Statements of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution in Meeting with the People of Qom

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

Dear brothers and sisters of Qom, especially the esteemed scholars, clerics, and scientists, the honored families of martyrs and the Disabled, and all the dear youth whose presence, hearts, and warmth enrich the public atmosphere of society at all times; welcome. I congratulate you on these blessed days that begin with the birth of Fatimah al-Masumah (peace be upon her) at the beginning of the month of Dhul-Qi'dah al-Haram and conclude with the birth of her esteemed brother, Imam Ali al-Ridha (peace be upon him) on the eleventh of this month.

This warm and sincere gathering, like other initiatives that the people of Qom and the Qom seminary have shown during the revolution and the great Islamic movement and during the imposed war, is filled with sincerity and signs of faith. Many of you dear youth present here did not witness the epic event of the 19th of Dey; just as most of you may not have witnessed the significant and decisive event at the Fayziyeh seminary in the year forty-one. You have only heard news of these events and were not present in them; however, great events and historical turning points are eloquent and important lessons for all, not just for those who were present; because a great event marks the beginning of a movement, the start of a path, and the spring of a community's life. Perhaps most of those who gathered around Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) during the event of allegiance did not witness the event of Ghadir, and by extension, the emergence of Islam and the battles of Amir al-Mu'minin. But Islam, guidance, and its light are not only for those who were present at that time; rather, they are for everyone and for all time: "And others of them who have not yet joined them." The Islamic Revolution was the beginning of a glorious and blessed path. All those who have suffered from injustice and thirst for justice cherish this phenomenon and strive for it. All those who have felt the weight and pressure of the dictatorial system, oppression, and individual power, or have thought about it, have welcomed the Islamic Revolution, the movement of the Muslim nation, and the widespread struggle of this nation, and they will continue to do so. This is not just today; it will be the same in the future.

The soldiers of the revolution are not only those who were present at the onset of the revolution and could serve. Our faithful, innovative, free-thinking, and pure-hearted youth today and future generations are also soldiers of the revolution; because the revolution is an eternal truth; the revolution is the banner of justice, freedom, independence, and dignity; the revolution is the banner of Islam. Such a thing never becomes outdated; it always has supporters and soldiers and is always cherished among aware individuals. Those who try to portray our youth today as the third or fourth generation, turning their backs on Islam and the revolution, have depressed and despondent hearts themselves and project their own condition onto others, while the truth of the matter is not so. Just as Islam emerged 1400 years ago; the truths of Islam have captivated hearts throughout all periods of history, mobilized bodies, thoughts, and energies, and created tremendous transformations in all aspects of human life. The revolution is one of those transformations, and the name, truth, and spirit of Islam are the main elements of this revolution; therefore, it is always alive. Of course, the revolution is alive, and for this reason, it also has enemies. Just as the victory of the revolution and its birth faced the resistance of enemies, the continuation of the revolution, its persistence, and effectiveness also confront enemies and hostilities. The enemy is not only external. We have two enemies: the first enemy is within ourselves. Perhaps this internal enemy is even more dangerous than the external enemy. Being ensnared by desires, greed for the world, attachment to personal interests, being intimidated by external enemies, and losing hope in divine promises and the realization of divine ideals are our internal enemies. All those who turn their backs on the great fronts like the front of the Islamic Revolution and flee from the enemy first suffer defeat in the front of their own hearts. They either become intimidated or captivated by worldly appearances or become ensnared by desires or are deceived by money and status, or the flattering face of the enemy misleads them. A person first suffers defeat in their heart and then their defeat becomes apparent in the external front.

Secondly, the external enemy. The external enemy consists of those global dominating powers that are willing to turn the whole world into dust and blood and ignite bloody wars to achieve their goals. Today, look at America's threats against Iraq, yesterday against Afghanistan, and over the years against the people of Palestine and Lebanon! Observe the bluster of the arrogant powers of the world! These are manifestations of that external enemy.

Wherever in the world a nation awakens, a government gains self-awareness, and people think about securing their interests and cutting off the hands of oppressors, the central apparatus of global power - which consists of these big capitalists and Zionists - becomes engaged to remove that center, that focal point, and that movement from their path. Many times they succeed, and in some cases, they do not succeed; just as in the case of the Iranian nation and the Islamic Revolution, with the will and faith of the people and the enduring models that our nation has shown through its fighting and pious youth, they have not succeeded and have been defeated until today. Some become displeased that we direct the public's attention to the external enemy in our warnings. This displeasure stems from superficial thinking. When we say we have an external enemy, it does not mean that our weaknesses, mistakes, lapses, and shortcomings have had no effect on the failures of the Islamic system. No; it is not so. The Quran has taught us to always remember our mistakes: "Our Lord, forgive us our sins and our excesses in our affairs." We should not forget our excesses, overreaches, shortcomings, and extremes; we must think about correcting them. However, this should not make us oblivious to the exacerbating factor of our problems, which is the external enemy. In the same noble verse that teaches us to seek forgiveness for our sins and excesses, it immediately states: "And make our feet firm and grant us victory over the disbelieving people"; meaning do not neglect the external enemy. It is he who maximally exploits your mistakes. Therefore, the external enemy exacerbates mistakes.

Within the country, many things may naturally have a background. Suppose corruption and the spread of corruption exist in some sectors - whether governmental or non-governmental - or sensual impurities among some people or sections of the youth may exist - there are natural backgrounds for this - but when the enemy seeks to incapacitate a nation, these very factors become tools in the hands of the enemy and exacerbate them. Today, when you trace the roots of many issues and problems within the country, you will reach the foreign finger; to the hands of the mercenaries of the enemies and to the machinations of the apparatuses that have mobilized all their forces against the Islamic system. The revolution triumphed in the year fifty-seven by the grace of God and the power of this nation. The opposing front of the revolution and Islam, which was dependent on those external enemies, was defeated and despondent and retreated; but did they abandon their opposition and enmity towards the revolution and the Iranian nation? Absolutely not. The enemy may suffer defeat in one confrontation and retreat; but it will lie in wait, remain vigilant, and monitor events to attack and take revenge at an opportune moment. The valiant and faithful youth of this land, from every class, from clerics and students to merchants, workers, and farmers, must be aware. All those who are devoted to their faith, honor, national dignity, and independence of the country must be vigilant and cautious. The enemy may have suffered a defeat at one point. The enemy has also suffered disgraceful defeats at multiple stages; but this enemy lies in wait, takes advantage of lapses, and attacks. The enemy's attack is not always military. The enemy may launch cultural, moral, economic, and security attacks or infiltrate sensitive institutions. Therefore, the nation must always be vigilant. Officials must be doubly vigilant. Especially since the enemies of Islam and this revolution have hoped and continue to hope to dishearten the people from the Islamic system and portray it as incapable. While the Islamic system can resolve problems and knots better than all systems. It was the Islamic system that granted freedom to this nation, which for centuries had struggled under the claws of dictatorial systems, without undermining or trampling public rights and comfort.

Those who have read the history of revolutions around the world know what disasters were created in countries where great revolutions occurred. All those revolutions, or most and the most important of them, ended in black dictatorships. The French Revolution two centuries ago, the Soviet Russian Revolution a century ago, and revolutions that occurred in the form of coups and the like trampled on people's rights, halted democracies, and completely disregarded the votes of the people. The Islamic Revolution was able to grant freedom to this nation and in the shortest time - which astonished the world - brought those people who had been unable to tangibly taste the meaning of voting and involvement in the affairs of the country for centuries to the ballot boxes and involved them in the affairs of the country in the same way that the modern world recognizes and cannot cast the slightest doubt on. Numerous elections have taken place in this country, and the people have participated and engaged without any casualties. This was the great art of the Islamic system. In so-called democratic countries, sometimes bloody and bitter events occur during elections. Our nation participated in various elections with utmost composure. The path had been blocked for the talents, insight, and worldview of this nation. The welfare of this nation was summarized in the welfare of a thousand families. The nation had been abandoned. The Islamic system pursued all these major problems with correct methods and achieved many successes. Wherever there is a problem - whether in the economic, cultural, or moral fields - if one pays attention, that problem returns to the fact that a method contrary to Islam has been implemented and has led to that point. Wherever we have succeeded, it has been due to adherence to Islam; wherever we have failed, it has been due to disobedience to Islam. This is why Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified) emphasized so much on the realization of Islam in our laws, in the actions of our officials, and in the behavior of our government and judicial officials. Wherever there is disorder, it is due to negligence towards Islam. When I look at the entirety of these discussions, I clearly see the machinations, propaganda, and psychological warfare of the enemy. They want to prevent the implementation of Islamic laws through various means and impose global economic pressure and economic sanctions on this nation, so that they do not allow correct actions to be easily accomplished; on the other hand, they also propagate that you see the Islamic system could not! This is the very psychological warfare of the enemy.

Of course, our people have shown that with their steadfastness, presence, and with all their being, they have thwarted this enemy and have dealt a firm blow to the enemy at all stages. The adversaries of the Iranian nation are the global arrogant powers. Why are they hostile towards the Iranian nation? Their enmity towards the Iranian nation is due to this great sin: supporting Islam and standing firm for the Islamic system and defending it valiantly. They are also hostile towards our youth for this reason. They are more hostile towards anyone who strives more and serves Islam, the Islamic system, and the Muslim people. The vile goals of the enemies have also become clear today. There was a time when they could speak under the guise of supporting democracy; but today they can no longer do so. Today, world public opinion rejects American slogans and views them with suspicion. Under the pretext of fighting terrorism, they wage wars. You see today in the matter of America's military readiness to attack Iraq, which nation, which group of people, and which popular government agrees with this oppressive action? Everyone is disgusted, and everyone considers America to be a liar in its claims. Does America attack Iraq to oppose terrorism or for the abundant oil wells of Iraq; to dominate the region; to defend Israel and to oversee the Islamic Republic of Iran? Today, everyone knows that these are no longer the secrets of global arrogance. The nations and governments of the Arab world have also completely lost faith in the promises and words of America. Now, some may have to show cooperation for short-term interests; but in general, no one accepts the words of American statesmen and the arrogant powers. This is the historical experience of the Arab nations that their historical memory has recorded. During World War I, some of these Arab currents cooperated with the British - who were the arrogant and colonial powers of that day - to gain independence. The result was that after World War I, the grounds for the emergence of the Zionist regime were immediately prepared. They set the stage, and after World War II, they seized Palestine and declared the Zionist government. Throughout this period, despite the support that some Arab governments provided to the West - first from Britain, later from America - and the cooperation they had with them, the Arab side has always been humiliated, oppressed, and pressured in all events in favor of the Zionist side. Now, the Palestinian nation, this oppressed nation that was condemned to be sacrificed in global exchanges, is aside and in its own place; the Arab nation and all Arab governments and countries have been humiliated and degraded. In the competition between America and the former Soviet Union over the years, many Arab countries sided with America. Day by day, America's pressure on the Arabs increased. When the time came for testing and showing the reward for this support, they took a position exactly opposite to the interests of the Arab nations! In the Gulf War ten years ago and in recent events, it has been the same. Today, countries, nations, intellectuals, and many Arab governments know that if the face of America smiles at them, behind this mask of a smile, there is nothing but wrath and hatred. All of the Islamic world and all Muslim nations feel the same way about America's presence in this region. The Americans think they can come to this region, easily seize the oil wells of Iraq, swallow this country, and achieve their interests. They are mistaken; they will not be able to. They may seemingly come and settle, but the Islamic nations will not allow them to swallow water easily.

What the Islamic world expects from us, the Iranian nation, is that we firmly hold the banner of Islam - which is the banner of the dignity of the Islamic nation and which we have raised - high. This is what the Islamic world expects from us. The banner of Islam gives hope to nations, revives them, and inspires them. Raising and firmly holding this banner is also a very significant factor for the strength and power of our nation. In reality, we do not hold Islam; it is Islam that holds us. Any nation that stands by Islam will be alive, honored, and esteemed. Islam is precious. Islam has elevation. We need Islam to escape the humiliation of the arrogant powers - scientific humiliation, political humiliation, and cultural humiliation - of theirs.

Dear youth; dear people of Qom and all the dear nation of Iran! What you have today, namely the Islamic system, is the great aspiration of Muslim nations. Do not pay attention to the enemy's propaganda and the slander of their media outlets. They are compelled to propagate this way. Today, the Islamic system, the Islamic Republic, the nation, and the youth of Iran shine like a star in the Islamic world. They look to you and draw inspiration from you. Be careful of yourselves. Maintain your unity. Keep your hope for the future. Officials should appreciate this nation. Various apparatuses of the Islamic system should perform their duties well with unity and solidarity and satisfy and please the nation with their performance and efforts. Everyone should know that God's hand is with them, and God willing, the prayer of the Awaited Savior (may our souls be sacrificed for him) will support and assist them. We hope that the Almighty God will unite the dear martyrs of Qom and all our dear martyrs and the pure soul of Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified) and other great figures of this path with His saints.

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