Statements on the Twenty-Second Anniversary of Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified)

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, especially the Awaited One of God among the people.

Peace and God's mercy be upon the pure soul of Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified) and the martyrs of the Islamic Revolution. Today, once again, the Iranian nation commemorates the anniversary of our great Imam with this renewal of memory and remembrance, following the school of Imam and the path of Imam. Every year, the fourteenth of Khordad is an opportunity to present a part and dimension of the pure life of Imam and the blessed and clear line of that great man. This year, this day coincides with the first of the blessed month of Rajab. The month of Rajab is a month of divine mercy and blessings. It has been narrated from the noble Prophet of Islam that he said: "O God, bless us in Rajab and Sha'ban." This month and the month of Sha'ban are the passage for the believers towards the month of divine hospitality - the blessed month of Ramadan.

This year, the anniversary of the Imam coincides with another important event, which is the Islamic Awakening; an event and epic that our great Imam awaited, desired, and even foretold. The great Imam foresaw the awakening of the Muslim nations, and God Almighty granted that this foresight came to fruition, just as he predicted the fall of the Soviet government, and God Almighty made it happen.

Today, my remarks are in two parts, which I hope to present briefly. One part is a review of the great lessons of our great Imam; a review of the enduring school of our dear Imam, which is a treasure for the Iranian nation; an asset that the Iranian nation has relied upon to navigate the difficult passages that typically and conventionally lie in the path of a nation with such ideals. The other part is a look at regional issues.

Regarding the school of Imam, the dear Iranian nation knows well that the affection and love of the people for the great Imam is not merely a matter of a heart-felt and emotional attachment. Although the love for the Imam resonates in the hearts, this is not the whole issue; rather, the people's devotion to the great Imam means accepting the school of Imam as the clear and bright path of the general and collective movement of the Iranian nation; a theoretical and practical guide that leads the country and the nation to dignity, progress, and justice. Over the past thirty-two years, this has been the case in practice. Wherever we have succeeded in implementing the recommendations of the Imam, wherever we have been able to follow the Imam's guiding finger, we have achieved great successes. The people view the path of the Imam and the legacy of the Imam with this perspective. In these thirty years, our nation has been able to stand firm against the heaviest conspiracies. There have been military conspiracies against the Iranian nation, security conspiracies, economic conspiracies - these extensive sanctions have existed throughout these thirty years - and propaganda conspiracies - the vast media and propaganda empire has been fully engaged in working against and inciting against the Iranian nation - and political conspiracies. The Iranian nation, thanks to the school of the Imam and the path of the Imam, has stood firm against these conspiracies.

The school of the Imam is a complete package, a collection, possessing dimensions; these dimensions must be viewed together, considered together. Two main dimensions in our great Imam's school are the dimension of spirituality and the dimension of rationality. The dimension of spirituality means that our great Imam did not pursue his path solely based on material factors and material appearances; he was a person of connection with God, a person of spiritual journey, a person of attention, remembrance, humility, and invocation; he believed in divine assistance; his hope in God Almighty was an unending hope. And in the dimension of rationality, the use of intellect, prudence, thought, and calculations has been considered in the school of the Imam. I will say a few sentences about each of these.

There is also a third dimension, which, like spirituality and rationality, is derived from Islam. The rationality of the Imam is also from Islam, and spirituality is Islamic and Quranic spirituality; this dimension is also derived from the text of the Quran and the text of the religion; and that is the dimension of justice. These must be viewed together. Relying on one of these dimensions, while disregarding the others, leads society astray, leads it to deviation. This complete package, this complete collection, is the intellectual and spiritual legacy of the Imam. The great Imam himself, in his behavior, was attentive to rationality, was attentive to spirituality, and was fully aware of the dimension of justice.

I will present a few examples of the manifestations of the Imam's rationality. The first example is the selection of popular sovereignty for the political system of the country; that is, reliance on the votes of the people. The choice of popular sovereignty is one of the clear manifestations of the Imam's rationality in his life-giving and salvific school. For centuries, individual governments ruled over our country, and even during the period when the constitutional movement emerged in Iran and the rule of law seemingly became official, the despotism and dictatorship of the Pahlavi era was harsher, more painful, and more disastrous than the despotism of their predecessors. In a country with this history, our great Imam was able to achieve the success of institutionalizing the presence of the people and popular elections as a solid reality. Our people had never tasted the flavor of free elections, except for very brief periods at the beginning of the constitutional movement. In such a country, in such an atmosphere, our great Imam institutionalized elections from the very first step. You have often heard that over the thirty-two years since the victory of the Islamic Revolution, about thirty-two or thirty-three elections have taken place in the country, where the people freely went to the ballot boxes and cast their votes, leading to the formation of the parliament, the government, the Assembly of Experts, and city councils, among others. This is the most prominent example of our great Imam's rationality.

Another example of the Imam's rationality and his reliance on intellect and wisdom is his steadfastness and inflexibility in confronting the invading enemy. The Imam did not trust the enemy. After recognizing the enemy of the Iranian nation and the enemy of this revolution, he stood against them like a mountain. Those who thought and think that reason dictates that one should sometimes yield to the enemy, the Imam acted in direct opposition to this notion. The Imam's rationality and the mature intellect of this divine man led him to the conclusion that the slightest flexibility, the slightest retreat, and the slightest softness in the face of the enemy would lead to the enemy's advance. In the confrontation, the enemy does not feel mercy from the retreat of the opposing side. Every step back taken by the fighting nation in front of the enemies means a step forward for the enemy and their domination. This was one of the manifestations of our great Imam's rationality.

Another manifestation of the Imam's rationality was instilling a spirit of self-confidence and self-reliance in the nation. For many years, since the beginning of the dominance and entry of Westerners into this country - that is, from the early 19th century when the Westerners entered Iran - they constantly belittled the Iranian nation through their agents and assistants, making the Iranian nation feel inferior, convincing them that they could not achieve scientific progress, that they lacked the ability to stand on their own feet. The leaders of the Pahlavi regime and before them repeatedly belittled the Iranian nation. They made it seem that if any progress were to be made, if any great work were to be done, it had to be done by the Westerners; the Iranian nation had no capability. The great Imam instilled a spirit of self-confidence in such a nation, and this became a turning point for the Iranian nation. Our advancements in scientific fields, in industrial fields, and in various aspects of life are the result of this self-confidence. Today, our Iranian youth, our Iranian industrialists, our Iranian scholars, our Iranian politicians, our Iranian propagandists feel capable. This slogan "We can" was instilled by the great Imam deep in the hearts of this nation. This was one of the important manifestations of our great Imam's rationality.

Another manifestation was the drafting of the constitution. The Imam tasked the representatives of the people, elected through elections, to draft the constitution. The drafters of the constitution carried out this task with the election of the people. It was not the case that the Imam appointed a specific group to write the constitution; it was entrusted to the people. The people elected representatives based on their knowledge and understanding, and they drafted the constitution. Then the Imam once again presented this constitution to the people's votes, and a referendum on the constitution was held in the country. This is one of the manifestations of the Imam's rationality. See how the foundations of the system were solidified by the Imam in this way. Legally, politically, socially, and in terms of scientific advancements, the Imam established a solid and firm foundation upon which a great Islamic civilization can be built.

Among the issues that manifested the rationality of the great Imam was that he made the people understand that they are the owners and masters of this country. The country has an owner. This phrase was often uttered during the era of despotic governments, meaning that the country has an owner. Their meaning of the owner of the country were the dictators and tyrants who ruled over the country. The Imam made the people understand that the country has an owner, and the owner of the country is the people themselves.

The manifestation of spirituality in the great Imam, first and foremost, was his sincerity. The Imam did his work for God. From the beginning, whatever he felt was his divine duty, he carried it out. He did not shy away from sacrifice in this path. From the beginning of the struggles in 1962, the Imam acted this way; he moved forward with duty. He repeatedly taught this lesson to the people and officials that what is important is duty. We fulfill our duty; the outcome of our work is in God's hands. Therefore, the important manifestation of spirituality in the Imam's behavior was his sincerity. He did not speak, act, or take action for the sake of praise and commendation from others. What he did for God was blessed by God Almighty and became enduring. This is the nature of sincerity. The Imam repeated this recommendation to the officials as well. Our Imam commanded us to be people of reliance, to trust in God, to have good thoughts about the Lord, and to work for God. He himself was a person of reliance, a person of supplication, a person of seeking help from God, a person of worship. After the end of the month of Ramadan, when one saw the Imam, one could tangibly feel his radiance. He utilized the opportunities of life to draw closer to God Almighty, to purify his heart and soul. He also commanded others and said: We are in the presence of God. The world is the presence of God. The world is the place of divine manifestations. He directed everyone towards this path. He himself adhered to ethics and encouraged others to do the same. A significant part of spirituality in Islam consists of ethics, avoiding sin, avoiding slander, avoiding suspicion, avoiding backbiting, avoiding ill will, and avoiding separating hearts from one another. The great Imam adhered to these principles and advised the people and officials to do the same. Our Imam advised us not to become arrogant, not to consider ourselves above the people, not to consider ourselves above criticism, not to consider ourselves faultless. All the top officials of the country heard this from the Imam, that we must be prepared; if we are criticized, we should not say we are above having faults, we are above being criticized. The Imam himself was the same way. In his writings - especially in the later years of his honorable life - and in his statements, he repeatedly said, I made a mistake in such and such a matter. He acknowledged that he had erred in such and such a matter; this requires great dignity. The spirit of a person must be great to be able to perform such an act; to attribute oneself to mistakes and errors. This was the spirituality of the Imam, this was the ethics of the Imam; this is one of the important dimensions of the Imam's lesson to us.

The dimension of justice is also very prominent in the Imam's school. Although in a sense, justice also arises from rationality and spirituality, the prominence of the dimension of justice in the view of the great Imam places it more distinctly before us. From the very beginning of the victory of the revolution, the Imam insisted on supporting the underprivileged classes, repeated it, and recommended it. The expressions "the barefooted" and "the cottage-dwellers" were among the phrases that the Imam repeatedly used. He insisted that officials reach out to the deprived classes. He urged officials to avoid elitism. This was one of the important recommendations of the great Imam. We must not forget these. The danger of responsibility in a system that relies on the votes of the people and the faith of the people is that officials may become preoccupied with personal comfort; they may become focused on accumulating wealth for themselves; they may indulge in the desires of elitism, seeking this and that; this is a very great danger. The Imam completely distanced himself from this danger and repeatedly advised the officials of the country not to lean towards elitism and wealth accumulation, and to maintain close contact with the people. Those of us who were among the officials at that time, the Imam wanted us to have contact with the people, to be familiar with them; he insisted that services be extended to the farthest corners of the country; that the people in remote areas benefit from the public services of the country. These are related to the dimension of justice of the great Imam. The Imam insisted that officials be elected from among the people, that they be from the people themselves, and that affiliations should not be the criterion for accepting responsibilities. The affiliations to personalities, to families, the scourge of nepotism that plagued this country during the Qajar and Pahlavi eras, had made our great Imam sensitive to this issue. Sometimes, in praising an official, he would say: This person has risen from the hearts of the people. He considered this to be the criterion. In the view of the great Imam, reliance on wealth and power to obtain responsibility is one of the great dangers for the country and the revolution. Well, these are the dimensions of the Imam's line.

My brothers and sisters! Dear Iranian nation! This school has guided us through dangerous passages over these thirty-two years; it has elevated our national dignity and international honor. The country has progressed to the extent that it has adhered to this path; it has advanced towards its ideals. We must adhere to it, but we must consider all aspects together. If someone or a movement seeks to deviate from Islamic and revolutionary values in the name of rationality, this is deviation. If someone seeks to act irreverently towards the enemy in the name of rationality, to create dependency, this is deviation, this is treason. The rationality that exists in the school of our great Imam does not allow us to be oblivious to the enemy's deception, to be unaware of their schemes, to trust them, or to yield to them. The more one yields to the enemy, the more one loses the immense spiritual backing within the country and the nation.

Similarly, on another point: If we trample ethics in the name of justice-seeking and revolutionary behavior, we have suffered loss; we have deviated from the line of the Imam. If we insult our brothers, the faithful people, those who may disagree with us ideologically but believe in the system and Islam, in the name of revolutionary behavior and justice-seeking, we have deviated from the line of the Imam. If we seek to deprive a segment of the people of security in the name of revolutionary behavior, we have deviated from the line of the Imam. In the country, there are various opinions and beliefs. If a criminal title applies to an action or a statement, that criminal title is certainly subject to prosecution; the responsible agencies must pursue it and will do so; but if there is no criminal title, if someone does not seek to overthrow, does not seek to betray, does not seek to implement the enemy's orders in the country, but disagrees with our political taste, we cannot deny them security, we cannot deny them justice; "And let not the hatred of a people incite you to act unjustly." The Quran instructs us and says: Your opposition to a people should not lead you to abandon justice and forget it. "Be just"; even towards opponents, exercise justice. "It is closer to piety". We must all be vigilant, we must all be awake. This dimension should not overshadow the other dimensions.

The dimension of spirituality is the same. We are people of spirituality, we are people of submission, we are people of attention, we are people of remembrance; thanks be to God. The atmosphere of our society is filled with attention to God. Our Ramadan is a remarkable Ramadan; it is a spring of spirituality. Our dear youth are present in Quran sessions, in sessions of remembrance and supplication, in sessions of intercession, with such radiant presence that one enjoys it. In the coming days, the same retreat ceremonies that our youth initiate are a remarkable phenomenon.

In our youth, in the seminary of Qom, during the days of mid-Rajab, which are known as the days of retreat, perhaps in the Imam Mosque of that time, ten, fifteen, or twenty students - even in the center of the seminary, which is Qom - would perform retreats; this was not common, they did not know how. Today, in the universities of the country, thousands of students - both girls and boys - are performing retreats in university mosques, worshiping for three days, secluding themselves, and connecting with their God; the large mosques and great gatherings are another matter. This is spirituality. Our country is a country of spirituality, but our spirituality is accompanied and intertwined with a sense of responsibility. This spirituality must not separate us from our great revolutionary responsibilities; rather, it should assist in the revolutionary movement. Those who, relying on religiosity and invoking religiosity, seek to politicize society, to distance the youth from political engagement, are mistaken, they are going astray, they are deviating; these dimensions are interconnected.

Here, in the vicinity of the pure shrine of the Imam, in the presence of the pure souls of the martyrs who have been buried in this spiritual garden - Behesht Zahra - I bear witness that our nation has moved well along this path, has preserved the path of the Imam. I can see with my own eyes and testify that our revolutionary youth today, compared to the revolutionary youth at the beginning of the revolution, if they are not better in terms of faith, piety, and conviction, they are not behind either. I sincerely testify from the bottom of my heart and believe that the people have played the best role; they have preserved the values, maintained them, and stood by them; it was the people who thwarted the plots of our enemies.

I do not wish to elaborate on this matter; there is neither time nor perhaps is this the time for such discussion; but I will briefly and in passing mention that our enemies thought that with the passing of the Imam, the beginning of the collapse of this sacred system would be triggered. They thought that once the Imam was gone, gradually this flame would extinguish, this light would go out. Then, the funeral ceremony of the Imam, the emotions of the people, the massive movement of the people in support of the actions taken by the Assembly of Experts, disheartened them. They planned a ten-year program - this is my analysis, this does not mean I have information; it is an analysis supported by evidence - they hoped to see results ten years later. In 1999, when those events occurred, it was the people who thwarted those events. On the 23rd of Tir 1999, the people came out into the streets and nullified the enemy's conspiracy, which they had been planning for years, in one day. That day passed. The second wave was another ten-year plan leading up to 2009. They thought an opportunity would arise. They believed they had prepared the ground. The people had demands - people who are loyal to the system, faithful to the system - they thought they could exploit these demands; hence, the events of 2009 occurred. For two or three months, they stirred up Tehran - of course, only Tehran - for two or three months, they were able to occupy hearts and minds. Here too, the people came into the field. After the realities were revealed, on Quds Day, the people saw what these individuals truly desired, on Ashura they understood how deep their demands were, our dear people came into the field and initiated the epic of the 9th of Dey. Not only in Tehran but across the country, millions came into the field on the 9th of Dey, and then immediately on the 22nd of Bahman, they came into the field and ended the turmoil. This is the people's art. Greetings to the people of Iran. Greetings to the faithful, fighting, insightful, and aware nation of Iran. God willing, with divine assistance, the people will continue this path, this line, this ideal, and this determination until the end.

Fortunately, this great movement of the people has also borne its fruits. Thanks to the trust that the people have shown in the country's officials, thanks to the security that has been established with the presence of the people throughout the country, the officials have been able to expand their services and accomplish great works; immense infrastructural projects are being carried out in the country, which are a necessary condition for the progress of any country, and today these are being accomplished one after another; the people are witnessing this and, God willing, will see its fruits in the short and long term. Thanks to this security, which has been established with the presence of the people, the security conspiracies of the enemies are being thwarted, the propaganda conspiracies of the enemies are being thwarted. Thanks to this very presence of the people, the scientific and technological progress of the country is at a high level. Today, according to international statistics - not our own statistics - according to international calculations that are officially announced, the speed of our country's scientific progress is eleven or twelve times the world average; this is no small matter. This is stated by our opponents, our enemies announce it. Today, your young scholars have made such advancements in over ten important scientific and technological fields that they rank among the top in the world - that is, in the ranks below the top ten in the world; these are due to the presence of the people. The more this presence, this mutual trust, this sense of public responsibility continues, the more progress the country will achieve. This is the line of the Imam.

I would like to say a few words about regional issues. First of all, what has happened in North Africa and our region is very important and historic events. What happened in Egypt, what happened in Tunisia, this great awakening that has occurred in Islamic countries is one of those events that may take two or three centuries to produce such an occurrence; it is one of the very important and influential historic events. Of course, the Egyptian nation succeeded, the Tunisian nation succeeded; especially the victory of the Egyptian revolution is a very brilliant victory; it is a great achievement. In some other countries, like Libya, like Yemen, like the oppressed people of Bahrain, struggles are taking place; each has its own ruling. There too, the movements of the people are destined for victory; it may take time, but it will not be in vain. When the people awaken, when a nation feels strength and power and capability, nothing can obstruct their path. Of course, the enemies of the Muslim nations - that is, the system of domination, the Great Satan America, the treacherous and beastly Zionists - are busy at work and are trying to prevent these victories from being sweet for the people and from reaching the ultimate victory in the true sense of the word; but if we Muslim nations remain awake, listen to the call of the Quran - which commands us to patience, steadfastness, and stability, gives us hope - have no suspicion of God Almighty, be hopeful for divine promises, and work for it, undoubtedly these nations will achieve victory. Of course, in Libya, the policies of the Western governments are to weaken the country, to drain it of its strength; their policy is to continue the internal war until the country is exhausted, and then either directly or indirectly take control of the sensitive affairs of that country. Libya has abundant oil resources and is close to Europe; therefore, for the global arrogant powers, for America, and for the arrogant countries in Western Europe, it is very important; they do not want to easily let go of it; they want to weaken it. If they had left that country alone, the people could have prevailed, a popular and Islamic government would have come to power, which would have posed a danger to them; hence, they do not want this to happen.

In Yemen, a similar situation exists. Yemen is also important in terms of geography; it is significant in relation to some countries connected to America and in terms of political geography; they also do not want to allow the people to achieve victory. The policies of America and the West in these two countries are to prevent the people from achieving victory.

The people of Bahrain are also suffering absolute oppression. There, they want to introduce the movement as a sectarian and religious movement because they are Shiites; whereas this is not the case. Of course, the people of Bahrain are Shiite, they have been Shiite throughout history, they are a Shiite majority; but the issue is not a Shiite and Sunni issue; the issue is that this nation is oppressed; they are deprived of the basic rights of a citizen in their own country, in their own land, in their own territory. They demand their rights, they demand their right to vote; they say they want to be able to vote, to play a role in forming the government; this is not a crime; this is a legitimate right. Then the deceitful, hypocritical, and treacherous Americans, who claim to advocate human rights and democracy, intervene against the people in the case of Bahrain. Of course, they deny it, saying we are not involved, the Saudis are; but the Saudis could not have entered Bahrain without the green light from America, and create such bitter and bloody events in Bahrain. Therefore, the Americans are also responsible.

Let me mention two or three points; time has run out and has passed. The first point is that the main indicators in the popular movements of these countries are three things: one is being Islamic, one is being anti-American and anti-Zionist, and one is being popular. This indicator is common in all these countries. The Egyptian nation, which is a prominent nation in the Arab world and the Islamic world, is a nation that has initiated this movement, has brought this revolution into existence in its own country, is both Islamic and popular, and is explicitly anti-American and anti-Zionist. The other countries are the same.

Our position regarding these popular movements is clear: wherever there is an Islamic movement, a popular movement, and an anti-American movement, we are with that movement; but if we see that a movement has been instigated by the Americans or the Zionists, we do not support that movement. We are with the anti-American and anti-Zionist movements. Wherever the Americans and the Zionists intervene to overthrow a regime or occupy a country, we stand in opposition to the American movements. America cannot think or act in favor of the nations of this region; everything they do and have done until today has been against the nations of this region. This is our position.

The second point: These countries that have fortunately achieved victory - especially Egypt, which is a large country with a rich Islamic, spiritual, and cultural heritage - must be vigilant; the enemy has left through the door, but it must not return through the window. The assistance that they say America may provide to Egypt or any other country is itself a source of trouble. The Americans, through these very aids and dollars, consolidate their control over countries, impose their expectations; a nation that has achieved freedom must not be placed back under the oppressive grip of tyrants.

Everyone must be vigilant. Of course, the Egyptian nation is awake. The tremendous movement that the Egyptian nation undertook in protest against the previous regime's position regarding Palestine and Gaza and the Rafah crossing was a very valuable movement; it must continue. Egypt is an influential country in the Arab world; for this reason, those who wanted to bring the Arab countries to their knees before the usurping Zionist regime turned to Egypt. They imposed the disgraceful Camp David Accords on Egypt. After accepting the Camp David Accords in Egypt, other Arab countries gradually surrendered, became submissive to America; the issue of Palestine was completely removed from the decision-making scene of the Arab countries. They must be vigilant. They are sensitive to Egypt. One day after the era of Gamal Abdel Nasser, when the Westerners and the arrogant powers were expelled, they returned; this experience must not be repeated in Egypt. The Egyptian nation is awake, alert, and we hope that God will assist them in this regard.

Another point is that these suppressions are futile. When nations awaken, when they recognize their power, they will pursue this path, and God willing, the movements of the nations in the region - whether in those countries where movements are currently taking place or in those countries where such movements are potentially present - will achieve victory. The people in these countries will prevail, but they must be vigilant against the divisive movements of the enemies. Today, both in Egypt and in Tunisia, in North Africa and in other Islamic countries, the enemies are trying to create divisions. Especially since the Islamic Iran is the center of the movement against arrogance, they want to create distance between Islamic Iran and the countries; they want to create ethnic distances, sectarian distances. Even within these countries, they want to create divisions. Today in Egypt, some of these Takfiri and Wahhabi groups are trying to sow discord among the people of Egypt under various pretexts; we must be vigilant against these divisive tactics.

Our position regarding Palestine is also clear. We believe that the land of Palestine, the country of Palestine, belongs entirely to the Palestinians. Those who tried to erase Palestine from the map of geography made a mistake; such an event will not occur. Palestine remains. For several decades, usurpers have occupied it, but undoubtedly it will return to the Palestinian people and to the embrace of Islam; and this will happen. The Palestinian people are also awake. Palestine is not divisible; Palestine is entirely the property of the Palestinians. The Islamic Republic has announced the solution for several years. The solution to the Palestinian issue is not the American solutions and the like; these will lead nowhere. The solution is to conduct a referendum among the Palestinian people; any regime that they vote for in accordance with the referendum must govern all of Palestine. Then they themselves will decide what to do with the Zionists who have entered Palestine from abroad; this depends on the regime that arises from the votes of the Palestinian people.

O God! Grant complete victory to the Muslim nations, the Egyptian nation, the Tunisian nation, the Libyan nation, the Yemeni nation, the oppressed nation of Palestine under Your grace. O God! Increase Your blessings upon the dear Iranian nation. O God! Grant the pure soul of the great Imam and the pure souls of the martyrs the highest ranks of bliss. Include us among the recipients of the pure prayers of the Awaited One of God (may our souls be sacrificed for him).

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