverance that the Holy Quran mentions: "And if they had remained steadfast on the path, We would have given them abundant water." In another verse, it states: "Indeed, those who say, 'Our Lord is God,' and then remain steadfast, the angels descend upon them." These three beliefs kept the Imam alive; kept him young; established the thought of the Imam and the path of the Imam for this nation, making it enduring and stable; then these three beliefs gradually became universal among our people, among our youth, among various classes; hope emerged, self-confidence emerged, reliance on God emerged; these replaced despair, replaced pessimism; the Iranian people changed their spirits, and the Almighty God changed their situation: "Indeed, God does not change the condition of a people until they change what is within themselves"; the Iranian nation corrected its path, its movement, its motivations, and the Almighty God helped them, supported them, and backed them. What was the result? The result was that the dependent Iran transformed into an independent Iran.

From the dependency of the tyrannical Pahlavi regime - which was worse than the retrogressive Qajar regime - on England and then on America, there are many things that our dear youth should know. Their dependency had reached a shameful state. After the revolution, one of the prominent American diplomats said and wrote this; he said we were the ones who told the Shah that you need this and you do not need that! They were the ones who said this relationship should be established, this relationship should be cut; produce this amount of oil, sell this amount; to whom to sell and to whom not to sell! The country was managed according to American policy, according to British policy and plans before that. This dependent country transformed into an independent, proud Iran. Corrupt, treacherous, money-hungry, and immersed in material pleasures and animalistic desires rulers governed this country; this transformed into representatives of the people; they gave way to rulers who were representatives of the people. In these thirty-some years, those who ruled this country, took power, and managed politics and the economy were representatives of the people. With all the weaknesses and strengths that existed in various individuals, this characteristic was common among them that they were representatives of the people; they were individuals who did not fill their own pockets - of course, one is weaker, one is stronger - this is a very important issue. Those greedy, treacherous, dependent politicians who were contemptible in front of enemies and angry towards the people transformed into representatives of the people. Our previously backward country scientifically transformed into an advanced scientific country. Before the revolution, we had no scientific achievements in the country. Today, others speak about us; global assessment centers judge Iran that the growth and acceleration of scientific progress is eleven times the world average. Is this a small matter? Scientific assessment centers predict that in a few years - by 2017 - Iran will rank fourth in the world scientifically. Is this a small matter? The country that had no scientific achievements transformed into this.

We were a country that if we wanted to build a road, a highway, a dam, a factory, we had to reach out to foreigners for foreign engineers to come and build dams for us, build roads, establish factories. Today, the youth of this nation, without the slightest regard for foreigners, are creating thousands of factories, hundreds of dams, bridges, roads, and highways in the country. Today, scientific and technical growth and construction capabilities in the country have reached this peak; is it appropriate that we do not see these?

In the field of health and treatment, for a somewhat complicated surgery, our patient had to wander in European hospitals, if they had money; and if they did not have money, they had to die. Today, in our country, the most complex major surgeries - liver transplants, lung transplants, significant work in the field of surgery and medicine - are being performed; not only in Tehran but in many remote cities. These capabilities exist today. The Iranian nation does not need foreigners in this very important and vital area; in this area, it has reached independence and self-sufficiency.

Many parts of this country were forgotten - I traveled a lot to various counties and different places before the revolution - the least attention was paid to the remote areas of the country; but today, various services are widespread throughout the country; in distant cities, in various villages. Today, it makes no sense for anyone to say that a certain place is deprived of electricity or, for example, of road infrastructure and the like. Back then, if a point in remote areas was equipped, it was a cause for surprise; today, the opposite is a cause for surprise. Back then, in a population of thirty-five million, before the revolution, there were one hundred and fifty thousand students; today, the population has doubled, and the number of students has increased twentyfold, or even thirtyfold; this means attention to science. The abundance of students, the abundance of professors, the abundance of universities is noteworthy. In every remote city, there is one, two, five, sometimes ten universities. Back then, there were provinces where the number of high schools did not reach the fingers of two hands; today, in those same provinces, in each city, there are several universities, sometimes several universities. This is the great movement of the Iranian nation that has occurred thanks to the revolution and the efforts of the youth and the efforts of the officials over these thirty-some years; these are significant events. Thanks to the revolution, numerous infrastructures were built in this country; thousands of factories were established in this country; mother factories were created in this country; products that we had to buy and procure piece by piece from foreigners are now abundantly produced in the country; these must be seen; all of these are thanks to the same three beliefs that the Imam instilled in this nation and awakened these beliefs in them: belief in God, belief in the people, and belief in oneself.

We do not say these things to create false pride; to be happy that, thank God, we have succeeded, it is over; no, we still have a long way to go. Let me tell you; if we compare ourselves with Iran during the Pahlavi era, these distinctions become apparent; but if we compare ourselves with the desired Islamic Iran - a country that Islam has desired for us, a society that Islam has desired for us; a society in which there is dignity, worldly prosperity, faith, ethics, and spirituality in abundance - we have a long way to go. I make these statements so that our dear youth and our brave nation know that they can continue this path with these three beliefs and move forward. Know that the path is long; but you are capable, you have power, you have potential; you can continue this long path until reaching the peaks, with complete capability, with the necessary speed and acceleration. These statements are made so that if the enemies want to instill despair in our hearts, know that they are acting with enmity; everything is a display of hope for us.

The roadmap is also in front of us. We have a roadmap. What is our roadmap? Our roadmap is the same principles of our great Imam; those principles that enabled him to transform that backward, humiliated nation into this advanced and proud nation. These principles are principles that will also be useful in continuing the path and will form our roadmap. The principles of the Imam are clear principles. Fortunately, the statements of the Imam, the writings of the Imam are available to the people in twenty-some volumes; their summary is reflected in the immortal will of the Imam; everyone can refer to it. We do not find it useful to cling to the name of the Imam while forgetting his principles; this is wrong. The name of the Imam and the memory of the Imam alone are not enough; the Imam, with his principles, with his foundations, with his roadmap, is an everlasting entity for the Iranian nation. The roadmap is in the hands of the Imam and he has presented it to us; the principles of the Imam are clear.

In domestic politics, the principles of the Imam are based on reliance on the people's vote; ensuring the unity and integrity of the nation; being popular and non-aristocratic in governance; the commitment of officials to the interests of the nation; collective work and effort for the advancement of the country. In foreign policy, the principles of the Imam are standing firm against interventionist and domineering policies; brotherhood with Muslim nations; equal relations with all countries, except those that have drawn their swords against the Iranian nation and act with enmity; fighting against Zionism; fighting for the freedom of Palestine; helping the oppressed of the world and standing against the oppressors. The will of the Imam is before our eyes. The writings of the Imam, the statements of the Imam, are available in books that have recorded the texts of his words.

In the cultural arena, the principles of the Imam are the rejection of Western permissive culture; the rejection of rigidity and stagnation and the rejection of hypocrisy in adherence to religion; a firm defense of ethics and Islamic laws; fighting against the promotion of vice and corruption in society.

In economics, the principles of the Imam are reliance on national economy; reliance on self-sufficiency; economic justice in production and distribution; defending the underprivileged classes; confronting the culture of capitalism and respecting ownership - these are together - the Imam rejects the oppressive culture of capitalism, but emphasizes respect for ownership, respect for capital, respect for labor; also not being absorbed in the global economy; independence in national economy; these are the principles of the Imam in the field of economics; these are things that are clear in the statements of the Imam.

The Imam's expectation from the country's officials was always that they could implement and advance these principles with authority, management, and wise and prudent administration. This is the roadmap of the great Imam. The Iranian nation, with its determination, with its youth, with this roadmap, with the faith that is firmly rooted in its heart, with the memory of its Imam, can bridge the current gap with that desired state. The Iranian nation can move forward. The Iranian nation, with its capabilities, with its talents, with the outstanding individuals who, thanks be to God, are present in the country, can continue the path that has been experienced over these thirty-some years of revolution with greater power and more resolute determination and, God willing, become a true and real model for the Muslim nations.

And now regarding the elections, which is a sensitive and alive issue of our days. My dear brothers and sisters! Dear Iranian nation! Elections are the manifestation of all three beliefs that existed in the Imam and must exist in us: it is a manifestation of belief in God, as it is a duty. It is our duty, our obligation to intervene in the fate of the country; every individual in the nation has this duty. It is a manifestation of belief in the people, as elections are the manifestation of the will of the people; it is the people who elect the officials of the country through this means. And it is a manifestation of self-belief, as anyone who casts a vote in the ballot box feels that they have a share in determining the fate of the country; they have determined it by their share; this is a very important matter. Thus, elections are both a manifestation of belief in God, a manifestation of belief in the people, and a manifestation of belief in oneself.

The main point in the issue of elections is to create a political epic; the epic presence of the people at the ballot boxes. What does epic mean? Epic means that honorable work that is done with enthusiasm and excitement. Every vote you cast for one of these esteemed candidates - these eight honorable gentlemen who are on the scene - is a vote for the Islamic Republic. A vote for any candidate is a vote for the Islamic Republic; a vote of confidence in the system and the electoral mechanism. The fact that you enter the arena of elections; whether it is the one who is a presidential candidate or the one who votes - like you and me - the very act of entering this field means trust in the Islamic Republic and trust in the electoral mechanism; secondly, it is a vote for someone who either you, or that brother and sister, or I have determined to be more beneficial for the future of the country.

Our enemies abroad, poor souls, think they can create a threat against the Islamic system from this election; while elections are a great opportunity for the Islamic system. They hope that the elections will either be cold, so they can say that the people have no interest in the Islamic system; or they will create sedition following the elections; just as in 88, after that enthusiastic election, they created sedition. The enemies of this nation are after these things. But they are mistaken; they do not know our people. The enemies of this nation have forgotten the 9th of Dey. Those who think that there is a silent majority in this country opposed to the Islamic Republic have forgotten that for thirty-four years, every year on the 22nd of Bahman, in all the cities of this country, massive crowds come out to defend the Islamic Republic and chant "Death to America." To cool the atmosphere of the elections, their think tanks sit behind the media and political spokespersons, constantly fabricating narratives and delivering them to the media. One day they say the elections are engineered, another day they say the elections are not free, another day they say the elections are not legitimate in the eyes of the people. They neither know our people, nor do they know our elections, nor do they know the Islamic Republic; where they do know, they act unfairly and have no shame in this unfairness.

Where in the world - anyone who knows, come and say - are candidates, from those well-known figures to unknown figures, allowed to use the national and state media equally? Where in the world is such a thing? Is it in America? Is it in capitalist countries? In capitalist countries, if they are members of these two or three parties and have the support of the capitalists and factory owners and the wealthy and the mafia of wealth and power, they can campaign; but if they do not have it, they cannot campaign at all. Anyone who has followed the American elections - I have followed them - will confirm this. There have been individuals who were not supported by the Zionists, not supported by the bloodthirsty international capitalist network, and whatever they did, they could not enter the election field; they had no media at their disposal, no television at their disposal; for every second, they had to spend a lot. In our country, candidates for representation can equally and fairly, without spending a single rial, sit there, for hours on end, with various programs, talking to the people; where in the world is such a thing?

The only thing that governs entry into the election arena is the law; according to the law, some can come, some cannot; the law has determined what the conditions are, what the qualifications are; those who determine the qualifications, who they are; all of this is done according to the law. That external enemy sits and closes its eyes to all these realities, speaks, and - as I have said before - unfortunately, the unfaithful voices and unfaithful tongues repeat the same. But the Iranian nation, with divine assistance, with its presence, with its steadfastness and resolute determination, will respond to all these tricks; and the response of the Iranian nation will be a decisive and resounding response.

I also have a word for the esteemed candidates. The esteemed candidates in these public programs, of course, open their mouths to criticism; this is their right; they can criticize anything that is subject to their criticism; however, they should pay attention that criticism should mean determination and intention to tread the path of effort and honor, not to mean blackening and negativity and unfairness; they should pay attention to this point. I have no opinion about anyone. From this moment, foreign media with malice and prejudice will say: So-and-so has an opinion about Zayd or Amr or Bakr or Khalid. This is not true; I have no opinion about anyone; I am stating the facts. I advise the brothers who want to gain the trust of these people to speak fairly; to criticize, but criticism should not mean blackening; it should not mean denying the very significant works that have been done, whether in this government or in previous governments, and that individuals like themselves have come to power and worked day and night to accomplish those works. Criticism should mean that one should mention the positive work, and also mention the shortcomings and weaknesses. Today, in our country, if someone comes to power, they do not need to start from scratch; thousands of significant infrastructures have been created for this country over the long years of various governments; science has advanced, industry has advanced, fundamental works have been planned and executed in various fields; these should not be overlooked; whatever they do, it should be from here onward. All this work cannot simply be denied on the pretext that we have economic problems today, inflation, and so on; this is not correct. Yes, there are economic problems, there is inflation; God willing, the one who will come later will be able to solve these problems, will also untie these knots; this is the wish of the Iranian nation; but this does not mean that if we have a solution for the problems in mind, we should deny everything that has been done and exists today. Then they should not make promises that cannot be fulfilled. I tell the various candidates to speak in such a way that if in Khordad next year they play your tape from today or broadcast it, you will not be ashamed; to make promises that if that promise is later thrown in your face, you will not have to blame this and that for not allowing it, for it not happening. They should promise to do what they can.

The President in our country and according to our constitutional law has extraordinary powers at his disposal. The President's powers in the constitution are vast; the President has the budget of the country at his disposal, all the executive branches of the country at his disposal, the arrangement of the execution of laws at his disposal, the ability to utilize all the experts across the country at his disposal; the President has a free hand in all matters. The only limitation for the President in our country is the limitation of the law; the law only limits him, which is not even a limitation; the law is a guide; it is not a limitation. The law shows the way of how to move.

Those who speak to the people today should share with the people what they are capable of doing and what the people need; they should promise that they will act with wisdom and prudence; if they have a program in any matter, they should present that program to the people; they should promise that they will proceed with diligence and steadfastness in this field; they should promise that they will utilize all the capacities of the constitution to fulfill their great responsibilities; they should promise that they will manage the affairs of the country; they should promise that they will address the economy - which today is the main challenge imposed on the Iranian nation by foreigners - well; they should promise that they will not create distractions; they should promise that they will not leave the hands of their associates and entourages free; they should promise that they will not prioritize the interests of foreigners over the interests of the Iranian nation under various pretexts. Some, with this erroneous analysis that we should give concessions to the enemies to reduce their anger towards us, practically prioritize their interests over the interests of the nation; this is a mistake. Their anger stems from the fact that you exist, stems from the fact that the Islamic Republic exists, stems from the fact that the Imam is alive in the minds of the people and in the programs of this country, stems from the fact that on the 14th of Khordad - the day of the Imam's passing - people across the country rise up; their anger is related to these things. The anger of the enemy must be treated and compensated with national power.

If the nation is powerful, capable, reduces its needs, resolves its problems, and today, when the economy is the main issue, can set its economy right, the enemy will remain defenseless against the Iranian nation. In any case, what is important is determination and will, belief in God, belief in the people, and belief in oneself, both for the candidates of the elections and for all the people. Ten days from now, my brothers! My dear ones! The arena is a great test, and we hope that, God willing, in this great test, a blessed epic with brilliant results for this nation will be written by the Almighty. "And there is no power and no strength except with God, the Most High, the Most Great."

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