Statements at the Holy Shrine of Imam Reza at the Beginning of Year 90

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

Thanks be to God, the Lord of the worlds, and blessings and peace be upon the greatest prophet and the most upright path, our master and prophet, Abu al-Qasim al-Mustafa Muhammad; and upon his pure and chosen progeny, the guided, the Mahdi, the infallible; especially the remaining one of God on the earth.

I express my gratitude to the Almighty God for granting me once again the opportunity to experience this very blessed and precious occasion; the first day of the year in the presence of the shrine of Imam Ali ibn Musa al-Ridha (peace be upon him). I congratulate the joyous occasion of Nowruz and the beginning of the new year to all of you, dear brothers and sisters, and to the esteemed attendees who have gathered in this magnificent assembly; whether in this large hall or in the numerous courtyards where our dear people, our brothers and sisters, are present and listening to the words. This gathering is indeed a representation of the Iranian nation. On this day, from various points across the country, from different cities, from far and near, our dear people gather in this sanctuary and are blessed under the lofty shadow of Imam Abu al-Hasan al-Ridha (peace be upon him). The brothers and sisters from Mashhad are also present in this great assembly. I extend my greetings and congratulations to all.

The Iranian Nowruz is a precious opportunity for all of us Iranians and also for Muslims in other countries who recognize and honor Nowruz, to utilize this day and this occasion in the direction of the Islamic movement. The practice and vision of Islam is this: to take advantage of all opportunities, all moments of life, and all stages of existence in various forms for the perfection of humanity, for the spiritual and material advancement of mankind. We Iranians can use this occasion to engage in the actions that Islam has called us to, and to move in accordance with Islamic laws and teachings; to familiarize ourselves with the lofty goals of Islam. During these days, maintaining family ties, turning to the Almighty God, listening to good words from one another, and gathering in religious and spiritual centers are among the precious opportunities that should be utilized.

The truth is that our dear people have used Nowruz throughout the years, especially during the time of the Islamic system's governance over the country, for spirituality, for knowledge, and for closeness to God. The evidence is that if you observe at the moment of the transition, you will see that most people are engaged in attention, prayer, and remembrance in religious centers, shrines, and mosques. The meaning of this great movement is that the Iranian nation also benefits from this tradition and this custom for religion. This should be a guiding principle for us in all matters, to utilize it for the advancement of our knowledge, our spirituality, our religion, the establishment of Islamic laws, Islamic teachings, and Islamic ethics. I hope that the Almighty God grants all of us and the entire Iranian nation success in this endeavor.

Today, in this opportunity that the Almighty God has granted this blessed meeting, I will present three points to you, dear brothers and sisters from Mashhad and esteemed pilgrims.

The first point is a summarized report of the year 89. Let us take a broad look at the direction in which the Iranian nation and the country's officials moved in the year 89 and how they traversed the path. The second point concerns the current year, which begins today; with regard to the slogan I have presented to our dear nation for this year - namely "Economic Jihad" - and what is appropriate to be done in this regard. The third part will be a look at regional issues; the issues of the Middle East, the issues of North Africa, and what is happening in this Islamic region, considering the deception and schemes that the enemies of the Islamic Ummah have adopted in this regard.

In the first section, I can say that the slogan of the year 89 - namely "Doubled Effort and Doubled Work" - was taken into consideration throughout the year, and our nation was able to truly demonstrate a high and noble effort and to accomplish doubled work in various sectors. Of course, the results of high effort and doubled work will be recognized in the long term; however, even in this initial observation, one can see the signs of doubled effort and work in the conditions of year 89 and what the officials of the country did and what our dear nation demonstrated in cooperation with the officials and brought to the forefront. This meaning is evident in many areas.

We begin with science and technology. At the beginning of year 89 - during the days of Nowruz - I had the opportunity to visit a sensitive industrial sector of the country; in the last days of Esfand, I again had the opportunity to visit an exhibition of outstanding scientific and technological works and to witness the results of this year-long movement, which is itself the product of long-term efforts. What exists today in the field of advanced knowledge and high technology in the country and what is occurring is far beyond what has been communicated to the people; I can assure you of this. For several years, a prominent scientific movement has begun in various sectors, which fortunately has been accelerating day by day.

Once, I mentioned this narration from the infallible (peace be upon him), who said: "Knowledge is power"; meaning that knowledge and science are a source of power for a nation and for an individual. "Whoever finds it is powerful, and whoever does not find it remains under the power of others"; whoever gains this power has the upper hand, and the one who cannot acquire scientific power remains subordinate, and others will have the upper hand over him. Science and technology have such characteristics. Today, the country's movement towards acquiring knowledge and technology in many fields, especially in very new and superior fields, is evident. In various sectors; in biotechnology, in aerospace, in nanotechnology, in fundamental cells, in the production of very important radiopharmaceuticals, in the production of anti-cancer drugs, in the production of wind turbine engines that significantly reduce the country's energy dependence on oil, in the production of supercomputers which are very important for the country, in new energy technologies - all of these are high-level knowledge from around the world - fortunately, one observes that our scientists and youth are increasingly and rapidly advancing; to the extent that I mentioned in my Nowruz message last night, the addresses and reports from reputable international centers indicate that in this area, your country is moving ahead of many countries in the world, and the speed of the country is several times higher than the global average speed.

There are two or three important points in this issue of scientific and technological advancement that I find appropriate to mention. The first point is that most of the scientists who are engaged in these works are young scientists. The average age of the scientists involved in these activities is thirty-five years - meaning mostly young - and they must be trusted. Of course, experienced and faithful professors are also involved in this work, which is very valuable.

The next point is that the group that is carrying out these vast and significant works possesses a strong spirit, high self-confidence, and self-belief; which is the main capital. The main capital is human resources. What our country has is this. Our youth, with strong spirits, are advancing in this field and believe that all the works whose infrastructures are prepared in the country are achievable by them.

The next point in the issue of scientific advancement is that the chain of science, technology, product production, and commercialization - which is a very important chain - is taking shape; meaning that they produce knowledge, convert it into technology, produce the product, bring the product to the global trade market, and generate wealth for the country. This knowledge is not just a source of comfort, that we know we have made progress in this field; no, this knowledge enriches the country, and its benefits reach all the people. This is the path of transforming scientific production into the national wealth of the country and responding to the needs of the nation. This is in the field of science, where truly and fairly, doubled effort and doubled work are evident.

Another area where one observes doubled effort, which leads to a sea of work, is the economic sectors, one example of which is the significant step of targeting subsidies. It is good for our dear nation to know that all economic experts - whether those who agree with the current government's economic views or those whose economic views oppose the current government - agree that targeting subsidies is a very necessary, fundamental, and beneficial task. This was one of the aspirations that had been demanded from governments for years. Entering this field is a difficult and hard task; the grounds were not prepared. Thanks be to God, this work has now begun. The cooperation of the nation and the government in this regard has indeed been excellent. The people's movement towards targeting subsidies was a remarkable movement. The effects of this work will gradually become apparent in the future; although some positive effects have already been revealed. The main objectives of this work are, first and foremost, the fair distribution of subsidies. The management apparatus of the country distributes subsidies among the people. In the previous form, these subsidies reached those who had more money and consumed more; but those who had less money and consumed less received fewer subsidies. With the targeting of subsidies, fair distribution is achieved; meaning that everyone receives a proportionate share. This is a significant step towards establishing social justice.

Another goal is the management of the consumption of the country's public resources; including water and energy. In the two years prior to this, we set the slogan of the year as "Reforming the Consumption Pattern"; thriftiness, avoiding waste. This is one of the ways that can truly reform the consumption pattern in the real sense of the word; as has been seen so far. In the few months since the targeting of subsidies has been implemented, energy consumption has decreased; which is beneficial for the country. Waste in bread and the discarding of bread and the loss of wheat - which is a great blessing from God and is obtained with great effort - has decreased, and consumption has become balanced. This is among the benefits that have been achieved so far, and of course, many more benefits will, God willing, be realized in the future. Reforming the economic structure is also among these.

Among the works that again demonstrated doubled effort in the economic field is the increase in non-oil exports. Unfortunately, our country's budget has been dependent on oil for decades. This method has been rejected by all concerned economists; this method has become a habit in our country. They extract oil, sell it, and manage the country with its money; this is a wrong approach. I said years ago that one of my aspirations is that one day we can manage the country in such a way that even if necessary, we do not export a drop of oil and the country is managed. This has not happened until today. Of course, it is not easy; it is a very difficult task. Increasing non-oil exports will bring us closer to this goal; and this work is being done. Year 89 was a significant step in this direction.

Among the things that demonstrate doubled effort in the economic field is the intelligent and powerful confrontation with the sanctions imposed by the West, led by the United States, and unfortunately the blind following of some European governments of the United States against Iran. From the beginning of year 89, they thought they would intensify the sanctions against Iran. In their calculations - which reached us - they spoke of these sanctions, saying that these sanctions would bring the Islamic Republic and the Iranian nation to their knees within five or six months; this was their assumption. They thought that by making life so difficult for the Iranian nation through sanctions and tightening the circle around the Iranian nation, the Iranian nation would protest against their system, against the Islamic Republic; that was their goal. A smart and powerful response was given to these sanctions, and the enemy's sword was dulled. The enemy could not achieve its goals with these sanctions. Fortunately, with great effort, with concentrated day-and-night work, the officials in various sectors were able to overcome this challenge. Today, even the Westerners admit that the sanctions against Iran are no longer effective.

They said they would sanction gasoline. One of our problems over time has been this; we are a country that produces oil, yet we imported large amounts of oil products, including gasoline, from abroad. They thought this was a weakness of the Islamic Republic, and they would not allow gasoline to be imported. Our officials, before they took action, were busy preparing the groundwork. It reached a point where our dear country became self-sufficient in gasoline production; this was due to their sanctions. "Indeed, God supports this religion with people who have no share in it." Through their sanctions, our officials were prompted to think; they worked hard, and we became independent of gasoline imports. I heard this from several of these young scientists at the exhibition I visited at the end of Esfand. They told me that we wanted to produce this device, we went to obtain the tools from abroad, and they told us you are under sanctions, we cannot give it to you; we realized we had to make it ourselves. We came inside, thought, worked hard, and produced it without needing foreigners. This is intelligent action. Both the officials of the country and the people responded to the enemy's sanctions in this way; meaning they deprived the enemy of the sharpest tools at their disposal. It is like taking the weapon from the enemy in a war; and they did.

In the field of employment, good works have been accomplished. The government's report states that in year 89, one million six hundred thousand jobs were created; if this report is accurate, it means that five hundred thousand more jobs were created than anticipated. In creating rural housing, in creating urban housing, in building highways and communication lines, in establishing electronic communications, and so on - all of these are infrastructural and foundational works for the country - good works have been accomplished. This is the economic sector.

In other areas, many works have also been done, but since time is limited, we will skip over them. In any case, what year 89 has defined for us is that, thanks be to God, this year was truly a year of doubled effort and doubled work. Of course, year 89 does not have a special characteristic; this year, next year, and ten years from now will also be years of doubled effort and doubled work. The Iranian nation and officials must always have high effort and doubled effort and work hard so that we can reach where the Iranian nation deserves, God willing.

Regarding this year's slogan and the work that must be done this year. Of course, there are important headings that all have priority. For example, reforming the administrative system is a necessary task that must be done; reforming education is a fundamental task; the position of human sciences in universities and research centers is a fundamental task; issues related to public culture, issues related to the ethics of society, all of these are important tasks; however, according to experts, today, at this juncture, the economic issue has more urgency and priority than all other issues in the country. If our dear country can undertake a jihad-like movement in economic matters, this significant step it has taken will be accompanied by further significant steps, undoubtedly having a great impact on the country, the advancement of the country, and the dignity of the Iranian nation. We must be able to demonstrate the power of the Islamic system in solving economic problems to the whole world; to hold up the model so that nations can see how a nation can advance under the shadow of Islam and with the teachings of Islam.

What is important in this regard is the rapid growth of the country to the level determined in the fifth program, which has been announced; namely, a minimum growth of eight percent. In this growth, the larger share relates to productivity; meaning we must be able to use the country's resources more effectively. Two years ago, I spoke about the issue of thriftiness and the problems related to productivity in this same New Year speech. The people must know these things. I advise the country's officials to talk to the people about the importance of enhancing the share of productivity in the country's economic growth; to explain how enhancing the share of productivity in the country's economic growth and also reducing the income gap between the upper and lower deciles of society - this income gap, the economic gap between different sectors of society - is of great importance. These gaps and disparities are not desirable for us; Islam does not approve of this. To the extent determined in the fifth program, they must strive to ensure these tasks are accomplished.

Reducing the unemployment rate and increasing employment in the country is among the very fundamental and important issues. Also, the issue of increasing private sector investment and assisting the private sector to invest in the economic issues of the country is among the important and fundamental matters; one of the important tasks in this regard is the establishment of cooperatives, so that large capital can be formed through cooperatives and they can invest in important economic issues of the country and resolve significant obstacles, and the government can carry out this task. The legal and regulatory infrastructures must be prepared. This means supporting the flourishing of work.

Thriftiness in essential materials, including thriftiness in water consumption. Today, ninety percent of the water we consume in the country is used in agriculture. If the government, with divine assistance, can reform agricultural irrigation methods, if ten percent can be reduced from this ninety percent, you will see what happens. Apart from the agricultural sector, in all other sectors - household, industrial, and sectors that require water - we are only using ten percent of the country's water. If we can achieve ten percent thriftiness in the agricultural sector, see what happens. In fact, the capacity for water utilization in the non-agricultural sector will double; which is very important and valuable.

Direct participation of the people in the economy is necessary. This requires empowerment, it requires information; which must be provided to the people by the officials, and we hope that, God willing, this process will develop day by day. Of course, the media have a role, radio and television have a role, they can inform the people; the government must also act actively and be able to advance the economic issue, God willing.

Well, if we want this massive economic movement in the country to take place in year 90, it also has certain requirements. I will list these requirements briefly. First, a jihadist spirit is necessary. Our nation has advanced wherever it has entered the field with a jihadist spirit since the beginning of the revolution; we saw this in the sacred defense, we saw it in the construction jihad, we observe it in the scientific movement. If we have a jihadist spirit in various sectors; meaning that we do the work for God, with seriousness and tirelessly - not just as a matter of fulfilling an obligation - undoubtedly this movement will advance.

Second, the strengthening of spirituality and the spirit of faith and religiosity in society is essential. My dear ones! Everyone should know this; the religiosity of society, the religiosity of our youth, also helps the nation and society in worldly matters. Do not think that the religiosity of the youth only has an effect during the days of I'tikaf in mosques or on Friday nights during the Dua of Kumayl. If a nation has religious youth, they will stay away from vice; they will stay away from addiction; they will stay away from things that bring the youth down; their talents will be activated, they will work, they will strive; in the field of science, in social activities, in political activities, the country will advance. The same applies to the economy. The spirit of spirituality and religiosity plays a very important role.

Another condition is that the country should not become embroiled in peripheral issues. You see, often there is a main issue in the country that everyone should strive to address; this should be the central issue of the country; but suddenly we see a voice rises from somewhere, a peripheral issue is created, and minds become preoccupied with it. This is like a significant journey where a caravan or a train is moving towards a specific destination; suddenly, they get distracted by a peripheral issue in the desert, lose their way, and possibly even lose the ability to continue their journey. Peripheral issues should not come to the forefront. Our people are fortunately analytical, intelligent, and vigilant; they can separate peripheral and secondary issues from the main issues. Attention should be paid so that peripheral issues do not become the focus of public opinion.

Another condition is to maintain national unity and cohesion. This unity that exists today among the people and between the people and the officials, where the people are fond of their officials, trust them, assist them, and cooperate with them, and there is unity and solidarity among the people, must be preserved and strengthened day by day. One of the major plots of the enemies of the Iranian nation has been to create division and rifts within; under the pretext of ethnicity, under the pretext of religion, under the pretext of political inclinations, under the pretext of factionalism, and various pretexts. Unity must be preserved. Fortunately, our nation is aware. All those who care for their country, for the religious democracy - which is a source of pride for the Iranian nation today - must coordinate with each other. The officials of the country should also do the same; they should strive to ensure that if they have grievances against each other - which may sometimes be justified - they do not present these grievances in public; this undermines national unity; everyone should pay attention to this. I seriously remind the officials of the country of this. Officials may have grievances against each other - which has always been the case; since the beginning of the revolution, when we were involved in matters, we saw this; sometimes the executive branch had grievances against the legislative branch, sometimes the legislative branch against the judicial branch, and sometimes the judicial branch against the executive branch; the nature of work is such that grievances arise - these grievances may sometimes be justified; however, they should not bring these to public opinion, disturb the minds and hearts of the people, and discourage the people; they should resolve these among themselves. The most important issues in the world can be resolved through negotiation; these minor issues are of no significance. Therefore, the cohesion of the branches with each other, the coordination of the branches with each other is also important.

Of course, I must emphasize this point; sometimes this slogan that we announce for the year suddenly sees all the walls and doors of Tehran and other cities filled with signs bearing this slogan. This is of no benefit. Sometimes costly actions are taken; what is the necessity? What I expect from the officials and our dear people is that they hear this slogan, believe in it, and follow it. Filling walls and doors with signs and taking pictures and such things are unnecessary. If it incurs no cost, it is unnecessary; if it does incur costs, it is problematic. There is no need to carry out costly actions.

Of course, the centrality of the economy that I mentioned should not be interpreted as neglecting other areas. In other areas, especially in the field of science and technology, support must be provided to these young scientists, and trust must be placed in them so that they can accomplish great works.

As for regional issues, the recent events in the region - the events in Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, and Bahrain - are very significant events. A fundamental transformation is taking place in this Islamic and Arab region; this is a sign of the awakening of the Islamic Ummah. What has been the slogan of the Islamic Republic for decades is now manifesting in the lives of these countries.

There are two characteristics in these transformations: one is the presence of the people, and the other is the religious direction in these movements. These are two essential elements. The presence of the people with their bodies; the same event that occurred in the Islamic Revolution. Parties and those sitting behind desks and ivory towers and mental analysts could not accomplish anything. The great art of our Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified) was that he was able to bring the people into the scene. When the people entered the arena, bringing their bodies, their hearts, their intentions, and their efforts, the knots were untied, and the dead ends were opened. Today, the same event is happening in other countries. In Egypt or Tunisia, the people came into the scene; otherwise, the intellectuals and those in ivory towers have always been there, and they always spoke; often, they invited the people, but no one paid much attention to their words. Here, the people themselves entered the scene, and their inclination and direction were religious; meaning Friday prayers, congregational prayers, the name of God, religious scholars, and individuals who promote religion and establish new religious thought in some countries entered the field, thus the people also came into the scene. This is the characteristic of this matter. Why did they come? What clearly drew them was the issue of their dignity and human honor. In Egypt, in Tunisia, and also in other countries, the pride of the people had been wounded by these oppressive rulers. For instance, the people of Egypt observed that the one at the head of their country was committing the dirtiest acts and crimes on behalf of Israel. In the case of the siege of Gaza, if Hosni Mubarak had not cooperated with Israel, Israel could not have put Gaza under such pressure and committed those crimes. Hosni Mubarak entered the field, helped, and closed the entrance and exit of Gaza to Egypt. Then they learned that the people of Gaza were digging tunnels from underground. To ensure that the oppressed people of Gaza could not even do this, they built thirty-meter-high steel walls underground to block these tunnels! These were the actions of Hosni Mubarak. Well, the people of Egypt see this; thus their pride is wounded. Similar situations exist in other countries.

For example, in Libya, although Qaddafi showed an anti-Western inclination in the early years of his rule, in recent years he has provided significant services to the West. They also saw with their own eyes that with a mere empty threat, this man gathered his nuclear capabilities, loaded them onto a ship, and handed them over to the West, saying take them away! See what condition our nation is in, and what condition they are in. Our nation observed that the whole world, led by the United States, rose against Iran's nuclear movement; they imposed sanctions, fought, threatened military action, and said they would attack, what they would do. The officials of the country not only did not retreat, but despite the enemy, they increased their nuclear capabilities every year several times more than the previous year. There, the people saw that their country's leader ordered that all the capabilities they had be gathered in the face of the threats of the West, or as they say, in the face of the incentives of the West. It is as if they put a sour candy in the mouth of a child, giving them incentives, and they lost everything! Well, the nation sees this, their hearts bleed, and their pride is wounded. In all these countries where the people have risen, this issue is observed.

Well, what was the position of the Americans? This is important for us. Initially, the Americans were bewildered in the face of these events, they were confused; they did not understand what was happening, they could not believe it. After these events occurred, because they did not have a correct analysis of the events, they did not know the people, they took contradictory positions. Of course, what has always been seen in the behavior of the Americans regarding these countries and others is support for dictators. From Hosni Mubarak until the last moment they could defend him, they defended him; then they saw it was no longer possible, and then they discarded him! This is also a lesson for the leaders dependent on America to know that when they have exhausted their usefulness and lost their benefit, they will be discarded like a worn-out cloth, and they will not be regarded! However, they defended and supported the dictator until the last moment.

What happened to the West and the Americans was truly unbearable. Egypt is one of the main pillars of American Middle Eastern policy; they relied on this policy. They could not maintain this pillar in their favor; the nations prevailed. The Americans tried to preserve the structure of that system. This is the deceitful and malicious American trickery, but at the same time superficial; if the nations are vigilant, they can expose this deceit and nullify these tricks. The Americans tried that now that they lost Hosni Mubarak in Egypt or Ben Ali in Tunisia, perhaps they could preserve the structure of the system. People could change, but the system would remain; thus they insisted that in those countries, a prime minister must remain; however, the nations continued their uprising and overcame this trick, and they also toppled these governments. By divine grace, the series of defeats for America in this region will continue.

After they lost their agents in these countries, they adopted two tricks: one is opportunism, and the other is imitation. Their opportunism was that they wanted to hijack these revolutions; meaning they wanted to deceive the people, show solidarity with them, and bring their own supporters to power. They failed in this endeavor. The second was imitation; meaning they wanted to replicate what happened in Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, and some other countries, for example, in Iran - the Iran of religious democracy, the Iran of the people - to implement it! Their agents inside the country, weak and despicable people, truly driven by carnal desires, tried to see if they could do this. They wanted to create a defeated, caricatured, and ridiculous movement here; however, the Iranian nation slapped them in the face. ...(1) The real hypocrite is America. The real hypocrisy is the actions they are taking; claiming to defend nations. In the case of Egypt, they show hypocrisy, saying we support the nation; they lie. They cooperated with the enemy of the nation until the last moment! In the case of Tunisia, they say the same thing, claiming to support the nation. Now it is worth noting that our dear nation should know that the President of the United States has sent a message to the Iranian nation saying we are your supporters! They claim they oppose dictatorship and support the rights of nations; they lie. They not only do not show mercy to other nations, but they do not show mercy to their own nation either. This current President of the United States has spent thousands of billions of dollars from the very bad economic situation of the American economy to keep the banks alive, to keep the arms industries alive, to keep the oil industries alive; meaning the companies. They spend the people's money to fill the pockets of the companies, to fill the pockets of the banks; thus they do not show mercy to their own people. Today, the American nation is struggling in a deep, widespread economic crisis, and they have no remedy. Now, the torture chambers of Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib in Iraq and the other torture chambers are a separate and detailed story. They do not understand nations, they do not comprehend them. Does the current President of the United States understand what he is saying? Does he really realize who is behind his policies, or is he unaware and confused? We do not know. He says the people in Freedom Square in Tehran are the same people in Tahrir Square in Egypt. He is right; on the twenty-second of Bahman every year, in Freedom Square, it is these people who gather and their slogan is "Death to America."

In the regional issues, the position of the Islamic Republic system is clear. Our position is to defend nations and the rights of nations. We are in agreement with the Muslim nations and the oppressed nations in every corner of the world; we oppose the bullies, the arrogant powers, the dictators, the wicked, the oppressors, and the plunderers in every corner of the world; this is the position of the Iranian nation and the position of the Islamic system; this is the clear and evident position of the Islamic Republic system. The policies are this, the hearts are this, the logic and expressions are also this; both from the nation and from the officials.

There are two noteworthy points: one point is Libya, and the other point is Bahrain. In the case of Libya, we condemn the behavior that the Libyan government has taken towards the people - the killing of people, pressure on people, bombing cities, killing civilians - one hundred percent; but we also condemn the entry of the Americans, the intervention of the Americans and the Westerners one hundred percent. They claim that they want to intervene in Libya to defend the people, or that they are conducting military operations in Libya; this is completely unacceptable. If they truly cared for the people of Libya, if they were concerned about the people of Libya, they would have provided them with weapons, resources, and anti-aircraft capabilities. Instead of doing these things, they sat for a month watching the killing of the people; now they want to intervene! So you did not come to defend the people; you are after Libyan oil, you are looking to gain a foothold in Libya. You want to use Libya as a foothold to keep an eye on the revolutionary governments of future Egypt and Tunisia, which are on either side of Libya. Your intention is corrupt. We do not accept this action that the Westerners, led by America, are taking. The United Nations, which should serve the nations, has unfortunately become a tool for them; it provides whatever they need! This is a disgrace for the United Nations. Therefore, the presence of foreign powers in Libya, the presence of Westerners is completely unacceptable. If they want to help the people of Libya, the way to help the people is open; they can assist the people, equip them, and let the people resolve their issues with Qaddafi and others; why do you intervene?

As for the issue of Bahrain. The issue of Bahrain, in terms of its nature, is just like the issues of other countries in the region. That is, the issue of Bahrain is no different from the issue of Egypt, the issue of Tunisia, the issue of Libya; they are a nation, and there is a government over them that disregards their rights. What did the people of Bahrain want with their uprising? Their fundamental demand is that elections be held, that every individual has one vote; is this too much to ask? Is this too much of a demand? In the way things work in Bahrain, there is a semblance of elections, but absolutely the people there do not have the right to vote in the sense that every individual has one vote; they are being oppressed. Well, the Westerners seized the opportunity to intervene in the regional issues by raising a new issue; the issue of Shia and Sunni. Because the unfortunate people of Bahrain are Shia, therefore no one in the world should support them! The television stations that broadcast the details of regional issues remained silent regarding the events in Bahrain, did not reflect the killing of the people of Bahrain; some individuals in the countries surrounding the Persian Gulf - whether politicians or journalists - made absurd statements, saying the issue of Bahrain is a war between Shia and Sunni! What war between Shia and Sunni? It is the protest of a nation against the oppression they are facing; just as it was in Tunisia, just as it was in Egypt, just as it is in Libya, just as it is in Yemen; there is no difference. The Americans are pleased to be able to use their propaganda horns in the region to portray the issue of Bahrain as a conflict between Shia and Sunni; both to prevent any assistance that might be given to these oppressed people and to change the nature of the issues and spread them. They say why does Iran support the people of Bahrain? Well, we have supported everyone. For thirty-two years, we have been supporting the people of Palestine; which of the countries, governments, and nations have provided this support in these thirty-two years? Are the Palestinian people Shia? Regarding Gaza, how much effort did our people make? Our youth went to the airport to set off for Gaza! They were ready to go to Gaza to fight against Israel. They thought the way was open. The way was blocked; they could not go. We told them not to go. We prevented them from getting lost in the middle of the road; they would not let them go. Our people expressed their feelings towards Gaza, towards Palestine, towards Egypt, towards Tunisia; everywhere they expressed their sentiments; those who were not Shia. Therefore, the issue is not Shia and Sunni. They maliciously and malevolently try to portray the issue of Bahrain as a Shia and Sunni issue. Unfortunately, some individuals who one might think have no ill motives have fallen into this trap. If there are well-wishers among them, I inform them: do not make this a Shia and Sunni issue; this is the greatest service to America; this is the greatest service to the enemies of the Islamic Ummah, who carry the general anti-despotism movement of a nation into a Shia and Sunni dispute; there is no Shia and Sunni dispute.

We do not differentiate between Gaza and Palestine and Tunisia and Libya and Egypt and Bahrain and Yemen. Everywhere, oppression against nations is condemned. The movements of nations with the slogan of Islam and in the direction of freedom are endorsed by us. The height of the Americans' audacity is that they do not consider the intervention of Saudi tanks that came into the streets of Manama in Bahrain as intervention; but when our religious authorities, our scholars, our well-wishers say do not kill the people, they say you have intervened! Is this intervention?! To address a government, a tyrannical regime, and say do not kill your people, is this intervention? But the arrival of foreign tanks in the streets of Bahrain is not intervention! This is the height of the Americans' audacity and their minions in the region, who act and speak this way and conduct this kind of propaganda. Of course, in our view, the Saudi government made a mistake; they should not have done this; they are making themselves hated in the region. Well, the Americans are thousands of kilometers away from here; if they become hated, it may not matter much to them; however, Saudi Arabia lives in this region; it is a heavy loss for them if the nations despise them.

What I firmly state is that by the grace of God, a new movement has begun in this region. This movement is the movement of nations; it is the movement of the Islamic Ummah; it is a movement with the slogan of Islam; it is a movement towards Islamic goals; it is indicative of the general awakening of nations; and according to God's promise, this movement will undoubtedly and certainly lead to victory. The Iranian nation is proud, honored, and pleased to have been the initiator of this path and has stood firm and steadfast. The youth of today, who have come to power, did not witness the revolution; but if they are not stronger than the revolutionaries of that day, they are not weaker.

O God! Preserve our dear youth. O God! Bestow Your mercy and grace upon our dear nation. O God! Make the servants of this nation and this movement and of Islam and Muslims more honored and elevated day by day. O God! Make the heart of the holy Imam of the Age pleased and satisfied with us. O God! Through Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, make the pure souls of the martyrs and the pure spirit of Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified) pleased with us. And grant us also the grace and mercy that You have given to them.

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

1) The slogan "Death to the Hypocrite" from the attendees.