Statements of the Supreme Leader in Meeting with Representatives of the Islamic Consultative Assembly

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

Dear brothers and sisters; honorable representatives of the great nation of Iran! Welcome. We are pleased that, by the grace of the Almighty, we have a truly popular assembly that mirrors the thoughts, tastes, inclinations, and desires of the Iranian nation.

As the honorable Speaker of the Assembly, Mr. Nateq Nouri, mentioned, I also affirm that the Assembly is active in its duties, whether in reviewing plans and bills, preparing necessary laws for the administration of the country, addressing the country's general issues, political matters, international and global stances, or in other significant responsibilities it bears.

I thank each of you, especially Mr. Nateq Nouri, the honorable manager and Speaker of the Assembly. I hope you will always remain this way, continue in this direction, and regard the great responsibilities of the Islamic Consultative Assembly with respect; both in cooperation with the government, overseeing the country's affairs, preparing laws that serve as necessary tools for the government, and other duties entrusted to you.

Thanks be to God, due to the good situation in the Assembly and the strong and healthy management present, the Assembly is a source of calm for the people; it is not a source of division or tension. The speeches, words, and stances in the Assembly can create calm among the people - which, thanks be to God, is the case today - and can also create anxiety, which, thanks be to God, is not the case. In any case, this is one of our honors.

One of the greatest honors of our revolution is being and remaining popular. This is a great blessing that must be cherished and appreciated. In the world, many governments that come to power through revolutions, coups, or other various means cannot maintain popular support. It has even been observed that governments that came to power with the help of the people immediately announced with a radical and revolutionary move that, for example, no elections would be held until a certain period, or they promised but did not fulfill their promises. The Islamic Republic held five elections in the first year of the revolution's victory - the year fifty-eight - and has continued regularly to this day.

The presence of the people is a great blessing. This blessing, which, thanks be to God, was recently witnessed in another sweet and magnificent experience and test, created a very beautiful scene that became a source of pride for the Iranian nation, the Islamic Republic, and the revolution in the world and in history - the presidential elections - is worthy of gratitude. Elections - including the recent elections - are all blessings of being popular and this great blessing of God. My dear ones! One must be grateful for blessings.

What is important is how someone who receives a blessing from the Almighty will respond. In Surah Al-Fatiha, you read, "The path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor, not of those who have evoked [Your] anger or of those who are astray." This means that those who receive blessings may become "those who have evoked [Your] anger"; like the Children of Israel. God Almighty repeatedly told the Children of Israel, "Remember My favor which I have bestowed upon you." They were recipients of God's blessings. In Surah Al-Fatiha, "those who have evoked [Your] anger" is interpreted as the Children of Israel. Therefore, when we receive a blessing, we must be careful to be grateful after receiving it so that we do not become among "those who have evoked [Your] anger" or "those who are astray." The way is to be grateful.

My dear ones! The essence of gratitude is that a person recognizes the blessing as coming from God. It is not just to say it with words; one must truly believe with all their being that whatever blessing they have is from God. It should not be thought that they themselves have provided this blessing for themselves. This will lead to divine wrath and deprivation of God's blessings, as "I was only given it because of knowledge I have." If I say that I have acquired this knowledge and these capabilities myself, it is wrong. The Quran states, "Whatever good happens to you is from God"; every blessing you have is from God. In prayers, we are also taught to say to God Almighty: "Whatever blessing we have is from You alone, with no partner, there is no deity but You." Every blessing we have is from You. At most, we can make ourselves worthy of God's blessing and preserve it.

This gratitude is very important. The feeling that blessings are from God removes problems, takes away pride and arrogance due to blessings, and makes a person feel that they are nothing and that whatever exists belongs to the sacred essence of the Almighty. He has given it, and from Him, we must ask, from Him, we must seek, from Him, we must expect continuity, to Him, we must turn, to Him, we must resort, and before Him, we must plead. This is the correct path.

God Almighty, by His grace, has completed the blessing upon our people. I insist on repeating that what happened in this thirty-million election for the Iranian nation became a shining star on the forehead of the Iranian nation. In which of the world's democracies do you find that eighty-eight percent of eligible voters participate in elections - according to the statistics given to us? Those who in the world speak of people's rights, democracy, and freedom and flaunt it to others, accusing everyone and accusing anyone who does not align with them and criticizes them of being autocratic, how many of their people participate in their elections?

I said, they brought comparative statistics and compared our elections with the two presidential elections in America and also with the elections in England and other European countries, and I saw that none of them are like this. Not only are they not to this extent, but they are not even close; that is, forty-nine percent, fifty percent, fifty-four percent, sixty percent. Where are these, and where are eighty-eight percent or eighty-nine percent in our country? A large number of those who could participate in this election did so and voted. All of them voted for the system to spite the enemies.

Of course, in media propaganda, the enemies tried to perhaps turn this victory into a flaw, as they usually do with any good in Islamic Iran, and say yes; the people had objections and criticisms. Thanks be to God, in the interview yesterday with the elected honorable president, a crushing response was given to all of them. However, these people do not give up; but I say to our people that recognize these global media - although, thanks be to God, you do - recognize these so-called political analysts of the world who sit and determine the fate of all political issues in the world, express opinions, and issue fatwas, and see how they are.

They said that this election is a protest! What protest?! The majority of twenty million people, to whom did they vote? What are the slogans of the elected president? The slogans of the elected president are order and law, eliminating discrimination, expanding social justice, moving towards Islamic and revolutionary goals, and following the testament of Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified). Are these in opposition to the Islamic system?! These are the slogans of the Islamic system. The people love these. The enemy is waiting to see what small incident might happen in the Islamic Republic so that they can attach something bad to it with a hundred pounds of glue and make it bitter for our people and distort the image of the Iranian nation in the world.

We thank God that "Our Lord, whatever blessing we have is from You, there is no deity but You alone, with no partner." You gave the answer to the enemies of the Iranian nation. You guided hearts towards the ballot boxes and participation in this great test. You made the people so loving, affectionate, and loyal to this divine system. These are from You, not from us. We do not become arrogant. Thanks be to God, it was a very good and sweet test. As we said, there is no loser in this test; everyone is a winner. I insist that these expressions not be used. Unfortunately, some newspapers have not yet been able to practice not being so influenced by the wrong cultural expressions of the West. Participation in the field of duty has no loser; everyone is a winner.

I told the people right here that anyone who goes to the ballot box and casts their vote based on a sense of responsibility and according to their judgment should feel that they have fulfilled their duty. The situation is the same now. The various candidates who entered the election scene and their supporters should be happy. Be grateful to God Almighty who gave you the success to enter this scene; to pave the way for the presence of the great nation of Iran and involve them in this test that began so sweetly and ended sweetly. This is an honor for you, and all of you are rewarded before God Almighty.

All those who participated in this election in any way, intervened, conducted propaganda, and supported the one they were interested in and considered the most qualified, are rewarded before God Almighty. All the millions of people who went to the ballot boxes and wrote their votes out of a sense of responsibility are partners in it. This is the main condition of the matter. "Indeed, Allah only accepts from the righteous." This is our Quranic instruction.

All those who wrote their votes out of a sense of responsibility and put them in the box - whether the vote they wrote matched with this honorable elected president who, thanks be to God, is now preparing to fulfill his great duty, or did not match; it does not matter, all are equal in this regard - should know that divine rewards have been written for them. This is our Quranic teaching that whoever works for God, God Almighty does not waste their reward; even if it is an atom's weight. This was a test scene that the people entered.

Of course, great victory requires both gratitude and caution against danger. After all victories, there is a potential danger. The Iranian nation, which has triumphed in this event, must thank God. What is the potential danger? The potential danger is that, God forbid, some individuals may show shortcomings in their behavior, and disputes may arise among the people. Both you, the honorable gentlemen and ladies who are representatives of the people and among the chosen of the nation, should not allow it, and the people should not allow the enemy to be pleased.

The enemy is waiting for disputes among you. The enemy is waiting for your united ranks to break. The enemy is waiting to turn the display of thirty million votes - which is a display of the Iranian nation's unity in defense of the Islamic system - into a quarrel, conflict, and dispute and take this sweetness away from you. Do not allow it. This is where your vigilance is needed. All the candidates belong to the Islamic system; all defended the Islamic system; all gave slogans for the Islamic system and its main lines and what is among the clear principles of the revolution. Therefore, a united movement in favor of the Islamic system has occurred. One must be vigilant; especially you, the representatives of the people, must be aware. Both in the Assembly and in the electoral district you visit, congratulate the people on the thirty million success. This is the biggest issue.

For months, some of the country's greats, dear ones, and prominent figures repeatedly told me that if you have a specific person in mind for the presidency, let us know so we can smooth the situation and guide the people to make it happen. I told them what I have asked from God is thirty million votes. Throughout these months before the election, no matter how much insistence there was, the honorable officials of the country and others heard nothing from me except this. I said in this election, I have asked God Almighty for the people's votes; that is important for us and the country. Ultimately, whoever is at the head of the government and the executive branch will do something, have progress, and have problems. No one is absolute, no one is perfect; the differences are not very significant. What is important to me is this issue that all the people feel they are partners in this test. Thanks be to God, God Almighty answered this prayer, fulfilled this wish, and gave this gift to the Iranian nation. If we thank until the end of our lives, it is not enough.

After eighteen, nineteen years since the victory of the revolution, after nine years since the passing of Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified) - when the enemy thought the system would not last even a month - the people participate in the presidential elections and with their presence, reminiscent of the enthusiastic and exciting days of the first victory, organize such a sweet election. This is a great blessing that must be thanked.

We hope that God Almighty grants us all success, to be grateful, to recognize His blessings, to find the way of gratitude, and to understand that what is our duty is this. The responsibilities that you and I have are trusts in our hands. "And these days [of varying conditions] We alternate among the people." God Almighty passes these trusts from hand to hand and gives us a few days to keep these trusts. Let us keep these trusts well and behave well with divine duty and above all, keep God in mind. This is important.

We hope that, God willing, the sacred existence of the Imam of the Age (may our souls be sacrificed for him) is pleased with the Iranian nation, which he certainly is. May the pure prayers of that great one include the Iranian nation. May this dear and great nation be successful in all fields. May God bless the pure soul of Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified), for whatever good and blessings we have are due to the blessing of that bountiful existence, that exception of the time, that rarity of the age, and the unique figure in the history of Islam. God Almighty honored us to be in his time, to see him, to hear from him, and to benefit from the blessings of his existence.

Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings