Statements at the Inauguration Ceremony of the Tenth Presidential Term

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

Today is, God willing, a blessed day for our nation and our future. This session is also a very honorable and respectful one. We humbly ask the Almighty God to bestow His blessings and mercy upon the Iranian nation in this new phase, in this new period of managing the country that begins today.

The statements of our esteemed President are sound, correct, and timely. It is expected that the topics he has addressed will be given due attention in the coming four years, God willing.

The issue of people's presence and elections in the Islamic Republic, presented in this novel and unique manner to the world, is a very important matter; it deserves more contemplation, discussion, and debate. The issue is one of religious democracy; that is, the unified presence of the people, serious competition, and genuine popular activity and effort, alongside Islamic and divine criteria. This astonishing combination is precisely what humanity is in need of; it is thirsty for it.

Before the victory of the revolution, we had no share in the people's presence in decision-making arenas in our country. There were rulers who imposed their power over the people through force and weaponry, enforcing governance accompanied by coercion and pressure upon the populace; and when they left, they bequeathed this great divine trust — that is, sovereignty and authority over the people — as if it were personal property, inherited by their children. The people had no role. Those who today speak of democracy, human rights, and such matters collaborated with that tyrannical and autocratic regime and supported it through that incorrect and inhumane method of governance. In those countries where the people's presence — at least in terms of claims — was influential in governance, spiritual values were absent from the scene.

What distinguishes the Islamic Republic as an outstanding phenomenon is precisely this: the presence of the people and the connection to spirituality and divine authority, and humility before the Lord. These two form a single reality. The debate over whether the republic or Islam is prior in the Islamic system is a meaningless and deviant discussion. Islam and the republic are not two separate elements that have been connected to create a single reality; within Islam, there is republicanism. Within reliance on divine authority, there is reliance on the people and respect for the will and vote of the people. The Islamic Republic is a single reality that is the gift of the Islamic revolution to the Iranian nation. This is what has proven its effectiveness in the best possible way over these thirty years.

Those who claim to advocate democracy must answer how much real democracy exists within their governments. Where is this popular will, this faith-driven attraction that stirs the Iranian nation and brings them to the ballot boxes as a duty? Where can this be seen in these democracies? This novel method of governance is a gift from Islam to us; alongside this reality, we must pay attention to the immense capacity of the Islamic Republic and the system that is based on it.

Thirty years have passed since the revolution. During this time, elections have been held approximately thirty times. From the executive management of the country to legislative officials and city managers, all have been subject to these elections. The essence of the Islamic system has been determined by the people's vote, the constitution by the people's vote, and the fundamental management of the country by the people's vote. The capacity of this system, which has arisen from this reality, is far greater than what others perceive from outside the scene and analyze regarding this system. Regardless of biased remarks, even those that are not made with malice often stem from a lack of understanding of the reality of the Islamic Republic. This immense capacity has existed within the Islamic system; throughout these thirty years, various tendencies and political preferences have been integrated within this vast capacity, and the transfer of power has occurred peacefully, kindly, and respectfully. Executive power has changed hands over these thirty years. Various preferences have emerged; some administrations at certain times during these thirty years have had divergences with the principles of the revolution; however, the capacity of the revolution has been able to accommodate them, to melt them in its furnace, to assimilate them, and the revolution has continued its path with greater strength, adding to its capacity and experience. Those who sought to undermine the Islamic Republic from within have not succeeded. The revolution has continued its direct path with increasing strength until today, and all those who have entered this system with various motivations, willingly or unwillingly, have contributed to the capabilities of this system. This reality must be observed with care; this immense capacity arises from this republicanism and Islamism; it is from this religious and Islamic democracy that this immense capacity has been created. And the secret of the permanence and invulnerability of the Islamic Republic lies in this, and this is inherent in the Islamic Republic, and God willing, it will always be preserved.

This year's elections were very important. These elections carried a message; they had both messages and experiences within them, and they served as a means of testing; they put us to the test. In my opinion, this election was a very blessed one. Firstly, the messages of this election were very important.

The first message of this election is that the Islamic Republic, after thirty years, has the power to mobilize and bring the nation to the scene to a degree that has surpassed conventional global standards. Some have expected that over time, the Islamic system would become outdated, fall out of favor with the people, and lose its mass mobilization power; this election demonstrated that the Islamic system has increased its mass mobilization power with each passing day and has been more successful in gaining the trust of the entire nation. This is a very important truth. Some peripheral issues distract from these significant texts. The essence of the truth in this election is that the Islamic revolution, the Islamic system, is so alive, attractive, and growing that after three decades, it has the power to bring the people to the scene to this extent. An eighty-five percent turnout is an unprecedented or at least rare figure worldwide.

Another message of this election and this massive popular presence is the existence of mutual trust between the Islamic system and the people. In this election, the arena was opened for dialogue, for the entry of individuals with various inclinations, for bringing forth and laying out diverse opinions. This is a sign of the system's self-confidence and indicates that the Islamic system trusts its people; it has confidence in the people. Conversely, the people also trusted the system, came and cast their votes in the ballot boxes. If there is no trust in the system, this popular attention, this popular enthusiasm, will not exist. Those who speak of the people's distrust — if this statement is not made out of malice, it is out of ignorance — what greater trust is there than that the people come into the electoral arena, trust their system, trust their government, entrust their votes to them, and wait to hear the results of this voting from them? This is the high trust of the people. This trust in divine success and divine grace still exists, and we expect the officials of the country, those involved in various sectors, to continue to enhance this trust through their behavior. This is the main capital of the Islamic system.

Another message in this election was the existence of vitality and hope among the people. This is, of course, a natural thing in our country and society; because the majority of our country is young, and youth is a symbol of vitality; a symbol of hope. They entered the arena with hope — if there is no hope for the future, a hopeless and depressed heart will not enter the election arena — the presence of the people, the presence of the youth, is a sign of their hopefulness.

This election also had experiences. One experience for our nation and our officials is that I insist we all take this experience seriously; both officials and the general public should take it seriously. And that experience is to believe that there is always the possibility of being struck by the enemies of the revolution and the enemies of Islamic Iran; even in the best conditions. We must always keep in mind the enemy's ambush. Neglecting the possibility that the public movement of the Iranian nation may be struck is a dangerous thing. Be vigilant. This is the same advice from Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) who said: "And whoever sleeps, he is not asleep from him." In the political life, we must not fall into a state of drowsiness; we must not be lulled to sleep behind the trenches. If you fall asleep, you must know that the enemy may be awake. This is not an analysis we are making; it is information. The enemies of the Islamic Republic have tried, they have made efforts, perhaps they could create concerns and troubles for the people in the free atmosphere that the Islamic system has provided. They tried, spent money, employed many media outlets, mobilized many agents, perhaps they could create a situation against the Iranian nation from what was considered a holiday for the Iranian nation, a great national celebration; efforts were made. This experience should serve as a warning for all of us, for all the people. If we are distrustful of one another in the political and social arena, if we look at each other through the enemy's eyes, this opportunity will arise for our true enemies. If we do not think, if we lack insight, if we forget that there are enemies lurking against the revolution, we will be struck; this has been our experience.

We have never had a forty million turnout, eighty-five percent, in any election since the beginning of the revolution. In this election, for the first time, such a great opportunity arose; however, within this great opportunity, amidst this great joy, some groups mobilized to strike a blow against the Iranian nation. We must be awake. This awakening is not just in words; all the people, various political inclinations, those devoted to the country, those devoted to the Islamic system, all must be truly awake; they must not be deceived.

Some groups have been working for a long time, preparing the ground to use the election period against the Iranian nation. Fortunately, the Iranian nation was vigilant and remains vigilant. They clouded the atmosphere, made mouths a bit bitter; however, they could not accomplish what they wanted. This vigilance was your vigilance, O nation. This was our experience to know that our enemy is lurking.

Our enemies have also gained an experience from this election, and if they have not, they should. And that is: the enemy should know what reality it is facing; they should not fall into misunderstanding regarding the Islamic system and the Islamic revolution; they should not think that they can bring the Islamic revolution and the Islamic system to its knees with such trivial actions. The Islamic system is alive. They should not think that by imitating the massive popular presence in the revolution of 1979, they can strike a blow to the greatness of the revolution and the Islamic system. This experience should have arisen for the enemy. They should not make mistakes; the Islamic system will not be defeated by such words.

The greatness of this revolution and the rootedness of the Islamic Republic in the events of the past month or two have become more apparent to the enemies of the Islamic Republic. This nation is a faithful nation; it is a vigilant nation; it is a talented nation. The mosque of Dhirar cannot defeat this nation. We have historical examples of this: "And those who took a mosque as a means of harm and disbelief and division among the believers and as a trap for those who fought against God and His Messenger." With imitation of our dear and esteemed leader of the revolution, Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified), who was immersed in the Quran with all his heart and soul, this people cannot be deceived. Their hearts are illuminated by faith; these people are aware; our youth are aware. This is an experience for the enemy.

There were also tests in this election. One test was for the entire nation. In my opinion, the people passed this test; they received a passing grade. The massive presence of the people was a tremendous test that honored them. Many individuals, from political currents, acted according to their duty. Some of the elites, of course, failed. This election disqualified some. Some of our youth, who entered the arena with honesty and integrity, despite their vigilance, made mistakes in some instances. Many of the youth of this country also acted correctly with the same faith and honesty. They found belief in someone, voted for them; whether that person won or lost is not the criterion. The criterion is that a person finds a belief, enters the political arena and movement with awareness, feeling a sense of duty. Then everyone must submit to the law. The vast majority of our nation — from the youth, from the elites, from the great masses of the people — have fallen into this category and have been accepted in this test. Some, of course, were deceived.

There is also a test for the officials of the country. They must appreciate this blessing. Our esteemed and elected President, who has been entrusted with this great responsibility by the people with a high vote, must appreciate this blessing; they must be grateful. His colleagues in the future government must appreciate it; they must appreciate Islam, appreciate faith, appreciate this light that has illuminated the hearts of these people and brought them to this scene. Appreciating the greatness of this revolution requires that the officials of the country put all their efforts, all their endeavors into serving the people and advancing towards the goals of the revolution.

The topics that our esteemed and beloved President has addressed are good topics. They must be pursued with planning. I advise the officials of the country and the government that will be formed to prioritize planning in their work. Planning will help the people to trust what lies ahead of them; they will be able to judge the progress of the country. Reliance on planning, reliance on law, cooperation among the three branches of government is among the primary duties and elements of gratitude; it is part of that great gratitude that is incumbent upon all of us. We must be grateful to the Almighty God.

The Almighty God brings forth these opportunities; He grants us these great blessings. This gratitude is not just in words. In the actions of the officials, gratitude consists of fulfilling the duties and responsibilities that lie upon them. The requirements of these responsibilities include coordination among the three branches; the parliament should assist the government; the government should cooperate with the parliament; the judiciary should assist the government and parliament in its special position; the branches should be alongside each other. This massive population that participated in the elections belongs to all of them; the President belongs to all of them. This must be taken into account in practice, in planning.

Of course, alongside the supporters of our esteemed President — who have many supporters inside the country and even outside the country — there are also two other groups that must be considered; that is, their presence must be accounted for: one group consists of angry and wounded opponents. Certainly, these will come forth in opposition to the government during this four-year term. They opposed, and they will continue to oppose. However, there is another group that is part of the system, has no enmity with the President or the system; they may be critics. These critics must be taken into account; their opinions must be heard; what is understandable and acceptable must be accepted. And I hope that this will be the case, and God willing, it will be.

The nation is all brothers with one another. Among the tasks that must be carried out is that in these recent events, some have suffered — financial damages, bodily harm, and sometimes reputational harm — the officials of the country must rush to assist them. The victims must be supported. The perpetrators must be identified and held accountable; whoever they may be.

Our country has vast resources, has many needs, and has lofty goals ahead. We have abundant resources; we have natural resources, mineral resources, and abundant human resources, which are greater than all of these. Human talent in our country is above the global average. These are very significant assets. Our needs are also very numerous; we have chronic backwardness. This backwardness must be compensated in all areas; in scientific, technical, social, and cultural fields. These require work; they require effort. Thanks be to God, the government and our esteemed President are diligent; the people have recognized this, understood it, seen it, and felt it. The high vote of the people is certainly partly due to this diligence and hard work of the ninth government and our esteemed President. This state must continue. These resources must fill these gaps; great works must be accomplished; enduring works must be accomplished. Everyone must help. If we want to reach those goals, everyone must help; different preferences must be set aside. When a government is elected and comes into the arena, everyone must assist it; whether they politically agree with it or not, whether they have criticisms or not, they must help. The executive branch and the executive apparatus of the country bear the heaviest burden. Help must be given; everyone must help so that they can, God willing, bring this burden to its destination, and they will be able to.

Certainly, the prayers of the Mahdi (may our souls be sacrificed for him) — which this gathering and this great ceremony is taking place on the eve of his blessed birth — are, God willing, going to include the officials of the country and all the Iranian nation, and the pure spirit of Imam and the dear martyrs, God willing, will pray for the Iranian nation in the realm of the unseen, and we hope that their pure souls will be pleased and satisfied with all of us.

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