Statements in Meeting with Various Segments of the People

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

I congratulate the great nation of Iran and all Muslims around the world, especially you dear attendees who have kindly come and formed this pleasant, radiant, and sincere gathering; especially to the esteemed families of the dear martyrs and the dedicated and compassionate officials and the dear Basijis and the unknown soldiers of Imam al-Mahdi (may God hasten his reappearance) who are among us. I hope this great Eid is blessed for the entire Islamic world, for our nation, and for each one of you, and it will be blessed when we use this opportunity for self-building.

In Islam, everything is a prerequisite for the self-building of man. All obligations, duties, prohibitions of sins, recommended acts, and social and individual laws are all prerequisites for a good life; a prerequisite for the revival of man with a human spirit; a prerequisite for the ascension of man from the realm of bestiality, animality, and savagery. If humanity is placed under divine training—which can be realized by their own will—this good life will come into existence within them and will also purify and elevate the environment. If this divine training is absent and the determination and will that a person needs to tread the path of God is lost, and if they abandon themselves to human desires and whims, they will remain at the level of animality and will become a more dangerous animal than others. As you have observed throughout the history of humanity, there have been individuals who, with the appearance of humans, have prevented others from walking the path of God. Pharaohs, Qaruns, Nimrods, and embodied Satans also had the potential for development and progress. If they had come to themselves, thought, and remembered their human essence, they could have advanced. The Almighty God says to Moses in the face of Pharaoh: "So speak to him with a gentle word, perhaps he may be reminded or fear [God]." (1) Pharaoh also had the opportunity to be reminded, to come to himself, to revive the remembrance of God and the essence of his humanity within himself; however, rebellion did not allow it. The rebellion of desires, the rebellion of worldly greed, the rebellion of selfishness, arrogance, and the rebellion of bestiality within man are all obstacles.

My dear ones! Fasting is for humbling and restraining this bestial spirit in man. Prayer is for humbling man. All movements, actions, and every aspect of Islam are for us to gain control over our own selves. We must be able to strike the wild elephant that exists within us with the hammer of advice, admonition, remembrance, and divine obligations and tame it. Eid is for this; fasting is for this; prayer is for this; jihad is for this; the Islamic government is also for this—to create an environment for such a situation; to bring hearts closer to God; to elevate humanity beyond making the world their ultimate goal. Islam does not say do not cultivate the world, do not pursue knowledge, do not seek to understand divine traditions in nature; no. Islam, on the contrary, guides towards knowledge and reasoning.

Islam elevates the intellectual and scientific level of society. It calls upon humanity to build and cultivate the earth and to extract the potentials and capabilities that the Almighty God has placed in this world—in the wind, soil, sun, water, and other resources that God has entrusted in the universe—and to make them available for themselves and their fellow beings. Islam demands these from humanity. What Islam warns humanity against is that their ultimate goal and aspiration should not be limited to immediate and nearby resources, nor should they have any goal other than material life, wealth, dominance over others, and the power of desires and pleasures. Islam warns humanity against these, and until Islamic creativity is realized in the world, humanity will not find peace.

Today, as well as throughout history, all the misfortunes of humanity stem from the inner fires of tyrannical and rebellious individuals, which burn around them and destroy humanity and the world. Look at what these arrogant powers, these political, military, and financial powers are doing to humanity! See how today governments, individuals, and arrogant entities are treating humanity to fulfill their own desires! How many nations do they enslave! How many nations do they mislead and drive towards desires! These are the tools of humanity's misfortune and misery that are in the hands of rebellious individuals.

For this reason, Islam places jihad in the path of God at the top of the list of obligatory actions. "And strive in the way of God as is His due." (2) Strive in the way of God as is fitting. This jihad includes both inner struggle and struggle in the external environment, resistance against oppressors and tyrants, and resistance against natural obstacles. God is the complete manifestation of all that steadfastness against tyrannical and oppressive powers. For many years, the arrogant and tyrannical powers of the world have tried to remove jihad from Islamic culture; to vilify jihad; to cast a shadow over the struggle in the path of God; and wherever a group rises in the path of God, dedicates themselves to the service of humanity, and moves for the prosperity of the earth under divine laws, they accuse them.

As you can see, for twenty years, the arrogant powers have accused the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Iranian nation, and our dear Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified) and the compassionate individuals of this nation of things that are more fitting for themselves. They say they are violators of human rights; while they themselves are the greatest violators of human rights. They say they are supporters of terrorism; while they themselves are the founders and supporters of terrorism. Today, who is more of a terrorist in the world than the Zionist regime? Who among many of the world leaders today is more oppressive and transgressive of human rights? From whom has humanity suffered and endured more pain? Who is the cause of the backwardness of Asia, Africa, and similar regions? Which governments have kept nations under the sword of colonialism for many years? They took what they had; they took their oil for free and cheap; they took their underground wealth; they destroyed their culture; they prevented them from progress and advancement in the caravan of knowledge. These are the arrogant powers of the world, and these governments that today speak of human rights are the greatest calamities for humanity.

Today, thanks be to God, the Iranian nation has awakened. This country and this land were a point where the most vile arrogant and tyrannical powers had laid their hands. They considered it belonging to themselves; they regarded it as a peak that had not yet been conquered. Today, see how some of the governments in this region are so submissive to the opinions and will of the American government! Whatever it wants, they submit and comply. If it wants war from them, if it wants peace, if it wants enmity with a country, if it wants a military pact, even if it wants changes in government, they do not refuse to carry it out.

The corrupt and dependent Pahlavi regime in Iran was more dependent and submissive to America than all these governments you see today; however, today America has lost that regime. The arrogant and tyrannical powers have always feared over a billion and several hundred million Muslims and were afraid that they would think of Islam and the teachings and knowledge of Islam; therefore, they tried to make the teachings of Islam and the Quran forgotten. This nation and this country have raised Islam like a radiant sun in the sky of the thoughts and hearts of the Muslim people of the world, placed it before everyone's eyes, and revived Islamic sentiments in Muslims. As a result, both the country that was under the control of the arrogant powers was liberated from their hands, and the Islam that they did not want Muslims to remember was revived in the hearts of Muslims. Do you want them to not be enemies of the Iranian nation? Do you want them not to propagate against this nation? Do you want them not to conspire? Do you want them not to interfere in the culture, politics, economy, security, and everything of this nation?

Today, the remedy for the conspiracies and propaganda of global arrogance is your awakening, the awakening of the youth, and the firm determination of the nation to tread the path that has brought them dignity over these twenty years. Thanks be to God, this determination and will exist in the men and women of this country. To the chagrin of those who cannot see, the people have a deep-rooted belief in Islam, in the independence of the country, in treading the path of God, and they know that the prosperity of their world and the hereafter will be realized under the shadow of firm determination and persistent effort in the light of Islamic laws. This is what the Iranian nation knows; the officials know, and the women, men, and youth of the country know, and for this reason, the enemy's conspiracies will have no effect. This nation, God willing, will tread the path of happiness and, by the grace of the Lord and under the attention and pure prayers of the Awaited Savior, may God hasten his reappearance, will be able to solve all problems, overcome difficult challenges, and reach the peak of perfection and progress.

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