Statements in Meeting with the People of Qom

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, chosen, infallible, and purified progeny, especially the Awaited One of God on earth, and may God's curse be upon all their enemies.

Welcome, dear brothers and sisters, proud people of Qom, esteemed scholars of the distinguished Qom seminary. Truly, your gathering, your meeting, your day is a source of hope, a source of vitality, a source of movement, and a lesson in all these long years. The occasion of the 19th of Dey is not merely a celebration and honoring of the people of Qom, although this is indeed warranted; we must truly commend the people of Qom, the youth of Qom who initiated this great movement, who created this historical turning point that will never be forgotten, there is no doubt about it. Qom is the place that became the source of a rushing river of movement and a precursor to that turbulent sea of revolution, which was no small feat. Qom is the city of the revolution, the center of the revolution, the mother of the revolution.

Of course, I must mention here in parentheses that there are motivations to change the revolutionary atmosphere of Qom and to diminish the revolutionary and religious spirit of Qom; there are motivations. We must not be oblivious to the enemy's plots in all aspects and dimensions: in the economic aspect, where they plot and scheme and show enmity, we must not be oblivious to their plots and schemes in the cultural aspect; they are busy, they have motivations, they send agents; this must be taken into account. The elders of Qom, the youth of Qom must not allow the treacherous hands to remove Qom from its centrality in the revolution, from being the hub of the revolution, and to diminish these meanings within it. In any case, Qom is the main source, and the seminary of Qom is the spiritual backing for this movement that changed the world, shook the world, and this movement continues, and we are still at the beginning of the path.

Thus, the 19th of Dey is a suitable day for honoring and glorifying the people of Qom, it is an appropriate opportunity, but it is not only this; the 19th of Dey has lessons for our present day. I will now present a brief section of what seems to be studied, researched, and examined in the heart of this movement. The youth should pay attention; these truths, especially our youth, must be taken into consideration because the work belongs to you young people, the future also belongs to you.

On the 10th of Dey in the year 1978, the President of the United States came to Tehran and gave a grandiose speech in exaggerated and false praise of Mohammad Reza. In this grandiose speech, he said, "Iran is an island of stability"; what does this mean? It means that America is at ease regarding the dependent Iran and its sycophantic officials; this place is an island of stability - this was on the 10th of Dey - less than ten days later, the events of Qom occurred, and on the 19th of Dey, the people of Qom rose up, moved, with their lives, with their bodies against that oppressive, dependent, and corrupt regime. This is the calculation of America and the West; pay attention to this. The Westerners themselves, the Americans take pride in their calculative power, in their analytical power, in their foresight, and here too, a number of American-affected individuals boast about the calculative power of America, saying, "Americans said this, such and such American scholar, such and such American research center said this, this is how they understand the world, this is how they envision the future." This is the calculative power of America that says, "Here is an island of stability"; less than ten days later, it becomes clear what an island of stability means; the uprising of Qom, then the uprising of Tabriz, then the great movement, then that overturning storm of the Islamic Revolution and the destruction of the dependent regime of the tyrant and Pahlavi [occurs]; this calculative power, this analytical ability remains the same to this day. Just recently, in this vicinity, one of the American officials, in front of a bunch of thugs and terrorists, said he hopes or wishes to hold the Christmas celebration of 2019 in Tehran; the Christmas celebration of 2019 was just a few days ago. This is the same calculative power, these are the same people. Their calculations suggest that they should have such hopes; like the hope of Saddam Hussein who wanted to come to Tehran in a week, like the hope of their other mercenary, the Mojahedin, who wanted to set out from Kermanshah and reach Tehran in three days; this is their calculations! This is the enemy's calculative ability. Some American officials pretend to be insane; I do not accept this, but they are truly first-class fools.

The uprising of the people of Qom demonstrated the alignment of two calculative systems, the alignment of two epistemological systems, the alignment of two analytical models against each other: one is the false liberal-democratic epistemology mired in the mud of the West, and the other is the Islamic monotheistic epistemology; it demonstrated the confrontation of two predictive and calculative systems: that calculative system of America that sees Iran in that way with the initial calculations of the Americans, which the U.S. Senate, in the early months of the victory of the revolution, imposed sanctions on Iran and set the premise that in five months, six months, the Islamic Revolution would be eradicated - this is their calculations - and this is also the calculative system of the Islamic system, which Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified) said, "I hear the sound of the bones of Marxism breaking" and a year later, two years later, the whole world heard the sound of those bones breaking; this is the issue. The West is faced with such a phenomenon; the phenomenon of the Islamic Revolution. On one side is a multitude of eye-catching material tools - military, political, financial, and the like - and on the other side is a newly emerging epistemic and civilizational power, motivated, dynamic, and future-oriented that knows what it wants to do, knows what it must do, and knows where it wants to go; these are positioned against each other.

The enmity of the arrogant system of the West and America with this emerging and growing phenomenon is a natural matter; [some] should not be surprised. Some, in my opinion, pretend to be ignorant - perhaps it is something else - [they say] "Why did you say such a thing that America would become your enemy"; they think that America's enmity is due to such and such statement of the Imam or such and such statement of such and such official who spoke ill of America. This is not the case; the matter is deeper than this. For forty years, this youthful power has been moving, growing day by day, being nurtured, becoming stronger day by day; they see this before their eyes. With the emergence of this new spiritual power, with the emergence of this strange and spiritual phenomenon that the world did not recognize, the apparent power of arrogance has cracked; in these forty years, this crack has been deepening. The wealthiest governments in the world are today the most indebted and troubled governments in the world; is this a joke? These are the very points that our youth must focus on. The discussion is not about the verbal alignment of this official and that official; the discussion is about identities, movements, ideals, and futures.

Of course, they have been struck; primarily because the juicy and tender morsel of Iran has slipped from their hands. Iran is not some remote African or Latin American country; Iran is the pinnacle of strategic geographical position in the world; a very important center that no geographical point in West Asia holds the significance of Iran. Few lands possess as many material resources and various capabilities as Iran; they themselves admit this. Just a few days ago, a Western institution, in order to speak ill of this humble one, said something, admitting that Iran is the fifth richest country in the world; this statement is correct; Iran is like this; our capacities are extraordinary. They lost this juicy and tender morsel, and their initial anger was because of this, and of course, this continues.

However, the main issue is the confrontation of two movements; the confrontation of truth and falsehood: "And the truth has come, and falsehood has vanished; indeed, falsehood is ever bound to vanish"; (which this esteemed reciter recited this verse) when the truth comes, falsehood naturally trembles. These are the arrogant ones, these are the colonizers, and their breathing, their sustenance is with the blood of nations; now a power has emerged in the world that opposes this oppressive phenomenon, resists it, does not submit to them, and as much as it can, conveys the voice to the nations, and until today, it has been successful. We have been successful in these forty years until today. You see in which countries among the nations, the cry of death to America is raised? This had no precedent. The great movement of the Iranian nation frightens them, frightens the material tyrants, the oppressive powerful, frightens the international companies that suck the blood of nations; they see that they have reached the end of the road. Yes, spiritual cracks in civilizations do not show themselves quickly; the West, of course, made a movement, industrialized, gained knowledge, acquired wealth, took over the world, made a commotion, but that main and fundamental crack, the spiritual crack within it, works like a termite. However, it does not show itself quickly; sometimes it shows itself after centuries; now it is showing itself, it is showing itself now; you look at Europe, America in one way, Europe in another way, their subordinate countries in another way; at that time, in this kind of world, Islam, Islamic democracy, Islamic movement, Islamic civilization, using the current world's resources and available tools is growing day by day; this is frightening for them, it is terrifying; it is natural that they oppose.

Well, there are two points here: one point is the reason for enmity. Carelessness should not be exercised, superficial thinking should not be exercised; the reason for enmity is the essence and truth of this great movement; this is the reason for enmity. The reason for enmity is the courage and sacrifice of the Iranian nation, the loyalty of the Iranian nation; these are the reasons for enmity. The reason for enmity is the commitment of the Islamic Republic to the fundamental principles of the revolution, which this commitment has remained completely intact until today; this is the reason for their enmity. The reason for enmity is that the Islamic Republic is demonstrating that a civilization is growing and flourishing, which if, by God's grace and divine assistance, it reaches its results, the reign of oppression and arrogance and the colonialism of Western governments will be dismantled; this is the reason for their enmity.

Nations do not have enmity with Iran, the Western nations do not have enmity either. Now they may propagate, Islamophobia in one place, Iranophobia in another place, Shiaphobia [in another place], but where the truth becomes clear to the people, the people not only do not have enmity with the Islamic Republic but they prefer such a movement, they love it, they support it. The enemy is the oppressive powerful, the tyrants of the world; just as Pharaoh opposed Moses and [this] he knew that Moses was right - the Quran explicitly states that he knew Moses was right but he opposed - the Almighty God said to Moses: "Fear not; indeed, I am with you; I hear and see"; (Surah Taha, part of verse 46) I am with you, go and start your movement, continue it. Yes, Pharaoh is sitting on the throne of power and sovereignty, he is terrifying, but you go and do your work, indeed, I am with you; this very address is today to the Iranian nation; thus, the reason for enmity is this.

The second point is what is the result of this enmity? The result of this enmity is that whoever is with God is victorious because power belongs to the sacred essence of the Lord. [If] we are with God, on the path of God, victory is absolutely certain, there is no doubt about it. In some places, we have fallen short, well, we did not achieve victory; this is due to our shortcomings, due to our misdeeds. Wherever we act correctly, move correctly - our officials in one way, our people in another way - and the movement is the right movement, there God Almighty will certainly assist; "And God will surely aid those who aid Him"; (Surah Al-Hajj, part of verse 40) there is no doubt about this.

Well, forty years have passed [since the revolution]. Forty years is not a long time; for the lifespan of civilizations, forty years is the beginning of maturity and intellectual movement. The age of forty is not the age of old age but the age of blossoming, and this blossoming, God willing, will exist. The grounds for this blossoming are being observed; today, thanks be to God, religious faith in our country is good, the firm resolve among our nation is good, the presence and readiness among the people is good, the faithful and resolute youth are not few, they are many - I know; of course, I do not know them all, but thousands of young people across the country are engaged in deep work, intellectual work; these are the future builders; their faith is good and strong, their reliance is high, their trust in God is great, their hope for a bright future is strong, their insight is good; these are among the people and they are not few - when I said "thousands", I referred to my circle of acquaintance and knowledge, but there are many times more than this; they are numerous - our youth are ready. The basis of all this is the grace and favor of the Lord. If God Almighty had not willed for this work to proceed, He would not have prepared these prerequisites. Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified) at one point - unfortunately, I do not remember the details - inferred from the ease with which a task was accomplished that God Almighty wants this task to be accomplished: "When God wills something, He prepares its causes"; when the prerequisites of a task are prepared, it is evident that God Almighty has willed for this task to be accomplished. The prerequisites of the task are the establishment of the revolution, the formation of the Islamic Republic, the establishment of the Islamic system; these are the prerequisites for creating that Islamic civilization suitable for this time and this century. These are the prerequisites that God Almighty has prepared for us to reach that point, and God willing, we will reach it.

Well, I have two addresses: one address to the officials and statesmen and the like, and one address to our dear people. To the statesmen, I say first, appreciate your positions. That you are engaged in a certain responsibility is a great blessing from God. [That] a person can have a responsibility and work for such goals, for such a nation, for such a country, is a great blessing from the Lord; they must appreciate this and be grateful. Secondly, they must act according to the requirements of this great blessing; they must be vigilant against tendencies towards wrong behavior, tendencies towards elitism, tendencies towards extravagance, tendencies towards that which is prevalent among tyrannical officials; this is the duty of our statesmen. The path is the path of Islam; it is an Islamic government. We cannot act like Amir al-Mu'minin, but we can recognize it as a path and know that we can move towards that direction; under the shadow of that path, we must move.

Courage and rationality. This is another duty of the officials; they must be courageous, they must not back down in the face of the threats and intimidation of this and that, they must not lose what is right, what must be done, in the face of the nonsense of these American and European officials and others; you see how irrelevant their words are; their words are sometimes truly like that of a clown. An American official - he wants to deceive us in the world - comes and says Iran should learn human rights from Saudi Arabia! What can be said to this person? Can anything other than clown be said? This person and such people have no credibility in their threats, promises, or signatures. They should not be paid attention to; courageously, the correct path must be followed; and [likewise] with rationality; one cannot manage a country solely with emotions. Emotions are very necessary, but in the position of supporting rationality; we must choose the path with rationality, proceed with motivation and emotions.

Another duty that our officials must pay attention to is appreciating the internal and domestic capacities of the country and recognizing these capacities. Many of these capacities remain stagnant when we do not recognize them; as has unfortunately happened; we have not recognized many capacities, including the capacity of these good youths. There are knots in the work of some officials in parts of the vast governmental and administrative structure that these youths can untie; both with the bright young minds and with their practical skills, they can untie these knots; they must appreciate the youths, consult with them, and utilize their opinions. In most places where we have utilized their opinions and benefited from them, we have achieved success. They must appreciate the youths, and they must also appreciate the lofty aspirations of the youths. The youths are ambitious, and this is not a flaw; it is these ambitions that propel a nation forward and prevent stagnation. They should not let the clamor of the Westerners instill fear in their hearts.

They must pay special attention to the livelihood of the people; today, the most important task and priority is this, because the enemy is focused on this; the livelihood of the lower classes. The problems that arise for the lower classes in terms of livelihood are among the most fundamental tasks for the officials of the country, especially the government officials; this is the most important work. There may be limited internal resources, but one observes that within the country, there are individuals and currents that unjustly swallow these resources; these brokerage games, these monopolistic tendencies in material matters, in trade, and so forth, hinder the progress of the country. We constantly emphasize domestic production; such a broker of imports, because it is against his interests, goes and obstructs in various ways, and one sees that [the work] does not yield results. Addressing the livelihood of the people is not just about distributing money; looking at these harmful and dangerous sectors and preventing them is among the important issues. We have reminded the officials of the country about this with specifics, sometimes with details in working sessions, we have emphasized it, and we will continue to emphasize it; these are the words we have with the officials.

[But the address] to the people. First, dear people must help the officials; everyone must help. If the discussion is about strengthening domestic production and domestic products, a significant part of it relates to the people. The producer of domestic products, the consumer of domestic products, the seller and shopkeeper who sells domestic products, all of these can be influential. The quality of production, the manner of distribution, these are important matters. Well, we have declared this year as the year of "Iranian Product" and emphasized Iranian goods; now it is the end of the year; how much work has been done in this regard? Of course, some work has been done, but how much progress have we made? We must advance in these areas. The people can help in this regard; they can cooperate in charitable works.

Among the works that the people can do in the best way to serve the country is their presence in the scenes of the revolution; among the works that the people can do is to confront and counter the enemy's rumor-mongering. Today, one of the active tactics of the enemy is rumor-mongering, which aims to unsettle the people, to turn the people against each other, to slander this and that, to incite the people against one another, which, of course, such an event will not happen by God's grace; but their intention is this; the people must be vigilant, must be aware. They shamelessly invite the people to confront the revolution, to confront the system; these people are the very ones upon whom the system relies. If the people were not the backing of the system, the significance of this matter would not have emerged, it would not have progressed; they are so brazen that they encourage the people, meaning they incite them to confront the system. The people must stand firm against these advertisements, must act against these advertisements. Today, the youth are active in cyberspace; cyberspace can be a tool for hitting back at the enemies.

As for the sanctions. Well, sanctions impose pressures on a nation, on a country. The sanctions that have been imposed against the Iranian nation, the Americans happily say, "There is no precedent in history"! Yes, there is no precedent in history, and God willing, the defeat that the Americans will face in this matter will also be unprecedented in history. The nation, the government, the officials, all can do something so that these sanctions turn out to be completely beneficial for the country. Just as we were under sanctions during the war when they did not sell us even individual weapons and at one time they said they would not sell us barbed wire, but these deprivations caused domestic talents to be activated, and in terms of defense, we have reached a point today where we are at the forefront in the region, and by God's grace, we have reached this because of the sanctions; otherwise, if from the very first day we had gone to buy whatever we needed, they would have given it to us, taken our money, we would not have thought to produce it ourselves, and we would not have reached this point. In all matters, it is the same; our youths tell me - and they prove this; it is not just a claim - that there is no device that the country needs, whether a part or otherwise, that we cannot manufacture; we can produce everything; they are right; in some cases, we have tested it and found that it is as they say. We have such human capacity. We must ensure that these sanctions become a means for blossoming, a means for reaching the peak of innovation and work in the country. [We must] make ourselves independent of the products of others and make others dependent on our products; this is a task that can be accomplished.

By God's grace, we will overcome these issues related to sanctions and problems; of course, they create problems, there are problems, and they exist now [but] these problems are from the beginning; if the government and the nation resist, remain vigilant, work and strive, and gird their loins, we will certainly pass through this stage with victory. Just as we passed through the imposed war with victory, Saddam was brought to his knees and went to the lowest depths, and the Islamic Republic flourished, our enemies, those who act against us in America and Europe and the West, will also go to the lowest depths, and the Islamic Republic, God willing, will remain.

May God's mercy be upon the pure soul of our great Imam who opened this path before us. Let us not forget the advice of the Imam, the will of the Imam; may God's mercy be upon his pure soul and may God's mercy be upon the dear martyrs who sacrificed their lives on this path and may God's mercy be upon those who have struggled in this path until today, and may God's mercy be upon you, dear people of Qom. Convey my greetings to the other brothers and sisters of Qom as well.

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