Statements in Meeting with a Group of Lebanese Shia Fighters and Various People of Tehran

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

First, I welcome all of you brothers and sisters who have come from various places, especially these righteous and faithful youths who have come from Lebanon.

I will briefly say that preserving and continuing divine blessings—whether material or spiritual—is more difficult than obtaining them. That is, after Almighty God grants His blessing to a person or a nation, whether it is a material blessing—such as wealth, comfort, and health—or a spiritual blessing—such as dignity, independence, freedom, faith, and the spirit of jihad and resistance—effort and toil are necessary to preserve these blessings.

We know of many nations in history that were blessed by God, but they could not preserve this blessing for themselves. In the Quran, it is repeatedly addressed to the Israelites that we made you the best of creatures: "And I preferred you over the worlds"; but the same Israelites, due to ingratitude and their inability to preserve the divine blessing, reached a point where the Quran said: "And humiliation and poverty were struck upon them." Human history and the history of nations are full of experiences of those who obtained blessings but could not maintain them.

We, the Iranian nation, have obtained a great blessing, which is the Islamic Republic and the sovereignty of religion and freedom from the tyranny of great powers. There was a time in this country when the ambassadors of America and Britain would meet with the country's leaders and dictate foreign, oil, and economic policies to them and leave! In the last hundred years—especially the last fifty years—there was a time when the Iranian nation had the least power and will in determining its destiny. Our nation was humiliated, its independence taken, its scholars destroyed, and the roots of science and material and spiritual progress weakened; but we, by the grace of Islam, were able to end that dark era. The Iranian nation became free and independent, gained dignity and a good name in the world, and took control of its affairs.

Today, the country belongs to the people and is in their hands. The people elect the president and choose the legislative representatives from mostly the oppressed and middle classes. This nation was able, with power, resistance, struggle, and reliance on God, and by gathering behind a great man and an unparalleled leader, to bring themselves from that situation to this one. This was God's blessing and His will and intention.

God rewarded our nation, and after much resistance, struggle, sacrifice, and selflessness, granted them this dignity, independence, religiosity, faith, and Islamic system. Our nation was able to preserve this system over ten very difficult years and to pass it through dangerous passes—such as the eight-year imposed war and the conspiracy of America and the collective struggle of NATO member countries—and to protect it from harm and to overcome very difficult tests.

We are tested every day and every hour. Our nation must, with the same determination that created and preserved this system through years of struggle and resistance, continue to preserve this great divine blessing in the future with power, resistance, struggle, awareness, and vigilance. Our nation, thanks be to God, is an aware nation. Perhaps few nations in the world can be shown where the general level of political awareness is as high as our nation. Children, teenagers, old women, and remote villagers, and all segments of the nation, know things about political and global issues and have good awareness. Of course, this awareness must also be strengthened, and analytical power must increase day by day so that people can protect themselves against events.

Today, the world looks at our nation with astonishment at the internal situation. They expected that after the void created by the passing of our great leader and our late Imam, all the people's affairs would change, everything would fall apart, and a civil war would arise! They also promoted these expectations and hopes and reflected them in their media and statements. Thanks be to God, contrary to their wishes, everything went against their expectations.

Today, people look and see that after two or three months have passed since the passing of Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified), with their perseverance and struggle, a president has been elected. People are waiting for a strong and competent government that can solve the country's affairs and various knots and economic problems with wisdom, intelligence, competence, perseverance, and by utilizing the help and cooperation of the people. The heads of the three branches have been appointed, the country's apparatuses are working, thanks be to God, order prevails over the situation, and people, with high spirits, have appeared and continue to appear on the scene. The world is amazed and astonished by this phenomenon. This is the reward for your awareness.

To further astonish the enemy and to bring joy to friends all over the world, all segments must strive to do whatever is asked of them in the construction and future of the country and whatever they are capable of doing. Today, supporting this elected president, who is beloved by the people, is obligatory and necessary for every individual. If a government is supported by the people and its head is popular among the people, things will become easier.

You observed that our great Imam repeatedly praised the government with various expressions and strengthened and supported it. This was because the government cannot fulfill its duties without the support of the people. Therefore, the support of the people must be behind any government that enjoys popular votes and the support of representatives and the parliament. People must support this government.

Today, thanks be to God, our country has a president who is among the well-known figures—both for our people and for the world, both in the scene of revolution and construction and in the political scene and religious affairs. People have tested their serving officials. It is a duty for everyone to support the president and the government that will cooperate with him and the parliament that will vote for it. Let no one appear in corners and make mountains out of molehills, and if they see something that can be corrected in the long term but is not corrected in the short term, let them not criticize it. They must help and support the government and officials verbally, practically, financially, and by any means possible.

I also address a sentence to the honorable representatives of the people in the Islamic Consultative Assembly: The Islamic Consultative Assembly, thanks be to God, is one of the best legislative assemblies in the world and is a popular, free, and independent assembly. Truly, in the past history of our country, from the beginning of the constitutional era until today, we have not had such three terms of the Islamic Consultative Assembly. The representatives of the assembly, relying on the people's votes and according to their duty, express their words, make decisions, and determine the law. Thanks be to God, it is a good assembly.

Of course, Imam (may his soul be sanctified) repeatedly advised that disputes should be avoided in the assembly. I also make this recommendation. The assembly must be free, and everyone must express their opinion and vote in it; but expressing an opinion is different from hostility, dispute, and conflict. Thanks be to God, today this attention has been largely provided in the assembly. Eliminate the spirit of dispute and hostility and turn it into a spirit of love. If there is love, efficiency will reach its peak, and if there is no love and there is discord, your efficiency will not reach its peak. Of course, Almighty God will help you. You are truly and justly good brothers. You are the embodiment of sacrifice, sincerity, and truth for the revolution, and you have shown this in the hardest places and centers and brought it to fruition. Until now, there has truly been less opportunity for such a great test.

I also want to say a sentence to the dear clerical brothers; although the right of these dear ones is more than one sentence: We voted for the representatives of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, and they are free in decision-making regarding the ministers. The ministers who will be proposed by Mr. President to the assembly, the representatives will freely investigate and vote on them; but I want to say that today it is not expedient for a ministry to remain without a minister and for its affairs to be halted in these sensitive conditions.

The people who have shown so much sincerity, loyalty, and purity and have shown such passionate loyalty and mourning for their great Imam and, despite being bereaved and sad, participated in the presidential elections and the constitutional referendum with such a massive turnout and elected a president and approved the constitution so that the country's affairs would proceed and no void would be created in the country, these loyal and selfless people deserve to have their affairs carried out. It should not be such that in the Islamic Consultative Assembly, due to differences of opinion and, God forbid, personal views, a minister or two ministers or more are not voted for, and as a result, a ministry remains without a minister. It is not permissible for a ministry to remain without a minister even for one day.

How appropriate and good it is that when the honorable representatives discuss the proposed ministers and want to make decisions, they think and express their opinions one hundred percent based on competencies and qualifications, and if they see that these gentlemen have competence and qualification, they vote for them. God forbid, due to various political, factional, personal issues, or carnal desires, a minister is not voted for, leaving his ministry without a minister. Truly, in the current conditions, even one day is important for this nation. If any of the ministries do not have a head and responsible person for one day or two days or a week, a significant part of the people's affairs will remain unfinished, and it is not appropriate to treat these selfless, noble, and loyal people in this way.

Our expectation is that the assembly, while maintaining its freedom—which is their right to express their opinion and vote regarding the ministers—should consider the country's and nation's interests in their expression of opinion and take into account the expediency of this time, as today's world's view of this country, nation, new government, and Islamic Consultative Assembly is different. The world wants to see how they will pass the period of starting work after the passing of the Imam. We should not give the enemy an excuse and open its tongue against us and disappoint the hopeful hearts of the people.

I also want to say a sentence on the occasion of the presence of dear Lebanese youths in this assembly:

The Muslims of Lebanon and the faithful forces in that country have proven that human will and the faith of the believer prevail over any kind of weapon and equipment. It was these youths and believers who were able to stop the Israeli invasion a few years ago that had reached near Beirut and forced the enemy to retreat. It was the same faithful youths in Lebanon who forced the Americans and the French, who had brought military forces into Lebanon, to retreat from Lebanon in disgrace and humiliation. This was not because they had a lot of equipment—these youths are empty-handed and destitute—but because of their faith. This faith gives such strength and power to a person that a limited oppressed group, surrounded from all sides—by the Zionists, the Maronite affiliates, and others—was able to force America, France, and the Zionists to retreat.

Today, the same faith exists in Lebanon and among the youths of that country, and it is good for the European and American powers, who are drawing lines against Lebanon, not to forget the presence of the faithful youths' power in Lebanon. We are confident that with this spirit of faith and sincerity, the Islamic world will once again be able to regain its lost dignity.

We hope that Almighty God will grant success to all the believers and fighters in the path of God and the resistant Mojahedin everywhere in the world, and protect them, and also bestow His grace, kindness, and mercy upon you, the dear and faithful nation.

Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings