Statements of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution in Meeting with Representatives of the Islamic Consultative Assembly

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

I welcome the esteemed brothers and sisters - the representatives of the Islamic Consultative Assembly. This is a cordial and good session. Although the presence of numerous cameras and news reports imposes certain obligations on me and you, the session, thanks be to God, is cordial and characterized by empathy. I express my gratitude to all of you brothers and sisters for the efforts you make in the Islamic Consultative Assembly and in fulfilling your responsibilities as representatives - some of which were mentioned by Mr. Karroubi in his remarks today - and I wish you all perseverance. I sincerely thank Mr. Karroubi for the difficult responsibilities he bears in managing the Assembly and for the burdens that this management imposes on him, and I also wish him perseverance.

I am inclined to begin my remarks with this noble verse that states: "In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. He it is Who sent down tranquility into the hearts of the believers that they might add faith to their faith. And to Allah belong the soldiers of the heavens and the earth, and Allah is Knowing and Wise."

The efforts of the political currents against the Islamic Republic and against this great Islamic movement of the Iranian nation and the nations of the region - this massive propaganda campaign they have launched today - aim to create turmoil - both social turmoil and spiritual turmoil; that is, to disturb hearts, to make them anxious and fearful. This is the overall policy of the global media empire today, and it is not new - neither in relation to us in these twenty-some years nor in relation to the truth throughout the history of Islam from the beginning until today. Therefore, you observe that one of the subjects that the Quran emphasizes as a negative topic is "Murjifoon"; that is, those who seek to disturb hearts, to create confusion and anxiety. I read this noble verse for other friends who were here: "Those to whom the people said, 'Indeed, the people have gathered against you, so fear them.'" In the city of the Prophet, they created an uproar saying: "They have gathered and want to take your father away! You are finished, you are destroyed; it is all over." The verse of the Quran was revealed that when the slanderers and the weak create such an atmosphere and spread this dangerous microbe and virus of fear in the environment, the believers are those who "their faith is increased"; their faith increases. "And they said, 'Sufficient for us is Allah, and He is the Best Disposer of Affairs.'" This "Sufficient for us is Allah, and He is the Best Disposer of Affairs" pertains to this situation. That is, in the face of the turmoil that the enemy wants to create through its propaganda and psychological waves, they have tranquility. This is the same "tranquility": "He it is Who sent down tranquility into the hearts of the believers"; the Almighty God granted tranquility to the hearts of the believers: "that they might add faith to their faith"; so that their faith may also be strengthened. The reality of the matter is just that.

In conditions of being intimidated, frightened, disturbed, and turbulent, even a person's firm beliefs are forgotten. An intimidated person is like this. "Cowardice" paralyzes both reason and determination. An intimidated and cowardly person can neither think correctly nor can he properly mobilize his will and determination; he constantly takes one step forward and one step back. This is why the Prophet of Islam advised Amir al-Mu'minin in his famous will: "Do not consult a coward. For he will narrow the exit for you"; do not consult a cowardly and fearful person in any matter, for he will close the escape route and the door of relief on you. When a person is not intimidated, he can think correctly, make the right decisions, and overcome this obstacle; but when he is intimidated: "he will narrow the exit for you"; he will be caught in the dilemma of whether to do it or not and will surrender himself bound. This is why "tranquility" is very important.

The expression "tranquility" in Surah Al-Fath - "Indeed, We have granted you a clear victory" - is remarkable that it pertains to this Surah, and the term "sending down tranquility" is repeated three times in this Surah. One of the bitter and difficult tests of the Muslims was this matter related to "Indeed, We have granted you" when the Prophet of Islam, based on a correct and divine policy, decided to head towards Mecca; Mecca, which had besieged Medina two years prior and wanted to take the people's father away. The war arose under those difficult conditions, and they were thirsty for the blood of the Prophet and his companions. The Prophet said we want to go for Umrah. He also told the Muslims to come so we can go. Some were afraid and said the Prophet will not return to Medina; he is destroyed; he is finished. This incident of "sending down tranquility" pertains to this situation where the Almighty God calmed the hearts of the believers so that they went and faced the enemy and returned with complete victory. In fact, what the Prophet wanted was realized.

"Tranquility" arises from trust and good opinion of God. When you choose a correct goal and strive towards that goal, the Almighty God has promised assistance here; it is unconditional. There is a time when you have chosen the goal and ideal incorrectly; there is a time when you have chosen the goal and ideal correctly; but you have no movement and do not strive or struggle. Here, the expectation of divine help is unfounded. The Muslims' goals and ideals were good; however, for centuries, due to the lack of movement among them, they were oppressed. Even now, wherever you see Muslims being humiliated and degraded, it is due to this lack of movement and struggle; otherwise, where the goal is correct, there is also struggle, and divine assistance is certainly present. Of course, divine assistance does not mean that there are no difficult and hard tests; why: "And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits"; these exist, and all of these are present on the path of struggle; but "and give good tidings to the patient". Patience means standing firm; continuing the path; this is the divine good tidings; it means victory will be granted.

During the struggle, many of you were in the field. Everyone said it was a fist and a flag, why are you fighting and struggling for no reason; it is of no use. Truly, the police apparatus of the tyrannical regime was not an easy one to fight against. Many of those who claimed and many of those who had Marxist analyses and intellectual claims, when they saw those prisons and their tortures, even many did not see them, but only heard about them, turned back from the middle of the way and surrendered! However, many continued; they moved forward and came. The first blessing of their movement was that the Almighty God made their truth evident and public to the people; He showed their path correctly, and the people joined them. When the people joined, everything will be set right. The important thing is that this determined group of fighters must prove their sincerity in traversing the path and show that they are sincerely pursuing this meaning. Then the Almighty God will send His assistance. In Nahj al-Balagha, it is stated: "When Allah saw our sincerity"; when God saw our truthfulness; saw that we are truthful and not pursuing wealth and desires, "He sent down our victory and subdued our enemies"; He granted us victory and subdued our enemies. This has been the case in our struggles and has been the case in these twenty-three or twenty-four years, and there has never been a time when there was no pressure on the country and the government.

Dear brothers and sisters! You are representatives of the Assembly and political figures; you are in the midst of the field. It may be clear to many of you, but the reality is that today what America - which is now at the forefront of the attack on the revolution and the Islamic movement - wants from the Iranian nation is not the issue of weapons of mass destruction, human rights, and democracy... but what they want from the nation and the officials of the country is to submit to the will of the superpower America. There is nothing else; otherwise, do they have any inclination towards democracy?! Today, which democracies are recognized and accepted by America? If the countries that have legitimate governments arising from the people's elections deviate even one step from what the military forces want and believe, the military forces swoop down on them like eagles and hunt them down like partridges and set them aside. Is it not so? Look around you! When do they claim to believe in democracy?! They mention democracy as a slogan; they themselves know that the people of the world know; however, the policy of propaganda in the world is to say and repeat and repeat; this is the prevailing propaganda and propaganda policy in the world. They must say; they must repeat; they must repeat, eventually it will have an effect on some of the people; at least the people get used to hearing it; otherwise, they are not pursuing popular governance. Many of the regimes they favor do not even know the meaning of people's votes, and their people have no idea what voting and electing officials in the country means, and they have no objections to them! When the Islamic Republic, with all these elections, with all this presence of the people in various arenas, with all these signs and symbols of popular governance that exist in this country, which is found in fewer countries in the world - the connection of officials with the people and their empathy with them, the support and affections of the people and their overwhelming love and affection for the officials - is accused of lacking popular governance and being a dictatorship, it is clear what their intention is.

Their issue is not democracy and weapons of mass destruction; because they themselves have filled the region with weapons. Look at the Zionist regime, which is the complete embodiment of the production and accumulation of nuclear and mass destruction weapons! The same goes for other places. They helped Saddam's regime and provided him with missiles with ranges of a thousand and fifteen hundred kilometers and chemical weapons, either by making them for him or by helping him to make them; while they saw and knew that there was complete tyranny in Iraq. The issue for America is that they say: "Iranian nation! Abandon your national sovereignty and the values you hold dear and respect!" When these values and national sovereignty based on the constitution and the good performance of this twenty-some years of the Islamic Republic are eliminated, it means that the Americans can regain the same domination they had over this country during the era of the tyrant, which they are not at all satisfied with anything less than this. Of course, among what they consider bad and worse, they choose the bad; they sometimes prefer one person over another, one faction over another, and one statement over another, which today everything has become clear; however, as soon as something contrary to their opinion is issued from any corner, they publicly declare their position. Today, the Americans, with arrogance - and in my opinion, foolish arrogance; truly what the Americans are experiencing today, and they will eventually receive a blow for it, is foolish arrogance - are openly stating many of their words, after the statement made by our President, Mr. Khatami - in which he revealed his principled positions, which of course was not new to us, for we know him and have always known his positions - and in which he showed his steadfastness on the basis of Islamic principles and his deep hatred and resentment towards the arrogant behavior of America - which you all heard - they and all the media centers of the world took a stance against this statement, while they were the same ones who, in instances where they deemed it necessary, supported and endorsed him! Their issue is not about this person or that person and this faction or that faction, but rather the issue is that a government has emerged here, arising from the people - despite them - based on the values of these people themselves, not the values they desire; Western, imposed, and imported values.

I do not want to claim that whether the government, the Assembly, or various officials have fulfilled all their duties over these years and have been successful everywhere; no, but the overall movement of the legislative, executive, judicial powers, and the officials of the country has been towards strengthening these foundations. There is no doubt about that. They do not like this, and this is the very matter they do not want. A power and government based on the votes of the people has emerged in this country that not only keeps this region of the world out of their reach and has paralyzed their interests here, but this wave threatens them throughout the entire Islamic world. This is an obvious matter.

After Mr. Khatami's trip to Lebanon, I told him that wherever you go to an Islamic country, if they allow it, the same reception you received in Lebanon will take place in that country as well. The reality is just that. Which president from which country, when he travels to a foreign country, do the people express such enthusiasm towards him?! This has been the case throughout all periods of the Islamic Republic. The trip I made during my presidency to Pakistan astonished the world; the trip that Mr. Hashemi Rafsanjani made during his presidency to Sudan also astonished the world. These are unknown subjects in international norms; such a thing does not exist. Show me one case; there is no other case where the head of a country travels to a foreign country and the people of that country come out in droves; kiss the car, surround it, chant slogans, raise their hands, and hold up pictures. These are extraordinary and demonstrate your existence in the world.

Some underestimate themselves; some overlook their own strength; some underestimate the immense talent and energy that exists within this nation and the management apparatus of this country - from all branches. This is also part of the enemy's propaganda. The entire goal of the enemy's propaganda is: "You are miserable! You are wretched! You are finished; it is all over!" This propaganda is not limited to today; they have been repeating and promoting these statements for years - and I now have numerous examples in mind that I remember; however, I do not want to waste time on these matters - and the goal is nothing but to force you to retreat from your position. This position is not a strange matter; it is a logical and correct position. You are a nation and a governing body that has established a government based on the will of the people and expresses your own voice, follows your own path, and seeks your own ideals, which is obvious that those whose life and survival and increase in their volume depend on sucking from the nations will not benefit; they will be harmed; therefore, they oppose this movement. This is obvious, necessary, and clear, and for this reason, they want to force the other side to retreat.

Dear brothers and sisters! There is a significant difference between the Islamic Consultative Assembly and all the parliaments of the world, and that is its Islamic nature. It is no joke; for one hundred and fifty years, the most prominent and noble political and religious figures of our nation have raised the banner of Islamic governance and have stood firm for it, and many have given their lives for this cause; figures like Modarres, Akhound Khorasani, and Seyyed Jamal al-Din. This is how it is. This is not a matter of today that we say religion and politics are one, and some say they are one; but some say no, they are not very much one! This is not a contemporary issue; this idea has roots of one hundred and fifty years. The father of the most prominent elites of this country fought for this idea; thousands of pure souls were martyred for this cause; Modarres, of such greatness, shielded himself for this matter; the Constitutional Revolution of Iran occurred for this very reason, although later it was diverted; some acted poorly and ineptly; some relied on foreign powers and cunningly snatched it from the hands of the people; and then when the Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified) came, he established his movement on this basis, and the Iranian nation desired and continues to desire this. I tell you that even the most secular nations surrounding us are the same way - I will not mention the names of those countries; you can visualize them in your mind - meaning that if conditions arise, a person like the Imam and an environment like that day arise in those countries and a banner is raised, the same nations that you see their governments shouting secularism and secularism will gather around this banner if someone speaks out against secularist thought or acts; they will make his life miserable. This is Islam, and this is correct and in the interest of the nations; the nations know this. If today the laws of Islam are implemented in this country; that is, if you and I have the opportunity to implement Islamic laws, all these knots and problems will be resolved and solved. The reason we have fallen behind is that we have either neglected or failed in these areas. This cry has been raised among Muslims for one hundred and fifty years. Can we turn back from it?! Now, what is the manifestation of this one hundred and fifty-year effort, which is the product of the blood of thousands of pure souls - those who were martyred were not ordinary people; they were fighters, self-sacrificing, proud, brave individuals who entered the field and gave their lives - what is it? The Islamic Consultative Assembly, the government of the Islamic Republic, the Islamic system. These are the products of all this effort. The difference between the Islamic Consultative Assembly and other parliaments of the world is this. The meaning of the requirement that the law and regulation must conform to Islam is just this.

The legitimacy of this system is based on Islamic thought and is firmly rooted in Islam; the legitimacy of the Assembly and the leadership is also based on this. The Imam once said: "If I turn away from Islam, the people will set me aside." He was right. The people recognized the Imam through Islam; they followed him because of his self-sacrifice and greatness in the path of Islam, and all of us, including you and me, are the same. If we deviate and stray from this path, we harm ourselves; however, this movement and current that has started is not stoppable. Truly, the Islamic system does not depend on me or people like me. The Imam once said: "The Islamic system does not depend on me!" We were truly astonished because the Imam was the creator of this revolution and, in fact, the founder of this system, and truly distinguishing between the survival of the Imam and the survival of the system was difficult for us; however, the Imam firmly and resolutely said no, the Islamic system does not depend on me. Now, when the Imam of such greatness is not tied to the existence of the system and when he is not there, these people will preserve the revolution and Islam, then what place do people like me have to say that Islam and the system depend on me! No; hundreds of people like us must sacrifice for Islam; we must give our lives, our wealth, and our honor so that the Islamic system remains and its foundations are strengthened. What the enemy has targeted is this; we must pay attention to this matter. The enemy is political and a politician; he has a political mastermind, thinking about what to do. One of the strategies is that they do not say the last word first; they gradually create demands and force the other side to retreat. As soon as you retreat, another demand will begin. Now some say let us give something to receive something! It is correct to give, but it is not correct to receive; they will not give anything. They create slogans; they have placed Iran in the axis of evil. They say do such and such things so that they remove us from the axis of evil! Is this a statement?! They are wrong to have placed us there; they will place us back in the axis of evil whenever necessary. If a power is to gain the ability and capacity to frown and say I am strong and I will hit and take and imprison; be careful, if a person is intimidated, this intimidation has no limits; you retreat from this position, suppose you accept that annexation, then they will raise another demand: recognize that illegal government! Again, the same pressures and threats. As soon as you recognize that illegal government, another request will be raised: remove the name of Islam from your constitution! You must retreat inch by inch; this has no limits. I have told this matter many times to some officials who were afflicted with temptations and fears, to identify where the limit of American pressure is; that when we reach that point, there will be no more pressure against us. Let me say where the limit is? It is where you - who have no such right, nor do I - declare on behalf of the Iranian nation that we do not want Islam, the Islamic Republic, and popular governance; whoever you deem appropriate, let them govern in this country! This is the limit; the beginning of the enslavement of the country. Can we do this? Can you and I hand over the country to the enemy? Do we have such a right? This nation did not bring us to power for this.

In my opinion, there is an exaggeration regarding the enemy's capabilities and power. Not that I am unaware; no, I am more informed than most of you about the capabilities they have and the tools they create, because this is the center of various information flows from other places, and we know what is happening in the world. Weapons, equipment, and espionage tools and intelligence tools... are not sufficient to establish the dominance of a power over a nation that wants to stand firm. Therefore, you see that today in their statements they say that we must confront Iran from within; we must weaken the will; the will to stand firm. If the will of a nation - which is embodied in the will of its officials - is not weakened, they cannot do anything.

The enemies exert pressure; there are hardships. To maintain the independence and identity of a nation and not to be ashamed before history, it is necessary to endure these hardships. Imagine if Shah Sultan Hussein Safavi, instead of opening the gates of Isfahan to the invaders - and after the invaders entered, he himself placed the crown on their heads - thought that if I think of myself, I have only one life and I have lived this long, how much longer will I live? If I think of the people, that if I surrender the city of Isfahan, a calamity will befall the people that is no less than the calamity that will come upon them if I fight the invaders, he would never have surrendered the city. Look at the history of Isfahan and see what calamity befell the people after the invaders entered Isfahan, Kashan, central Iran, Fars, and other regions, and what slaughter occurred after the people surrendered! The invaders did not say that since you surrendered, your reward is that you all will live in safety and security. Today is the same. Today, see what they do to the people in Iraq! Wherever they gain control, this is what they do. If Shah Sultan Hussein had thought this way that one life has no value, a thousand lives are sacrificed for the governance of Islam, the pleasure of God, and the dignity of the people, and the calamity that is to befall the people if I surrender is harsher and accompanied by humiliation, but the calamity that arises from resistance is at least without humiliation, he would have entered the battlefield and fought. I strongly suspect that due to the will to resist among the people, Isfahan would not have fallen to the invaders. Of course, many of the commanders and officials were treacherous and weak; however, the people were ready. He should have gone among the people and fought. The matter of history and the responsibility of government officials, including the legislative, judicial, and executive branches, all of which are part of this collective, is a heavy burden on their shoulders.

Today, the responsibility of you and me is very grave. We must proceed with wisdom, planning, and along with trust in God and courage, not cowardice. The first task is internal consolidation. You must not allow these discussions and arguments to turn into confrontation and hostility; this is my only advice to you. Speaking, listening, and protesting is not a problem. Some people dislike protests because they are either arrogant or lack popular support; they are afraid; their hearts tremble. If someone is not arrogant - which we thank God that He has not placed this impurity in us - and relies on the support of the people, he will not be upset by these statements and discussions at all; however, be careful that from these discussions and dialogues, the enemy does not obtain what it desires. Today, one of the most important strategies of the enemy is to say that there is division within the Islamic Republic; that these two factions are hostile to each other. The duality and plurality of voices that you mention and I also believe in, they do not say. The discussion is not about plurality of voices; plurality of voices exists everywhere. They say hostility and enmity; that is, they assume one group wants to destroy the other group! This is how they portray it. Do not allow this desired image of the enemy to materialize; be vigilant about this. Conduct discussions, debates, and dialogues with logic and reasoning. The framework must also be the law. The law, in the first degree, is the constitution. Observe this framework. I told the students that the law has come to replace the voice of the loud; no one should say in any position that this must be done with a loud voice! Do not think that despotism and dictatorship and the loud voice and greed are exclusive to those at the top of the system; no, such things exist in the body of the system as well, and they are bad everywhere. The royal disposition, the disposition of despotism is bad everywhere; it is ugly in any form; it is bad. The law has come to prevent these issues. According to the law and within its framework, speech, action, and behavior must be conducted, and resolution must also be achieved through the law. This is the best criterion for unity; other motivations should be set aside. Today is not a day when we can overlook this duty of maintaining internal consolidation; today is not a day when this duty can be ignored; we must be vigilant. We must not exaggerate the enemy's strength, nor should we overlook their enmity and schemes; we must be cautious. Amir al-Mu'minin said: "By God, I will not be like the hyena that sleeps to the sound of the drum." It is well-known among Arabs that when they want to hunt a hyena, they make a commotion and sing a song that is sleep-inducing. They lull the hyena to sleep with a song in its den, and when it sleeps, they go after it. Amir al-Mu'minin says: "By God, I will not be like the hyena"; I am not that hyena that they lull to sleep with a song and do whatever they want.

God willing, may you be successful and supported. We hope that the Almighty God is pleased with us and you, and you also in this one year that Mr. Karroubi said this is our last meeting - of course, it is the last meeting with the sixth Assembly, but God willing, it will not be the last meeting with you - may you all be successful. Value this one year. A lot can be done in this one year, and the issue that is good today in terms of people's issues and service delivery is worth mentioning again, and that is the issue of inflation. Because ultimately, we must recognize our responsibilities, and since you are the ones who will finalize the budget of several thousand billion tomans, the government also spends, and oversight over the government is your responsibility, be vigilant and truly sit in the committees that Mr. Karroubi referred to and find a way to perhaps create relief for the people in this regard.

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