Statements in Meeting with Students on the Occasion of National Day Against Global Arrogance

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

Dear brothers and sisters; faithful, sincere, and enthusiastic young students! Welcome. The thirteenth of Aban, as the national day of struggle against global arrogance, is fundamentally a matter historically related to the youth. From the beginning, this issue has taken shape with the presence of the youth, has continued with their presence, and today it is more than ever dependent on the youth; in the future, God willing, it will remain so.

Our revered Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified) delivered his historic and decisive speech regarding the judicial immunity of American advisors and elements in Iran initially among a group of young people. It was the youth who first spread this message in the seminary of Qom and then throughout the country, bringing it to everyone's attention. Over the years, they gradually turned it into a principal issue in the great struggle of the Iranian nation, otherwise, the people were unaware of the judicial immunity of American advisors in Iran; they did not know how significant this issue was, referred to in the political culture of the day as 'capitulation,' and how detrimental it was to national dignity. The Imam raised this issue, and the youth of the seminary disseminated it; later, it became a principal issue and a cultural matter throughout the country and among the faithful and militant circles.

Although the Imam was exiled because of this issue, the idea remained among the people, grew, and took root until on the thirteenth of Aban in 1978, a group of young students, on the anniversary of the Imam's arrest and exile, organized a passionate demonstration, and dozens of them were martyred. Again, the issue progressed on the shoulders of the youth and gained intensity and quality. Again, in the following year - that is, in Aban 1979, the first year of the revolution's victory - it was the youth who correctly identified the main point of American presence in a place introduced as an embassy but in reality considered a center of conspiracy and anti-revolutionary organization in Tehran, attacked it, and seized the place.

From the beginning to the end of the issue - that is, from the start of the thirteenth of Aban incident to its completion as a multifaceted issue - it took fifteen years. In all these stages, the youth were involved. Today, this issue is more directed at you young people; whether university students, school students, or other young people of the country.

Anything that relies on the young generation and draws from them and is in their hands will always be vibrant and enduring in society. Therefore, the issue of struggle against global arrogance and designating the thirteenth of Aban for this occasion is an enduring issue and will always remain vibrant; because it is on the shoulders of the youth.

Here, I would like to tell you dear young people that from a religious perspective, youth is a point of hope and flourishing. This point of hope and flourishing is in everything; in struggles, in social endeavors, in various activities of society, and in personal and spiritual and inner struggles. The address to the youth from religion is always a special address. There has been much communication with the youth in Islamic concepts and religious activities. The reason is that in the youth, the essence of enthusiasm, love, purity, and spirituality is radiant. Every human being benefits from this essence, but in the youth and during youth, this human essence is completely visible, radiant, and luminous, and it must be utilized. The first use that every human being must make of this spirit of enthusiasm, love, purity, spirituality, and luminosity is to elevate oneself - one's soul, one's inner self, one's meaning and truth. This is the first step. Therefore, we always have a strong recommendation for spiritual self-building to the youth.

My dear ones! Build yourselves spiritually during this youth period when there is readiness. Direct this love and enthusiasm that is within you towards that center and pole that is worthy of this love and devotion - that is, the sacred essence of God Almighty, who is the absolute beauty and absolute truth. Connect yourself to that center and strengthen your relationship with God as much as you can. In all fields of life, this is a fundamental issue for you.

This life - whether short or long - is ultimately short; life is an hour. In youth, one does not feel this; but when one understands life and ages a bit, one realizes that life is no more than an hour and is fleeting. In this hour, one must make the most of it so that this human 'I' that is supposed to remain after this realm and benefit from true life - 'Indeed, the home of the Hereafter is the true life' (Quran 29:64); true life is after this realm - can live well, can reach the divine encounter, can attain that truth which God Almighty has determined for it, and not remain incomplete, unfinished, deviated, and tormented. This is in your hands. All your life, whatever effort you make, must be in this direction. Anything else is error, deviation, misunderstanding, and misinterpretation.

Those who consider the world and its pleasures and daily life as the main thing are mistaken. Of course, they will realize their mistake one day; but when it is too late and nothing can be done. If you want to move well on this path, move with enthusiasm, move passionately, you must use your youth and draw closer to God Almighty.

Now, let us take advantage of this opportunity. This month is the month of Rajab. In the near future, the month of Sha'ban and the month of Ramadan will arrive. In these three months, use whatever you can for spiritual storage; because this relies on the youthful spirit and will remain with you. All things in society are like this. Anything that relies on the youth is firstly enduring in society, and secondly, always vibrant and fresh. The issue of struggle against global arrogance is also of this kind; therefore, in reality, this is a national direction for our country and nation.

Let me tell you a point here. Some people think that if the Iranian nation says struggle against America, or death to America, or no relations with America and such words, this is merely a slogan and emotional issue; no. This is a mistake. This is a fundamental issue based on logical and completely wise foundations and perfectly aligned with the national interests of this country. You must pay attention to this. The apparent issue is political; but the inner issue is a national, human, historical matter, related to the fate of this country and this nation and you young generation and future generations. This issue is connected to the present and future of this country. Today, I will speak briefly on this subject; but you yourself must think; the youth must think.

The issue is the struggle against global arrogance. The struggle against America is because today the regime of America is the manifestation of arrogance in the world, otherwise, if America as a government did not have arrogant methods and goals, it would be like other governments for us; but today the government and regime of America in this era is the complete manifestation of arrogance.

Arrogance means the state of Pharaoh, means dictatorship on an international level. Nations struggle against dictatorship in their own countries; whether they succeed in this struggle or not; but when they raise their heads, they see an international dictator standing there and interfering in all affairs; interfering in the fate of nations, that too based on its own interests! Although dictatorship is a real corruption and a fundamental flaw for any country that a dictatorial regime and a dictatorial person rule over that country; with all this, any dictatorship may eventually think of the interests of its own nation. But this international dictator thinks only of the interests of the American nation, and that too not all of the American nation, but the supporters of the ruling regime - that is, the cartels, trusts, big capitalists, and influential organizations in the government - and nothing else.

All global issues are resolved based on the interests of major companies and large organizations that are politically active in America. The issue of the Persian Gulf, the issue of Iraq, the issue of international waters, the issue of Central Asia, the issue of the Middle East, and all world issues are to be resolved based on their interests and by this dictator; not based on the interests of these nations themselves.

See what a great calamity this is for the world! A bully, relying on the powers at its disposal - whether scientific power, political power, financial power, technological advancement, and the like, which do not belong to that regime but belong to humanity - is thinking of securing its own interests and goals; even at the cost of other nations being reduced to ashes!

Take any issue in which America is involved, bring it forward and scrutinize it, you will see the same: political interference in countries, interference in coups, interference in the Middle East issue, interference in the oil issue, interference in global monopolies, interference in various transactions that other companies make with others. In all these cases, the presence of this regime is like the bullies and thugs and tough guys of the neighborhood! On an international level, this bully wants to resolve all these issues based on narrow-minded interests that align with the desires and goals of a specific group - that is, the American Zionist organizations, the major investors of America, the cartels, and the like. This is a very great calamity.

The governments of the world do not dare to breathe out of fear of this power. Not that they like it; no, they dislike it; but they do not dare to breathe. I once said that at the Non-Aligned Movement conference several years ago - during the presidency - I gave a speech that attracted the attention of many of these heads of countries - who were one hundred and one countries. They came to meet me and all thanked me. The president of one of the countries came to me and said: You should know that this group sitting here, all are afraid of America and only you are not afraid of America! Then he brought his head close and said: I am also afraid of America! What are they afraid of America for? Of America's espionage power, of the CIA, of America's coups. This same person was killed after two or three years by a coup that was most likely staged by America in his country! The heads of countries are afraid. Sometimes they also make a protest; but they do not proceed.

This was related to governments. And now let's turn to nations. Many individuals of nations are unaware; many who are aware - like their intellectuals - are bribed by American agents, or by the puppets of the American regime in their countries. In these Middle Eastern countries - which I do not want to name, but you most likely recognize which countries I mean - there are countries that are dependent on America. In these countries, there are intellectuals who understand the truth and want to say it, write it; sometimes something happens, but some of them are threatened, some are bought, some are silenced. They say something, but it is not allowed to spread. They have a conversation in intellectual circles and it disappears. The reason why political words create waves in our country is that political words are not in narrow intellectual circles; they are among the people and the people are interested in political issues and are present in the scene.

Before the revolution, I also had many connections with the intellectual circles of the country. They said many things; but in a gathering of five people, ten people, and sometimes in a meeting of fifty people; it was buried there and disappeared. But when the Imam said something; when a respected cleric said something, they might bring a great calamity upon that cleric, but because he was facing the people, it created waves. Therefore, the Pahlavi regime was not afraid of many of the intellectuals of that time at all and did not give any importance. They said let them say whatever they want; it had no effect. But if a cleric went on the pulpit in a meeting and said something, even if it was indirectly related to the policies of that regime, they would immediately arrest him, put pressure on him, imprison him, ban him from the pulpit! Because he was among the people, it created waves. In the world, it is like this that intellectuals who want to say something and say it, if they are not threatened and bribed and say it, it does not create waves.

Today, thanks to God, due to the reflection of your people's cry and the reflection of this revolution's cry in the world, great things have been done that the Americans are afraid of, otherwise, if you take away the Iranian nation, the great gatherings, the cry of the revered Imam, and what has been done during these eighteen years after the revolution until today from the world and eliminate it, you will see the absolute dictatorship of the United States of America as the greatest global arrogant power in the world - an unrivaled, uncontested government that even no one would say anything against it and would flatter it - has received the greatest blow.

Let me say here that our issue is the issue of the American regime; not the issue of the American nation. We have no problem with the American nation, no enmity either; they are like other nations. Of course, over these long years, the American regime has brainwashed that nation a lot with persistent propaganda. Many individuals of the American nation do not know what is happening in Iran and what the issue of Iran is; they have heard some things: reactionary, fundamentalism, anti-human rights! These have been told to them by the governments and their propagandists, and the people have believed them, otherwise, the American people are like other nations by themselves and we have no enmity with them. We have no enmity with any nation. What do we have to do with the people? Our issue is the issue of the American regime.

The geopolitical situation of Iran has naturally changed; but the political position of our country has not changed. The country of Iran is located in one of the most sensitive centers of the world. If you put the map of the world in front of you and take a look at it, you will see how sensitive this country is in terms of East-West connection. It is sensitive in terms of resources - especially in terms of the presence of the Soviet Union at that time it was sensitive - it is sensitive in terms of neighbors, it is sensitive in terms of this nation itself, which they know is an intelligent, wise, and talented nation. This sensitive collection, which was prominent in terms of geography, nature, history, culture, natural resources, and wealth, was once in America's grip. Hundreds of thousands of Americans were in this country - mainly in Tehran - in the most sensitive centers; they took huge salaries from the pocket of this nation, consumed them, and humiliated the nation. If you want to know how they humiliated, refer to the speech of the Imam on the thirteenth of Aban forty-three. The Imam explained there the issue of the humiliation of the Iranian nation by American elements - not by the American government - like the American sergeant in Iran. They took the benefits, dictated the policies through the rulers of this country in the region, and advanced many of their goals.

The Islamic Revolution came, suddenly took this away from them at once. This was a blow to America. Politics is such that political apparatuses immediately adapt themselves to reality. The American regime received the blow; but it thought of adapting itself to this reality. They said what should we do? The plan was to make those who come to power in this country under the title of revolution, who are officially revolutionary, but internally have the same connections and gradually the same submissiveness. At the beginning of the work, this was the case and it wanted to become more. If the strong and decisive presence of the Imam had not been there, it would have been the same. The incident of the thirteenth of Aban fifty-eight also dealt a strong blow; the Imam stood firm like a mountain. What they thought happened the opposite; that is, not only did the revolution not become Americanized, but the spirit of independence and separation from the increasing influence of America in the people was strengthened. This caused the American regime to constantly plot against the Iranian nation.

One of America's plots was to encourage Iraq to start the eight-year war. One of America's plots was to help Iraq in most of the war issues, which was even done with the presence of American officers at a stage of issues in Iraq. These gradually become clear. In the documents that are published, in the memoirs they write, these gradually come to light. One of America's betrayals was the economic blockade and pressure to overthrow the government in the years fifty-nine and sixty and those times. This issue has been repeated several times. One of America's hostilities with Iran has been that during all this time it has looked at where the Iranian nation and the Islamic Republic system wanted to make progress, it has wanted to prevent this issue in any way it could. Let me tell you here that by the grace of God and the favor that God Almighty has had for this country, most of the plots that America designed against this nation have been openly and in front of everyone's eyes met with failure.

The great advances of the Iranian nation have been in all fields, that if you want to compare today with the years fifty-nine, sixty, sixty-one, and sixty-two and generally the early years of the revolution, you will see that the progress of the country during the revolution is an astonishing and remarkable progress. All those who study this issue believe in it. Even I recently observed this in American newspapers recently. Although they are committed not to let a word of praise for Iran's progress exist, but in one of the American newspapers, they had pointed to Iran's progress and the Islamic Republic system in various sectors. They themselves admitted and were forced to. Of course, the writer of that article is not American; but it was published in American newspapers. All these advances have been made despite America's will. This means the failure and ineffectiveness of America's plot. This means the power and greatness of this nation's struggle.

Exactly the opposite of what I said we are facing the American regime, not the American nation, the American regime is facing the Iranian nation, not just the Iranian government; it is upset and angry with the nation. Its issue is not the issue of the Iranian government; it is not the issue of those who govern; it is the issue of the individuals of the nation. Why? The reason is clear. Because the culture of distancing from the domination of arrogance, anti-arrogance, the desire for independence, and having control over one's destiny has penetrated the hearts of these people. They are upset about this. They want a nation that stands there like a tame lamb, they also impose a regime on it, or dictate to it from beyond the borders; that nation also carries them out without any resistance and goes that way. They do not like an awake nation, an alert nation, a nation aware of political issues, a nation that if its officials also want to move contrary to this straight line, will protest; they do not like such a nation.

Several years ago during the life of the revered Imam, one of the ministers of the then President of America openly and explicitly said in front of reporters that we must uproot the Iranian nation! See how foolish this statement is. This statement was spread all over the world at that time. Their issue is the issue of the nation; not just the issue of the government. It is clear that the root of a forty, fifty million nation of that day could not be uprooted and all eliminated. Its meaning was to make the nation rootless, to take away from this nation those things that make them stand and resist.

America's policy as the manifestation of arrogance against the Islamic Republic system is a clear and obvious policy. Of course, they try not to make this very clear in propaganda methods; but for someone who looks, it is a clear policy. What is that? That is that the thing that has caused Iran with all its material and spiritual wealth to be taken from America, that thing should be uprooted from this nation. This is America's policy; you should know this. What is that? That is the desire of this nation for independence; that is the Islam that warns this nation against accepting oppression; that is the spirit of struggle in the individuals of this nation; that is the spirit of non-submission to force; that is the luminous laws of Islam. Wherever resistance is greater, they are more hostile to it. This is the main goal. Young people must think about this correctly and pay attention to it.

These things they say about human rights and the like, they themselves know that it is contrary to reality; they mention these as pressure. America has been doing this for years when it wants to be hostile to any government, one of its hostilities is this; that is, it declares against that government that it is anti-human rights and anti-democracy! They themselves know that it is not true; the world also knows this. This is not an important thing.

Their real demand from the Islamic Republic - which they have repeated many times - is that the Islamic Republic should retreat from its positions on the issue of Palestine; that is, recognize Israel; like the countries that have forgotten the issue of the Palestinian struggle! They say you should abandon this issue, accept America's presence in various parts of the world, accept America's presence in the issues of the Persian Gulf region, and most importantly, accept America's influence in the issues of the country of Iran! This is the real demand of the American regime. What they truly and seriously want is this issue that I said. They express this under the cover of other words and accusations and opposing propaganda and the like; but the truth of the matter is this.

They know that the Islamic Republic, by adhering to Islam, will never submit to these words. It does not make sense and it is not possible for someone to be a believer in Islam, to be committed to Islam, and yet submit to force and accept oppression; let alone the long-standing enemy of the Iranian nation - that is, America - which has inflicted so many blows on the Iranian nation. This is not right, they know this. From here, they are completely averse to the Islamic Republic system and are hostile to it and are in opposition and struggle with it; because they know that the Iranian nation and the Islamic Republic system are not willing to submit to their imposition.

Of course, they also organize their propaganda policies. They constantly indirectly advertise; they also have agents inside. These agents I am talking about are not necessarily those who have taken money from America's intelligence agency; some are unpaid servants! They also have people who promote these words that how can one be cut off from America? If we are cut off, we cannot live! If we establish our relationship, if at least we negotiate with America, all our problems will be solved! They also spread these words; words that are empty and devoid of truth.

Many of the countries to which Americans have committed the worst betrayals have been those who have had friendly relations with America itself! Americans do not consider anyone; they only consider their own interests. Relationship does not solve a problem. Negotiation with America, which sometimes some people used to say here and there that we should negotiate or establish a relationship - fortunately, no one says these words anymore - does not solve any problem of a nation that does not want to submit to America; unless the nation wants to submit to America, which is also impossible.

Their issue is the issue of the resistance of the Iranian nation and government against their demands and ambitions. The remedy for this greed and dictatorial behavior and the excessive demands of any government is resistance and standing against it. For us, America has no particularity either. I said, our issue is the issue of arrogance; however, the American government is an arrogant government. Any other government that has the same characteristic, wants to impose and wants to pressure, the Iranian nation will be the same with it. Everyone should know that the Iranian nation does not submit to pressure and does not accept force. The experience of putting pressure on the Iranian nation is not a successful experience; everyone should understand this. The remedy against this pressure is resistance and spiritual strength and courage in confrontation and hard work. This is the remedy; as the Iranian nation has acted so far and, thanks be to God, has also progressed.

The nations that have submitted to America are in far worse condition than those who have not submitted as much. Whoever has submitted more, their condition is worse. Today, you look at the countries in the region - those who are more submissive to America's force and power - their condition is worse than others; their economy is worse, their social situation is more backward, their cultural situation is more degraded, the pressure among them is greater. The only remedy for the nations of the world is to learn from the Iranian nation and stand against America's bullying and power-seeking and dictatorial behavior. The Iranian nation has also come this way so far and has come with power and well; thanks be to God, it has also been successful.

Today, we see many paths open in front of our government and nation. The Iranian nation and government must traverse these paths with dignity, with power, with deliberation and thoughtfulness and wisdom; which they do. The foundations of our nation's movement are, thanks be to God, wise foundations. The movement of the nation is a correct movement. Today, the government and nation are striving and working to build the country.

The thirteenth of Aban has been designated as the day of struggle against global arrogance; but my dear ones! You should know that for the Iranian nation, every day is a day of struggle against global arrogance, and everywhere is a trench of struggle against global arrogance. The classroom is also a trench, the workshop is also a trench, the farm is also a trench. Governmental and scientific and research work is also a trench. Anyone who does anything for the progress of this country is making a fundamental movement for the independence of this country, which is a punch in the mouth of America and all the bullies of the world. God has promised help to those who move in His way, and so far, thanks be to God, He has also fulfilled this promise, which we have all observed and seen; it will also be in the future.

We hope, God willing, that the efforts and endeavors of the Iranian nation and government will be subject to the favors of the Truth and the attentions of His Holiness the Remaining Proof of God, and in this path and straight and firm path, God willing, we will progress more and more.

Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings