Statements of His Eminence in Meeting with Students on the Anniversary of the U.S. Embassy Takeover

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

At the outset, I welcome all of you dear youth, students, and the beloved members of this nation. I hope that during the blessed days of the months of Rajab and Sha'ban that lie ahead, and the month of Ramadan that will soon arrive, your pure hearts and warm breaths can attract God's mercy for this nation through a more intimate connection with the Great God.

Today marks the occasion of our meeting on the thirteenth of Aban, which has been designated as "Day of Struggle Against Global Arrogance." This is a very important, profound, and complex title that deserves contemplation. It is appropriate for dear youth to dissect both the term "arrogance" and the term "struggle" in their student discussions and to reach a deep understanding of this new term that the Revolution introduced into the political culture of the world. This is a characteristic of all authentic, profound, and rooted movements that introduce new words into the political culture of the world to accurately express their intended concepts. The terms "arrogance" and "struggle against arrogance" are among these.

Three events that occurred on the thirteenth of Aban are collectively worthy of reflection and deep thought. If you pay attention, each of these three events reveals a face of arrogance and a face of the people who stand against it. The combination of these faces clarifies an important political truth.

The first event is the exile of Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified) in 1964. The situation was such that the Americans imposed the Capitulation Law in Iran. The meaning of Capitulation is that Americans or individuals affiliated with any foreign power, if they commit a crime in another country, the judicial system of that country has no right to address their crime, to prosecute them, or to issue a verdict! At that time, more than two hundred thousand Americans were present in various occupations in Iran. The meaning of this law—which was passed in the corrupt parliament of that day at the behest of the corrupt court—was that if any of these two or three hundred thousand Americans residing in Iran, who received large salaries and interfered in all matters of the country, committed a crime—murdered someone, stole, or did anything—the judiciary and judicial system of Iran had no right to say to him, "You have an eyebrow above your eye," and that the judgment about him must be carried out under the supervision of the Americans! This was one of the humiliating laws for all nations that submitted to it. However, Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified) did not submit and resisted. Imam's cry in Qom rose among the students of religious sciences, condemning this law. The dependent regime reacted; they arrested Imam and exiled him to Turkey. What conditions does this relate to? This relates to the conditions in which the U.S. government had complete friendship and solidarity with the Iranian government, sharing common interests, and the U.S. was present in Iran. One of the signs and fruits of the presence of U.S. power in our country is this very issue.

The second issue is the thirteenth of Aban in 1978, which was a period of fervor and elevation of anti-regime and anti-American struggles in Iran. This shows another face. On such a day, the regime's affiliated apparatus—which were all or many of them trained and directed by the Americans—did not even spare the students. In this incident, dozens of students were killed. Of course, they always killed; they always pressured the people; but for this number of students to be killed in one place in Tehran, this is another face of arrogance. Where does this relate to? This relates to the place where the struggles of the nation against that greedy and excessive arrogance escalate. In such conditions, arrogance shows no mercy.

The third issue presents another face. It relates to the time when this nation—which had endured those oppressions, humiliations, interventions, and plundering for many years—had finally achieved victory. During the victory of this nation, the U.S. was pushed into a corner; however, even here, the U.S. intelligence apparatus did not cease its efforts and took actions that caused the people and Imam to develop a strong suspicion towards the U.S. embassy. On this day, students utilized the thirteenth of Aban demonstrations and seized the U.S. embassy. The student youth went there, collected documents and evidence, and published dozens of volumes of books—around seventy volumes or perhaps more—that demonstrated the embassy's connections with its affiliated elements within our country—some related to before the Revolution, some to after the Revolution. Some of them even held positions in the provisional government of that day; meaning the Americans had not relinquished their hold!

Thus, three faces of arrogance are seen on the thirteenth of Aban: one during the peak of U.S. power in Iran, which established Capitulation and included Imam's resistance, which was the embodiment of the resistance of the Iranian nation, and the response of the youth—who that day, first the youth of the seminary, then the youth of the entire country responded. The second issue is at the height of the struggles of this nation against arrogance, which demonstrates the predatory nature of arrogance that even kills students and youths. The third issue relates to when this nation, after years of captivity, has been able to stand on its own feet. Its Revolution has triumphed, and a government has been formed; yet they spy! Here, the nation enters the field with strength, and the U.S. embassy incident occurs. These are three symbols. If you combine these three issues, the overall face of arrogance, the face of the oppressed people, the fate of arrogance, and the trajectory of arrogance in our country can be identified.

Why did the people struggle against arrogance, and why is arrogance bad? You must pay attention; the first feeling that a nation has in confronting the spirit and nature of arrogance is not a religious feeling; it is a feeling of national honor; a feeling of identity and existence; because when arrogance enters a country and dominates it, it denies the national identity of that nation. It plunders the resources of that country, interferes in the political affairs of that country; but all of this is secondary to the denial of that nation's identity. When arrogance first enters, it does not say, "I come to deny your national identity;" it does not come like that; it enters under various pretexts. Once it enters, what it targets is national identity. That is, it takes away culture, beliefs, religion, will, independence, governance, economy, and everything from that nation and holds it in its grasp; the same thing that happened in Iran before the Revolution. This feeling is what stirs nations against arrogance; therefore, you see nations that do not have this, are not even Muslim, today—not back then; back then no one dared to stand against the U.S.; this path was opened by the Iranian nation—are standing against the U.S. as much as they can.

Today, look at various regions of the world—I do not want to name countries now; however, these news reports are current and ongoing in the world—in a certain country where the Americans have a military base and oppress the people, national demonstrations occur against them. In another country, when a certain American official wants to go, the people write on the walls before his arrival, "Do not come!" In another country, when a colonial and arrogant treaty is signed with that country's government, the people rise up; however, the governments do not allow the voices of the people to become widespread due to their own interests. The propaganda apparatus of arrogance has also taken over the world. Today, almost an empire of news has filled the media space of the world. These radios that you know broadcast in Persian in Iran are part of that vast news empire to deceive nations; most of them are in the hands of Zionists or large capitalists whose interests are intertwined with those of the U.S. They do not allow these news reports to be properly disseminated in the world; however, nations stand up against arrogant interference and rise up. At the same time, not every nation has the fortune and opportunity to do what the Iranian nation did. The privilege of our Muslim nation is this very feeling of standing against arrogance, this feeling of national dignity and pride, and the feeling of confronting that power that seeks to deny its existence. The Iranian nation did a remarkable and courageous act; for this reason, they have been very harsh against the Iranian nation. What the Iranian nation did, no nation had done with the U.S. until that day. With the experiences they encountered, they have not allowed this experience to be repeated in other nations and countries; but of course, they will not be able to. The power of nations will ultimately prevail; this is now up to the future, and if we do not see it, you, God willing, will witness those days.

The confrontation of our nation with arrogance also has a religious root. The words "arrogance" and "arrogant" and in contrast "oppression" and "oppressed" are in the Quran. When our nation stood against the U.S. and the corrupt apparatus affiliated with the U.S. with this spirit, it had a tremendous backing of beliefs and religious faith behind it, and this is what enabled it to succeed and advance. Arrogance, when it enters any country, tries to empty that country; that is, as far as it can, it confiscates everything of that country for its own benefit. Today, the Americans themselves—meaning the propaganda apparatus I mentioned—are at the forefront, and some truly despicable and low-paid individuals, and perhaps some deceived and oblivious people within our country are behind them, thinking that if the U.S. normalizes its relations with a country—such as the Islamic Republic—all of Iran's economic problems will suddenly be solved! If anyone thinks this way, they have committed a grave error. The Iranian nation has experienced relations with the U.S. The Americans, from 1953 when they took the reins of power in Iran until the years 1977 and 1978, took everything we had from us; everything that existed, they took away. Most of the current troubles of the Iranian nation are related to that period and also the period of British domination. The British are just like the Americans; there is no difference. Before the Americans, the British dominated Iranian politics. From the late Qajar period until the rise of Reza Khan, until after—until 1953—everything in Iran was in the hands of the British. They brought governments, removed governments; they took the oil, they took the resources; they shaped the culture and did whatever they wanted. Then the Americans came and took over from the British in their international competition; like an open territory!

A nation, by establishing relations with a government that has imperialistic goals, gains no benefit or good. Now see; the countries that have relations with the U.S.—various countries in Asia, Africa, and elsewhere—depending on their own power; if they have high scientific power, if they have the power of advancement in knowledge and technology and independence, they can resist to that extent. If they have not been able to establish a strong foundation within themselves, that imperialistic power of the U.S. not only does not bring them any benefit, but also exploits them, harms them; it turns them into a market for selling its products—whether military products or other worthless products—and plunders their resources and interferes in all their affairs. This is the goal of arrogance. In the past three or four years, sometimes the Americans have said here and there that they wish to have relations with Iran! For three or four years, they have occasionally made these statements. Of course, this was not something to be said; it is clear that they want to have relations; but what is their goal in this relationship? They kept this hidden until recently when one of their officials—now, what can I say about officials; it was a woman!—showed naivety and revealed something they had not said! She said, "We will establish relations with Iran; however, the condition for this relationship is that Iran must first resolve its issue with Israel!" Yes; this is exactly the case. We have always said this, but some did not realize! The main issue of the U.S. in relation to any country, especially in relation to Islamic Iran—which today is the highest base of struggle against Israel—is this very issue. The Zionists are the orchestrators of U.S. policy. You saw that just a few days ago, that other individual went to a gathering of Zionists and, to please them, or as our Foreign Ministry expressed it—which is a good expression—"to dance for them," he spoke ill of Iran! The issue is the issue of the Zionists; the issue of the presence of the usurping force of Israel—like a cancerous tumor—in the heart of Islamic nations, which has brought the greatest misfortunes to Islamic nations from this point. Therefore, the issue of the relationship they raise is not a sincere one. The relationship is so that they can regularly repeat and dictate their demands and threaten us!

The Iranian nation has done something that a power like today's U.S. and the imperialistic apparatus is helpless against. That act is that the nation and government of Iran and the Islamic Republic system have declared that they want to be independent and move towards their lofty ideals without seeking permission from any power and remain so. This is what they do not want. The fact that there is a country, a government, and a nation in the world that does not regard the will of the U.S., the interference of the U.S., and the overwhelming will of this international despotism as significant is very important and heavy for arrogance, and on the other hand, very incurable. They cannot do anything against this; what can they do? If we had declared war against someone, they would say you are warmongers. If we had oppressed a nation, they would say you are oppressors. They cannot say these things. The Iranian nation, with the goals it has defined for itself and has not easily achieved, wants to move towards its dignity, interests, and ideals without any power interfering, without seeking permission from anyone. The imperialistic apparatus cannot see this and cannot tolerate it. The struggle against arrogance—which today is represented by the U.S. government and regime—is part of the essence of this Revolution and part of the main and fundamental demands of this nation. If this nation abandons the struggle against arrogance, it means that it submits to foreign interference, to humiliation, and to a very threatening situation like that before the Revolution! All segments of the nation have this feeling and understanding of the issue of struggle against arrogance. Of course, there were those who, at the very beginning of the Revolution and before the Revolution, had their hearts set on the foreign powers. On the day when Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified) publicly condemned and rejected the Capitulation Law, there were those who said, "What is the problem?!" These people do not understand national identity, do not understand national honor, do not know what national dignity means, nor do they understand how much a nation's independence affects its progress; they are not even willing to think! They were despicable, lowly, and cowardly people; they existed then too. They were few in number. They were not many; but they were there. Among the intellectuals, among the writers, among those dressed in this attire—those posing as clerics—among various classes. The masses of the nation, the aware individuals of the nation, the faithful people, especially the enlightened hearts and analytical minds, all supported Imam's position. At that time, the massacre of students was not yet among us; they understood that this position was correct; many also entered the field. When the struggles began with that magnitude and the bloody fangs of U.S. agents in Iran became apparent, more people understood. When the Revolution triumphed, even more skeptical hearts came to the path and gained faith; however, at the same time, I remember that on that day in the Revolutionary Council, some members of the government of that day who participated in the Revolutionary Council criticized the students' actions and said, "Why did they go to the U.S. embassy?!" Their hearts were on the other side.

Those whose hearts are on the other side still exist today. They do not believe in something called national independence, national identity, character, and national dignity. Their upbringing is such that it does not allow them to understand how harmful and heavy the presence of an imperialistic power in a country is for a nation. The teachings of Islam also hold little importance and value for some of them. They have always been a small minority; they still are today. Of course, they are active, they propagate, they continue the propaganda of the enemies of Islam; however, the hearts of the people, especially the youth—students, schoolchildren, and other various youth classes—wherever they are, understand that for a nation, the greatest insult is to submit to a foreign imperialistic power. Anyone who is analytical will clearly understand that today the U.S. has no plan for Iran other than an imperialistic plan; that is, a return to the situation before the Revolution! It is clear that the Iranian nation stands against this plan. This is the anti-despotism orientation of the Iranian nation. Of course, there are efforts from the enemies: they propagate, they speak, they sophisticate; some even try to turn the thirteenth of Aban—which is the day of resistance against arrogance—into a day of softness towards the U.S.! If we do not say it is naivety, we must say it is treachery; however, since one does not want to say treachery, these actions must be out of naivety and negligence. You youth must be very vigilant and awake; you must recognize the enemy's goals. Today, the imperialistic power of the U.S. aims to dominate the world, and this is not something hidden or concealed. Even European governments complain about the cultural invasion and the meddling and intrusive influence of U.S. money. The issue is one of appropriation and encroachment. Of course, there are countries that cannot resist and stand; however, the Iranian nation stands firm. The other side threatens, tempts, flatters, propagates; all of these pursue a single goal, to find a way to re-enter Iran and spread their influence again and to be able to repeat the shameful situation before the Revolution for the Iranian nation; but without a doubt, the Iranian nation will stand against these imperialistic desires with all its might.

Thanks be to God, today the Islamic Republic has dignity and a progressive face on the world stage. The efforts of the Americans to besiege and isolate the Iranian nation and government have not succeeded and will never succeed. Our nation stands behind the officials of the system. Recognizing the enemy is of utmost importance. The enemy tries to present itself as a friend and to change the slogans of nations; just as they turned the slogan of opposition to Zionism among some Arab leaders into a diversionary slogan! One of their tactics is to change slogans. A nation and government submits when it does not correctly recognize the enemy or is afflicted with corruption and misery; however, if there is enemy recognition—which I recommend to the youth—then the slogans will be clear and conscious, and what the enemy desires will, by God's grace, not be achieved among the Iranian nation. We hope that the Almighty God preserves you youth. May He guide all hearts with His light of guidance and strengthen the steps of the Iranian nation, and may He crush the enemies of the Iranian nation, and God willing, you youth will witness and build bright and shining futures in this country with your own hands.

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