Leader: Islamic Revolution enters 2nd grand phase on 40th anniversary (1)

Last Monday on the occasion of the grand 40th anniversary celebrations of the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran on which millions of enthusiastic Iranians took to the streets in a festive manner to express support for the Islamic system of government, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, in his keynote address to the nation, enumerated the achievements of the country and gave guidelines for more spectacular progress in the coming years.

Following is the first part of a 2-part feature in this regard.

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution after thanking God Almighty for His favours, saluting the Prophet of Islam and his Blessed Ahl al-Bayt, and praising the Iranian people for their faith and unity, said: “Among all the nations suffering from oppression, few make an effort to launch a revolution; and among those nations that have risen and launched a revolution, few have been witnessed to have pursued it to the end, or moved beyond merely changing the government and safeguarded their revolutionary values. However, the auspicious Revolution of the Iranian people—which is the greatest and most popular revolution of the contemporary era—is the sole revolution that has persisted forty years of pride, saved from betrayal its values, and has preserved its dignity and original slogans against all the temptations which seemed irresistible; thereby entering the second phase of self-development, nation-building, and socio-cultural progress. Sincere greetings to this nation, the generation who initiated and continued [the movement] and the generation that currently steps into the magnificent and global phenomenon of the second forty years!

“The day when the world was divided into the material West and East, and no one presumed a major religious movement would emerge, the Islamic Revolution of Iran stepped into the scene gloriously and mightily; it broke the frameworks; it showed to the world the out-datedness of the clichés; it put the religion and the material world together, and declared the coming of a new era. It was much expected that the leaders of deviation and oppression would react—but in vain. Whatever the so-called right and left of modern era did— from pretending to ignore this emerging and unprecedented voice to extensive efforts for suffocating it— just brought them closer to their indispensable demise. Today, after forty annual celebrations of the victory of the Revolution and forty Fajr Ten-Day Dawns, one of the two centers of animosity has already perished, and the second one is struggling with predicaments that signal its death in the near future. Whereas, the Islamic Revolution is advancing while preserving and adhering to its mottos.

“It is possible to assume an expiry date for anything, yet, the global mottos of this religious revolution are exceptional; they will never expire, because they match human nature in all eras. Freedom, ethics, spirituality, justice, independence, dignity, rationality, brotherhood, are not limited to a single generation or society so that they would rise in a period and decline in the next. It is impossible to imagine a people who despise these values. The reported cases of reluctance to these values were due to the officials who had shrunken from these religious values; and not due to their adherence to them and endeavors for achieving them.”

Ayatollah Khamenei said: “The Islamic revolution—like a living and unwavering phenomenon—is always flexible and ready to correct its mistakes, but it is not revisionary or passive. It is positively sensitive to criticisms; it regards them as a divine blessing as well as a warning to those who do not act upon their words; yet it, by no means, takes distance from its values, which are blended with the religious faith of the people, thanks be to God. Since the establishment of the system, the Islamic revolution has never suffered from, and will never suffer from stagnation and recession, and it does not see any conflict and contradiction between revolutionary dynamism and political and social order; rather, it eternally defends the theory of the revolutionary system.

“The Islamic Republic is not reactionary and it does not lack perception and understanding in face of new phenomena and situations; however, it strongly adheres to its principles and it is highly sensitive to its frontiers in relation to its rivals and enemies. It never imprecisely regards its principal lines and considers it important as why and how it would persist. Undoubtedly, the gap between the musts and the realities has always tormented the idealist consciences; however, this gap is fillable, and in the past forty years it has been filled in many cases, and certainly in the future, with the presence of a young, faithful, wise and motivated generation, it will be filled more vigorously.

“The Islamic Revolution of the Iranian nation has been mighty, but merciful; forgiving and even oppressed. It has not committed any of extremist and deviated acts that have marked many other uprisings and movements with stigma. In no conflicts—not even against the United States or Saddam—did it ever shoot the first bullet and, in all cases, it defended itself after the enemy's attack; of course, it blew the defensive strike vigorously. Since its inception, this Revolution has never been merciless nor has it ever shed blood; it has neither been passive nor hesitant. Standing assertively and courageously against bullies and thugs, it has defended the oppressed. This revolutionary bravery and gallantry, this honesty, assertiveness, and sovereignty; this global and regional realm of action in support of the oppressed of the world represent a source of pride for Iran and the Iranians, and may it persist eternally!

The Leader said: “Now, at the beginning of a new chapter in the life of the Islamic Republic, I would like to address my dear young people: the generation which steps up to start another part of the Great Jihad [selfless endeavour] for building a great Islamic Iran. The first section of my address concerns the past.

“Dear ones! You cannot learn but from your own experience or listening to the experiences of others. Many of what we have seen and experimented, your generation has not experienced and seen yet. We have seen and you will see. The decades ahead are your decades, and it is you who should protect your Revolution while you are qualified and full of motivation, and move it closer to its great ideal: that is, the emergence of a new Islamic civilization and the preparation for the rising of the Great Sun of Wilayah, Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his reappearance). To take steady steps in the future, we need to develop a good knowledge of the past and learn from the experiences. If this strategy is neglected, lies will replace the truth, and the future will be menaced by unknown threats. The adversaries of the Revolution are strongly motivated in their efforts to spread distortions and lies about the past and even the present, exploiting money and all the necessary tools for it. The bandits of thought, creed and awareness are ample; the truth cannot be heard from the enemy and its troops.

“The Islamic Revolution and the establishment that rose from it started from scratch. Firstly, everything was against us: the corrupt (Pahlavi) regime—which, in addition to its dependence and corruption, tyranny and being coup-based—was the first and only ruling regime in Iran that was brought to power by the foreigners rather than by the force of sword or the Iranian people. It managed to survive because of the United States and some other Western regimes; or the extremely chaotic situation inside Iran; and the shameful backwardness in science and technology, politics, spirituality, and any other virtue.

“Secondly, there was no precedent before us and the path ahead of us had not been walked. Obviously, Marxist currents and the like could not represent a role model for a revolution that emerged from the heart of Islamic faith and knowledge. Islamic revolutionaries began without a precedence or experience, and the combination of a republic and Islam and the means for the formation and progress of it were not achieved except through Divine Guidance as well as the luminous heart and the great thought of Imam Khomeini (RA).

Ayatollah Khamenei said: “This marked the first brilliance of the Revolution. Then, the Revolution of the Iranian nation transformed the bipolar world of that day into a three polar world, and then, with the fall and disappearance of the Soviet Union and its allies and the emergence of new poles of power, the new dichotomy of “Islam and the Arrogant Front” became a prominent phenomenon of the contemporary world and the focal point that is attracting the world’s attention. On the one hand, the aspirated look of the oppressed nations, freedom-seeking movements and some independence-seeking states of the world fixated on it; and on the other hand, it was screened by resentful and malicious eyes of the world’s bullying regimes and blackmailer thugs. Such, the world adopted a different orientation, and the seismic power of the Revolution shook the untroubled pharaohs. Hostilities began with all intensity; if it was not due to the magnificent power of the faith and the motivation of this nation and the heavenly and endorsed leadership of our imminent Imam, it was impossible to resist the hostility, conspiracy, and vice.

“In spite of all these onerous problems, the Islamic Republic took greater and stronger steps day after day. The past 40 years exhibited great jihads, brilliant achievements and amazing advances for Islamic Iran. The magnitude of the progress made by the Iranian nation in the last forty years is well-recognized when compared to similar spans following other major revolutions such as the French Revolution, the October Revolution of the Soviet Union and the Indian Freedom Movement. The jihadi management strategies inspired by Islamic faith and the belief in the principle of "we can do it"—that Imam Khomeini (RA) had taught us all—assisted Iran in its achievement of dignity and progress on various areas.

The Revolution put an end to a long historical decadence, and the country, which was severely humiliated and utterly retrograded during the Pahlavi and Qajar dynasties, started to progress rapidly. In its first step, the Revolution turned the disgraceful regime of the tyrannical monarchy into a popular and democratic state, and employed the element of national determination—which is the essence of comprehensive and genuine progress—to the heart of the country's governance; then, it turned the youth into the main forerunners of the developments and the key players in the management of the country. It conveyed the "we can do it" spirit and belief to everyone; thanks to the enemies’ sanctions, it taught everyone to rely on domestic capacities, and this unfolded a source of great blessings: Firstly: It guaranteed the stability and security of the country; the territorial integrity and the protection of the borders—which were targeted by the enemy's serious threats—and gave rise to the miracle of victory in the 8-year war, leading to the defeat of the Ba’thist regime, and its American, European and Eastern supporters.”

The Leader said: “Secondly: It acted as the country's engine in developing the field of science and technology, and in creating the vital, economic and constructional infrastructures which continue to grow more prevalent day by day: several thousands of knowledge enterprises; several thousands of infrastructure and necessary projects for the country in the areas of civil engineering and transportation, industry, power, mining, health care, agriculture and water; millions of university graduates or students; thousands of colleges and universities throughout the country; dozens of big projects, such as the nuclear fuel cycle, stem cells, nanotechnology, biotechnology, etc., all ranking among the top of the world; developing sixty times more non-oil exports and nearly ten times more industrial units. The quality of the industrial sector advanced tens of times more than before; the industry that only relied on assembling and montage was transformed into domestic technology; in various engineering disciplines including the defense industries visible prominence was observed; achievements were made in the critical fields of medicine and the position of authority in it; and dozens of other examples of progress are the outcomes of that morale as well as the social involvement and the collective feeling that the Revolution granted to the country. Before the revolution, Iran had zero production of science and technology; it had no capability in the industry except for assembling and no ability in science except for translation [of other works].

“Thirdly: The Revolution has elevated to a culmination the popular participation in political matters such as elections, confronting internal seditions, turnout in national arenas and scenes involving the fight against the Arrogant Front. Regarding social matters, it boosted, for instance, humanitarian aids and engaging in charity activities that had begun before the Revolution. After the revolution, people eagerly partake in service-providing to those affected by natural disasters and social shortcomings.

“Fourthly: It astonishingly enhanced the political acumen of the people and their view of international issues. The Revolution expanded beyond the limited number of isolation-seeking elites—often known as the enlightened—the political analysis and understanding of international issues on the matters such as crimes by the West and particularly the United States; the Palestinian cause and the historical oppression of the Palestinian nation; the issue of bullying powers’ warmongering attitudes, vices, intrusions in other nations’ affairs and the like. This type of intellectualism became widespread and available to the masses throughout the country and in all areas of life, and similar matters have become understandable and clear even for teenagers and children.”

Ayatollah Khamenei continued: “Fifthly: It distributed the country's public facilities in a manner closer to justice. If I —this very humble person—am not satisfied with the functioning of justice in the country, it is due to the fact that this lofty value should shine like a unique gem on the Islamic Republic, but it has not yet. However, my dissatisfaction should not be taken to mean that no work has been done for the establishment of justice. The reality is that the achievements made in combating injustice over the past four decades are not comparable to any other era in the past. During the previous tyrannical regimes, most of the services and revenues of the country were available only to a small group of the residents of the capital city or their counterparts in other parts of the country. The people in most cities, especially in remote areas and villages, were at the end of the list and often deprived of basic infrastructure and services.

“The Islamic Republic has been one of the world's most successful governments in relocating its services and wealth from the centre to all parts of the country, and from the affluent areas of the cities to the poor neighborhoods. The great statistics on building roads and housing construction; the establishment of industrial centres; the reformation of agricultural matters; distribution of electricity, water as well as building medical centers, universities, dams, and power plants and the like even to the most remote areas of the country, truly makes us proud. Certainly, all these efforts were neither reflected in the inefficient propagations of the officials of the Islamic Republic nor did the foreign and domestic malevolent enemies confess it. Yet, it is there and remains as good deeds of jihadi, sincere managers before God and for the sake of the people. Nevertheless, the notion of justice as expected by the Islamic Republic—that seeks to follow the role model of the government of social justice established by Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali (AS)—is far superior to that, and I look forward to seeing you, the young people, realizing it.

“Sixthly: It significantly enhanced the level of spirituality and ethics in the public sphere of society. This auspicious phenomenon was particularly promoted due to Imam Khomeini’s manners during the period of the fights leading to, as well as after, the victory of the Revolution. That spiritual man and the mystic pure of material enticements headed a country the foundation of whose people’s beliefs were deeply rooted. Although the propaganda promoting corruption and immorality during the Pahlavi era had stricken hard blows to the nation and had dragged the Western moral corruption into the lives of middle-class people—particularly the youth—the religious and ethical approach of the Islamic Republic attracted the bright and apt hearts, especially those of the young individuals, and the ambiance changed in the interest of religion and morality.”

The Leader further said: “Strives by the young individuals in the face of hardships, including the Holy Defence [against the US-backed Saddam invasion of Iran], were accompanied by prayers and spirit of brotherhood and sacrifice, and reminiscent of the events that unfolded during the early history of Islam, exhibiting them live and vivid before everyone’s eyes. Fathers, mothers, and wives bid farewells to their loved ones who set off for various fronts of jihad, motivated by a sense of religious duty; then, once they encountered their blood-soaked or wounded bodies, they accepted the calamity while they were grateful to God. Mosques and religious spaces became unprecedentedly busy. Several thousands of young individuals, university students and professors, women and men were in the waiting list for performing E’tekaf. Several thousands of young volunteers were eager to join Jihadi [volunteering] camps, construction jihad, and the construction mobilization forces. Prayers and Hajj pilgrimage, fasting and pilgrim walks and various religious ceremonies along with obligatory and non-obligatory donations flourished everywhere, especially among young people. To this day, this has become better in quality and larger in quantity. This has all happened at a time when the increasing moral decline of the West and its followers as well as their massive propaganda to drive men and women into corruption, has isolated morality and spirituality in the major parts of the world: this represents another miracle of the Revolution and the active and forward-looking Islamic system.

“Seventhly: The magnificent and glorious epitome of rising up against the bullies, thugs and arrogant powers of the world—led by the criminal and warmongering USA—grew more prominent day after day. During all these forty years, Iran and the Iranians—particularly the youth —have been known as never surrendering and always safeguarding the Revolution, its divine magnificence and its pride against arrogant, haughty states. The hegemonic powers of the world—that have lived on trespassing the independence of other countries and plundering their vital interests in order to fulfill their evil intentions—have confessed to their weakness in the face of the Islamic and Revolutionary Iran. In the lively ambiance of the Revolution, the Iranian nation managed to first expel the puppets of the US, the agents who betrayed the nation, and since then, the Iranian nation has vigorously prevented any domination over the country by bullying powers.”

AS/ME