Statements of the Supreme Leader in Meeting with Students and Pupils on the Occasion of 13 Aban

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

I extend my warm welcome to all of you dear youth, students, and esteemed officials. Congratulations on the occasion of the 13th of Aban, which has been designated as the day of struggle against global arrogance. In fact, it should be said: the day marking the beginning of the fall of the arrogant power of America.

These days are the days of the month of Dhul-Hijjah. Dear youth, with your radiant hearts and vibrant spirits, my beloved children, be aware that one of the best days and nights of the year, in terms of virtue and the possibility of connecting hearts with God, is indeed these days. The essence and foundation of all great and victorious movements is the remembrance of God; being mindful of God, having a connection with Him. The Quran states: "And mention the name of God during the known days." In the hadith, it is mentioned that the "known days" which God the Almighty has commanded to remember are these first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah.

Among these ten days is the Day of Arafah, which is a day of prayer, forgiveness, and attention. The prayer filled with love, passion, and fervor on the Day of Arafah, which Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) articulated during the Arafah ceremony, reflects the spirit of ecstasy and love that the followers of the Ahlulbayt should possess during such days. Value these days. The opportunity belongs to you. Just as today is an opportunity for progress, for flourishing, for significant political, revolutionary, and social movements, the opportunity to turn to God the Almighty and to remember Him and to strengthen your heartfelt connection with Him also belongs to you. The best means to revive the remembrance of God for you and for us is to refrain from sin. This task is easier for you than for the elderly. You young people have radiant hearts, you have prepared grounds; seek help from God the Almighty. Appreciate this brilliant period of youth, strengthen your relationship with God, and in this proud path that the Iranian nation has begun and you are now at the peak of this path, God willing, continue with all your being, with all your strength.

The 13th of Aban, which is just two days away, is truly one of the days of God; it is an opportunity for reflection and inference, and based on this inference, to build the future and to plan for the future; because the future belongs to you. How should we move to elevate ourselves, our nation, our country, our history, and indeed the Islamic Ummah to the pinnacle? What is the way? This must be achieved through contemplation and reflection on these lessons. One of these lessons is found in this 13th of Aban. The divine power, on one hand - which encompasses everything in the phrase "divine power" - and then the will to struggle and stand firm in the path of struggle, which relies on divine power and divine success, on the other hand, has given prominence to the 13th of Aban.

Our dear Imam, that unique man of our history, stood against the capitulation plan and the immunity of Americans - who were the dominant force in Iran at that time - and for this protest, on the 13th of Aban, he was exiled from Iran by the American mercenaries in a state of loneliness and estrangement. On that day and during this exile, no one was by the Imam's side. Of course, the hearts of the people were with the Imam; however, they abducted the Imam from his home and in complete estrangement, he was exiled from Iran on the 13th of Aban in 1963. Fifteen years later - fifteen years is not a long time; it passes like lightning - the Imam's children, namely the revolutionary student youth, on the 13th of Aban seized the American embassy in Tehran; they expelled America from Iran. See how the actions of a popular movement based on divine will and divine power can achieve results. The Imam stood firm in that estrangement in exile, steadfastly pursuing the path and gradually bringing the people into the scene. The Imam awakened the people; he revived the feeling of independence and aspiration accompanied by a struggle in which there is no fear or terror. The people came to the field and the revolution triumphed. The people drove the Shah out of Iran during the revolution; on the 13th of Aban, they drove America out of Iran. Thus, the Imam said: a revolution greater than the first revolution. This is a lesson. It means that when a nation stands firm on the right path, with correct guidance and insight, no power can withstand against it. All obstacles were removed. This issue seemed impossible. Could the 2500-year-old monarchical regime, supported by all the material powers of the world, be dismantled from Iran? Was it believable? But the Islamic and faithful will of the Iranian nation, under the leadership of the Imam, made this impossible possible; this unattainable became a reality. Everyone witnessed this clearly and felt it. Moreover, the flag of the arrogant and tyrannical dominance of America was pulled down from the roof of Iran; it was trampled under the feet of our faithful youth. This too seemed impossible. This too appeared to be an unachievable task. They analyzed, they said, they wrote that since Islamic Iran stands against America, it will certainly be defeated and forced to retreat. The material analyses indicated this; they showed this. Many of our so-called intellectuals, who considered themselves political analysts and experts in interpreting events and inferring from events, analyzed it this way. But the opposite happened; Islam triumphed, the Islamic Republic triumphed, and America was forced to retreat.

Since that day until today, thirty-two years have passed. Dear youth! In these thirty-two years, there has not been a single year in which global arrogance, led by America and Zionism, has not plotted against Iran; with the aim of defeating the Iranian nation, with the aim of defeating the revolution and the Islamic Republic system. And by the grace of God, with divine support, with the efforts of our dear people, and in every period, with the efforts of our progressive young people, Islamic Iran has triumphed over all these plots and America has been defeated. After this, it will continue in the same manner. This is the correct analysis. This is the right outlook for the future. You, God willing, have fifty, sixty, seventy years ahead of you. For this long life - which God the Almighty, God willing, will bless and grant you with His mercy and grace - you must plan. The foundation of planning is this: decide, choose the goal correctly, and pursue this goal with steadfastness; in this case, no power will have the strength to stand against you. Your goals in the fields of science, in the economic sphere, in the social realm, in ethics, in the expansion of Islamic thought and Islamic awakening in the world are your great aspirations. The way is only this. Make the right diagnosis, make a firm decision, move forward, set out, rely on God the Almighty; you will reach the result. Your enemies, whoever they may be, whatever they may be, with whatever magnitude of power they possess in the world, will be forced to retreat; just as it has been in the case of the revolution, in the case of the 13th of Aban, in the cases of the imposed war, in the case of the economic blockade, and in all other plots until today.

Our hands are full. We have the right thoughts. The Islamic Republic has presented a new political thought to the world: religious democracy. This new political thought is based on a correct philosophy, grounded in solid ideological and belief foundations, and is practically executable and progressive. This thought, this path, this philosophy, and this experience that has been available to the Iranian nation over these thirty-two years have filled our hands.

The enemy is making efforts. One should not think that the enemy will cease its activities; no, you see. In these days, amidst America's troubles regarding the vast popular movement of the Occupy Wall Street in New York and in other cities and states of America, the American government thought it would, in its own view, play another card. They concocted a ridiculous terrorist scenario to accuse the Islamic Republic of a nonsensical, illogical, and erroneous terrorist act; which anyone knowledgeable in the field around the world has rejected and condemned. They resort to such things in hopes of perhaps saving themselves from those troubles, to overshadow them; perhaps they can exert pressure on the Islamic Republic. Of course, they will pursue this issue. Their intention is to accuse the noblest elements of struggle and jihad in the Islamic Republic of being terrorists. They themselves are the terrorists. Today, the greatest terrorist in the world is the American government.

In this matter too, our hands are full. Today we have a hundred irrefutable documents that show the American government has been behind the assassinations and terrorists that have occurred in Iran or in the region. With these hundred documents, we will tarnish America's reputation in the world; we will expose the reputation of these self-proclaimed human rights advocates and fighters against terrorism in the eyes of public opinion; although today they have no reputation.

America has been defeated. America has been defeated in Afghanistan. Against the Afghan nation, America has been unable to maintain its image; it has failed to prove its false claims. Against the Iraqi nation, America has been defeated. Just a few days ago, the representatives and political elites of the Iraqi nation unanimously rejected the immunity of American soldiers in Iraq; they stated that America must completely withdraw from Iraq. And it will withdraw; it has no choice. After years of effort and immense material and human costs, America is forced to leave Iraq; it is forced to leave Afghanistan; it is forced to accept defeat.

They have been defeated in North Africa; they could not maintain Hosni Mubarak, they could not maintain Ben Ali - these were all American puppets, but the nations overcame them - in Libya, they could not maintain their ally Qaddafi. Until the very end, before Qaddafi's humiliating death, they had communications, perhaps they could reach an understanding. The nations witnessed the hypocrisy of global arrogance, the hypocrisy of the Americans and the Westerners, whether in the case of Egypt, in the case of Tunisia, or in the case of Libya; they will see it in other matters as well. They are hypocrites, they are two-faced.

Today, in America itself, in the Western countries, in the capitalist system and so-called liberal democracy - which both its "liberal" and "democracy" aspects are false - they have been defeated. Today, the people of America across the states, and people in eighty countries around the world have stood against this system. They may suppress the people, but this fire will not be extinguished. They cannot defend themselves; their hands are empty. The world has taken a different course, and know that by the grace of God, the struggle of truth - which has begun under the leadership of the Iranian nation and with the banner of Islam - against falsehood, against tyrants, against Pharaohs, and against the Pharaoh of global arrogance, will continue until the downfall of arrogance.

Analysts - as they call themselves - sit in their think tanks, study, analyze, and see that the focal point of this movement is the Islamic Republic; hence they pay attention to you; they pay attention to our youth, they pay attention to our officials who have stood firm and are courageously continuing this path with reliance on God, with optimism for the future, and with complete hope. Then they conspire against the Iranian nation; well, let them. For thirty-two years they have been conspiring against the Iranian nation. Of course, in every conspiracy, they have caused difficulties for the Iranian nation, but the Iranian nation has triumphed, and after every foiled conspiracy, the Iranian nation has risen one step higher. They impose sanctions on us. Sanctions may create pressure, but they elevate the Iranian nation one degree; they enhance its capabilities. They thought they could stifle science and technology for Iranian youth, but Iranian youth have risen from within themselves. Today, in the field of science and technology, our progress compared to the past cannot be said to be twofold or threefold; it is dozens of times greater. Their struggle leads nowhere. The struggle against a perceptive nation, a patient nation, an aware nation, a nation whose youth rely on God and are steadfast in this path, leads nowhere; they will be defeated, but the Iranian nation will triumph.

You young people must take on the greatest burden of this responsibility for the future and build yourselves; do not let the enemy extinguish hope from hearts with its propaganda plots and fabrications; do not let them create divisions among you; do not let them create discord and separation between the nation and the officials; they want this; they fear this unity; they fear your strong slogans; they fear the serious determination and will of the officials; they want to undermine this determination and will. When the nation stands alongside the officials, no official feels doubt; no official feels instability and moves forward. This is necessary for our country; it has been so until today, and God willing, it will continue in the future. Certainly, the Iranian nation will rub the enemy's nose in the dirt in all these challenges it faces today and may face in the future.

God's mercy be upon our dear martyrs. God's mercy be upon the patience of our nation. God's mercy be upon the patient fathers and mothers who endured hardships, bore the loss of their youth, and stood firm, teaching lessons to future generations. And God's mercy be upon our great Imam, who opened this path, who led the way, who stood firm so that we all became encouraged and followed him, and traversed this long path. We hope that all of you will be included in the blessed prayers of the Awaited Savior.

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