Full Text of Friday Prayer Sermons in Tehran + Translation of Arabic Sermon

Sermon One

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful Praise be to God, Lord of the worlds. I praise Him, I thank Him, I seek His help, I ask for His forgiveness, I put my trust in Him, and I send blessings and peace upon His beloved, His chosen one, and the best of His creation, the keeper of His secrets and the deliverer of His messages, the herald of His mercy and the warning of His wrath, our master and prophet and the beloved of our hearts, Abu al-Qasim al-Mustafa Muhammad, and upon his pure and virtuous family and his chosen companions, and those who follow them with goodness until the Day of Judgment. And send blessings upon the leaders of the Muslims, the protectors of the oppressed, and the guides of the believers, and send blessings upon the remainder of God on the earth.

I advise you, O servants of God, to have piety towards God and to organize your affairs.

Dear brothers and sisters, I invite and recommend myself to maintain divine piety; this is the foundation of a person's movement towards perfection and elevation. If, with God's grace, we can observe divine piety in individual actions, in collective actions, in political work, and in social work, all goodness and all divine blessings will encompass us.

These are the blessed days of the Fajr decade. In the Fajr decade, what is necessary for me and those like me is two expressions of gratitude: first, gratitude to God. With utmost humility and utmost modesty, we express our gratitude at the divine threshold for granting this success to the Iranian nation; this great movement, this monumental work, this historic uprising, was accomplished by the Iranian nation under the leadership of Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified); the Islamic system was established; the movement of the Iranian nation towards God, towards divine goals, towards divine values began. There is no blessing greater than this, and gratitude to God for this great blessing is always necessary, and more so during the Fajr decade. The second expression of gratitude is to the Iranian nation; they have shown loyalty, displayed nobility, made sacrifices, demonstrated courage, and exhibited insight; they have maintained their constant presence over these thirty-three years in such a way that this sapling, despite all dangers and all problems, has grown stronger, more fruitful, and more flourishing day by day. Today, like that good tree whose root is firm and its branches are in the sky, it has taken root in the land of humanity, and its fruits and effects are continuously reaching and arriving.

This year, especially, our Fajr decade has a different atmosphere. This year, in the context of the victorious revolutions in this region, whether in Tunisia, Egypt, or Libya, the revolutionary movement of the people has reached fruition, and great works have been accomplished; this is a great tidings for us, the Iranian nation, a sweet and blessed event. This year, we celebrate the Fajr decade and the twenty-second of Bahman in such an atmosphere. It must be said that the Iranian nation, with the victory of these revolutions, has relatively emerged from isolation; I will, God willing, briefly elaborate on this matter.

In this sermon, I will present three main topics for my dear brothers and sisters in prayer and for the Iranian nation; in the second sermon, I will speak more with my Arab brothers. These three topics are: one regarding our own revolution; the path we have traversed over these three decades, the achievements we have made, and the future that awaits us. The second topic is a look at regional and global issues. The third topic is a few brief points regarding the upcoming elections.

Regarding the first topic, there are books filled with words to say. What I present as the fundamental lines of our revolution is only a few sentences, the elaboration of which is very lengthy and detailed. These characteristics existed in our revolution. Our revolution dismantled the anti-Islamic regime and established the Islamic regime; it dismantled the dictatorial and oppressive regime and replaced it with a democratic regime; it eliminated the dependency that our country had suffered for many years, which had reached its most horrific and disgraceful state during the Pahlavis, and granted comprehensive independence to our nation; it dismantled the suffocating oppression that was imposed on our nation, granting freedom to this nation - allowing them to express their opinions and voices freely; the atmosphere became one of freedom - it eliminated the historical humiliation of our nation and granted national dignity. For decades, our nation was humiliated. This great nation, with its historical background, with its immense cultural, scientific, and historical heritage, was humiliated in the face of tyrannical and corrupt rulers, and behind them, in the face of international colonizers and dominators. Our revolution eliminated this humiliation and transformed it into national dignity. Today, the Iranian nation feels dignity, feels identity. The revolution eradicated self-doubt and inferiority from our nation; instead, it instilled national self-confidence in the people. We had self-doubt; we thought we could not accomplish scientific work, nor political work, nor significant military work. We thought we were a weak nation; this had been instilled in us, injected into us. The revolution took this away from the people and instead gave us national self-confidence. Today, we have self-confidence in all fields; we know we can, and we move towards this capability, and, thanks be to God, we achieve our goals everywhere.

Our nation was politically isolated, indifferent, and did not pay attention to the events of the country. The revolution took this state away from our people, transforming us into an aware and political nation. Today, our youth, even in the most remote areas of the country, analyze political issues, understand political events, and apply analysis to every issue. This was not the case before the revolution. Political awareness and understanding were limited to a small number of people in this country. The people were generally distant from the events of the country; governments came and went, international treaties were signed, significant works were done in the world, and the nation was not even informed. These are the main lines of this revolution that brought these events into existence in this country. These principles have been institutionalized; they have been solidified. These transformations are not superficial; they are not temporary. The slogans of the revolution are still the same as the slogans of the first day; this indicates the health of the revolution. Slogans are like pointing fingers that indicate the goals, delineate the objectives. When the slogans that are institutionalized in a system, in a revolution, remain unchanged, it means that the goals in this system are in their original form; the goals have not changed; the actors and the people have not deviated from the straight path and the original objectives. Today, the slogans of the Iranian nation are the same as the slogans of the early revolution.

Well, during this period, over these thirty-some years, our lives have been influenced by these fundamental lines. We have made advancements, and we have also had weaknesses and shortcomings. We must recognize our advancements and also recognize our weaknesses. If we hide our weaknesses, do not recognize them, and ignore them, these weaknesses will remain, they will become institutionalized; they will not be resolved. We must know all points of strength and weakness.

There are both positive and negative points, there are ups and downs, but the movement has continued; this is what matters. Our dear youth should know; over these thirty-two or three years, there have been instances where we showed weakness, this movement has had ups and downs. It has not always been the same; sometimes there has been speed and momentum, sometimes less, but the movement has never stopped, and we have progressed in the same main direction; today we observe the fruits of that.

I will mention a few of the points of strength we have had during this time, and a few of the weaknesses as well. The most important point of strength we have had in these thirty-two or three years is overcoming challenges; this is very important. We were not a nation that would lower our heads and go on our way, with no one bothering us; no, from the very first day, the equipped powers of the world, the global dominators, had issues with us; they intended to harm us, they intended to create obstacles: they imposed war on us, they unleashed Saddam upon us, they entangled us for eight years, they brought in terrorists, they imposed sanctions. To this day, we have overcome all these challenges; that is, none of these challenges have been able to make our nation or our revolution regretful or bring us to our knees; we have, thanks be to God, continued our path with a steadfast posture. This is our most important point of strength.

Another point of strength during this time has been the expansion of services to the nation, both in quantity and quality. These services cannot be compared to the recent past before the revolution, nor to the distant past. The immense services that have been expanded throughout the country are of high quality - both material and spiritual - and their quantity and expansion are significant. This is an important point of strength.

Another point of strength is scientific advancement. My dear ones! Do not underestimate this scientific advancement. These advancements are very important. Science is the foundation of comprehensive progress for a country. I once read this hadith: "Knowledge is power"; science is authority. Whoever possesses this authority can achieve all their goals. These global arrogant powers, by virtue of the science they have attained, have been able to dominate the entire world. Of course, we will never dominate, but science is certainly necessary for us as a means of advancement.

Our scientific advancements over these thirty-some years have been astonishing. Now, nuclear technology has incidentally become well-known and is drawing attention - both in the country and in the world - but it is not limited to this; there is nuclear technology, aerospace sciences, medical sciences - fortunately, today our country possesses very important and unattainable medical fields, and significant medical work is being done in this country - biotechnology, nanotechnology, which are among the new sciences and knowledge of the world; stem cells, which is one of the greatest works in the field of science; simulation, the construction of supercomputers, new energy technologies, important radiopharmaceuticals, and anti-cancer drugs; and this list goes on.

What I am presenting is not bragging; this is the testimony of reputable scientific centers in the world. They say that the fastest scientific growth in the world has occurred in Iran during these years. This report from 2011 states that the fastest scientific growth in the world has occurred in Iran. According to reports from reputable scientific centers worldwide, Iran ranks first in science in the region. We have set this scientific rank for the year 1404; there are still fourteen years left. Just last year, they said Iran ranks first in scientific standing in the region and seventeenth in the world. In the global context, our country ranks seventeenth in scientific standing; these are very important. So one of our points of strength is scientific advancement.

Another point of strength is the country's advancements in creating technical, engineering, and industrial infrastructures; whenever foreign observers have come and visited, they have been impressed. The immense works that have been done in the fields of communications, roads, telecommunications, and various technical and engineering infrastructures, and so on, is a separate story. I truly feel regret when I see that these clear and good reports are not conveyed to the people as they should be, so that the people can be happy and understand what is happening in the country.

Another point of strength during this time has been the transfer of the values of the revolution to the second and third generations. Today, when you look at the youth, you see that they have received these values. This dear martyr of ours, Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan - the martyr whose martyrdom burned our hearts - or that previous young martyr, martyr Rezai Nejad, who was martyred earlier this year, these two young scholars, thirty-two or three years old; they did not experience the Imam, did not experience the war, did not experience the revolution, but they study with courage, with bravery, they pursue higher education; they know and understand that they are under threat, but they go on; this is very important, this is a value; these are the revolutionary values in the third generation. Ahmadi Roshan and Rezai Nejad and others like them are the third generation of the revolution. This massive movement of these youth, who after the martyrdom of Ahmadi Roshan declared that they are ready to come and work, is very important; these should not be underestimated. One of our points of strength and positivity is that these values have been transferred to the second and third generations. Of course, we have had some losses, we have had those who have repented from the revolution and regretted it, but our gains have been greater than our losses. The worn-out forces have diminished, but the young and vibrant forces have risen and flourished.

Another positive point during this time has been the leap in influence in major regional and global issues. Today, the Islamic Republic is an influential country; its "yes" and "no" in regional issues, even in global issues, has an impact; this is very important for the country.

Another point of strength is the strong foundation and solid structure of the country and the system in facing hostilities. We do not become anxious in the face of hostilities, we do not become worried, we do not become troubled. The foundation of the system and the foundation of the country is a solid one.

Another point of strength is the quantitative and qualitative improvement of our scientific centers; that is, our universities and seminaries. Both our seminaries have improved in quantity and quality, and so have our universities. These are our points of strength, and each of these requires lengthy explanations, and there are statistics to follow, and besides these, we have many other points of strength.

I would like to add this sentence in continuation of the points of strength: the Iranian nation should be aware that all these scientific, social, and technical advancements have occurred under conditions of sanctions; this is very important. They closed the doors of science to us, they blocked the pathways, they did not sell us the necessary products, and we have made these advancements. These events have occurred under conditions of sanctions; this is what increases hopes.

Of course, we also have weaknesses; these weaknesses must be eliminated. I will return to the issue of sanctions and the conditions that have been imposed and will make a statement about it. Our weaknesses are dangers that have existed along our path and must be addressed later. The first weakness is the inclination towards materialism that has affected some of us. Some of us officials have fallen into materialism; wealth, luxury, adornment, ceremonies, and elitism have gradually lost their abhorrence for us. When we become like this, this overflows to the people. The inclination towards elitism, the inclination towards luxury, the inclination towards accumulating wealth and using wealth in an illegitimate and undesirable manner, is naturally present in many people. When we let ourselves go, when we become lax, we fall into this, and this issue arises among the people as well.

Today, unfortunately, we are afflicted with extravagance and consumerism. I have repeatedly stated this, and I will say it again; this is a danger on our path. We must reduce consumerism, we must reduce greed for worldly goods. Whenever a rumor arises that a certain item is scarce, people rush to accumulate more of it, lest they suffer from a shortage; while that item may not even be among the necessities of life. Well, even if that item is not scarce, this rush of people reduces it. We do not pay attention to this issue. This is one of our weaknesses; we must eliminate this weakness.

Another weakness is that we have not made moral and ethical progress in parallel with scientific advancements; this is a backwardness. Of course, today, in comparison to before the revolution, it is much better - there is no doubt about that - but we should have progressed. We have made progress in science, we have made progress in politics; we should have made progress in spirituality and in the purification of the soul as well. In the Quran, wherever purification and teaching are mentioned by the Lord, purification precedes teaching; that is, the teaching of the Book and wisdom - "He purifies them and teaches them the Book and wisdom" - only in one instance from the tongue of Prophet Abraham is teaching mentioned first. Therefore, we have neglected moral and spiritual purification.

In social justice, we have not yet reached the desired point of Islam - which has been our aspiration - this is also one of our weaknesses. These weaknesses must be compensated for. These are weaknesses that cannot be overlooked. Both officials and the general public must feel that they have a duty to eliminate these weaknesses. God willing, we must seek help from the Almighty God and eliminate these weaknesses. And of course, they can be eliminated; these are undoubtedly eliminable.

Well, in my opinion, the actions that must be taken to eliminate these weaknesses, first and foremost, involve looking to the future; first and foremost, it is our responsibility. All of us must feel responsible; especially the officials of the country and the servants of the people must feel responsible. We should not shift the blame onto each other. It should not be the case that if a deficiency arises somewhere, the parliament says it is the government's fault, the government says it is the parliament's fault, and another says it is the judiciary's fault; no, the boundaries are clear. The Constitution has delineated the lines. The duties of everyone are known. The leadership has responsibilities, the government has responsibilities, the parliament has responsibilities, the judiciary has responsibilities, the military forces have responsibilities, and the executive bodies each have their own responsibilities; we should not shift the blame onto each other. If a problem arises, it is the responsibility of the leadership; the leadership should humbly accept that this problem is their responsibility and strive to eliminate it. This is one of the most fundamental tasks.

Another essential task is that we must not neglect the fundamental values. We should not become preoccupied with secondary issues and neglect the fundamentals. This also requires a detailed explanation.

Maintaining unity and solidarity is another of our duties. We have repeatedly stated that there must be unity and solidarity among the officials. The three branches and others must be united, aligned, and work together; even if there are differences of opinion in some areas. Differences of opinion are not a problem; but they must support each other in the orientations of the system, the country, and the revolution, firmly grasp each other's hands, and move forward; both among themselves and between the people and the officials. This unity and solidarity is the definitive remedy for many of the problems that exist in the country.

One of the main tasks we must undertake and that everyone must pay attention to is that we should not be deceived by the smiles of the enemy and the false promises of the enemy's front. In these thirty years, we have gained experience. Sometimes they smiled at us. In the beginning, some of us believed it. Gradually, we understood what was behind the scenes. We should not be deceived by the smiles of the enemy, nor by the false promises of the enemy. The material power that currently dominates the world easily breaks its promises. They break their promises without any concern, they go back on their word, they do not feel ashamed before God, nor before the creation, nor before the negotiating party; they lie easily! I have living examples - which now is not the time to discuss; perhaps when the time comes, I will present them - the same statements made by the Americans, the letter they wrote to us, the response we gave; then the reaction and action they took regarding the content of those letters. These will one day be presented to the public opinion of the world - when the time is right - they will see how they are, how much their words hold importance and value, how much their promises are worth. Therefore, one of our fundamental tasks is to not be deceived by the smiles and false promises of these people.

Another task is to avoid laziness and inactivity. Laziness, inactivity, and lethargy ruin a person, a family, a country, and a nation. Everyone must work; work must be jihad-like. This is what we mean by economic jihad this year; it means that economic activity must be like jihad. Well, this is regarding the issues of the revolution. There is much to say, but time is short; I must also address the subsequent issues.

Now, regarding regional and global issues. In this year that has passed between the Fajr decade and this year, the nations of the region have succeeded in toppling four tyrants; this is very important. For a nation to bring down one of these tyrants requires a great deal of effort. In this year that has elapsed between that Fajr decade and this Fajr decade, four dangerous and malignant tyrants of this region have been toppled; this is a very significant event.

Another important event is that in Tunisia and Egypt, the people voted for Islam. In Egypt, about seventy-five percent of the people went to the polls and voted for Islamic groups; in Tunisia, it was similar; these are very important. This means that all the efforts that the Americans, the West, and the propaganda apparatuses and Hollywood, etc., have made over the years to instill Islamophobia and fear of Islamic governance have been in vain; the people are in favor of Islam.

One of the effects of these movements is the weakness and isolation of the Zionist regime; this is also very important. Because the Zionist regime in this region is truly a cancerous tumor and must be cut off, and it will be cut off, therefore, as a result of these movements, it has become more weakened and isolated than ever. The Palestinian youth have gained vitality, they have found hope, they have become hopeful about their struggles and their future. The nations have become hopeful.

Of course, among these nations, the Bahraini nation is the most oppressed; because unfortunately, they are subjected to the silence and blackout of all the media in the world. In no human or global context is their request rejected; rather, it is a rightful request, yet they have been oppressed; they have completely been excluded from the realm of promotion and propaganda, and they are constantly being propagandized against. Of course, it has no effect. That nation will also, with God's grace, be victorious.

On this occasion, I would like to say this: The rulers of Bahrain have claimed that Iran is interfering in the affairs of Bahrain. This is a lie. No, we do not interfere. Where we do interfere, we say it clearly. We have interfered in matters against Israel; the result has been the victory of the thirty-three-day war and the victory of the twenty-two-day war. After this, wherever any nation, any group fights against the Zionist regime, we are behind them and support them, and we have no hesitation in saying this. This is the truth and reality. But for the ruler of the island of Bahrain to come and say that Iran is interfering in the affairs of Bahrain, no, this is not a correct statement; this is a false statement. If we were interfering in Bahrain, the situation in Bahrain would be different!

In the world, the situation is strange. America has become weak - both economically and financially, and politically - this is also a reality. America has failed in its Middle Eastern policy, it has failed in the Palestinian issue, it has failed in the Iraqi issue. The Americans wanted to directly manage Iraq, but they could not - the Iraqi nation stood firm and did not allow it - they wanted to bring in a puppet government, but they could not; they wanted to remain with capitulation, but the Iraqi government and nation did not allow it. Today, the Iraqi government is a popular government, the Iraqi nation is a living and awake nation; and this has led the Americans to exit without any achievements, without achieving what they wanted. Of course, they have oil interventions, they have security interventions; which, God willing, the Iraqi nation and government will think about in the future.

In internal matters - which the Americans try to hide - America is weak. They do not want to admit that they are weak. Obama, in a speech a few days ago in Congress, made the slightest reference to the fact that the American nation has been in the streets for more than four months! In this cold weather, people across America, in various states, have come out into the streets, standing up against police pressure and the harsh blows of the police; was this not worth mentioning?! They did not mention it at all. They want to hide it. This is also their human rights. Europe is the same. Europe is also weak. Besides the economic, financial, and monetary issues - which are strange weaknesses and have angered the people - politically, Europe is also weak today.

Let me give you an example. The French government during General de Gaulle's presidency did not allow England to enter the European Union. Why? They said England is dependent on America; the type of relations between England and America would undermine the independence of the European Union. De Gaulle did not allow England to enter the European Union, because of its connection and dependency on America. This was the France of that day. The person who is currently in charge in France relays the words of America; he repeats the same words they want, what is in their hearts; he has become completely subservient! Well, this is weakness. Europe has reached this point. This is France; other European countries are similarly affected. This is the weakness of these systems.

Today, the Westerners are weak in economic matters, they are weak in political matters, they are weak in international decisions; including the decision to impose sanctions on us. They wanted to punish the Islamic Republic and the Iranian nation for the sake of Islam. They threatened: paralyzing sanctions, painful sanctions! They kept saying it. These sanctions are beneficial to us for two reasons: firstly, when we are sanctioned, we turn to our internal capabilities and grow from within; just as this has happened over these thirty years. If we had not been sanctioned in the field of weapons, we would not have had these astonishing advancements today; if they had built the Bushehr nuclear power plant themselves, we would not have made progress in enrichment; if they had not closed the doors of science to us, we would not have reached these levels in stem cells, aerospace, and sending satellites into the sky. So, the more they sanction us, the more we turn to our internal capacities and this capacity and talent blossoms day by day like a gushing spring. Therefore, these sanctions are beneficial to us.

The second reason that these sanctions are beneficial to us is that they keep saying in their propaganda that we want to impose these sanctions on Iran to force Iran to retreat; for instance, in the nuclear issue. So, the whole world understands that these sanctions are to pressure Iran, to force it to retreat in the nuclear issue and other matters. Well, when we do not retreat, what happens? These sanctions are meant to force Iran to retreat, and Iran will not retreat; the result is that the image of the West and the threats of the West in the eyes of these nations that have risen up will be shattered, and the dignity of the Iranian nation and the power of the Iranian nation will increase in their eyes; and this is beneficial to us. Therefore, these sanctions are intended to harm us, but from the two aspects I mentioned, they are actually serving us.

This is the situation in Europe. Europe is facing unsolvable economic problems. The people in Europe are angry, protesting against economic issues. I have said this before; the day the nations of Europe realize that this weakness they are experiencing is due to the interference of America and the global Zionist network, these economic protests will turn into a massive social movement; then we must await a new world, and a new world will emerge.

One last thing regarding the American threats. They keep threatening; they threaten in this language: all options are on the table! This means even the option of war. This threat of war is detrimental to America; war itself is ten times more detrimental to America. Why is this threat of war detrimental to America? Because these threats themselves indicate America's inability to engage in logical confrontation and discourse; they have no discourse to counter the discourse of the Islamic Republic; they cannot establish dominance in the field of intellectual and logical confrontation; they are forced to resort to force and cling to force. This means that America has no logic other than force; it has no way to advance other than bloodshed. This will break America's credibility even more than it has been broken so far, in the eyes of nations and in the eyes of its own people; this is what determines the fate of regimes. That regime, that system whose credibility is shattered in the eyes of its own people, its fate is clear; like the former Soviet regime. Interestingly, some Western analysts just a few days ago said that today the situation of America and the West is similar to that of the former Soviet Union in the late 1980s, which led to its collapse. That is, when a regime, a system is defeated in terms of discourse, in terms of logic, in the eyes of its own people, there is no hope for the survival of that regime. Therefore, the more they threaten, the more detrimental it is for them. Of course, they and others should know - they know too - that we also have threats in response to the threats of war and the threats of oil sanctions, which will be implemented at the right time, when necessary, God willing.

Regarding the elections, I will say a few sentences. Dear brothers and sisters! Dear Iranian nation! Elections are a source of security for the country. What preserves the dignity of this nation, showcases its spiritual power to the enemies, and deters and frightens them from aggression is the people's presence; one of the manifestations of this is the elections; one of the manifestations is also the twenty-second of Bahman that you are facing. The more vibrant the presence is, the higher the national credibility will be. The elections are the same. The more crowded the ballot boxes are, the greater the participation of the people, the higher the credibility of the country will rise, and the security of the country will increase. The participation of the people can secure and guarantee the future of the country. A strong, healthy, and capable parliament can influence the performance of all the country's institutions; it can affect the performance of the government, the judiciary, and even the armed forces. A strong parliament, a healthy parliament, has such an effect. Well, who can form this parliament, except for the people? The enemy does not want this. For two or three months now, the enemy's propaganda machines have been trying to discourage and dishearten the people so that they do not participate in the elections; some inside, without realizing what they are doing, unfortunately join them! They are malicious, these are oblivious.

Small issues should not be magnified. We should not create a crisis. They try with a thousand means to prove that there is a crisis in Iran. What crisis? What crisis? A calm country, a strong nation, vibrant; all this work is being done by various institutions, by the people in this country. By God's grace, complete security is established. The institutions should cooperate with each other. If they cooperate, things will be much better.

What is necessary in the elections is healthy competition; competition without slandering and speaking ill of one another. The atmosphere of the elections must be healthy. If the people know the candidates, they should act according to their own judgment; if they do not know, they should use the insights of the pious and knowledgeable individuals in their electoral selections. The executors of the elections must exercise complete diligence in the proper execution of the elections. These are things that can bring about a good election for the country. These thirty-two or three elections we have had since the beginning of the revolution have fortunately all been healthy. Of course, in all of them, there have been some who have protested, the protests have been addressed, and there have been some violations, but there has never been a lack of integrity in the elections. After this, it must remain the same.

I will say a few sentences regarding the issue of qualifications. The esteemed Guardian Council verifies the qualifications of individuals; some are verified, some are not. I would like to present three points here: the first point is that the Guardian Council is legally obligated to verify qualifications; it must make a determination, it must reach a conclusion about whether this qualification exists. Of course, our constant recommendation has been that they should not raise the level of qualifications so high that only a few remain at the bottom. They should consider the level of qualifications with more wisdom.

The second point is that some people object to the oversight of the Guardian Council and the supervisory bodies. Their objections may be legitimate and truly correct; however, we must pay attention that when a responsible legal authority makes a decision, we must submit to it. All of us must comply. For example, if the parliament passes a law; I may object to that law, saying that this law is flawed; but it is a law, and I must act according to it. When a responsible authority, which is also trusted - like the Guardian Council - makes a decision, it must be complied with, it must be obeyed.

The third point: I announce this so that everyone knows; those who are disqualified are not necessarily unqualified individuals. It should not be thought that just because someone was disqualified from the elections, they are completely devoid of qualifications; no, according to the law, they cannot participate as candidates in the elections, but the authority that disqualified them may have made a mistake. They may not have the qualifications for this position, but they may have many other qualifications. It should not be thought that if someone is disqualified, it means they are completely devoid of existence; no, there are various other qualifications.

The last point regarding the elections is that the officials should not be oblivious to the enemy's plots in the elections. Those who do not win votes in the elections should be careful that the same trick that was played on the non-victors in 2009 does not happen to them; they should not be deceived. All candidates and their supporters should consider themselves responsible for the security of the elections against potential enemy plots. They should not accuse the elections; no one should pour water into the enemy's mill; in the propaganda, the atmosphere of division and despair should not be created, so that, God willing, we have a good election.

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful By time. Indeed, man is in loss. Except for those who have believed and done righteous deeds and advised one another to truth and advised one another to patience.

Sermon Two

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful Praise be to God, Lord of the worlds, and blessings and peace be upon our master and prophet, Abu al-Qasim al-Mustafa Muhammad, and upon his pure and virtuous family, especially the remainder of God on the earth, and send blessings upon Ali, the Commander of the Faithful, and Fatimah al-Zahra, the Lady of the Women of the Worlds, and send blessings upon Hasan and Husayn, the masters of the youth of Paradise, and upon Ali ibn Husayn, Muhammad ibn Ali, Ja'far ibn Muhammad, Musa ibn Ja'far, Ali ibn Musa, Muhammad ibn Ali, Ali ibn Muhammad, Hasan ibn Ali, and the awaited Mahdi, your proofs over your servants and your trusted ones in your lands, and send blessings upon the leaders of the Muslims, the protectors of the oppressed, and the guides of the believers.

Once again, I invite all my dear brothers and sisters in prayer to divine piety. What I usually present in the second sermon, I have already conveyed to you in the first sermon. In this sermon, with apologies to all the dear worshippers, my address is to our Arab brothers who are going through a sensitive period. I will read the sermon in Arabic.

Translation of the Arabic Sermon

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful Praise be to God, Lord of the worlds, and blessings and peace be upon our master and prophet, Muhammad, and upon his pure family and his chosen companions, and those who follow them with goodness until the Day of Judgment.

O our Muslim brothers wherever you may be! Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings.

I want to congratulate the Iranian nation and all Muslims around the world on the occasion of the month of Rabi' and on the threshold of the birth of the Seal of the Prophets (peace be upon him), the first anniversary of the awakening of the Islamic Spring and the awakening of our Arab brothers and sisters from Egypt and Tunisia and Libya to Bahrain and Yemen and some other Islamic lands.

A year full of events has passed. In Tunisia and Egypt, for the first time, the votes of the nations were respected, and in both countries, they belonged to the Islamic movements. In Libya, this will also happen, and this Islamism, characterized by being anti-Zionist, anti-dictatorship, independence-seeking, freedom-loving, and progressive under the shadow of the Quran, will be the inevitable path and the resolute will of all Muslim nations. This wave, which three decades ago also shaped the fate of Islamic Iran during such days (coinciding with the 22nd of Bahman), dealt the first heavy blow to the front of America, NATO, and Zionism, and toppled the greatest secular and puppet dictatorship in the region, has now encompassed the entire Islamic and Arab Middle East during these days with the same style and the same demands.

The will of God has been to awaken the nations, and the century of Islam and the era of nations has arrived, which will affect the fate of all humanity in the future. Did not the youth and intellectuals in Washington, London, Madrid, Rome, and Athens come to the streets inspired by Tahrir Square?

The most sensitive parts of the Islamic world have been engulfed by the movement of returning to Islam and restoring dignity and identity and liberation, and everywhere the slogan "God is the Greatest" is heard. The Arab nations do not want their dictators; they can no longer tolerate the dominance of the puppets and tyrants over themselves; they have become fed up with poverty, backwardness, humiliation, and dependency; they have tested secularism under the guise of socialism, liberalism, and ethnic nationalism and found them all to be dead ends; and of course, the Arab nations are not seeking extremism, religious violence, regression, sectarian fanaticism, and fundamentalism under the label of Islamism either.

The elections in Tunisia and Egypt and the slogans and approaches of the people of Yemen and Bahrain and other Arab lands indicate that everyone wants to be a "contemporary Muslim" without dry extremism and Western liberalism, and with the slogan "God is the Greatest," they want to liberate themselves from humiliation, tyranny, backwardness, colonialism, corruption, and a century of discrimination, with a combination of "spirituality," "justice," and "rationality," and through the method of "religious democracy," and this is the right path.

What characteristics have the Arab regimes that are facing the wrath of their people had? Anti-religion, subservience and dependency on the West (America, England, etc.), cooperation with the Zionists and betrayal of Palestine, family and hereditary dictatorships, the poverty of the people and the backwardness of the country alongside the immense wealth of the ruling families, discrimination and injustice, and the lack of legal freedom and accountability have been their common characteristics. Even the pretense of Islam or republicanism in some cases has not been able to deceive the people. These are the clearest signs for recognizing the nature of the Arab nations' uprising; whether they have achieved great victories or those who, God willing, will achieve them.

Any other claim regarding the nature of these movements that has occurred under the slogan "God is the Greatest" is to ignore reality in order to exploit it for other purposes and impose subsequent deviations. The future of these revolutions will be measured by these principles, and the authenticity or deviation of the revolutions will be judged by these ideals. The anti can only be recognized by the anti, and the revolutions can be recognized by their opposition to the characteristics of the regimes that have been shaken.

Revolutionaries must remain vigilant against the target-setting and efforts to change the slogans.

Certainly, the West seeks to turn the revolutions into counter-revolutions and ultimately, by reconstructing the old regimes in a new way and draining the emotions of the masses and shifting the principles and branches and changing their own pawns and superficial and artificial reforms and democratic façades, to maintain their dominance over the Arab world for decades to come.

In the decades of Islamic awakening and especially in recent years after successive defeats from Iran and Afghanistan to Iraq and Lebanon and Palestine, and now Egypt and Tunisia, the West has sought, after the failure of the tactic of Islamophobia and open violence, to resort to the tactic of creating counterfeits and producing fake examples, to replace anti-people terrorism with "martyrdom-seeking," "fanaticism and ignorance and violence" with "Islamism and jihad," "ethnic nationalism and tribalism" with "Islamic seeking and ummah-hood," "Western dependency and economic and cultural subservience" with "independent progress," "secularism" with "scientific advancement," "collaboration" with "rationality," and "moral corruption and chaos" with "freedom," "dictatorship" with "order and security," and "consumerism, materialism, and elitism" with "development and progress," and "poverty and backwardness" with "spirituality and asceticism."

The bipolarity of capitalism and communism, which was a war over power and wealth, has ended, and today there is a bipolarity between the oppressed of the world led by the Muslim movement and the arrogant powers led by America, NATO, and Zionism. Two main camps have formed, and there is no third camp.

I do not want to spend this short opportunity by revisiting the past and praising the Arab nations. Undoubtedly, all of us and the world are watching the region and admiring the nations rising from the Arabian Peninsula to North Africa; but now I would like to speak about today and tomorrow.

Last year, in this very Friday prayer, I spoke with the noble people of Egypt while the ominous shadow of Hosni Mubarak was still over them, and today, as a new era has begun and the dictator is on trial, we all think more hopefully about the future of the dear Egyptian movement and other Arabs.

What factors are present in the scene of the revolutions?

1) America, NATO, the Zionist regime, and their allies and dependents in some Arab regimes

2) The nations and the youth

3) Political parties and activists, both Islamic and non-Islamic

Each of these groups is in what position and with what goals?

The first group has been and will be the main losers in Egypt, Tunisia, and other movements. The legitimacy and now the very existence of the capitalist pole and the model of Western liberal democracy are facing the danger of dissolution, even in Europe and America, and they are in a situation similar to that of the Eastern bloc in the 1980s. The moral and social collapse, unprecedented economic crises, major military defeats in Iraq and Afghanistan and Lebanon and Gaza, the fall or weakening of most of their dependent and puppet dictators in Muslim and Arab countries, especially the loss of Egypt, the jeopardy of the Zionist regime from the north and west and from within in an unprecedented manner, the exposure of the dependent nature of international organizations and selective political approaches to the issue of democracy and human rights, the contradictions and confusion in the dual stance towards the issues of Libya, Egypt, Bahrain, Yemen, and so on...

These have plunged the first group into a crisis of global trust and a deep crisis of decision-making, and now their biggest goal, after being unable to control and suppress the nations, is to try to dominate the command room of the revolutions and infiltrate the influential parties, to preserve the maximum structure of the previous corrupt regimes and to settle for superficial and symbolic reforms, to reconstruct their own indigenous forces in the countries that have revolted, to bribe, threaten, and possibly in the future, to assassinate or attempt to buy some individuals and groups to stop or regress the revolutions and to cool down, dishearten, or entangle the people with secondary issues and with each other, to exacerbate ethnic and tribal or religious or partisan conflicts, to fabricate misleading slogans to change the nature of the movements, to control directly or indirectly the minds and tongues of the revolutionaries and to drag them into political games or to sow discord among them and through them, among the popular groups, to attempt to negotiate behind the scenes with some elites with false promises such as financial assistance... and dozens of other tricks that I have previously referred to in the International Congress of Islamic Awakening in Tehran.

Some dependent and conservative Arab regimes, alongside America and NATO, are also trying with all their might to stop the hands of time and turn back the revolutions of the region or lead them to nowhere, and their only asset for this influence is the oil dollars, and their main goal is to defeat the people of Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen, Libya, and Bahrain... and to maintain stability and ensure the survival of the Zionist regime and to strike at the resistance front in the region.

However, the second and main group is the nations. What do the nations want? Repeated polls by the Americans in Egypt and most Islamic countries have revealed the reality to them. From 2003 to 2008, the inclination towards mosques and Islamic rituals, including the hijab and the covering of women, increased between 40% to 75% among the nations from Egypt and Jordan to Turkey and Malaysia... and the level of hatred towards America has risen to an average of 85% in Islamic and Arab countries, especially after witnessing the victories of the youth of Hezbollah and Hamas in the thirty-three-day and twenty-two-day wars and the failure and exit of America without any achievements in Iraq, hope for victory and the future has doubled among Arab youth.

The beloved figures among the youth of Egypt have been the Muslim anti-Zionist fighters. Hatred towards Zionism, attention to the Palestinian issue, and Islamic dignity-seeking are among the main indicators of the nations. In the recent elections, 75% of the people of Egypt voted for Islamic slogans. In Tunisia, the majority raised the same flag. In Libya, this percentage is not lower, if not higher. The people want the same from their representatives and from the new governments for the future. The people want a dear, respected, and free Egypt; they do not want the Egypt of Camp David, the poor and dependent Egypt, the Egypt under the command of America and allied with Israel, the stagnant and extremist Egypt, nor the Westernized, secular, and dependent Egypt. A free, dear, Islamic, and progressive Egypt is the main demand of the people and the youth, and they are not seeking conflict. The body of the Egyptian army is with the people, and some inside and outside Egypt want to provoke a conflict between the army and the people in the future, and everyone must be vigilant. The body of the Egyptian army will not tolerate the influence of America and the friends of Israel.

Also, when we speak of Islamism in Egypt or Tunisia and Libya, it is the Islam of the Messenger of God (peace be upon him) that spread the shadow of mercy and security over the dhimmis from Christians and Jews in Medina. Speaking of Islam does not mean calling for a religious war among the believers or a sectarian war among Muslims. Egypt is the Egypt of the Assembly of Islamic Unity and Sheikh Shaltout.

The people of Egypt and Tunisia and Libya should know that what they have now is still an unfinished revolution, and although they have taken significant steps, the story has just begun. The issues that arose after the victory of the Islamic revolution in Iran and continue to this day, by God's grace, have faced defeat in all of them and will continue to do so, are hundreds of times more than the problems that the revolution faced before the downfall of the Shah. You must be vigilant and advance your revolutions step by step to the last stages and in a medium- and long-term plan.

The tyrannical regimes of Egypt were the first Arab government to betray the Palestinian cause and opened the way for the Arabs to reconcile, to the extent that except for one Arab regime - which is Syria - all others sold Palestine and reconciled with the Zionists. The Egyptian regime was one of the two main Arab regimes trusted by America and Israel, and the current hypocritical President of America chose to send a message of deception and hypocrisy to the Muslims by visiting the Egypt of Hosni Mubarak; but the people of Egypt expressed their opinion in their revolution and brought everyone out of delusion.

Today, Egypt must once again take the lead in defending the Palestinian cause and trample on and burn the treacherous Camp David agreement.

An revolutionary Egypt can no longer provide energy and gas from the pockets of its poor and afflicted nation to the regime of the crumbling Zionist regime.

Our third audience is the political parties and elites in Egypt and other countries that have risen up. The thinkers and Islamic fighters in North Africa, from Egypt and Tunisia to Algeria and Morocco, and especially Egypt, have been the fathers of the Islamic awakening thought and the advocates of unity and dignity of the ummah and then the liberation of Quds. Today, you are the heirs of the blood of thousands of martyrs and tens of thousands of those who have endured imprisonment, exile, torture, and struggle over decades for such days and victories.

My brothers and sisters! Be vigilant with this great trust. Pride and also naivety are two great plagues after the first victories. You are the most responsible individuals in the arena of system-building, preserving the achievements of the people, and solving the problems of the movement. The wounded powers of the world and the region are undoubtedly thinking of devilish thoughts; from thoughts of elimination and revenge, to plans of deception and destabilization and frightening and tempting you, and then to destroy the revolutions and create situations - and may God protect us - worse than before. Your decisions, positions, and actions will have historical dimensions, and this period is the "Night of Destiny" in the history of your countries.

Do not trust America and NATO. They never think of your interests and the interests of your nation. Also, do not be afraid of them. They are hollow and are becoming weaker by the day. Their dominance over the Islamic world has merely been the result of our fear and ignorance over the past 150 years. Do not pin your hopes on them and do not count on them. Only trust in Almighty God and believe in your own people. They were defeated in Iraq and left empty-handed; they achieved nothing in Afghanistan; they were defeated by Hezbollah in Lebanon and by Hamas in Gaza, and now they have been brought down by the people in Egypt and Tunisia. Nothing has gone according to their plans; the idol of the West, like the idol of communism, has been shattered, and the fear of the nations has dissipated. Be vigilant about the future so that they do not frighten you.

Be cautious of their games. Also, do not get involved in the games of the oil dollars of the dependents and allies of the West among the Arabs, as you will not emerge unscathed from these games in the future. Israel is going to be eliminated; it should not remain and will not remain. The beginning of deviation in the current movements is to submit to the survival of the Zionist regime and to continue the negotiations of reconciliation and surrender that the fallen regimes initiated.

The general demand of your nations is a return to Islam; which, of course, does not mean a "return to the past." If the revolutions remain genuine by God's permission and continue without falling into plots or transformations, the main issue for you will be how to build a system, draft laws, and manage the country and the revolutions; this is the important issue of Islamic civilization-building anew in the new era.

In this great jihad, your main task will be how to compensate for a history of backwardness, tyranny, irreligion, poverty, and dependency that has dominated your countries in the shortest possible time, God willing, and how to build a society with an Islamic approach and in a democratic manner while adhering to rationality and science, and how to overcome internal and external threats one by one; how to institutionalize "freedom and social rights" minus "liberalism," and "equality" minus "Marxism," and "order" minus "Western fascism"; how to maintain your commitment to the progressive Sharia of Islam without falling into rigidity and ignorance; how to become independent without becoming isolated; how to progress without becoming dependent; how to manage scientifically without becoming secularized and conservative.

Definitions must be revisited and corrected. Two models of "takfiri Islam" and "secular Islam" have been proposed to you by the West and will be proposed so that the model of "moderate and rational principled Islam" does not gain strength among the regional revolutions. Redefine the words carefully and accurately.

"Being democratic" if it means being popular and having free elections within the framework of the principles of the revolutions, then all should be democrats; and if it means falling into the trap of second-rate and imitative liberal democracy, then none should be democrats.

"Salafism" if it means principled adherence to the Book and Sunnah and loyalty to the original values and fighting against superstitions and deviations and reviving the Sharia and rejecting Westernization, then all should be Salafi; and if it translates into fanaticism and ignorance and violence among religions or Islamic sects, it will not be compatible with modernity, tolerance, and rationality - which are the pillars of Islamic thought and civilization - and will itself promote secularism and irreligion.

Be wary of the Islam that tolerates the Zionist regime but ruthlessly confronts other Islamic sects, extends a hand of reconciliation to America and NATO, but incites tribal and sectarian wars internally and is harsh with the believers and merciful with the disbelievers; do not trust American and British Islam, which leads you to the trap of Western capitalism and consumerism and moral decline. In the past decades, both the elites and the rulers took pride in their increasing dependency on France, England, and America or the Soviet Union and fled from Islamic symbols; and today, everything has turned upside down.

Know that the West will seek revenge; economic, military, political, and propaganda revenge! If the nations of Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, etc., continue on the path of God, they may be threatened with sanctions.

And now for the final word: The Islamic Republic and the great Iranian nation announce their readiness to cooperate and serve you, and our service to each other. The Islamic revolution of Iran has been the most successful Islamic experience of the modern era in the realm of self-belief of nations and the belief of elites in the people, in negating the myth of the invincibility of tyrannical regimes and their masters, in breaking the pride of communism and capitalism, and in providing effective models for the great advancements of the country while preserving popular sovereignty and defending fundamental values.

Brothers and sisters! For years, they have been lying to you about your Iranian brothers, and now the truth about Islamic Iran is what I am presenting to you:

Our revolution has had victories and, of course, weaknesses in its struggles over three decades; but no Islamic movement in the world has advanced this far after the dominance of the West and East over Muslims in the past century, nor has it overcome this many obstacles.

God willing, many dialogues will take place between us and you, brothers. In the capitalist and global Zionist media, Iran is accused of "terrorism"; only because it refused to abandon its Arab brothers in Palestine, Lebanon, Iraq, etc., and recognize the occupiers; while we ourselves are the greatest victims of terrorism in the world, and these terrorist acts continue.

If the Islamic revolution and the Islamic Republic had abandoned their Afghan, Bosnian, Lebanese, Iraqi, and Palestinian brothers like other seemingly Muslim governments, and if we had remained silent like most Arab regimes that betrayed Palestine, they would never have introduced us as supporters of terrorism and intervention. We think of the liberation of the Holy Quds and all of Palestine; this is the great crime of the Iranian nation and the Islamic Republic.

They speak of Iranian or Shiite imperialism; while everyone knows we have never regarded the Islamic revolution as merely a Shiite or nationalist and Iranian revolution, and in these thirty years, whatever costs we have paid and threats we have faced have been due to our Islamism and ummah-hood and the slogan of unity and the approximation of sects and the freedom and dignity of our Muslim brothers from East Asia to the depths of Africa and Europe.

Islamic Iran has taken great and unprecedented steps in the fields of science, technology, social rights, social justice, development, healthcare, ensuring the dignity of women, and the rights of religious minorities... We also recognize our weaknesses and, by God's grace, we will address them, God willing.

The equation of resistance in the region has changed with the help of the Islamic Republic. The transformation and elevation of stones in the hands of the Palestinians to "missiles in response to missiles" in Gaza and other Islamic resistances against the occupiers was inspired by the Islamic revolution.

Iran does not seek to Iranianize the Arabs or to Shiite the other Muslims; Iran seeks to defend the Quran and the tradition of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) and to revive the Islamic ummah. For the Islamic revolution, assisting the Sunni mujahideen of the organizations of Hamas and Jihad and the Shiite mujahideen of Hezbollah and Amal is equally a religious obligation and a sense of duty. The nation and government of Iran loudly and firmly declare that they are committed to the uprising of the nations (and not to terrorism), to Islamic unity (not to the dominance and conflict of sects), to the brotherhood of Muslims (not to ethnic and racial superiority), to Islamic jihad (not to violence against the innocent), God willing.

Let us pray for the happiness of all Muslim nations and recognize our heavy duty and act upon it, and know that "And God is predominant over His affair."

O servants of God, be conscious of God and be adversaries to the oppressor and helpers to the oppressed. I say this and ask God for forgiveness for me and for you.

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful When the victory of God and the conquest comes. And you see the people entering into the religion of God in multitudes. So glorify the praise of your Lord and ask His forgiveness; indeed, He is ever Accepting of repentance.

And peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings.