Allegiance of Various People and Officials of Khuzestan and Golpayegan with His Eminence

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

I sincerely offer my condolences to all you dear brothers and sisters who have come from afar, enduring the hardships of the journey. Many of you traveled on foot, lovingly embracing the tomb of the beloved and cherished leader of the Iranian nation, the focal point of eager hearts; may God accept from you.

This calamity is a tragedy for the Islamic world; indeed, it is a sorrow that burdens the hearts of all oppressed nations. Of course, the Iranian nation is the principal mourner. People around the world, both Muslims and non-Muslims, offer condolences to the Iranian nation; and rightly so. It was this great nation that first responded positively to the call of that heavenly leader and the path of the prophets. The Iranian nation followed him, sacrificing their lives, wealth, and loved ones in the path of God.

Truly, throughout the history of Islam, the Iranian nation has been the most loyal and sincere community towards its Imam and leader. Therefore, it is fitting that in this tragedy, the great Iranian nation suffers more than all other nations and Muslims of the world, and it is also fitting that Muslims and the oppressed of the world offer condolences to this nation.

There is a fundamental point that, although the entire Iranian nation has witnessed it, you people of Khuzestan and the cities near the borders have observed it more clearly. The point is that the power and force that prevented the enemies from attacking and invading our Islamic homeland was divine power. There should be no doubt about this reality. Of course, divine power manifests and is realized through people and means; but there is a difference between people and armies. The group that is divinely endorsed acts and moves differently and has a different feeling.

Throughout the eight years of war, it was repeatedly observed that the enemy's force was unequal to ours. The enemy was not just Iraq; Iraq was like a gateway through which global arrogance and the East and West attacked us. Everyone understood, and the world also understood, that French, Russian, British, and other weapons were attacking us together, bringing mercenaries from many countries and using oil dollars to benefit our enemy. Therefore, it was not a country and a government against us; rather, global arrogance and its minions had entered the battle against us.

This force, with all its apparent vastness, was ineffective against the determination of the Iranian nation, which was incomparable in terms of tools and equipment. We saw how our warriors, Basijis, army, Revolutionary Guards, tribes, villagers, city dwellers, and other various segments of our people participated in the battlefield with a mystical state, fought lovingly, and struck the enemy with blows similar to those of the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) in the early Islamic battles.

For this reason, the Almighty God blessed these movements and blows arising from faith, motivation, sincerity, and mysticism, and averted a great calamity from the revolution and the Iranian nation. This is a matter that the entire Iranian nation, especially you people who were near the borders and witnessed and experienced the events, have experienced.

There is a sentence in the will of our dear Imam that we must never forget. He said: The factor that brought the revolution to victory will also sustain the revolution. That is, reliance on God, the people's faith in Islam, and a firm decision to fulfill the divine and Islamic duty and unity of word are the secrets of victory and the continuation of the revolution. This is an everlasting lesson for all of us.

Today we witness that unity, sincerity, and general purity prevail in our country. This is a very great event and one of the blessings of the pure spirit of our great Imam. The sincerity of that great divine man has also affected the atmosphere of this society after his passing, bringing hearts together and strengthening bonds. The unity of word and your people's solidarity with each other and the strong bond expressed between you and the officials were seen by the whole world and caused the enemies to despair.

With the entry of the Imam into the domestic scene of the country in 1979, the revolution gained a new freshness, flourished, and became fruitful. God's grace was upon the Imam, placing these blessings in his being. His pure spirit, at the time of his death and celestial ascension, was also subject to divine blessings and grace, causing the revolution during the days of his passing to gain new leaves and fruits, similar to the early days of victory, and to possess awe and grandeur, causing the enemies to despair.

Today, thanks to Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified), we can speak to the world from a position of power and strength. No one in the world should imagine that the Islamic Republic feels any weakness within itself. By the grace of the Lord, we will advance our internal affairs with full strength and confidence, and we will expand foreign relations as far as they align with our principles and are beneficial and advantageous for Islam, Muslims, the Iranian nation, the revolution, and the Islamic Republic, with strength and power and from a high position.

No government with the resources that the Islamic Republic possesses today can possibly feel weak. The governments that boast of strength and power are often—and indeed generally—deprived and destitute of the resources available to the Islamic Republic. Money and weapons are not the means of strength. The detested Pahlavi regime had both money and weapons and enjoyed global support; but you saw how it was completely destroyed in a short time, leaving no trace in the world.

Many regimes that appear to feel powerful with money, weapons, and global support have false power. True power is obtained with divine support and grace, which is manifested in the support and massive presence of the people on the scene. Today, the Islamic Republic possesses this power.

If we want to develop the country, promote agriculture, which has a fertile ground in our country, establish and operate an independent industry based on the talent, knowledge, and experience of domestic specialists, expand science and research in universities and research centers, and, God willing, advance public welfare throughout the country to the depths of the villages, and fully implement and realize spirituality, morality, and Quranic and Islamic laws in all aspects of this country—which, by the grace of the Lord, all these tasks must be accomplished—the means and tools for achieving all these desires are you, the people, and your presence and faith will pave this path.

Anyone who tries to create discord among the people today or to remove them from the scene is, in fact, striking at all the goals mentioned. The global propaganda elements that try to discourage our nation with rumors, lies, and deception are truly hostile to the same goals mentioned; because they know that if the nation is encouraged, hopeful, and present on the scene, those tasks will be accomplished.

Some internal whisperers and instigators—who, thanks be to God, with the power and faith of the people, have had their breath cut off, their voices weakened, and their influence faded—are still engaged in their activities here and there. If you see them questioning and disputing the sacred principles of this nation, such as the 'Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist,' which is the most fundamental principle of the Islamic Republic system and through which we have achieved these advancements over the past ten years, spreading rumors and making desperate efforts, it is because they do not want the great goals of the Iranian nation to be realized by the Islamic Republic and through the believers in God.

Remember this sentence that our great Imam emphasized repeatedly: The secret of all victories is unity of word and presence on the scene. If there is no unity of word and presence of the people on the scene, the Iranian nation will not be able to take a step forward; but if all the people recognize and preserve this secret, of course, God will help them. This is the divine promise: 'And those who strive for Us—We will surely guide them to Our ways,' 'Whoever is for God, God is for him.' These are true, sincere, and definite divine promises.

Thanks be to God, God is with the Iranian nation, and the noble existence of that esteemed leader and unparalleled human being has truly been the greatest blessing for us. Today, too, his words and advice that remain for us are the greatest blessing for us; because they are the words of God and the prophets, and we must appreciate them and, God willing, act upon them.

Once again, I sincerely thank all of you brothers and sisters; especially the esteemed scholars, Friday prayer leaders, esteemed clergy, and the noble families of martyrs and dear warriors who have come here from Khuzestan and other cities. May God reward all of you and, God willing, continue His blessings upon you and always bestow His grace upon you.

Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings