Statements of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution in Meeting with the People of Kazerun

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 progeny, the infallible guides; especially the Awaited One of God among the people.

I express my gratitude to the Almighty God for granting me the opportunity to participate in this fervent gathering of the revolutionary believers of Kazerun. In fact, I owed a debt to the people of Kazerun; during my previous trips to Fars Province in my presidential term, I did not have the chance to visit. I thank God for His grace that allowed me to meet with this city, which is historically significant and one of the brightest cities in Fars, indeed throughout the country, and to be among you dear brothers and sisters. This session is, thanks be to God, filled with enthusiasm, spirituality, revolutionary spirit, and deep religious conviction; and this is one of the divine favors to you dear people, a reward for your long-standing efforts in the past history in striving for the cause of God.

Kazerun is a remarkable and memorable city in the near history of our time. During the invasion of the colonial British government to the Persian Gulf, the people of Kazerun played a significant role in the struggle. During the nationalization movement of oil, following the late Ayatollah Kashani (may God be pleased with him), these people played a pivotal role. On the 15th of Khordad, the people of Kazerun were among those who showed a prominent and clear presence. In the last year of the struggles and close to the victory of the revolution, the youth of Kazerun and the faithful people of this land demonstrated such steadfastness and uprising against the tyrannical regime that among the eleven cities where martial law was declared throughout the country, Kazerun was one of them; this is very significant. During that period, Kazerun also offered martyrs.

In the realm of knowledge, literature, and the education of distinguished individuals, the historical past of Kazerun is a proud history; in addition to the fact that Salman al-Farsi - a prominent and eternal figure in the history of Islam - is a source of pride for this region. Of course, Salman al-Farsi belongs to all of Iran; all the people of Iran, all Persian speakers, all those who are praised by the Prophet Muhammad for the people of Fars, take pride in Salman. Salman belongs to our country, belongs to our nation. The people of Kazerun consider his birth to be among themselves and in this area; the people of Isfahan consider his upbringing to be in the Isfahan region; there is no contradiction. Besides Shiraz, in addition to Fars Province and Kazerun and the Arzhaneh plain, which proudly associate the blessed name of Salman al-Farsi with themselves and have the right to do so, and in addition to the people of Isfahan who claim that this divine figure was among them and have the right, all the people of Iran - from near and far - take pride in a personality like Salman.

They said, "Abu al-Saqr is from Shayban," I said to them,

"No, but by my life, he is from Shayban."

It should not be said that Salman al-Farsi is from Fars or from Iran; it should be said that Fars and Iran are from Salman al-Farsi. The rank of faith, the rank of knowledge, the rank of striving in the way of God, the pursuit of reaching the pure source of truth, elevates a person to such a degree that the Prophet says: "Salman is one of us, the people of the House." He is counted among the people of the House; and personalities like Abu Dharr, Ammar, and Muqdad, and other companions are ranked below Salman in terms of evaluation and comparison; this is a lesson for us, this is a model for the youth of Iran; that is, seeking the truth, searching for it, finding it, and standing firm upon it. This is what makes Salman, Salman; just as striving, purity, and adherence to a right belief that has not come easily transforms the people of Kazerun into a model people, such that the memory of the people of Kazerun, the name of the people of Kazerun, the name of the city of Kazerun is always recorded and engraved in the mind of anyone who cares about the fate of this country. These are true dignities. In defining the series of Islamic values, we rely on these values. The men and women of Kazerun, the youth of Kazerun, in order to be considered among the elite in the logic of Islam and to be regarded as noble, must rely on these things: on steadfastness, resilience, and stability in the truth they have recognized and followed and to which they are devoted. This is the source of dignity; "The nobility of my nation are the bearers of the Quran and the companions of the night." Others consider the wealthy and the powerful to be the elite. Islam has a different criterion for determining nobility. Whoever strives more in the way of God, whoever binds themselves more deeply to the divine foundations, whoever steps more sincerely on this path, their dignity before the Lord is greater. This is the explanation of our sincerity and heartfelt devotion to you, dear people of Kazerun, so that you know that just as you express affection to the officials of the country and to this humble servant, our hearts are also filled with love for you.

I referred to the proud revolutionary past of the people of Kazerun. For this reason, the people of Kazerun and, in a sense, Fars Province, were not a desirable province for the tyrannical regime; it was considered a despised province. Look at Shiraz and see the efforts of the tyrannical cultural policies, the efforts of assimilation during that tyrannical period. Compare this with the activities that a government should undertake for a province like Fars; in terms of development and prosperity. You will see that during the tyrannical regime, it seemed that there was no attention paid to the development of this province and the construction of the necessary infrastructure for its growth. The roads of the province faced difficulties; the water of the province faced problems; dam construction, road building, and the establishment of large industries throughout this province were neglected. A province in the heart of the country and with such historical significance was considered one of the underdeveloped provinces in terms of transportation and communication; they did not want it. The view of this province and, in general, the issues of the country during the reign of the tyrants was not one of compassion, remedy, or aimed at solving problems. The perspective was different; it was based on other calculations.

You see that the day the railway came to this country, what came to mind first was to connect the center of the country through these central provinces - namely Isfahan and Fars - to the Persian Gulf; this was the most natural thing that could be done in this country. They did not do this. That English political writer, who is himself a politician - affiliated with the same colonial apparatus that betrays the interests of this country - in a book he wrote - which has been translated into Persian - titled "Iran and the Issue of Iran," admits that the railway in Iran should have come from Tehran, passing through the center of the country - from Isfahan Province, from Fars Province - and going to the Persian Gulf; but this was not done. The railway of Iran during the tyrannical regime, during Reza Khan, was constructed with the calculation of the interests of the powers that were considered the great enemies of this country - namely England and Russia of that day - and they named it the trans-Iranian railway! Pure lies; which trans-Iranian? So that the allied front of that day - namely England and Russia - could transfer weapons and ammunition on both sides of our country, to utilize the oil of the country, they came from part of the Persian Gulf, at a distance, and built a railway to Tehran; from there to part of the Caspian Sea, so that the Russian and English troops could connect with each other and transfer weapons, equipment, and resources and take Iran's oil wherever they wanted to use it. This means that the policy governing a developmental action in the country, which is the construction of a railway, was so influenced by colonial policies and foreign interference in the country. The result of this is that Shiraz, in the heart of the country, has no railway. Of course, by divine grace, in these years of the revolution, good work has been done in terms of transportation in this province; secondly, this railway and these connecting roads of this region to water areas and other regions of the country will, by God's grace, be accomplished by the Islamic Republic; this work will be done. This is the right of Fars Province and must be accomplished. In all areas, especially in recent years, thanks be to God, good work has been done; in the field of industries, large industries, dam construction, and so forth. And this chain of productive services for this province, like other provinces, must be carried out by the governments as they deserve and as is their right, and by divine grace, God willing, it will be accomplished.

The Iranian nation has brought its existence, its being, to the field in pursuit of this great ideal. In fact, the Iranian nation felt its identity during the Islamic Revolution. What the enemies, the fundamental enemies of this nation have always wanted and pursued has been to strip this nation of its identity. When a nation does not feel its personality, does not feel its identity, it is easier to subjugate; they deny its past, deny its capabilities, deny its inner and inherent powers, so that they can easily hold that nation, that country in their grip. This was the work that continued with intensity during the period of cultural assimilation, namely the nefarious Pahlavi era, in this country and was strengthened day by day in those years.

The Islamic Republic changed the direction one hundred and eighty degrees. The Iranian nation feels its identity; the Islamic identity that the Iranian identity is also derived from this Islamic identity. It feels that the Islamic Iran is the lost identity that this nation must regain and based on it, determine and plan its ideals and shape its efforts and struggles. This is the work that our nation has done well and continues to do. I absolutely do not accept and deny these despairing verses that some repeatedly recite. I see with my own eyes, being informed about the various issues of our great country and esteemed nation, that this nation and the youth of this nation have become deeper, more mature, and more experienced over time and nearly three decades since the victory of the revolution.

The revolutionary fervor is like a flame that rises; this flame may diminish; however, the strong fuels that have been able to ignite this flame and propel it towards being ignited, blazing, and molten, their impact is greater than that flame. The flame may diminish, but the lasting fires - from which blessings arise for a nation - increase day by day.

Today, the enemies of the Iranian nation are helpless in the face of this nation's movement; they do not know what to do with this nation. I want to tell you, dear people of Kazerun and this region, and you sincere gathering that have come together here: the enemy of the Islamic Republic, namely the network of global arrogance - not just the government of America, meaning that group of the leaders of the oppressive economic power of today's world that bring and take governments; in those countries that are known by the name of democracy, in America itself and in some other countries that have a strong connection with the Zionist network, they are there. Governments that are connected with this influential and powerful network of global arrogance see their interests threatened by the Islamic movement and Islamic awakening; they see these illegitimate interests as being in danger. The enemy is they. This enemy has used all possible means to confront this nation and has been left helpless. You see what they could have done in these thirty years that they did not do. Whatever they did not do was because they calculated the profit and loss, the benefit and harm, and saw that it was not beneficial, that it would bring them more harm. If they did not do something, it is because they calculated and saw that it would be harmful for them if they did that. Otherwise, they have done everything they could that was not harmful to them; they have imposed economic sanctions, launched military attacks, instigated military coups within, found weak-minded individuals among the population, allied with them, conducted propaganda against the revolution with their language, with their breath, and even allied with the communists in this country.

The American arrogance, which once openly declared its enemy in the world to be Marxism and communism, sought out the leftist tendencies and the old, disheveled communists to confront the Iranian nation; they allied with them! Perhaps they could inflict some damage on the Iranian nation; but in all these matters, they have failed. The Iranian nation has triumphed over them.

Today, we must know what this defeated enemy in the face of the Iranian nation is plotting. We must be vigilant: "The one who knows his time will not be attacked by the calamities." If we recognize the scene, understand the arena, know the enemy, and are aware of the enemy's plans, we will not be caught off guard. The Iranian nation must know this. Thanks be to God, our nation is a vigilant nation; there are many eloquent speakers, scholars, and enlightened individuals among the religious scholars and university scholars who guide and direct the people. Our enthusiastic youth have also progressed in various fields. Today, among our people, our Basij youth have advanced in the fields of science, experience, and difficult technologies. The nation is such a nation. Therefore, understanding the scene is not difficult for our nation.

I tell you, today one of the points that our enemy invests in is the issue of differences. The differences between this political taste and that political taste; the differences between this province and that province; the differences between this inclination and that inclination; the differences between this sect and that sect; this is one of the ways. Of course, they pursue this in the Islamic world. Just recently, I saw and read a report that the British Parliament advises their government - this is from just a few weeks ago - to seek out the points in the Islamic world where Islamic sects and denominations do not agree, to find them, to focus on them; that is, to create differences; that is, to incite war between Islamic sects. Internally, they are pursuing this in a different way, as we have mentioned.

One of the ways is to distract the youth. I told the youth of the country a few years ago that the future of the country belongs to you, go after knowledge, pursue scientific innovation. And our university youth responded positively; our experienced professors in this field advanced the work with their presence and seriousness. Today, when we look, we see that compared to ten or fifteen years ago, the scientific progress of the country is very eye-catching and remarkable, and it will continue to be so. Distracting the youth, preoccupying them with frivolities, with things that divert them from the main path of the revolutionary life of the Iranian nation, is one of their programs. The piety, devotion, and chastity of our youth are undesirable for them.

We must create immunity against this. The Iranian nation, with its unity, solidarity, and collective effort, with its serious pursuit of the great movement of the Iranian nation towards the peaks of perfection, can overcome the enemy and, by divine grace, will overcome the enemy.

The Almighty God has helped us over these thirty years. In various moments, one can observe the divine assistance, the hand of divine power behind this nation. One of these is that today the government that embodies arrogance - the American government is facing numerous problems. The failures of the American government are not trivial. Look at the last seven or eight years; they have failed in the Palestinian issue, they have failed in erasing the thought of Palestine from the minds of nations; they have failed in dominating the fate of the Iraqi nation, that absolute unilateral government they wanted to establish in Iraq has failed. The presidential candidate of America - just a few days ago - announced that the American attack on Iraq was for the oil of the Middle East. This has created a stir in the press and media of America; this presidential candidate has made this statement. Well, this is what we said from the very beginning. The day America was preparing for the attack on Iraq, and the day it carried out this attack, we explicitly and publicly said you are lying when you say you came to liberate the people of Iraq; no, you came to enslave the people of Iraq. "When I saw, ultimately, you were the wolf." Saddam was a weaker wolf compared to the American occupying forces. They came, and we said they came for oil; not just for the oil of Iraq, but for the oil of the region; to establish a base in the Persian Gulf by force and power, not by politics. The Americans came with this intention. Now this Republican presidential candidate explicitly admits this and says I have a plan so that America no longer needs Middle Eastern oil, so it does not have to send its youth to the battlefield. This means that the American nation is so disgusted and so upset with this action that the American government has organized for them, with the war in Iraq and the occupation of Iraq, that a presidential candidate emphasizes this point to attract the votes of the people.

Is this not the failure of the American government? Is there any greater failure than this? They have failed in Palestine, they have failed in Iraq, they have even failed in dominating weak Afghanistan, they have failed in implementing their plans in Lebanon. Of course, their language is open, their threats are constant. Superpowers live more by their threats than by the true reality of their existence, to intimidate the opponent.

The Iranian nation discovered this secret and was not intimidated by the threats of America and other superpowers and other aggressors and bullies and their nonsense, and will not be.

But I want to tell you: my dear ones! Faithful people and enthusiastic youth of Kazerun! And all the youth across the country! This lack of intimidation is a very good trait, this courage is an excellent characteristic, this awareness and vigilance of one's inner strength is a great advantage; but none of these are sufficient; these are necessary, but not enough. Everyone must strive, the government and the nation must strive; this country must be built as an Islamic model. The economic aspects, the cultural aspects must be given attention by the officials, by the people, by all the youth; everyone must feel responsible.

And if we want this responsibility in the country to yield results, and if the officials of the country can, with the help of the people, build the future of Iran as befits Iranians and the sacred name of Islam, the way is that the relationship between the people, the relationship between the nation and the officials of the country - just as it is today - remains a strong and sincere relationship. Anyone who calls for division among the nation, anyone who tries to create distance between the nation and the officials of the country, anyone who beats the drum of differences is doing something against the interests of this country and this nation; whoever they may be.

Unity, agreement, the unity of word, and good opinion of one another must be preserved. The Quran says: "If only when you heard it, the believers, men and women, thought well of themselves"; purify your hearts with one another, move forward hand in hand; do not doubt that the Almighty God will support and assist such a nation, such sincere hearts, such steadfast steps.

Thanks be to God, with divine favors, the nation is ready everywhere, the officials of the country are also ready; the officials of the country are ready to serve, and this nation and these officials can overcome all problems and will overcome all problems. Know this; the enemies say the Islamic Republic will not last beyond a certain time; I say these enemies will all die in longing for the downfall of the Islamic Republic. And the Iranian nation will stand proud, dignified in the world, and day by day the elevation of the status of the Iranian nation will increase.

We may not be there on that day, but you youth are here. Remember, the path is the path of Islam; it is the path of God. If you want this ancient, blessed country, this cradle of civilization and culture to reach its rightful place and become a model for other countries, you must never forget the path of Islam and adherence to Islam. We hope that the prayers of the Awaited One of God (may our souls be sacrificed for him) will encompass all of you dear people.

I thank you for the affection you have shown, for this gathering you have held, for the enthusiastic and lively collective song that you all performed together, and I hope that, God willing, the Almighty God will always bestow His graces and blessings upon you, the people of Kazerun, and upon all of Fars Province, and may He include all of you in His mercy and grace.

O God! Illuminate the pure hearts of these dear youth, these dear people, these believing men and women with the lights of Your guidance and assistance; exalt the Iranian nation; grant victory over its enemies; subdue and humiliate its enemies. O God! Make the sacred heart of the Master of the Age pleased and satisfied with us; make us true soldiers of that great one; elevate the pure spirit of the martyrs, the blessed spirit of the Imam of martyrs day by day.

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