Statements in Meeting with Members of the Assembly of Experts

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

Welcome, esteemed gentlemen and distinguished experts of the community. I thank the dear brothers, the esteemed gentlemen; both during this current session and throughout the year in the relevant committees, where you are present and the efforts that are being made. We pray for you. May God, God willing, accept your efforts and grant you success and support.

We thank all of you; especially Mr. Hashemi Rafsanjani, for neutralizing the hostile expectations that the enemies had during this session. They expected that there would be discord among the experts of the community; that rivalries would take the form of conventional rivalries of the material world and that the competition in service would turn into negative competition for the control of centers and positions; which, thanks be to God, did not happen. Well, this was the expectation from Mr. Hashemi; considering the history of wisdom and sense of responsibility that we have always observed in him. And what you have chosen, gentlemen! Your choice was appropriate and just. Mr. Mahdavi is a prominent and distinguished personality; both in the realm of spirituality and in politics, as well as in the current issues of the country, in the matters of the seminary and the university, from the beginning of the revolution until today. What has happened, God willing, will be for the good of Islam and Muslims, thanks to the sincerity of you gentlemen and the wisdom and prudence that one observes in behaviors and speeches.

The current conditions of the country, considering the regional issues, are very important and sensitive. The regional issues are such that their dimensions are completely beyond the ordinary current issues. What is happening has very significant dimensions. Now, what the enemies, the opportunists, and the arrogant powers want and will do is another discussion. What has happened has two very important indicators, which have been the aspiration of all sincere Muslims and noble thoughts in the Islamic revolution, in the Islamic Republic, and in other parts of the world. These two occurrences are one, popular presence, and the other, the slogan of Islam. These two things are very important.

The meaning of popular presence is that nations should present themselves in the arenas of struggle and endure dangers; like what happened in Iran. When this happens, no power can stand against it; now the United States and others are easy. Even if all the powers of the world unite, they cannot resist a nation that has entered the field with all its existence. Of course, they will strike, kill, and shed blood, but they will be defeated. Just as the Imam said in those years, blood will prevail over the sword, it will be victorious. This has happened. The people have entered the field with their bodies, with their existence; they did not send representatives, they did not suffice with words; not just in one country, but in several countries; where the groundwork also exists in other countries. This is a very important point. Except for the hand of divine power, no one is capable of creating such a situation. The grounds are prepared, individuals play their roles - there is no doubt about this - but it is the hand of God's power that owns hearts; as it is said, "The heart of a person is between the two fingers of the Merciful." It is the Almighty God who directs hearts, strengthens them, mobilizes wills, and this happens. In these events, the hand of God's power is palpable. Because the hand of divine power is present, therefore victory is also certain.

The second point in these matters is the issue of the slogan of Islam. Well, in these countries and in other Islamic countries, the people are Muslim, they are part of the Islamic community. Even in those places where Islamic manifestations have been limited, accompanied by pressure, the people are believers, Muslims, and Islam has roots; this is also one of the characteristics of Islam. In countries where Marxists have tried with all their might for seventy years to eradicate Islam, as soon as the communist regime of the Soviet Union was overthrown, the people came out; youths who had not even experienced the era of Islam shouted the slogan of Islam. This is a characteristic related to the depth of Islam in hearts.

It is the same here. Of course, there are motivations, and there are still motivations - liberal motivations, perhaps to a lesser extent socialist motivations, nationalism, or similar things - but the body of the people is Muslim and the slogans are Islamic; especially in a country like Egypt where Islam is very deep-rooted, profound, the Quran is dominant there, and the love of the Ahl al-Bayt is dominant there.

Therefore, this incident is a remarkable event that is happening. This incident is still in its early stages. Well, we, as the Islamic Republic, and we, the number present here as officials of the Islamic Republic, and also other officials, have responsibilities; we must pay attention to these responsibilities and not pass through this temporal juncture easily.

One of the things that undoubtedly had an impact in these events was the modeling and discourse creation of the Islamic revolution. The Islamic revolution became a model for Muslims; firstly with its emergence, then with the successful establishment of the Islamic Republic system that was able to present a system with a complete constitution and establish it and realize it, and then the endurance of this system over thirty-two years that they could not strike a blow to it, and then the strengthening and further consolidation of this system - which today the Islamic Republic system is not comparable in depth and root to ten years ago, twenty years ago, and thirty years ago - and then the various advancements in this system, which include scientific progress, technological and industrial advancements, various social advancements, the maturation of thoughts, the emergence of new ideas, a massive scientific movement in the country, and various activities. The constructions that have taken place in this country have, in some cases, brought the country to the level of a few select countries in the world. All these are events that have happened. These are tangible things for the Muslim nations; they see and observe these. This revolution came, established a system, this system remained, became stronger day by day, and became more advanced day by day; this becomes a model. This modeling creates a discourse that is the discourse of Islamic identity and Islamic dignity. Today, the feeling of Islamic identity among the nations of the world is not comparable to thirty years ago; the feeling of Islamic dignity and the demand for this dignity today is not comparable to the past. This has happened.

Well, naturally, the result of this is that the opposing front and the opposing camp are defeated. Corrupt dependent tyrants were at the helm in some places. The Almighty God has promised: "Those who have committed sins will be struck with humiliation before God and a severe punishment for what they have plotted." Their plots are of no benefit to them; rather, because of this plotting, the Almighty God imposes humiliation and degradation upon them. This has happened, this has occurred, this is before our eyes.

This is another one of those instances where we have experienced the divine verses of the Quran before our eyes; this is from our time, this is very valuable. What the Almighty God has promised in the Quran, we are observing these in our experiences.

A significant portion of the anti-Islamic Republic propaganda is focused on this aspect; it is aimed at preventing modeling; preventing the Islamic Republic from appearing as a successful model in the eyes of the Muslim nations. In my opinion, this is a very important point that we all must pay attention to. The enemies' efforts are to ensure that the Islamic Republic does not appear as a successful model in the eyes of the nations; because when a model is established, people move towards it; when the success of this model is recognized, people are encouraged.

One of the Egyptian writers wrote fifty years ago, sixty years ago in a book that if we can manage one point of the world with an Islamic government, it is more effective than thousands of books and propaganda for the advancement of Islam. He is right. Although our model is not as compatible with Islam as we want - unfortunately, we are very far from the desired form of realizing Islam - but to the extent that we have been able to succeed, we have brought Islam into our society and lives, we observe its effects, we see its dignity, we see its power, we see its progress, we see its independence; the people are observing this. Therefore, they want this modeling not to happen; hence they try to tarnish the model in the eyes of the audience. One of the things that has been done from the beginning of the revolution until now is this. If we have a weakness, they magnify that weakness in the eyes of others; if we have no weakness, they falsely attribute it to us; we must pay attention to this. One of the fundamental tasks of the enemy in anti-Islamic Republic propaganda is focused on this meaning, and all efforts are aimed at this.

Well, in weakening this model, two factors assist each other: one factor is the internal factor; the shortcomings that exist. Our shortcomings, our laziness, our being afflicted with things that are detrimental to movement - such as disputes, various wrongdoings, the inclination towards the world, being drawn towards the world, power-seeking, political negligence, and such things - these are things that stem from our existence; we are creating these shortcomings. This internal factor harms this model.

The other factor relates to the enemy; they magnify what we have a hundredfold and present it to the eyes of others; they attribute even the shortcomings we do not have to us. Well, what should we do? First, we must address those internal issues. We must first deal with what is our own fault, our own shortcomings. If we correct this, the Almighty God will also take care of the second; that is, the Almighty God will also neutralize the enemy's propaganda.

In this "Munajat al-Shakirin" (Supplication of the Grateful) attributed to Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him), the first complaint of this great man is a complaint about himself: "O God, I complain to You of a self that commands evil and hastens to sin." After complaining about himself, he then says: "O God, I complain to You of an enemy who misleads me." First, a complaint about ourselves, then a complaint about the enemy. We must be vigilant about this.

Well, who should be vigilant? How should we be vigilant? The answer is that, first and foremost, the officials, the elites, the prominent figures, the intellectuals, the scholars, and those who have an influential environment must be vigilant about their behaviors. As we mentioned, power-seeking, world-seeking, pursuing disputes, creating turmoil, acting against ethics; I want to emphasize this issue of acting against ethics.

The atmosphere of insult and violation of dignity in society is one of those things that Islam prohibits; this should not happen. The atmosphere of violation of dignity is against religious law, against ethics, and against political wisdom. Criticism, opposition, expressing opinions boldly is not problematic; but it must be free from insults and abuses and slander. Everyone is responsible in this regard. This act, in addition to disturbing the atmosphere and disrupting the calm nerves of society - which today needs this calm - also angers the Almighty God. I want this to be a message to all those who either speak or write; whether in the press or in blogs. All of them should know that what they are doing is not right. Opposing, reasoning, condemning a wrong political thought or a wrong religious thought is one thing; becoming involved in this unethical, unlawful, and politically irrational matter is another thing; we completely and decisively reject this second; this should not happen. Unfortunately, some do this. I particularly advise the youth. Some of these youths are undoubtedly sincere, faithful, and good people, but they think this is their duty; no, I say this is against duty, it is the opposite of duty.

Of course, we should not be oblivious to the influences, the satanic temptations of the enemies, and the interventions of the enemies. Just as the Imam repeatedly said, sometimes such individuals enter enthusiastic and faithful gatherings and lead them in a certain direction and movement; we should not be oblivious to this; both the negligence stemming from becoming emotional and the negligence stemming from not seeing the hands of the enemy. Therefore, I particularly ask the youth not to allow this atmosphere of backbiting, slander, insults, and violations of dignity to continue. When it continues, naturally, it spreads - like an infectious disease - suddenly you see, for example, in Friday prayers, which is a place of humility and remembrance, such things are sometimes seen, which is wrong upon wrong. If a person does not accept the Friday prayer leader, well, they do not sit at his sermon at all, they do not follow him, they leave. Or sometimes in classes, in academic and educational environments, such things are seen; these are wrong, harmful, and against the interests of the revolution; these are the same as striking blows and creating rifts and damaging the magnificent and transparent body of the Islamic system that is moving forward with power.

I also want to give advice to the elders. This advice was for the youth, the elders also need advice; they too must pay attention. Taking correct positions, speaking correctly, not being influenced by false news, this is also a duty. Thousands of people in the Islamic system are working hard purely for the sake of God and striving day and night to carry out work according to the Islamic movement, to manage the system, to fulfill very heavy responsibilities; but if a person hears a false news, they begin to question all of these - the government officials, others - this is also not in the interest, this is also wrong. Both the youth must be vigilant, and the elders must be vigilant. We, in our youth, need advice, and now that we have grown old, we still need advice.

We hope that the Almighty God, God willing, helps all of us so that we can preserve this successful, magnificent, and very glorious model - which is the Islamic Republic system - and, God willing, pass it on to future generations and be honored before the Almighty God in this regard.

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