Statements in Meeting with Armed Forces of Northern Region and Their Families in Nowshahr

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

In gathering with you dear brothers and sisters, a readiness for great tasks arises in every living human being. The assembly of our dear youth, the staff, the hardworking members of the armed forces, and their spouses and children is a selected sample of the Iranian nation, in whose feelings, hearts, and thoughts, lofty ideals surge. I am pleased that tonight the Almighty God granted me the opportunity to be present among you, and I pray to the Almighty God for His mercy, blessings, and well-being for all of you.

The program that our dear youth, the students of this university, executed was a good one; the hopeful verses of the Holy Quran emphasized that every hardship has with it a relief and comfort. This is a profound thought that is effective for all societies, which I will briefly explain in this context.

Now, the main point, on the occasion that you, dear ones, are among those lined up at the forefront of a social movement of the Iranian nation; families in one way, individuals in another. The main point is that our country, our nation, by the blessing of the Islamic awakening, which reached this awakening before other nations, is moving on a proud and promising path. Anyone who denies this has denied the obvious.

We were a nation that, despite our good potential, our historical background that brings pride, and our abundant natural resources, was among the underdeveloped and ineffective nations in global developments, and was itself affected by the will of the interfering international powers. Our armed forces, our knowledge, our social issues, our politicians, our ruling body were in a regrettable state under the influence of the interventions of the enemies of this nation and the haters of its ideals for many years. Of course, there were sparks throughout history, especially in recent times, flames would ignite, but the atmosphere was so heavy that these sparks could not illuminate the path for the people. Until the Islamic Revolution came into being, until the Islamic struggles began. The period of struggles was a difficult one; the hope that these struggles would lead to victory was zero for some, slightly above zero for others; there was not much hope. Our great Imam, with his God-given exceptional personality for our time, was able to continue this path. With his warm breath, with his wisdom, with his sincerity and piety, with his faith in God, this path continued. Hundreds of times, those who were on that path would become doubtful, would waver, but when the warm breath of that Godly man reached them, everything would bloom anew. God helped him; there was a prepared ground in his existence, in his personality, and the Almighty God rewarded him, inspired him, guided him, took his hand, and helped him until he reached the point of the Islamic Revolution, and with the disbelief of the entire world, this revolution triumphed.

And I must tell you, today in several countries of the Islamic world, the Islamic awakening is showing itself, and it is a very blessed thing, and we welcomed it from the beginning; however, there are many differences. In our revolution, in the general movement of our nation, throughout this great country, there was perhaps no village, no small town that did not have a branch of this sacred flame that did not dazzle the eyes. Everywhere, throughout the country, there was one slogan, one demand, one determination that dominated all hearts and minds. The people, in the true sense of the word, lifted this heavy burden with their bodies, with their souls, with their hearts. In the streets, the people presented themselves against the tyrant with their bodies; such a thing had no precedent in the world.

One of the well-known leaders of the world, whom I do not want to name, came to Iran. I explained to him how the Islamic Revolution triumphed; it was neither a military coup, nor did young officers, as was common in the world, come to the field to overthrow the tyrannical regime, nor could political parties do anything, nor did the elites play a significant role; the role belonged to the masses, and that too without weapons. Today, look at some of these countries, the masses have weapons in their hands to advance their affairs; the Iranian nation had no weapons. With empty hands, with their bodies, they came to the field. They took their hearts, their souls, their blood in their hands and came to the field. Well, this cannot happen without faith; this is impossible without a deep faith. This deep faith spread among the people, they came to the field, and blood triumphed over the sword, and this is the nature of everywhere; it is always the same. Wherever nations are willing to sacrifice, to take their lives in their hands, and come forth, no power has the strength to resist them. Blood always triumphs over the sword when nations come to the field. When I explained the victory of the Islamic Revolution to that African leader, it was very interesting to him, it was very new. He left, and shortly after, I saw a similar popular movement arise in his own country; I felt it was inspired by the behavior of our great Imam, the behavior of the Iranian nation, and he also triumphed. He was able to overcome one of the great oppressive powers of the world and saved his country.

This was the situation of the Iranian nation; everyone came to the field. For this reason, from the very first day, the officials of the country did not feel that they had to accept many demands and expectations from the great powers. Do not think that what is happening now in some country that has just revolted, the Americans are pressuring, the Westerners are pressuring, forcing their officials to take certain positions, this was not the case in Iran; why, it was here too. The same pressures existed here, but no one paid attention to these pressures; there was no need. The officials of the country relied on the will of the people, on the faith of the people, they were assured that this field was full of determined and aware individuals. This was the case; there was no need. Until today, it is still the same. Today, the Islamic Republic system, with the help and power of God, does not see itself compelled to accept the words of any superpower or the demands of any domineering and interfering power. Whatever is in its interest, it accepts and acts upon; whatever is not in its interest, it sets aside, even if all the powers of the world become angry, become furious; this is politics. This is due to reliance on the faith of the people.

From the very first day of the revolution until today, the ideals of the revolution have become clearer for all our people. Back then, we said Islamic Republic, we said Islamic progress; gradually over the years, these terms have clarified their meanings for us. We know what the Islamic Republic means. We know what Islamic democracy, the reliance of the system on the votes of the people, the choices of the people, and the desires of the people mean. We know what we said about "independence, freedom, Islamic Republic" means. Back then, these terms were presented in a vague manner as ideals for us; with the passage of time, our people, our elites, our politicians, our youth have become aware of the various dimensions of independence. We know what independence is, what its dangers are, what its advantages are, what the path to achieving it is, and how to overcome its dangers; we have progressed. This is the most important progress. Progress has a clear sign; progress is evident in the rooting and strengthening of the Islamic Republic system. A healthy and lasting tree, if it has lived for fifty years, when you refer to its roots and trunk and test it, it has not become rotten. Some trees are lively, vigorous, and fresh; they do not live more than ten, twenty, or thirty years, then they become rotten. When they become rotten, there is no need for anyone to make an effort to bring them down; a strong wind will come, and they will fall, break at the waist; but a tree that has the potential to endure, that has this power and capacity to remain, you see that two centuries, three centuries have passed since the life of this tree, its greenery is more than the first day it sprouted, not less, its vitality in spring influences other trees as well. "It brings forth its fruit at all times by the permission of its Lord." One of the signs of the progress of a system is that as time passes, its roots become more solid, its branches and leaves spread wider, and its trunk gains more strength. Today, the body of the Islamic Republic system is more solid than in 1979, 1980, and 1981, and those early years. Back then, our enemies had a greater probability of being able to overthrow the system. Today, their hopes have weakened significantly, and in many cases, these hopes have turned into despair. This indicates the strength of the system.

Well, this is another discussion: where does this strength come from? What is it due to? This increasing strength, this continuous rooting, what is it due to? Is it due to deep faith? Is it due to deep knowledge? Is it due to the penetration of faith in hearts? Is it due to the purity of slogans? Is it due to the warm breath of that great founder, the great Imam? What is it due to? These are, of course, important discussions that our youth, our scholars in the seminary and university have discussed, are discussing, and must continue to discuss; I do not want to delve into these discussions. What exists is this movement, this forward progress. This progress has been achieved. This is the essence of the matter. Then, when you enter the branches, you still see signs of progress. For example, we have made progress in our science, we have made progress in technology arising from science. I visited this Marine Sciences University twenty, twenty-four, twenty-five years ago. Of course, since then, I have visited it many times. I saw the state of this university back then, and I see its state today; they are not comparable. The growth of motivations that leads to the growth of scientific movement is a remarkable phenomenon that truly brings deep satisfaction; it astonishes an aware person. Of course, it is the same everywhere; it is the same in the universities of the country, in the research institutes of the country, in scientific centers that did not exist and have been created, it is the same; the hopes of our scientists are the same. The scientists of our past generations, whose existence is very respected by us, and we appreciate and respect anyone who has made efforts in the path of knowledge, because they belonged to a different era, did not believe in the scientific advancements of the younger generation! I have perhaps mentioned this once or twice before. When these advancements were achieved, several of our distinguished scientists, whom I knew, both scientifically distinguished and sincere individuals, wrote to me, saying, "Do not believe it, do not believe it! What they say cannot be true, has not happened!" They did not believe in the nuclear advancements or those related to stem cells, which were among the pioneers of this new scientific movement of recent years. They did not believe it, but it had happened and existed. The passage of time has shown more that yes, these advancements have occurred. This means that the scientific movement is one that was not believable for our past generation, which I said, both their knowledge and their goodwill and sincere intentions are known to us. And today, I tell you that our youth are doing things in the fields of science and scientific advancements and discoveries and scientific constructions that may still not be believable for some of our intermediate generations, although now gradually everyone has come to believe in these advancements.

Global centers announce that Iran's scientific growth is sometimes eleven times, sometimes thirteen times ahead in various statistics compared to the average scientific growth of the world! Of course, this does not mean that we are scientifically ahead of all centers in the world; no, we have a lot of backwardness, but our growth is rapid. If we continue this growth at this speed, yes, it is possible that in the coming years, ten years from now, fifteen years from now, we will be ranked among the top in the world in all areas of knowledge and technology, but right now, not yet; we are still in the middle of the road, we are moving forward. This is the scientific aspect.

The same situation exists in political fields, the same situation exists in international presence, the same situation exists in social institutions, and in various sectors, we have various advancements at different levels, some of which are more prominent and visible, while others are less so. The country is progressing. Well, this progress must continue. My point is:

Everyone who is involved in building a new Iran under the banner of Islam, this country is moving and getting closer to its ideals, has a share; their existence is valuable. The more effective their share is, or the more it is accompanied by greater dangers, or if they are among the pioneers of the caravan, their share of these honors and pride is greater than others. We must never tire. You have heard the verse of the Quran: "So when you have finished, strive." When you have completed your work, meaning when your task is done, then stand up straight, meaning start the next task; there is no pause. "So when you have finished, strive. And to your Lord direct your longing"; with every good movement towards the accepted and declared ideals of Islam, this is a longing towards God. Of course, spirituality, a heartfelt connection with God, plays a fundamental role. Everyone must know this.

Now we come to families. The dear families of our warriors, whether the warriors of the army, the IRGC, the Basij, the police, or the staff of the Ministry of Defense - those whom the honorable commander mentioned - and their spouses should know who they are helping, who their life partner is. Your life partner is among those who have significant roles in this lofty and magnificent construction; the armed forces are like this. In the words of Amir al-Mu'minin: "The fortresses of the subjects"; they are the fortifications of the nation, the spiritual fortifications of the country. The existence of independent, aware, innovative, brave, and self-sacrificing armed forces, without firing a single bullet, is a source of security for a country; they keep the enemies in their place. The armed forces have such importance. You are the spouses of these individuals. Yes, the honorable commander quoted me - I have perhaps said this ten times or more - that you men, whatever virtue you can achieve in the field of public and great struggles, half of it belongs to this woman who is your life partner, who lives with you. If the spouse of someone who enters the field - enters the field of struggle and work - does not accompany him - or complains or makes life difficult for him or does not support him - he cannot work. If you can work well, it is due to the blessings of this good and kind spouse. This must be recognized by the spouses themselves. You must appreciate the partnership of the man who is striving, and half of his reward belongs to you. The man who has a role in the lofty construction of the Islamic Republic and the new Islamic system - which, God willing, will pave the way for a new Islamic civilization - you must appreciate this man who is your spouse, and recognize him with this identity before you. The children must feel the same way. The children of the armed forces staff should take pride, should be proud of their fathers.

Here, I must express my respect and greetings to the honorable families of the martyrs and send blessings upon their pure souls; martyrs who brought all their existence, their being, meaning their main capital, to the path of God, exposed to being spent in the way of God, and the Almighty God accepted them. Many went to be spent, but were not accepted, for various reasons; some were not deemed worthy by the Almighty God, and some were kept by the Almighty God for other responsibilities and necessary tasks. Now, those who were worthy and went, their value is very high, very. Martyrs are truly radiant lights that illuminate society, the future, and history. Their families also endured; they endured the struggles of their loved ones, they endured their going towards the fields of danger. It is easy to say: a woman who sees her husband going towards a field that is dangerous, and she endures, her work is very valuable; the work of this woman is also very valuable; and then when he reaches martyrdom, she also endures this martyrdom, she bears it. And I must say, if the endurance of the families of the martyrs had not been there, the phenomenon of martyrdom would not have faced such blossoming and vitality in our society and would not have been perceived as such. It is the families of the martyrs who have this great blessing over our society that martyrdom is so sweet in our eyes. In any case, our respect, greetings, and reverence are dedicated to them. Both their children and the children of you staff should take pride, should be proud that their fathers are moving in this path.

And I also want to say that the horizon is bright. Of course, we do not expect that from the mercenary television of some arrogant government, they will come and express these truths for you and me; no, they show the atmosphere as dark. They know that one of the ways to stop this nation is to take hope away from them. Therefore, they constantly depict darkness, constantly depict blackness. The triangle of evil and corruption, you have already named it. Now we did not say it, but you said it; America and the Zionists and the wicked Britain, and indeed they are like this. The propaganda apparatus of these powers is working day and night to influence the minds of the Iranian nation and, as I said some time ago, to change the calculations of the people and the calculations of the elites, and thankfully, no matter how much they try, it is futile; the future is a bright future; the horizon is a good horizon, but this does not mean that we should place a soft pillow under our heads and fall asleep; no, we must work, we must strive. Striving does not recognize time, does not recognize duration and deadlines, does not recognize retirement. Throughout all periods of human life, the possibility of striving exists; we must find this possibility and resolve ourselves to strive, and move forward with determination. "Strengthen my limbs for Your service, and make firm my resolve"; in the supplication of Kumayl, Amir al-Mu'minin teaches us to say, "O Lord! Strengthen our limbs, our bodies, for the necessary services, and make our resolve firm." Following this: "And grant me diligence in Your fear"; we must be seriously aware of God, consider Him present and observing, and this feeling must be a serious feeling; it should not be mere lip service. "And continuity in connection with Your service"; let us not break our service into pieces; let us proceed with this line of service continuously. God willing, our youth, including the youth of this university and other youth, dear Basijis, faithful and self-sacrificing youth, students of various fields, both boys and girls, in various student sectors, dear young clerics, youth in different strata, with their movements, with their work, with their efforts, will give us older ones energy and vitality and will teach us how to move forward.

O Lord! Bestow Your blessings and mercy upon this gathering; bestow Your blessings and mercy upon the Iranian nation. Grant victory to the Muslim nations in every corner of the world over their enemies. Bestow the well-being of religion and the world upon all of us by Your grace. Make the sacred heart of the Awaited One pleased and satisfied with us; include us in the prayers of that great one. Unite the pure soul of Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified) and the dear martyrs with their saints.

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