Meeting with Members of the Islamic Propaganda Coordination Council

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

We are very pleased that after a long time, we have the opportunity to meet with you, dear brothers and sisters - who have taken on one of the most effective roles in the movement of the Islamic Republic - and to express our appreciation for your efforts.

The "Islamic Propaganda Coordination Council" is one of the oldest and most established institutions of the Islamic Republic. It is significant that an organization is established based on a genuine and sincere need in the country and, over the years, continues to recognize that need amidst various transformations and to act accordingly. The Propaganda Coordination Council is such an entity. As His Excellency Mr. Jannati (may his blessings be upon him) stated, and his oversight has certainly had a profound impact in this regard, this organization has consistently moved along the right path and on the straight path, recognizing the moments and performing the appropriate actions at those moments. The problem with some individuals and organizations is this: they are not lacking in faith, nor are they devoid of enthusiasm and love; however, they do not recognize the moment.

One must recognize the moment and understand the need. For instance, consider those in Kufa whose hearts were filled with faith in Imam Hussein and love for the Ahl al-Bayt, but they entered the field several months too late; all of them were martyred and are rewarded by God; however, the action they needed to take was not the one they performed; they did not recognize the moment; they did not understand Ashura; they did not act at the right time. If the actions that the Tawabeen (the repentants) took after Ashura had been performed at the time of the arrival of Hazrat Muslim in Kufa, the situation would have changed; events might have unfolded differently. Recognizing the moments and acting at the moment of need is very important.

Your council, thanks be to God, has possessed this characteristic. There are many reasons for this; the most recent being the 9th of Dey (December 30); prior to that - ten years ago - was the 23rd of Tir (July 13), which was also a moment of need; this was not a conventional and ordinary action. The people's march on the 22nd of Bahman (February 11) with all its grandeur - which I will discuss now - is a conventional action, a well-established and expected action that takes place; however, the 23rd of Tir in 1999 was not a conventional action, it was not expected; it was important for this organization to know and understand that this action was necessary under those circumstances and to carry it out. The work on the 9th of Dey this year was similar. Recognizing the situation, understanding the need, being present at the appropriate and necessary moment; this is the foundation of work that a believer must carry with them to be able to make their existence impactful; to be able to perform the actions they must take. Well, thanks be to God, the Islamic Propaganda Coordination Council has demonstrated this characteristic; both in the first decade, during various circumstances of that decade - during the Sacred Defense, before the Sacred Defense, after the Sacred Defense - and after the passing of Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified) in various occasions that created peaks in our history. One of these unforgettable peaks was this year's 9th of Dey.

I need to mention two points: one regarding the 22nd of Bahman; it is the Fajr decade. The Fajr decade, like many aspects of the Islamic Revolution and the Islamic Republic, is a unique phenomenon in our known history. This is not a slogan; it is indeed a reality, through study and contemplation. Why is it unique? All revolutions in the world, since the time when the events of revolutions and popular movements have been recorded in history, have had anniversaries. The fact that these anniversaries are celebrated by the same factor and element that created the original event has no parallel in history. Look at the revolutions that had effects for several years and the transformations that remained in the minds of their societies - now some revolutions and social transformations have completely disappeared after a while and their memories have been forgotten - for example, consider the October Revolution in the Soviet Union which lasted for decades, or slightly weaker than that, the Great French Revolution, and other transformations that were created either by popular revolutions or quasi-popular revolutions; in their anniversaries - at least in the third and fourth years - there is no longer any news of the people; the people are not present; the anniversary of the revolution is held as a ceremonial event; a number of officials come, stand; occasionally there is a parade of armed forces and some spectators.

Thirty years have passed since our revolution. Every year, those who have embodied the anniversary of the revolution, highlighted it, and celebrated it have been the masses of the people. Millions of people come to the streets every year on the 22nd of Bahman across the country; they announce the anniversary of the revolution, the commemoration of the revolution. What does this mean? This means that the revolution is sustained by the faith of the masses; the opponents of the revolution, the opponents of the system that emerged from the revolution, are facing the people. The secret of their failure is this; otherwise, there is no political system that cannot be destabilized by political or security methods; a stronger force comes and destabilizes it. However, a system that relies on the people, no matter how strong the opponents are in terms of security, military, wealth, and economy, cannot destabilize this system; the secret is that this system relies on the people, relies on faith, relies on the same factor that created the essence of this system; this is very important.

They try - as was seen this year in various experiences - to disrupt any ceremony that relies on the massive presence of the people. On Quds Day, which is against Israel, you see a small group, a deceived group, emerges to chant against Palestine and in favor of Israel; on the 13th of Aban (November 4), which is the day of the Iranian nation's opposition and repudiation of American global arrogance, they come out against this movement, against the Islamic Republic, against Islam! What does this mean? This means that the enemy of the Islamic Republic is afraid of this pure, motivated presence of the people; this presence that encompasses all existing tendencies among the people, various political preferences. The Iranian nation is united, the Iranian nation has a clear direction; they want to portray this united direction, this cohesive movement in their propaganda as fragmented; to introduce the Iranian nation as divided into groups and factions in fundamental and essential issues. This is the goal; we must confront this.

The Islamic Republic came to power with the will of the people and the faith of the people; with this will and this faith, it has advanced with complete authority and a sense of dignity and self-sufficiency; and after this, God willing, it will continue to triumph over all its enemies with complete authority and dignity.

So the first point, in summary, is that the 22nd of Bahman belongs to the Iranian nation, belongs to Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified), belongs to the martyrs, belongs to the true spirit and meaning of the Islamic Revolution; it belongs to the nation; the enemy wants to destabilize this immense wealth and national treasure, to weaken it. You must be present in the scene with all your might, God willing, and act wisely and prudently. The nation also - know this - is devoted and attached to these fundamental slogans of the revolution. Today, the dignity of the Iranian nation, the greatness of the Iranian nation - which even the enemy acknowledges - is due to this revolution and this popular presence; and the Iranian nation will not lose this.

The second point - which I have repeatedly mentioned in recent months - is that the enemies of the nation are disturbed by the clarity of the atmosphere; they cannot tolerate a clear atmosphere; they want a murky atmosphere. In a murky atmosphere, they can approach their goals and strike at the movement of the Iranian nation. The murky atmosphere is the same as sedition. Sedition means that a group comes into the field with the appearance of friends and the essence of enemies, to cloud the atmosphere; in this murky atmosphere, the explicit enemy can hide their face, enter the field, and strike. This is what Amir al-Mu'minin (the Commander of the Faithful) said: "Indeed, the beginning of the occurrence of seditions is desires that are followed and rules that are innovated," up to the point where he says: "If falsehood were to be pure from the mixture of truth, it would not be hidden from those who seek the truth"; if falsehood comes naked and pure, those who seek to recognize the truth will not be confused; they will understand that this is falsehood. "And if truth were to be pure from the mixture of falsehood, the tongues of the opposers would not be able to accuse it of not being the truth." Then he says: "But it is taken from this a bundle and from that a bundle, and they are mixed together"; the seditionist takes a piece of truth, a piece of falsehood, mixes them together, places them side by side; "then the truth becomes ambiguous to its allies"; at that time, those who seek the truth also become confused. This is sedition.

Well, now what is the remedy against such a phenomenon? Sound reason dictates and the Shari'ah also clearly states: the remedy is clarity in the exposition of the truth, clarity in the expression of the truth. When you see a movement starting under the pretext of elections, and then an enemy factor enters the field in this murky atmosphere, when you see the enemy factor - whose words and slogans reflect their true intentions - has entered the field, here you must clarify the line, here you must delineate the boundary. Everyone has a duty; most of all, the elites; and among the elites, those who have more listeners, more audience. This is a duty: the boundaries must be clarified and it must be made clear who says what. It should not be that falsehood hides itself amidst the dust and confusion in the field, strikes, and the front of truth does not know from where it is being struck. This is why ambiguous statements from the elites are not desirable. The elites must speak clearly and express the matter plainly. This is not specific to any particular political tendency. Within the Islamic system, all tendencies that are part of the system must clearly specify whether the support that the arrogant powers provide is acceptable or not. When the leaders of global arrogance, the leaders of oppression, the occupiers of Islamic countries, the killers of innocent people in Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan, and many other places, come into the field, speak, and take positions, it must be made clear what position someone within the Islamic Republic takes in response to this; are they willing to seek disavowal, to say I am your enemy? I oppose you?

When within the environment of sedition, some openly deny Islam and the slogans of the Islamic Republic with their words, and question the republic and an election with their actions, when this phenomenon appears in society, the expectation from the elites is that they clarify their boundaries, clarify their positions. Speaking ambiguously contributes to the murkiness of the atmosphere; this does not help to resolve sedition, this does not help to clarify. Clarity is the enemy of the enemy; it is a barrier to the enemy. Murkiness aids the enemy. This has become a criterion. This is a criterion: who helps clarify and who helps murkiness. Everyone should keep this in mind and use it as a standard.

The final word is that: dear brothers! dear sisters! You should know and you do know that the Islamic Revolution is a reality, arising from a divine tradition; this cannot be destroyed, this cannot be destabilized. As long as the masses of the people have faith, have interest, have love, and take action, they should know that if all the powers of the world join forces, they will not be able to inflict any harm on this revolution, this system, and this nation. There are duties to be performed; there are passages to be crossed. Some of these passages are difficult, some are easier. Thanks be to God, our nation has crossed many difficult passages that were much more challenging than what exists today, and will continue to do so. His Excellency Mr. Jannati said that the Iranian nation should feel at ease from the seditionists. I tell him that the seditionist and the enemy are always present; today there is one enemy, tomorrow there will be another enemy, the day after there will be another, in another form. When a nation is awake, aware, determined, preserves its faith, remains alive, and has growth, it will stand against all these oppositions with ease - which will become easier day by day - and will overcome all these oppositions. Thanks be to God, today we see signs of this growth; these youths who are part of the revolution. And I recommend to all friends that to better advance the work, they should utilize these youths of today, these new sprouts of the revolution, the growth of the revolution, as much as possible. Many of these youths either have not seen the revolution or were very young at the time of the revolution's victory; but today they are acting much better than we did back then, they are acting much stronger, they are working more wisely. The revolution, thanks be to God, is flourishing more and more.

May God, God willing, grant you all success and support, and may His mercy and grace descend upon the pure soul of the Imam of the Ummah and our dear martyrs, and may the sacred heart of the Awaited Savior be pleased and satisfied with all of us.

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