Statements in Meeting with Basij Forces

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

Thanks be to God, the Lord of the worlds, and peace and blessings be upon our master and prophet, Abu al-Qasim al-Mustafa Muhammad, and upon his pure and chosen progeny, especially the Awaited One of God on earth.

Welcome, dear youth, dear Basij forces, the light of the eyes of the Iranian nation and the hopes of the future; God willing, the Basij Week will be blessed for you, for us, and for the entire nation. I thank the esteemed statements of the commander of the IRGC and the respected head of the Basij Organization for their good remarks. I believe that the analysis provided by Mr. Salami, the esteemed commander of the IRGC, should be documented and made available to the youth; it was very good, a very good statement.

My speech today is primarily about the Basij, but before I delve into that, I must express my deep respect and admiration for the great Iranian nation on the occasion of this magnificent movement they have undertaken in recent days. Truly, the Iranian nation has once again proven that they are powerful and magnificent. I insist that all segments of the nation pay attention to their own power and greatness. There was a deep, extensive, and very dangerous conspiracy that had been funded heavily—how much money had been spent—how much effort had been made to carry out this destructive, incendiary, murderous, and wicked movement at a critical moment, thinking that now they had found an opportunity due to the gasoline issue, and they brought their forces into the field. However, this movement was destroyed by the people. Yes, the police, the Basij, the IRGC, and others entered the field during those few days and performed their duties in a tough confrontation, but what the nation did in that one week was far greater and much more important than any field movement; this movement that started from Zanjan and Tabriz, then spread to all the cities of the country, and I even heard it reached some villages, culminated in this magnificent movement in Tehran the day before yesterday.

The enemy—the main enemy, not these despicable and insignificant individuals—namely, global arrogance, global Zionism, those who sit behind their political monitors and are watching the world, understand what this movement means; they are receiving a blow, they are forced to retreat in the face of the great movement of the Iranian nation. We thank God, we are grateful to God, and we are thankful to the Iranian nation; and my gratitude is of no value, it has no worth; the Almighty God, God willing, will be grateful for this great popular movement and will continue to be.

Now, regarding the Basij; firstly, the Basij of the oppressed in the Islamic Republic has no parallel in the world; when it was established, there was nothing similar in the world; nothing about the Basij is imported or borrowed from anywhere in the world; absolutely not. It was a movement completely and entirely based on the thoughts of the revolution and Islamic thought that the Almighty God placed in the blessed heart of Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified), and this phenomenon came into existence. It can be said that the Basij is the largest cultural, social, and military network in the entire world; I do not know of any other place in the world that has such a vast, populous, and extensive popular network; this is unique to the Basij of the oppressed in our country; this is the largest network. How did Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified) create this unparalleled phenomenon? You did not see the Imam, but we lived with him for years; the art of Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified) was to bring this unparalleled phenomenon from the alleys and backstreets of the cities of the country into existence and to shape this phenomenon; this beautiful and tangible truth emerged from the people; it sprang from the hearts of the people, from among the homes of the people; this was the work of the Imam.

The formation of the Basij is a complete and total example of turning threats into opportunities. Pay close attention; on the 13th of Aban 58, the incident of the U.S. embassy took place; the Americans were humiliated in this incident, and they began to threaten and react; they threatened verbally and their ships poured into the Persian Gulf; this was a practical threat. Well, a nation like the Iranian nation at that time, which had no military force, no significant defensive capabilities, no missiles, and whose planes were not functioning properly, suddenly faced the full force of America threatening them; this is a threat, right? Not even a month had passed since the incident of the 13th of Aban when on the 5th of Azar 58, the Imam ordered the formation of the Basij; this means that this great movement, this massive presence, this grand display of power in the face of the American threat came into existence less than a month after the incident of the 13th of Aban; this means that in reality, the Basij turned the threat into an opportunity; this is the truth of the Basij. If anyone was afraid of that threat, for example, if the Imam had hesitated or thought that the enemy could deliver a blow, and this great movement of creating the Basij had not taken place, it is unclear where the fate of the country would have ended up; the existence of the Basij caused that threat to turn into this great opportunity. Therefore, the main logic of the Basij is this: to eliminate threats and turn threats into opportunities. We have many threats, each of these threats must be creatively transformed into an opportunity by the Basij; the more threats there are, the more opportunities arise; therefore, threats are no longer threats for us, but rather, by the blessing of the Basij, threats create opportunities for us.

Now, there is a fundamental point here, and that is that the system of domination—which is a term we have introduced into the political lexicon; the system of domination means the system of tyrants, a system whose rulers are tyrants who divide the world into two parts; one part is the dominators, and the other part is the dominated, and there is no third option, no independence exists; this is the system of domination—is fundamentally against freedom and justice; it is against freedom and it is against justice. It is against justice, as you can see: in the wealthy countries of the system of domination, such as America and some European countries, which are wealthy countries, people die of hunger on the streets; in the summer, the homeless die of heat on the streets, and in the winter, they die of cold on the streets; a large portion of the wealth of these countries belongs to a very limited group; the rest must struggle to find a meager living and survive; some who are unable, as we said, must sit on the streets and live; thus, it is against justice. This is true for their own countries; regarding the people of the world, they commit injustices without hesitation.

It is also against freedom; the most important type of freedom for nations is the public freedom of the country; that is, independence. At another time, I said that independence means the freedom of a nation; when we talk about independence, we mean the freedom of a nation to be able to do its own work freely. The system of domination is against this freedom; one day through colonialism, another day through neo-colonialism, another day through today’s methods—which are methods of soft warfare—they are oppressing nations; of course, whenever necessary, they enter with military force and show no shame. Today, the Americans enter the eastern Euphrates region in Syria and openly say that they have come for the oil! Is this your home? It is another country, but they say there is oil here, we have come for the oil; they are not ashamed to state this explicitly. Or they rise without permission and enter a country like Iraq, not approaching the government of that country, nor the capital of that country, but rather going into their own bases! They openly insult the freedom and independence of nations. Thus, the system of domination is both against justice and against freedom.

Islam is the banner of justice and freedom; Islam is the banner of justice, the banner of freedom, and it is a banner that is straightforward and unambiguous. Islam does not hide its words; it confronts oppression and injustice directly. In the early days of the revolution, when the Americans were engaged with the revolution and there were sanctions and problems, at that time the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan; the Imam announced on that day to the Soviets, and as far as I remember, summoned the Soviet ambassador and told him on behalf of the Imam, why have you invaded Afghanistan; at that time, anyone in the world would say, “Well, you are facing America, don’t confront this now”; the Imam did not accept this at all. I was the president, and in some international forums we attended, at that time it was America and the Soviet Union facing each other, and we condemned both of them; both America and the Soviet Union, without hesitation; this is how Islam is, this is how pure Islam is. Those who talk about Islam and are willing to submit to the global arrogance of the capitalist world or the socialist world—which was once a reality—are distanced from Islam. Islam is straightforward against the system of domination; it is a supporter of justice and freedom.

Therefore, there is a confrontation and conflict that exists; now, military confrontation is not preferable for various reasons; however, various types of other confrontations exist. Confrontation in any area is inevitable according to the necessary circumstances; however, it is important that wherever Islam is present, in any form, the system of domination opposes it for the reasons I mentioned; however, when Islam manifests itself in the form of a political system, in the form of a government, a power that has a nation, a government, an army, armed forces, and scientific capabilities, a university, when it emerges like the Islamic Republic, their enmity increases a hundredfold. It is not that the enmity of the system of domination with a certain Islamic party in a certain country is comparable to its enmity with the Islamic Republic; the Islamic Republic is an established, solid political system, with breadth and depth, with all the necessary apparatus, with the power of expression, with the power of influence, with the power of presence and influence in all parts of the world, managing a population of over eighty million; thus, their enmity with this system is extraordinarily intense; this is a reality that if someone does not pay attention to, they will make mistakes in their political approach. The system of domination is determined to confront the Islamic system with all its existence, with all its malice, with all its power; this is their decision. I have repeatedly said, whatever America and the system of domination allied with America could do against Iran, the Iranian nation, and the Islamic Republic, they have done; whatever they have not done, it is because they could not; there are reasons for that, and because of those reasons, they could not do it; they have done everything possible in enmity. And the result is that you see; this great tree, this pure tree, the tree of Tuba, is gaining strength day by day; this solid foundation is showing itself to the enemy stronger than before. This is where the term resistance finds its meaning; when we say “the forces of resistance, the resistance movement, the front of resistance,” it means this; it means a reality called Islam has emerged in contemporary times that firmly grips the system of domination and acts for freedom and justice; this has come into existence; they want to use all their power to push this back; this is where “فَلِذّْلِکَ فَ‌ـادعُ وَاستَقِم” (therefore, invite and stand firm) becomes relevant; both invitation and steadfastness are necessary; resistance means this.

What is the name of our country’s Basij, your collective? “The Resistance Force of the Oppressed Basij.” Who are the oppressed? They misinterpret the oppressed; they define the oppressed as the underprivileged or, recently—in recent years—it has become common to refer to them as vulnerable groups; no, the Quran does not define the oppressed this way; the Quran says: وَنُریدُ اَن نَمُنَّ عَلَی الَّذینَ استُضعِفوا فِی الاَرضِ وَنَجعَلَهُم اَئِمَّةً وَ نَجـعَلَهُمُ الورِثین (and We wish to bestow Our grace upon those who have been oppressed in the land and make them leaders and make them inheritors); the oppressed are the potential leaders of humanity; this is the meaning of the oppressed: those who will be the inheritors of the earth and all that exists on it; this is the Basij of the oppressed. The oppressed are those who are potentially the heirs of the world, potentially the vicegerents of God on earth, potentially the leaders of humanity.

Now, therefore, resistance is to take place. For resistance, spiritual strength is necessary; this is what I emphasize and insist upon. If you want to resist, you must have strength; spiritual strength is more important than material and military strength. Military strength is the artillery, tanks, missiles, and such capabilities; spiritual strength consists of truths within you, in your hearts, that affect the essence of your movement. My emphasis is on the youth; you see that I am generally attached to the youth and hopeful for them for the future; however, which youth can be the driving force of the great movement of the country towards a new Islamic civilization? What kind of youth is it? This is where spiritual strength becomes relevant; a youth who is motivated, who has faith, who is wise, who appreciates their own abilities, who is hardworking, who is innovative, who relies on God, who has self-confidence. This is the exact opposite of what the enemy wants for our youth; the enemy wants our country’s youth to be unmotivated, faithless, hopeless, enslaved by desires, lazy, unproductive, complaining, not working, addicted, and fragile; this is how they want our youth. The goal of the actions they are taking against our youth is precisely these; it is the exact opposite of what we need.

Well, the Basij is the first type of youth. All our hope is in this, and it must be this way; that is, motivated, faithful, relying on God, having self-confidence, hardworking, innovative, and appreciating their youth and the blessing of their existence. If we have such a collective, which, thanks be to God, we do, and this is the Basij collective that is widespread across the country—now I will later mention a few examples of the extensive activities of the Basij so that the people know; you yourselves know—such a vast and magnificent collective will naturally be the target of greater enmity from the enemies of humanity and the enemies of justice and freedom. The Basij is more than any other collective in the country or among the first collectives in the country in terms of the enmity of the system of domination and the front of arrogance against it. Not only in Iran, but wherever you find similar examples of the Basij, it is the same; for instance, in Iraq, they are just as hostile to Hashd al-Shaabi, and in Lebanon, they are just as hostile to Hezbollah; these are popular, youthful, motivated, and God-fearing examples. Of course, in our country, the enmity of the arrogant powers is not only against the Basij; we said they are more hostile to the Basij, but they are hostile to the entire nation; what is the reason for their enmity with the entire nation? The recent marches clarify the reason; because our nation is like this: as soon as they feel the enemy has entered the field and is active, they come into the field with their own bodies. This past week was truly the peak of the glory and greatness of the Iranian nation; this causes them to become hostile; they become enemies. Anyone who ties their heart and tail to them feels the same way about the Iranian nation.

However, it is certain that this enmity will have no effect; that is, victory is guaranteed; I want to convey this to you. The victory of the Iranian nation, the victory of the Basij, and the victory of this great revolutionary movement in Iran is guaranteed. The Almighty God says in the Quran: اِن یَنصُرکُمُ اللهُ فَلا غالِبَ لَکُم (if God helps you, no one can overcome you); well, how does God help? اِن تَنصُرُوا اللهَ یَنصُرکُم (if you help God, He will help you); if you support the religion of God, the divine orientation, the divine logic, the path of God, God will also support and help you; this is what exists today. This great revolutionary movement in the country is pursuing divine goals, seeking to establish an Islamic society, and striving for the realization of divine law in the country; thus, it is the work of God, it is the path of God, it is the support of God; when God’s support is present, the Almighty God will also support, and when the Almighty God supports, فَلا غالِبَ لَکُم (no one will overcome you).

Of course, the Basij has two manifestations; this must be noted. One manifestation is the manifestation of struggle in the realm of hard defense; that is what you are trained for. During the eight years of sacred defense, the miracle of the presence of the Basij was demonstrated; the morale of our military forces was boosted by the presence of the Basijis in the battlefield, and after that, in various incidents in the country, whenever something happened, the Basij was present in the field of hard defense and military defense. And likewise, in the realm of soft defense, the soft war is the same. In the realm of soft war, that is, in the fields of science, service, construction, religious propaganda, and cultural activities, the Basij must also be present and must strive and move forward.

In the Basij, all these figures exist: from Hossein Fahmideh and Behnam Mohammadi and Mohsen Hojaji and Ebrahim Hadi to the nuclear martyrs; see these figures! What is the distance between them in terms of social status and position? However, in the Basij, they are all together. The nuclear martyrs are also Basijis; the elements we mentioned are also Basijis; Hemmat and Bakri and Zeyn al-Din and Hossein Khorramzadeh were IRGC members but were Basijis; Seyyad was an army member but was Basiji; Babayi was an army member but was Basiji; the movement was Basiji; the direction was Basiji; the character was Basiji; from Chamran and Avini and Kazemi and others, they are all Basijis. Kazemi-Ashtiani, who brought us stem cells, is as much a Basiji as Hossein Khorramzadeh and Hossein Fahmideh; they are all Basijis; this is the Basij. This vast expanse, this wide arena, is all [aspects of] the Basij and hundreds of other renowned figures.

My dear ones! I want to say these are role models. Youth everywhere in the world need role models; these are the role models for the youth; revive these role models, keep them in front of your eyes. Of course, books are being written, biographies are being written; this is not enough; these must be kept in front of your eyes as role models through various methods that are common in the world; these are the best role models. You can find the best role models in the Basij. Recreate these; figures like these must emerge and manifest in the Basij every day; the Imam said the Basij is a pure tree; a pure tree will bear its fruit at all times by the permission of its Lord.

Now, I will also offer a few recommendations; since forty years have passed since the establishment of the Basij, it is time to utilize experiences; it is necessary to pay attention to the experiences of these forty years and make use of them. I have now written a few recommendations. Friends, thanks be to God, are attentive; the esteemed officials of the IRGC and the Basij are attentive to the tasks that need to be accomplished; now our recommendations are as follows:

The first recommendation; be prepared in all areas—[that is] in the areas we mentioned; in the field of hard defense, in the semi-hard field, in the soft field—be ready for action. The Basij should have strategies and tactics ready in all neighborhoods of the country; be prepared with tactics and strategies for various incidents; both in hard and semi-hard defense and in various other fields. Do not be caught off guard; try not to be caught off guard in any situation. The experience of the committees in 60 is a good experience; use that experience. The Islamic Revolutionary Committees in 60 were present in various neighborhoods, everywhere; they were always present; whenever an incident occurred in that area, the first eyes would fall on the brothers of the committee. Of course, they were inexperienced; they did not have the awareness and capabilities you have today, but they had a permanent presence; this permanent presence is very important.

The next recommendation; in the soft war, never act reactively. Of course, the enemy’s response must be given, but better than acting reactively is to act proactively and innovatively. Always stay one step ahead of your enemy; anticipate what the enemy wants to do, what movement they want to make, and carry out a neutralizing and preventive action before them; like a skilled chess player who anticipates what the opponent will do and before they make the move, does something that locks them in, preventing them from making that move; always move ahead of them.

Do not let your connections with the mosque weaken. The Basij is born from the mosques; they were dispatched from the mosques [to the front], the pure bodies of the martyrs returned to the mosques, and they were often briefed in the mosques; do not separate from the mosques. Of course, behave with Islamic ethics in the mosque; presence in the mosque should not lead to division, conflict, and such things.

Cooperate with groups that move towards the goals of the Basij but are not part of the resistance forces; synergize with them. Across the country, there are groups present, in universities, outside universities, in various places whose movements align with the goals of the Basij of the oppressed, but they are not part of the Basij resistance forces; cooperate with them, synergize, and accompany them.

Make the services of the Basij known to the public. The Basij has numerous and significant services, but many people do not know; most do not know. The Basij has performed a great service in a certain area; well, the people of that area know, but others do not. A few statistics were written for me, sent to me—of course, the Basij did not provide these statistics, I am receiving them from outside—that are interesting: eleven thousand geographical-oriented jihadist groups managing forty thousand service projects, half of which have been delivered. Look at these significant figures; eleven thousand jihadist groups providing service and all these service actions that have been carried out! The student Basij recently started a movement of issue-oriented and specialized engagement with 4,500 students; this is something we always recommend to students; it is a great work, an important task, this is among our constant recommendations; the student Basij has started and is taking action. In various neighborhoods, twelve thousand benevolent loan funds have been established; I suspect there are more than this; now what has been told to me is twelve thousand [funds], but I think there are more than twelve thousand benevolent loan funds created. The Basij of nomads and the Basij of women achieved the top rank in the Malik al-Ashtar festival; these are all sources of pride. The Basij professors of the university published a letter a few months ago, on the fortieth anniversary of the revolution, with nine hundred signatures in response to a statement by some hopeless and, in a sense, disintegrated individuals; they wrote something, nine hundred university professors entered the field and published a detailed, substantiated, and excellent letter; these are the same timely and timely presence in the field. The Basij of ministries set up service tables at Friday prayers, getting closer to the people and responding to them. The Basij of agriculture, with thirty thousand agricultural engineers—note these figures—took on the production of five essential products: wheat, barley, corn, and several other essential items. Now, these were some examples we mentioned; these must be presented artistically by the esteemed officials of the Basij to the public so that our dear people know that the Basij not only maintains their security against the wicked, against those whose mission is to destroy, burn, and ruin public and private property and the homes of the people, but also comes to the field alongside the police and various responsible agencies and performs these great services; these are very important matters that our dear people must certainly know.

Well, another recommendation is that the Basij, despite its vastness, must be agile; do not let the organization of the Basij become trapped in the usual administrative shackles that many administrative tasks and obligations ground human collectives; do not let the Basij become immobilized.

The last point is that you must know that the Basij is severely exposed to the enemy's plots and infiltration; do not forget this. For the same reasons we mentioned regarding the importance of the Basij, the enemy makes every effort and uses all its power to conspire against the Basij and infiltrate it to create problems from within; and of course, this is a great movement, a struggle, and a confrontation; know that, with the help and power of God, you will be victorious over all.

May God's mercy be upon Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified) who planted this pure tree, this blessed sapling; may God's mercy be upon the dear martyrs of this path, upon the managers who have worked for the Basij over the years, and upon all Basijis. May God, God willing, grant you all success and bless the Basij Week and the Day of Basij for all of you.

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