Statements of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution at the Grand Gathering of the People of Isfahan

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 Muhammad, and upon his pure and chosen family, the guided and infallible ones, especially the Awaited Savior on earth. O God, guide our tongues with truth and wisdom.

First, I congratulate you, dear and faithful people of Isfahan, on the joyous occasion of the birth of the Awaited Savior, may my soul be sacrificed for him. The difference between the birth celebration of the Awaited Savior and other Islamic holidays is that great holidays recount the past; however, the birth of the Awaited Savior heralds the future. This is why the hearts of the believers are attached to this great day and this magnificent birth.

Secondly, I thank you, dear, sincere, and warm-hearted people, for the grand gathering you have formed and for the warm and enthusiastic welcome you have given to this small servant. I thank God that finally - albeit with delay - the opportunity to meet you dear people and to be present in this beloved city has been granted to me by the Lord.

I must apologize for the delay - which was not voluntary. Nothing else could have prevented my trip except for the inability to speak with you. I thank God that today this opportunity has arisen.

I would like to say a few words about the city of Isfahan and its human and historical identity. Of course, the people of Isfahan and even many people in the country are aware of the scientific, literary, and artistic identity and the brilliance and genius that has manifested itself in Isfahan throughout history until today; however, in order to briefly mention the identity of this great city and its cultured people, I will say that Isfahan has multiple characteristics; but the most prominent among them are knowledge, faith, courageous jihad, art, and industry. For five hundred years, anyone who looks at this city in any era sees these characteristics. The prominent scientific figures of this city, such as Majlisi and Vahid Behbahani - who is, of course, from Isfahan - and the great jurists and esteemed philosophers who either belong to this city or have been educated in its scholarly circles cannot be counted in a normal enumeration and in a short period. The faith of the people of Isfahan has always been renowned. During the oppressive regime, I frequently visited Isfahan. Even during that time when all institutions and hands tried to diminish and limit religious manifestations, in Isfahan, the flags of religiosity were raised in various forms and in multiple sectors. During the period of religious recession and the prevalence of Westernization and Western influence, destructive cultural factors could not negatively affect the men and women of Isfahan.

In terms of courageous jihad, Isfahan is exemplary. The eight-year war and the period of sacred defense have placed the name of Isfahan at the forefront of human honors. It is not only during the sacred defense; the martyrs of Isfahan and the renowned individuals who sacrificed their lives from this people have made these sacrifices in various fields; Martyr Ayatollah Modarres in one field, Martyr Ayatollah Beheshti in another, and Martyr Khorramzadeh and Martyr Hemmat in yet another. These renowned martyrs - whose long list of martyr stars from this city and this province cannot be easily compiled - have immortalized the name of Isfahan and recorded it among the most distinguished regions of our country in terms of courageous jihad, such that no other point in this regard can compete with this city and this province.

The art and industry of this city are also renowned by all and are unique and exemplary in some sectors. Today, thanks be to God, Isfahan is a major center of industries in the country; it was the same yesterday, and it will be the same in the future. In the future of history, you young people of this country must also, God willing, cultivate these prominent characteristics with even greater strength. We mention the past to know our duty for the future. This city must remain a city of knowledge, faith, courageous jihad, and art and industry, and I know that with all this brilliant talent in this city and province, with these joyful spirits and bright hearts illuminated by the light of knowledge and with these fervent feelings, by God's grace, it will be so.

God willing, during my stay in Isfahan, I will have multiple remarks with various groups and gatherings; however, what I will mention here pertains to major issues of the country; part of it also relates to some foreign issues of the country. Of course, they have referred to the agricultural water problem, the textile industry problem, and other existing problems. Reports on all these problems have been prepared for me. A number of esteemed ministers and members of the government are present on this trip. Their program is to review and consider all these problems - which, of course, the government is also aware of - and to do whatever is within the government's capacity. Of course, we have emphasized and advised, and we have spoken with the officials, and we will continue to pursue this, so that within the current capabilities of the country, the problems can be resolved. Of course, all these problems will be resolved with the follow-up of the officials and the patience and endurance that is necessary for the elevated spirit of our Muslim people.

The first issue I want to mention is that at the current juncture of the country - which is a very sensitive juncture - the duty to safeguard the sacred Islamic Republic system is as sensitive and critical as it is. Why do we say the current juncture is sensitive? Because after a period has passed since the occurrence of the Islamic Revolution and the arrival of this thought and system to its twenty-second year, both the assets and experiences and the threats against us have increased.

Our assets have increased; because the most important asset of a country and a system is human resources. Today, we have hundreds of times more specialized, committed, and efficient individuals in various sectors and regions of our country than at the beginning of the revolution; these are the products of the revolutionary era; faithful individuals who are willing to dedicate all their existence and scientific and human capabilities to the country, the revolution, and the people. At the beginning of the revolution, the number of individuals with specialization in various sectors was very limited; however, today there are many such individuals in universities, seminaries, military forces, and in various sectors of our national management. This is an increase in assets. Today, our youth are several times more than the youth of this country at the beginning of the revolution. This is an asset and should be viewed as an increase in capital. Of course, capital is a means that capable and worthy managers can use for the benefit of the people and the country. Capital is a necessary condition; however, it is not a sufficient condition.

Our experiences have also increased. At the beginning of the revolution, we did not know many important issues related to the country and the defense of our system; however, today the managers and officials of the country have gone through the experience of the imposed war and the economic blockade by America and the withdrawal of some domineering and infiltrating governments. These are our experiences. The withdrawal of Soviet forces from Afghanistan, Iraq's attack on Kuwait, the reversal of the global defense from the Iraqi regime to a global attack on the Iraqi regime, are experiences and lessons that the officials and managers of the country, as well as the wise members of society and the public, utilize in their judgments.

In proportion to the increase in our assets and capabilities, the threats against the country and the Islamic system have also increased. Today, the enemies of the system and the country use methods for confrontation that were not available or discussed in the past; however, today they carry out their plots with high qualities and complex methods.

Of course, if someone thinks that the enemy's plot to strike the system is sufficient, they have committed a great mistake. The enemy plots, and the Islamic system also creates counter-plots; "And they plotted, and Allah plotted." They adopt methods to strike the Islamic system, and the Islamic system employs countermeasures against them; but, in any case, vigilance is necessary.

Why and for what reason have the threats increased? Every domineering and infiltrating power becomes angry when a strong local force emerges in its area of influence, cutting off its influence. This is what happened in Iran. The American government had deeply rooted itself in this country; its influence was not superficial, and it had secured many interests for itself from our dear country and was attached to them; however, the Islamic system put an end to these illegitimate interests. Some other governments also had the same situation. From the perspective of that global power, this action turned the Islamic system into an undesirable element. In order for the Islamic system to be removed from this undesirable status, from the perspective of the domineering power, there is only one way, and that is to open the way so that it can once again secure those illegitimate interests!

The Islamic system also presented an Islamic model to the world; that is, it showed that it is possible to live without America; that a great country of sixty-five million can be managed and advanced without submitting to a great power. Thus, the main reason for the threat is the identity of the Islamic system.

Of course, there are reasons that the enemy's motivation for threatening and hostility will not disappear soon and may sometimes intensify. One of them is that they have spent billions of dollars. Of course, they cannot bring themselves to believe that the expenditures they have made to strike the Islamic system have all been in vain. One reason is that they hope the religious spirit in our youth has diminished. If their reporters find four young people in a region of Iranian cities and manage to record statements from them that imply indifference to religion, they exaggerate this and generalize it to all the youth of the country, comforting themselves and giving themselves hope that the religious spirit, the spirit of faith, and the spirit of commitment to the protection of religious faith in Iran has weakened! Of course, they are mistaken. Today, if an incident occurs that makes the Iranian nation feel threatened, the number of young people who are self-sacrificing and voluntarily willing to stand up for God, the Islamic system, and the interests of their nation will certainly be greater than during the imposed war. Our youth possess the same enthusiasm, the same faith, and the same readiness that dazzled the world during the time of the imposed war.

Of course, the enemies comfort themselves with illusory things; in order to justify their policies to their public and ignorant people. They find a small incident and exaggerate it. They magnify a small gathering of a hundred or a few hundred people who chant slogans against the sanctities of the people in a corner, while they downplay the massive gatherings of the people in defense of the revolution, Islam, and support for the lofty ideals of the Islamic system! These are propaganda tricks.

Our youth are the same youth. We have advised our faithful and devoted youth not to react in various gatherings against deviations - if they ever see them from some individuals - and we still advise them not to; however, when in the joy of the victory of Iran's sports team, among several thousand people, a hundred or a hundred and fifty individuals defame the rest and engage in unlawful acts and disturbances that are undoubtedly crimes, if we do not advise our youth, before the law enforcement forces have to intervene, they will settle accounts with that small number themselves.

The people are good people. The youth are enthusiastic and sincere youth. Of course, there are responsibilities on everyone's shoulders; the government officials have one type of responsibility, the general public has another, and especially the youth have their own responsibilities. Of course, I, God willing, have some remarks for the youth in a special session, which I will present there; I do not want to take the time of this grand gathering.

We must be vigilant; everyone has a duty in this regard; I, as a humble and small servant, carry a heavy burden on my shoulders and have a greater obligation than all. The responsibilities of the country's officials become greater and heavier as their responsibilities and positions become more significant and their areas of work expand. The general public also has responsibilities.

The point I want to emphasize regarding the officials of the country is, first and foremost, the unity and cohesion of words. The officials of the country must be united and their words must be one. One of the enemy's plots in recent years has been to infiltrate individuals who do not believe in the Islamic ideals into the ranks of the high officials of the country; in order to disrupt the cohesion of the senior managers of the country. This is a great danger. Of course, the managers of the country, like the rest of the people, have their own opinions and beliefs on every issue, and their beliefs are respected; but there are two points: one is that if someone is in a position in the Islamic Republic but does not accept the ideals of the Islamic Republic as they have been outlined by Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified) and embodied in the Constitution, occupying that position is religiously forbidden for them. Where fundamental issues of the Islamic system are concerned, where the unity of religion and politics is discussed, where the principles of the Constitution are considered, where the obligation to adhere to religion and Sharia is mentioned, if an official has a belief contrary to this, they can be a citizen of the Islamic Republic - that is not a problem - but they cannot be an official; especially in high positions. Senior managers, members of parliament, and high-ranking officials of the judiciary, while having important responsibilities in the Islamic Republic, cannot lack belief in the ideals of the Islamic Republic and the principles of the Constitution; because a person's belief affects their actions and words.

The second point is that where officials have differing opinions on non-fundamental issues of the system - in work-related, administrative matters, or understanding a law - this disagreement should not be displayed before the eyes of the people and brought into public discourse. Disagreement should not indicate a division among officials. Why? Because it discourages and worries the people and pleases the enemy. Of course, disagreement among officials in understanding a duty is expected. For example, the esteemed President and the esteemed head of the judiciary may have different views on a particular issue and each may have their own reasoning. Very well; there is a solution for that. The Constitution has determined the solution for these matters. The coordinator of the three branches is the Leader, and the Leader can resolve these problems. The criterion for cooperation is the Constitution; which specifies the duties, the ruling on matters of disagreement and conflict, and the judge and reference. In the Constitution, the executive branch has specified duties. The major management of the country, the administration of all executive affairs of the country, and the expenditure of the national budget are the responsibility of the executive branch. The legislative branch's duty is to legislate and oversee the performance of government officials. The judiciary's duty is to pursue violators of the law and uphold rights, so that no one is wronged or transgressed against. If each of the branches wants to perform its duties, there is so much work and God-pleasing jihad in this collection of tasks that there will be no time left. The duty of the leadership is also specified in the law. The leadership does not directly intervene in the executive affairs of the country; neither in the executive branch, nor in the judiciary, nor in the legislative branch. The most important task of the leadership is to determine the macro policies of the country; that is, those things that define the direction of the country; all laws, regulations, and performances must be in this direction. The presence of the leadership in all sectors of the country signifies the presence of the leadership's policies that must be executed with precision. And I tell you, wherever these policies have been implemented, the country has benefited; however, over the past years - from ten or twelve years ago until now - wherever there has been deviation from these policies, the country has suffered; sometimes they have understood the loss, and sometimes they have realized it after a while. Therefore, the presence of the leadership is serious.

Of course, it is possible that in some of the issues that these policies entail, officials may have differing opinions. That is not a problem; they come and present their views. The adoption of these policies also has a very reasonable and logical process. In the responsible apparatus of this work in the government, it is designed and then gradually elevated until it reaches the Expediency Council. Therefore, all aspects are taken into account. At the same time, it is possible that one person may disagree. That is not a problem; however, just as a law is not permissible to be violated as long as it is a law, the same applies to policy, which is the essence of the Constitution - the level of policies is above the law; it is at the level of the Constitution - as long as it has not changed, even if someone has a different opinion, they should not act or promote according to their own opinion. Discussion in scientific, technical, and specialized forums is very good; however, creating an atmosphere in the country in a way that misleads public opinion is wrong and contrary to the interests of the country.

Considering all aspects, studying all the experiences of our country and neighboring countries, and consulting with major and opinionated experts, we conclude that not only is a relationship with America against national interests and the interests of the nation today, but negotiating with the American government is also against national interests. This is not a biased opinion; it is a thought and idea; it has been examined and considered from all angles. Negotiating with America - whether in current issues or in other matters - means opening the door to American expectations and demands. Those who talk about negotiation - who, of course, do not have ill intentions, are simply oblivious - do not realize that negotiating with America in any of the issues that this government has defined an idea and interest for itself - like the issue of Afghanistan - is of no benefit. Why? Because it is arrogant and will not submit. Negotiating with a government does not mean that it wants to accept that government's views; it does not even accept the views of global assemblies! Just a few days ago, I read in the news that the President of Pakistan requests the Americans not to use a certain airport for the attack on Afghanistan, but to use other airports; however, the Americans reject his request! Which of the countries that have relations with America has been able to impose its views on America in an important matter? Some Arab countries flatter America; some of them do everything they can to comply with and act according to American views in all areas; however, to what request of these countries has America responded in the face of the usurping Zionist regime or in important matters of the Arab world? This is a great oversight that some individuals have.

The policy I have mentioned is an important policy of the country. Officials must act according to these policies and be united. Cohesion is the most important condition for progress. I tell you, if the enemy observes that in our country there is a committed, dedicated, united, sympathetic, and efficient group in power, it will become hopeless and its motivation for hostility will diminish. Those who encourage division among officials should understand what they are doing. Today, the policy of the enemies of the country is to sow discord among officials. We have special news about groups that have one head inside and one head outside. Their main program is to create discord among the officials of the country under the titles of left, right, and other titles. The people want the unity of the officials. Wherever the people see that the officials are together, sympathetic, and speaking the same language, and do not undermine each other, they become happy and hopeful; however, the enemy, on the contrary, becomes hopeless.

Of course, we have always given other recommendations to the officials of the country, and it is not necessary to present them in public discourse. We have also spoken with the officials about specific issues in Isfahan - the water issue, etc. - Of course, I have objections to the fact that the time for the implementation of many projects has taken longer than usual. We have objected to previous governments as well. This government has promised to shorten the time for project implementation. Regarding the third tunnel of Koohrang and also the water from the Langar spring, I have specifically pointed this out. Fortunately, the Minister of Energy is also a committed and efficient young man. I hope that, God willing, they can achieve this work in a shorter time than what has been stated.

The issue related to foreign matters is the tragedy of Afghanistan. Of course, I have expressed my views on the Afghanistan issue; however, what I want to convey to you dear people here are a few points:

The first point is that the Americans tried to drag Iran into this conflict. Of course, the question of how correct or incorrect it is to accuse that Afghan or Arab group, what evidence there is or is not, is aside - that the Americans have not provided anyone with convincing evidence so far - but assuming that this accusation is true, instead of confronting their own accused, they have targeted the Afghan nation! For twenty-two or twenty-three days now, they have been continuously pounding the cities and the oppressed people of Afghanistan. They insisted on dragging us into this conflict: "Give us your space and let us use your land so that we can pass through!" If the Iranian government had not taken a firm stance from the beginning, their expectations would have increased day by day. One of their goals was to tell the vast masses who respect the Iranian nation and the Islamic system throughout the Islamic world that Iran is not as committed to Islamic principles as you think. Another goal was to obtain justification for killing Muslims. They are committing genocide against the Afghan nation; what better justification could there be than to say that Iran is aware and is with us? We insisted that our positions be stated to the world without any ambiguity. I told the officials of the country that there should be no ambiguity in our positions. They must clearly and explicitly state that we oppose terrorism; we oppose America's attack on Afghanistan; and we will not participate in any coalition led by America.

The next point is that the Americans have suffered losses by attacking Afghanistan. Whether they achieve their military objectives here or not, they have incurred two major losses, one of which is specific to the Americans, and the other is a loss that the Western world shares with America. The major loss that America and the Western world - jointly - have suffered in this matter is that the face of Western liberalism has been exposed once again. The world boasts so much about Western liberal democracy and claims that in the West, there is freedom, civilization, and democracy, and respect for the opinions of the people. Yes, the language can be soft, and they can twist it however they want; but in the field of testing, it becomes clear what each person is capable of! Afghanistan has become a new testing ground for Western liberalism to show that wherever their imperialist interests dictate, they do not hesitate from any action and are willing to destroy a country and a nation without any justification. In the case of the attack on Iraq, the American government had some kind of reasoning and excuse; it said Iraq attacked Kuwait; of course, that excuse was not sufficient. If Iraq attacked Kuwait, why should they attack the cities of Iraq?! They should have attacked the military forces. Therefore, that excuse was not convincing at all; but here, there is not even that. They themselves admit that the people of Herat, Kandahar, Kabul, and Jalalabad are not guilty; rather, a group or a few individuals are responsible. So why are they pounding the people?! In order to provide an answer to the American nation, they have created justifications for themselves and, out of anger, have committed such a brutal act and are committing genocide against the people of Afghanistan. Therefore, the face of Western liberalism has been exposed once again, and it has become clear that under the pretty flower they show, they hide a club, and beneath this neatly dressed and perfumed appearance, a terrifying face is concealed; the world has understood this.

However, the loss that is specific to America is that the global Islamic movement has accelerated with the slogan "Death to America" and has shown what "global arrogance" that Iran repeats means. When it is said to provide evidence that these individuals you mention are the accused in the events of September 20 in New York and Washington, they do not provide evidence; they say these individuals are criminals! When it is said not to attack the people of Afghanistan, they attack. Even their European friends, who are not explicitly willing to condemn the attack, but in various languages consider this act to be ugly. Yet, the Americans do not relent! When they are told that people are being killed in Afghanistan, the gentleman (!) interviews and says, "No, those images you showed of injured children and women on television are fake; we have not killed anyone!" They have destroyed so many homes, attacked Red Crescent centers, and openly annihilated civilian centers; yet, like someone who is "self-sufficient," with a sense of arrogance, they say, "No; this is what I say!" When they are told that Ramadan is approaching, they should cease their attacks for the occasion of this month, they say, "No; we will not stop our attacks for Ramadan!" When they are told that those bombs and missiles cause atrocities in Afghanistan, they calmly interview and say, "We intend to continue raining these types of bombs and missiles on this country!" Global arrogance means that they do not heed any reasonable words in the world. They expect the Islamic countries and the Islamic Iran to be dragged into a conflict in which the position of this arrogant, oppressive, and aggressive power cannot be endorsed at all. The effort of the Islamic Republic and the officials of the country has been to keep the country away from this conflict; however, at the same time, they must express their positions to the whole world. And I tell you, the sign of the growth of the Islamic system and Islamic motivations in the world was precisely that this message was received by the Muslim nations. Many wished to say something in the early days; however, the threats did not allow it. When the Islamic Republic expressed its views, others also found the courage to speak.

Dear nation! Faithful and sincere people of Isfahan! This is your system and country. This is the flag raised in your hands. This is the result of the sacrifices of your dear martyrs. This is the result of the sincerity and purity that the Iranian nation has shown during this time. Problems exist, but they are all solvable. There is no problem or deadlock in the country's issues.

God willing, the officials will advance with the same unity and cohesion that has been mentioned and will adhere to Islamic principles, for Islam is the savior. My dear ones! Know that the well-being and progress of the world and the hereafter, dignity and independence, material prosperity, and the elimination of oppression, injustice, and discrimination can only be achieved in our country under the shadow of Islam and the Islamic Republic system. Hold fast to Islam and maintain your unity and spirit, and know that by God's grace, the future belongs to you, the Iranian nation, and you young people will witness days of flourishing and dignity that were unimaginable even in the dreams of your past generations.

O Lord! By Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, grant honor to Iran, Islam, and Muslims. O Lord! Pour Your mercy, grace, and blessings upon the dear nation of Iran, upon the dear people of Isfahan, and upon this present gathering. O Lord! I swear by Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, keep us alive with Muhammad and the family of Muhammad and let us die with Muhammad and the family of Muhammad. O Lord! On this joyous occasion of the half of Sha'ban, grant a great gift to the Iranian nation, and that is the hastening of the reappearance of our Master, Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his reappearance). O Lord! By Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, accept what we have said, what we do, and what is in our hearts, by Your grace and generosity, and place them for Yourself and in Your way.

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