Statements of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution at the Grand Gathering of the People of Kashan, Aran, and Bidgol

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, our prophet, and the beloved of our hearts, Abu al-Qasim al-Mustafa Muhammad, and upon his pure and chosen family, the guided, the infallible, especially the Awaited One among the inhabitants of the earth. I express my gratitude to God for granting me the opportunity to be present among this enthusiastic gathering of men and women, old and young, the dear people of the cities of Kashan, Aran, and Bidgol, and to meet with you. I hope this meeting will be blessed by divine grace and acceptance. It was intended that we meet with you during our trip to Isfahan, but the length of the journey and its dense schedule did not allow for it; however, thanks be to God, this opportunity arose before the end of the blessed month of Sha'ban. What I wish to convey today is, first and foremost, my respect and affection for the people of this city and my appreciation and pride in the illustrious history of this city. Kashan is one of the few regions in our country that has been known since the early Islamic centuries for its love of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) and for recognizing their truth. From the beginning, it was able to discern the truth amidst the turbulent waves of Umayyad and Abbasid policies. As is well known, Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) sent his son, Ali ibn Muhammad al-Baqir, who is buried in Mashhad Ardehal, to this region to draw the people's attention and respond to their heartfelt sentiments towards the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them). In the assembly of scholars and intellectuals—whether jurists and hadith scholars, mathematicians, philosophers, or theologians—the name of Kashan stands out prominently. We do not repeat these historical records to indulge in nostalgia or to neglect the present; rather, the scientific, cultural, artistic, and other historical honors of a city reflect the talents that must be fully utilized today. People with such a historical background should not be told that they have no past or history; this is true throughout our country. I emphasize in every region the names of the illustrious figures and scientific personalities of that city. Since the time of the Imams (peace be upon them), Ali ibn Muhammad Qasani has been a prominent narrator in many hadiths. In the centuries when Islamic writings flourished, there were great scholars and prominent figures in jurisprudence and hadith—such as Qutb al-Rawandi, or before him, Sayyid Abul-Ridha Fadlullah al-Rawandi. Or Ghiyath al-Din Jamshid Kashani, a renowned mathematician of the past centuries, belonged to this region. In later periods, great jurists, philosophers, theologians, renowned commentators, political figures, and famous authors—such as Fayd Kashani, Mulla Mahdi Naraghi, and his son Mulla Ahmad Naraghi—continued to emerge from this region, and one does not find any time when this chain was broken. Great scholars, commentators, authors, and prominent figures were continuously present until we reach near our time: the late Mulla Habibullah Kashani, the late Ayatollah Haj Mir Sayyid Ali Yathrabi Kashani—of whom I lament that these great figures of knowledge and wisdom are not recognized to the extent of their scholarly capacity—were present in the political realm, as was the late Sayyid Abul-Qasim Kashani, along with a long list of poets from the past and even our time, mystics, and various types of knowledge. These are sources of pride for a city. I do not tell today’s youth to sit and take pride in the names of the past; rather, I tell the youth of Kashan that you are the heirs of that illustrious lineage of knowledge and wisdom. They were able to elevate not only themselves or the city of Kashan but also knowledge to a higher level in their time. Today, the youth of Kashan, the students from Kashan, the clerics from Kashan, the industrious men and women from Kashan, must follow that same path and that unending lineage of knowledge and talent. Kashan is the goal for all of this region. Today, Kashan is the name of a county that includes the city of Aran and Bidgol; however, historically, the name Kashan encompasses all these areas. The region is rich in talent from every aspect; so much so that this region, neighboring the desert, with its historical and traditional water scarcity, has become noticeable today with the expansion of industries and population; otherwise, water scarcity is not a new phenomenon for Kashan. Despite the water scarcity and its proximity to the desert, this city has stood firm for thousands of years. The remnants of civilization before Islam, with the presence of human communities and human life on this land, up to the peak of economic, political, social, and other activities, demonstrate this unending and historical talent. Every part of our country is rich with such treasures of talent. The reason I have repeatedly emphasized to the officials of the country and all people—both—that today our duty is work, work, and work, is because this land, this vast region, and this extraordinarily sensitive geographical point has so much potential that if there is continuous, tireless work for many years, the ground for work in this country will still remain. Some historical figures of Kashan have been wronged; that is, their rights have not been recognized as they should have been. One of them is the late Fayd Kashani. Fayd Kashani is one of the rare personalities who excels in several different sciences. He is a great philosopher, a prominent theologian, a renowned hadith scholar, a foundational and methodological figure, a jurist with outstanding opinions, a poet, and a mystic. All these characteristics are embodied in this man. In the register of the country’s prominent figures and in the eyes of both the elite and the public, Fayd Kashani does not have the prominence that he truly deserves in the eyes of those who know him. I have even heard that the tomb of this great scholar and artist in Kashan does not enjoy the level of development and urbanization that it deserves. Of course, it seems that Fayd has bequeathed that there should be no roof over his tomb. In any case, praising great figures like Fayd is a praise of knowledge and wisdom. Another example that I find appropriate to mention during my presence in Kashan is the late Ayatollah Kashani. Ayatollah Kashani is someone who, if he had not existed, the nationalization of the oil industry would certainly not have occurred in this country. I tell the youth to familiarize themselves with the recent history of their country; for one of the ways of deception and seduction is the distortion of history, which unfortunately is occurring abundantly today. The late Kashani is someone who, with his help, Dr. Mossadegh and other leaders of the nationalization movement were able to garner the support of the people for this movement; otherwise, the support of the people would not have been secured. No one knew Mossadegh; no one understood the meaning of the nationalization of the oil industry; the vast masses of people whose votes and presence were decisive in social transformations were not informed about the process and were not explained to. The court system, which opposed the understanding of the people, was itself an agent of the British. The intellectuals and politicians whose direction was this had no means or way, and the people did not trust them. The late Ayatollah Kashani entered the scene. The scholars knew this man’s background, and the people of Iran had affection for him. He was someone who had been exiled from the country by the British occupying forces due to his opposition to British policy. You can see how the situation of the country was at that time. Today, look at the political independence of the Iranian nation; see that no power in the world can impose any kind of stance—even a verbal stance—on our statesmen; but at that time, a foreign government dared to take a religious scholar and exile him from the country for opposing British policy! Of course, he was previously imprisoned in the fortress of Falak al-Aflak in Khorramabad, and I visited that cell where it was said that the late Mr. Kashani was imprisoned. When he returned from exile to Tehran, the waves of feelings and affection of the people towards this struggling and fighting cleric created such a storm that all the enemies were pushed back, and the British and others realized that fighting against this religious scholar would lead nowhere. Later, the late Ayatollah Kashani, as the representative of the people of Tehran and the president of the parliament at that time, supported the nationalization of the oil industry. The representatives of the late Ayatollah Kashani traveled throughout the country. I was a teenager at that time. The representative of the late Ayatollah Kashani came to Mashhad and delivered a sermon. He attracted the hearts of the people like a magnet, and no other factor could replace this movement. Thus, in the year 1329 in the Iranian calendar—fifty-one years ago, when the nationalization movement of the Iranian oil industry began—the people supported the nationalization of the Iranian oil industry, and despite the fact that Mohammad Reza was not in favor of Mossadegh’s premiership, with the support of the people, Mossadegh became prime minister. If the late Ayatollah Kashani had not created this immense popular support for Mossadegh, he would not have become prime minister. Then, in the year 1331, when the counterattack of the court against Mossadegh began and he was dismissed from the premiership, only one factor was able to restore power to Mossadegh, and that was the late Ayatollah Kashani. These are among the clear facts of history; they are among the events that those who were there at that time have witnessed and are well aware of what transpired; however, some deliberately conceal these facts and do not allow these words to reach the present generation; their intentions are clear. When the Shah appointed Qavam al-Saltanah as prime minister instead of Mossadegh, the late Ayatollah Kashani issued a statement against Qavam; people donned shrouds and took to the streets in Tehran and other cities; thus, Qavam could not remain as prime minister for more than three days. How could one resist the immense waves of people that Ayatollah Kashani had mobilized? Therefore, Qavam stepped down, and Mossadegh returned to power. The British had considered Iranian oil as their personal property and had been exploiting it for decades, taking the wealth of the Iranian nation almost for free, and the royal court collaborated with the British to prolong its disgraceful rule for a few more days. However, the nationalization movement of the oil industry disrupted this arrangement, and the main source of this movement was this great and courageous man: the late Ayatollah Sayyid Abul-Qasim Kashani. A very important part of this story that I am now mentioning, and which I particularly want our youth to pay attention to, is that the enemy understood the secret of the victory of the Iranian nation; thus, they sought to separate politicians and government leaders from the clergy and religion. They distanced them from Ayatollah Kashani and created a gap between them, and unfortunately, they succeeded. From the 30th of Tir 1331, when the late Ayatollah Kashani was able to bring the Iranian nation to the scene, until the 28th of Mordad 1332, when American agents in Tehran managed to overthrow Mossadegh and dismantle his entire setup, more than a year and a month passed. During this year and month, through the mediation of the agents against the independence of this country and the plots of the enemies of this nation, Dr. Mossadegh continually distanced himself from Mr. Kashani, until the late Ayatollah Kashani wrote a letter a few days before the events of the 28th of Mordad—these letters are all available—and said, "I fear that with the situation you have, they will stage a coup against you and create a problem." Dr. Mossadegh replied, "I am supported by the backing of the Iranian people!" His mistake was right here. The Iranian nation was mobilized by the clergy—someone like Ayatollah Kashani—to fill the scenes and come to the forefront, risking their lives. On the 28th of Mordad, when Kashani was isolated and confined to his home—actually, the Mossadegh government had isolated him and distanced him from itself—his absence from the scene caused the people to also be absent from the scene; thus, the coup plotters, who were directly commissioned by the United States, were able to come and easily take control of part of the army and stage a coup. A bunch of thugs and ruffians from Tehran were also mobilized, and they overthrew Mossadegh. After that, the dictatorship of Mohammad Reza Shah emerged, under which this nation was trampled for twenty-five years, and the nationalization of the oil industry was rendered null and void; because the same oil was handed over to a consortium designed by the Americans. Whatever the enemy wanted, that happened; due to the separation from the clergy and religion. These are lessons. A similar incident occurred during the Constitutional Revolution. There, too, it was the people who acted, and their presence imposed the Constitutional Revolution on the despotic rulers of the Qajar dynasty; otherwise, Muzaffar al-Din Shah was not someone who would accept the Constitution; the presence and pressure of the people forced him to accept it. The clergy and great scholars had brought the people to the scene. After the Constitutional Revolution was established, a group of self-deceived intellectuals, in front of the British, through propaganda and newspapers and their methods, caused the clergy and the religious people to become disillusioned and hopeless regarding the Constitutional Revolution. The result was that initially a dictatorship accompanied by chaos emerged, and a few years later, the dark dictatorship of Reza Khan dominated this nation. These two events are two experiences that, of course, each has its own analysis and separate story. I suffer from seeing that our youth are unaware of these matters. Always being informed about what the enemy has done in the past enables one to recognize the enemy's tricks in the present time as well. Of course, methods change. You see that in sports competitions, coaches sit and carefully observe the performance of rival teams to understand their methods. The Iranian nation has faced at least two significant issues with the United States and Britain over the past hundred years. One issue is the Constitutional Revolution; the other issue is the nationalization of the oil industry. In both cases, they employed a trick and deprived the Iranian nation of enjoying the fruits of their victory, leading to a harsh and dark dictatorship in each of these two periods in the country. The third incident is the Islamic Revolution, where Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified) exercised vigilance and did not allow it. Some at the beginning of the revolution, under the influence of those enemies, propagated that it was very good; the Imam came, the revolution was victorious, the people were brought to the scene, and the Islamic Republic was established; the Imam's work was done; the Imam should go to Qom and engage in his studies and discussions! This implied that the same thing that happened during the Constitutional Revolution should also happen in the Islamic Revolution. Our great Imam, the faithful nation, the seasoned fighters who had historical experiences, and the great political figures of the revolution who understood what they were doing and from which avenue the enemy might attack this country again, understood the enemy's tricks. The Constitution was drafted, and the great Imam oversaw and monitored the strengthening of its foundation throughout this process. During this time, the people remained alongside the religious truths and the standard bearers of religious knowledge. Our youth, instead of turning their backs on the truths and beauties of religious knowledge and the Islamic values that have raised the banner of justice in today's world, have consciously and more insistently raised and taken the banner of Islam and Islamic aspirations in the country. The people and our youth did not allow the old formula of the enemy to be realized in the Islamic Revolution. What is this formula? The first step is the separation of the political apparatus and the movement from religion and the clergy. The second step is the disillusionment of the people regarding the transformation that has occurred; like the Constitutional Revolution and the nationalization of the oil industry. The disillusionment of the people leads to their absence from the scene. The third step, in the absence of the people, is the emergence of a tyrannical and ruthless dictatorship, placing the country in the hands of the enemy and global arrogance. In transformations where religion has played no role, they have easily been able to implement this formula: disillusion the people; distance them from the scene; in their absence, do whatever they want and bring their desired agents to power. In post-revolutionary Iran, they could not accomplish this; they could not separate the element of religion from the very foundation of the Islamic Republic and the Islamic Revolution; they could not disillusion the people; the people remained on the scene, and as long as the people are present, the enemy has no opportunity for any real and genuine movement in our country. What is the major challenge facing our country today? Both the youth of the country and all segments of the people, including workers, farmers, industrialists, clerics, and students, must pay attention to this point: today, the most important task is that under the shadow of Islam and the Islamic government, which relies on the opinions and sentiments of the people, we must build the country economically, politically, culturally, and morally in such a way that the tongues of the enemies and detractors and the extensive propaganda horns of the enemy are silenced. The greatest advertisement for a political theory is what happens in practice. I reiterated this point to the youth and people in Isfahan, saying that today the greatest blow to the credibility of the prevalent liberal democracy in the West is this world soaked in blood and corpses and oppression that has emerged based on liberal democracy. The center and periphery of both world wars were Europe; that is, the center of liberal democracy. Colonialism, interference in countries, the issues of Latin American countries, and most importantly, the Palestinian issue and now the Afghan issue arose in this context. In the face of these events, the theory of liberal democracy has no response. There is no need for theoretical and philosophical discussions or sitting at debate tables; when the people of the world look, they see what the result of this political theory is, and it is ineffective. In these circumstances, you want to introduce the political theory of Islam and the Islamic Republic—meaning religious democracy—to the world. Republic means popular sovereignty; Islamic means religious. Some think that when we introduced the title of religious democracy, we brought something new to the field; no. The Islamic Republic means religious democracy. The essence of religious democracy is that a system must be governed and advanced with divine guidance and the will of the people. The flaw in the systems of the world is that either they lack divine guidance—like the so-called Western democracies, which apparently have popular will but lack divine guidance—or if they claim to have divine guidance, they do not have popular will; or neither exists, which is the case for many countries; that is, neither do the people have a say in the affairs of the country, nor is there divine guidance. The Islamic Republic is where divine guidance and popular will influence the construction of the system together. There is no flaw or objection to this theory in academic discussions and research circles; however, if you want to prove the legitimacy of this theory to the people of the world, you must demonstrate it in practice. This is the major challenge facing the Islamic Republic. My dear ones! Know that all the efforts of the enemies of the Islamic Republic are aimed at preventing this from happening; that is, this construction based on the Islamic Republic from being realized. This economic blockade that you hear about is for this reason. The various sabotages regarding oil and other issues that arise from the enemies for our country are because they do not want the Islamic Republic and the country of Iran to reach its desired point of prosperity, development, and progress under this system, so that it does not become a model for other countries and the political theory of Islam does not spread in the world. What is our duty? Our duty is to act in direct opposition to their wishes. Government officials must not neglect for a moment their work for the people and their relentless efforts for the reconstruction of the country and comprehensive development. I have always warned that political disputes prevent officials from working. The official who is preoccupied with party and group and political "yes" or "no" does not have the opportunity to devote his time to the affairs of the people. Of course, we have made significant progress. I oppose anyone who belittles the progress of the successive governments of the Islamic Republic from the beginning of the revolution until today. Self-deprecation is just like self-aggrandizement; it is a national disease. Enemies have always tried to make us belittle ourselves; to overlook our progress and to view what has happened with a narrow perspective, or not to consider it at all. This country has advanced in all aspects of construction, development, and culture after the revolution to such an extent that if you look at the many years of the life of those oppressive and domineering regimes, you will not see a part of what has happened in these twenty years. Therefore, these should not be overlooked. While I believe that the progress and successes should not be overlooked, officials must also place the unfinished, weak, delayed, and forgotten tasks with double attention and commitment in their work programs; and this cannot happen unless officials dedicate all their efforts to work. Drinking water, agricultural water, textile industries, carpet weaving, and velvet weaving—which are among the ancient honors of Kashan and have always been associated with this city—are facing serious problems; however, all these problems are solvable in some way. Officials can untie these knots through diligence. We do not say that these knots will be untied in the short term; no. It may take time; but the important thing is that this time will eventually come to an end. Problems will be solved one after another, and this requires the efforts of the officials. The part concerning the people is that they should not allow despair to take root in them upon seeing the shortages and weaknesses. Becoming pessimistic about everything and overlooking all positive actions is precisely what the enemy wants. This is the major challenge facing our country today. The country has abundant resources. Today, thanks be to God, we have astonishing human resources; all these youth, all this fresh energy, all these working hands, all this talent, all this thought. These can be utilized for the advancement of the country and for untangling knots. We have so many students and learners. As was mentioned, in a city like Kashan, no one imagined that fourteen thousand students would be studying; but today it has become a reality. This is the case throughout the country. Today, in the most remote areas of the country, there are higher education centers; either there is a university or high-ranking university classes. These are the assets of the country. Therefore, today the duty of the officials of the country is tireless work. The duty of the people is also not to become disheartened, to pursue the work, to strive, and to logically demand from the officials. Everyone should do whatever they can; if all of us—both the people and the officials—fulfill our duties, this country will reach a point where the flag of the Islamic Republic will be raised in the world against the interventionist and domineering powers. Today, the world is in dire need of the justice and spirituality that the Islamic Iran has raised the banner of. Today, the most significant void in the world is the void of spirituality and justice. The people of the world love peace. Western politicians and their followers hypocritically speak of peace; however, they themselves ignite the flames of war. What is happening today in Palestine and Afghanistan? What is the Palestinian issue? Is it not that a nation wants to live in its own home? A nation wants to live in its homeland; yet they do not allow it and destroy its home. The usurping government of Israel has a blank check from America; all its crimes have been pre-approved, and it knows that America will not protest against it. Many others, out of consideration for America, do not protest either. That is why the world hears news of atrocities in Palestinian cities every day; yet no action is taken. Afghanistan is another example. What sin have the people of Afghanistan committed? What government or nation have the people of Afghanistan attacked that they should be subjected to such aggression? The world sees these events, protests, and speaks out; however, no confrontation occurs. When nations observe these things, they feel that there is a significant deficiency in this world, and that deficiency is justice. The Islamic Republic of Iran must not lose its cry for justice and its quest for spirituality. Dear youth—who today constitute a significant portion of the Iranian nation—you must know that the path you are on is a very glorious one, and if you continue it with steadfastness, hope, resolute will, unwavering determination, and by employing your knowledge and experience and that of your predecessors, the world will follow you. My dear ones! Ramadan is approaching. In a few days, the believers—those who are worthy of it—will gather at the table of divine hospitality. The fast itself, the attention to God Almighty, the remembrances and prayers that during this month hearts are generally inclined towards, are part of the table of divine hospitality. Make the utmost use of this table and prepare yourselves. The months of Rajab and Sha'ban are the months for preparing the heart for Ramadan. There are only a few days left of the month of Sha'ban. My dear ones! My children! Dear youth! Make use of these few days as well. Ask God to turn your pure hearts towards Him and to speak with Him. The language of speaking with God is not a special language; however, our infallibles—those who have traversed the stations of divine proximity one after another—spoke with God in beautiful languages. They taught us the way to speak with God. This Sha'ban supplication, these prayers of the months of Rajab and Sha'ban, these lofty themes, these radiant and delicate teachings with beautiful and miraculous words, are a means for our supplication. I invite all of you dear ones to pay attention to supplication during these days, to prayer, to the observance of fasting, and to the utilization of the days and nights of the month of Ramadan. I hope that God Almighty grants all of you His grace and mercy. I sincerely thank the great gathering of you dear people of Kashan, Aran, and Bidgol, and your pure and sincere feelings, both men and women, and I entrust you all to God. Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings.