Leader: Trump’s presidency, clear sign of US political-moral decline (1)
Jun 11, 2019 11:25 UTC
Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, on 14th Khordad or June 4, the 30th passing away anniversary of the Father of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini (RA), delivered a memorable speech.
Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, on 14th Khordad or June 4, the 30th passing away anniversary of the Father of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini (RA), coinciding with the last day of the blessed fasting month of Ramadhan, delivered a memorable speech at the Late Leader’s mausoleum to a huge million-strong gathering, including guests and journalists from various world countries as well as the foreign diplomatic corps in Tehran.
He lauded the Late Imam in establishing the durable system of popular religious rule in Iran, which has indeed been transformed into a formidable bastion of the independence and Islamic heritage of the Iranian people, as well as a role model for aspiring nations and movements in the region and beyond, much to the chagrin of the hegemonic powers, especially the US, which defeated on all fronts, has now resorted to economic terrorism against the Islamic Republic.
The Leader remarked that the election of a person like Donald Trump as US president, and his eccentric policies, is firm proof of the political and moral decline of the US.
Please stay with us for the first of the beloved Leader’s speech.
Ayatollah Khamenei as usual expressed gratitude to God Almighty for His Infinite Favours, and saluted the Last and Greatest Messenger, Prophet Mohammad (SAWA). Next he greeted the Infallible Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt, especially the Lord of the Age, Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his reappearance for establishment of the global government of peace, prosperity, and justice.
He then said: “Today, exactly thirty years have passed since that tragic day; thirty years since the departure of our beloved Imam; thirty years since that historic farewell and that gloriously unique goodbye of our people for their dear and peerless leader.
“In these thirty years, there have been many efforts to undermine the magnetism of our magnanimous Imam by the various enemies and some ignorant persons, but reality has resulted in the exact opposite of the desires of opponents and enemies. The reality is that not only has the magnetism of Imam Khomeini not decreased but it has also achieved more continuity.
“One sign of this reality is today’s great gathering. Thirty years after the departure of our beloved Imam, this enthusiastic and great gathering is commemorating his passing away anniversary in this month of Ramadhan – in this hot afternoon – in such a cordial manner. Where in the world can one see such a thing?
“You were witness – the whole world was witness – to the dynamism of our Imam a few days ago at the World Qods Day rallies. Forty years ago, our magnanimous Imam had designated Qods Day (on the Last Friday of Ramadhan) in order to mobilize efforts in defence of the important issue of Palestine. Forty years have passed, yet Qods Day has not become outdated. This year there were Qods Day rallies in more than 100 countries in remembrance of our magnanimous Imam. That is while the arrogant policies of the US, its cohorts and followers are focused on consigning the issue of Palestine to oblivion and on erasing the matter completely. You have heard the news about the malevolence of the Americans and the treason of some of Arab leaders on this matter.
“In such circumstances, the influence of our magnanimous Imam has caused the matter of Qods to be highlighted in more than 100 countries. And this has not been organized by politicians and official spokespersons, rather it has been organized by the masses of people and by Muslims themselves. This is a sign of the magnetism of the Imam which continues to thrive even thirty years after his demise.
“No magnetism equals his in the world. I would like to use this opportunity to thank our dear people from the bottom of my heart because of that glorious and magnificent presence on the last Friday of the auspicious month of Ramadhan during which large gatherings of the people entered the arena. The people showed no negligence in acting on the Imam’s advice and nor will they do so in the future.
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution posed the questions. “What is the secret to this magnetism? What is the source of the unique magnetism of our magnanimous Imam?
“I will explain certain aspects of the matter because this requires a more extensive discussion. Imam enjoyed certain personality traits and God-given blessings which are seen in very few individuals to such an extent.
“Imam Khomeini had these characteristics: He was a brave, wise and intelligent. He was a pious and devoted person who was attached to God Almighty. He was a man who fought oppression and never liked it. He was a supporter of the oppressed. He fought arrogance. He was a man who would pursue justice and who would advocate and support the oppressed. He was sincere. He was honest with the people. He would say to the people what he has in his heart and he would share with them his heartfelt feelings. He would behave towards them in a sincere way. He was a man of jihad in the way of God and he would not sit idle. He was constantly engaged in jihad.
“He was a manifestation of the ayahs 7 & 8 of Surah ash-Sharh of the holy Qur’an – where God tells Prophet Mohammad (SAWA): “So when you have accomplished still exert yourself; and turn eagerly to your Lord.”
“Thus, whenever Imam Khomeini finished a great task, he would turn to another great one and pursue it. He was a man of striving in the way of God. These are the elements of the magnetism of the Late Imam. All these characteristics existed in him.
“Anyone who has these characteristics can attract hearts. These are the same good deeds about which Allah the Exalted says in ayah 96 of Surah Maryam of the holy Qur’an: “Indeed those who have faith and do righteous deeds —the All-Beneficent will endear them [to His creation].”
“This is the Divine Promise. And these affections are Divine Affections. They are not propagandist affections and they are not imposed and suggested. They are the work of God and are in His Control.
Ayatollah Khamenei further said: “Imam Khomeini had a special characteristic which I would like to explain. That characteristic is resistance: resistance and firmness. What introduced him as a man with a school of thought and philosophy in his own time and in history had more to do with this characteristic: the characteristic of steadfastness, resistance and refusal to give in to problems and obstacles. The Imam showed his resistance in the face of all forms of evil: whether the domestic evil regime during revolutionary activities or the evils that emerged after the victory of the Revolution.
“During revolutionary activities, many became exhausted and they were on the verge of despair, but the Imam stood firm. He stood firm on the path of fighting without the slightest retreat. This was related to the pre-revolutionary era. After the victory of the Revolution too, other comprehensive pressures loomed large before him, but he did not lose the essence of resistance and steadfastness. He resisted.
“When I look at this characteristic of the Late Imam and when I refer to Qur’anic ayahs, I see that he truly was manifestation of many Qur’anic ayahs with his steadfastness and resistance. Threats, temptations and deceptions would not make his budge from his firm stance. The important point is that the efforts and threats of the enemy could not disrupt his calculation system, which was based on the truths of the enlightening religion of Islam.
“What does resistance mean? Resistance means that you choose a path that you deem legitimate and true. It means moving on this path and not allowing obstacles to prevent you from trekking that path. This is what resistance means. Imagine that you face an obstacle or a deep hole when you are taking a road or imagine that you face a rock when you want to reach the peak of a mountain. When some people confront this rock, this obstacle or this thief or wolf, they return and they change their minds about continuing the path. However, some people do not do so. They look around and see how they can get around the rock and maneuver the obstacle. They find the way, remove the obstacle or pass through it in an intelligent way. Resistance means this.
“And Imam Khomeini was like that. He had chosen a path and he was treading it. What was the path? What was his claim that made him insist on it? His claim was about the authority of God’s religion: the authority of God’s religion over the Ummah and over the public life of peoples. This was his claim.”
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution said in continuation: “After having managed to overcome the obstacles and establish the Islamic Republic, Imam Khomeini announced that we would neither oppress nor give in to oppression. He said that we would not get along with oppressors and that we would definitely support the oppressed. This was his assertion.
“This assertion originates from the essence of religion. It originates from the holy Qur’an. This is stressed and approved not only by the holy Qur’an but also by commonsense. Confronting oppression, defending the oppressed and refusing to cooperate and get along with oppressors is something which is approved by all wise personalities in the world. Imam would persist with this.
“Well, it is evident that this claim and this outlook has staunch enemies in the world. The arrogant apparatuses of the world are into oppression. When Imam Khomeini launched his great movement, it was already over 200 years that western regimes had subjected nations in different corners of the world – in Asia, in Africa and in many different lands – to their increasing oppression. The English in India and the surrounding regions, the French in Africa – in Algeria and other lands – and some other European powers in various lands were busy in their naked oppression.
“Well, it is evident that they become upset at this stance. When a government is established in the center of Asia – in this sensitive region, in Iran – which adopts the stance of not getting along with oppression, neither accepting oppression, nor compromising with oppressors, but instead supporting the oppressed, it is evident that this is unbearable and intolerable for them. That is why enmities began from day one.
“The enmity was begun by those engrossed in oppression and transgression and in exploiting others. Naturally, they could not get along with the nature of our magnanimous Imam’s message – that is to say, the Islamic Republic. In the first decade of the Revolution, during the lifetime of our magnanimous Imam, they showed enmity in one way. And after the passing away of Imam Khomeini they showed enmity in another way. In the past two decades too, they have been showing enmity in a different way. From the very beginning, in the face of this cowardly and malicious aggression, Imam Khomeini laid the foundation of the idea of resistance, steadfastness and not losing the path and the goal. He showed this path to us, to the Iranian nation, to fighters and to the officials of the country as a lesson and as a roadmap to follow.
Ayatollah Khamenei said: “This resistance gradually exceeded the borders of the Islamic Republic. This does not mean that we wish to export this title and idea of resistance. Some people – including politicians and others – complain here and there why we want to export the Revolution. We are not exporting the Revolution. The Revolution is a thought, a philosophy, a roadmap. If it is accepted and cherished by a nation, it will welcome it on its own. Did we say to other countries to rally on Qods Day? They themselves did so. They themselves wished to do so. Resistance was accepted by other nations on its own.
“Today in our region – West Asia – the common word among nations is resistance. Everyone agrees with resistance. Of course, some people enter the arena of resistance and some people do not dare do so, but those who enter the arena of resistance are not a few in number. The recent defeats that the US suffered in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine and other such countries were an outcome of the resistance of the Resistance Front. The Resistance camp is a strong camp today.
“Of course, we do not deny that because we people of Iran firmly resisted, moved forward and made achievements, others were encouraged to pursue resistance. This has been acknowledged by non-Iranian analysts and political experts of the world. A well-known international analyst – all of you have heard his name – says that one of the most important reasons behind the enmity of the US towards the Islamic Republic is that Iran took the path of resistance, succeeded in it and managed to overcome the obstacles. This is one of the reasons behind US enmity. They want us to be defeated. They wish that we become discouraged. They want us to hold up our hands as a sign of surrender. Because we are not doing so, they are showing enmity.
“Well, Imam Khomeini chose the path of resistance. The important point is that he did not choose it out of emotional and transient feelings. The choice of resistance by the Imam has a solid logical source of support. It is a reasonable, scientific and of course, religious source of support. Behind the steadfastness and resistance of the Imam, there stands logic. One constituent of this logic is that resistance is a natural reaction that every liberated and honorable nation produces in the face of imposition and bullying. No other reason is required. Every nation that attaches value to its honor, identity and human nature shows resistance and steadfastness when they want to impose something on it. This is a plausible and convincing reason in its own right. This is one constituent.
“The second constituent is that resistance, unlike surrender, leads to the retreat of the enemy. When the enemy bullies you, if you take a step back, he will undoubtedly advance. The way to stop him from advancing is to resist. Showing steadfastness and resistance in the face of the enemy’s greed, extortion and blackmail is the way to prevent him from advancing. So resistance is a wise course of action.
“Generally speaking, whenever we showed steadfastness and resistance, we managed to move forward and whenever we stepped back and moved according to the whims of the other side, we received a blow. There are clear examples in this regard. Intelligent and well-informed individuals can easily find the examples in the forty-year life of the Islamic Republic.
Ayatollah Khamenei said: “The third constituent of the logic of resistance is that there is a price for resistance and it will not come cheap, however the price of surrendering to the enemy is higher than that of resistance! When you surrender to the enemy, you have to pay a price for that. The Pahlavi regime had surrendered to the US. Many times it was unhappy and dissatisfied, but being subservient to them it couldn’t do anything. The regime would give money to the US, which used to blackmail and humiliate the Pahlavi regime.
Today, the Saudi regime is like this. It gives them money; it adopts positions according to the wishes of the US and then is insulted at the same time, by being called a “dairy cow.” So, the price that one pays for compromising, surrendering and not resisting is much more than the price that one pays for resisting! It has both a worldly and otherworldly price.
“The fourth element and constituent of the logic of resistance founded by our magnanimous Imam is related to the Qur’anic part of the Divine Promise. Allah the Exalted has promised in numerous ayahs of the holy Qur’an that the advocates of the truth will be the ultimate victors. They might have to offer sacrifices, but they will not suffer defeat at the end and will not be frustrated. They will be ultimate victors.
“I wish to cite some examples from the holy Qur’an in this regard. Ayah 42 of Surah “at-Toor”, says: “Do they seek to outmaneuver [Allah]? But it is the faithless who are the outmaneuvered ones!”
It means the enemies think that they are preparing the ground for plotting against the front of the truth and resistance, but they do not know that there is a plot being hatched against them on the basis of divine nature and tradition.
Ayah 5 of Surah Ankabout says: “And We desired to show favour to those who were abased in the land, and to make them Imams, and to make them the heirs.”
Ayah 7 of Surah Muhammad says: “O you who have faith! If you help Allah, He will help you and make your feet steady.”
That was the first part of the memorable speech of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei on June 4 on the 30th passing away anniversary of the Father of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini (RA).
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