Burst of Light (1)

Welcome to the program. As from today you’ll be listening to a series of programs titled, “Burst of Light”. The title has been chosen from the words of Imam Khomeini when he said, “Our Revolution was the burst of light.” In these programs we are going to touch upon the big strides taken by Iran in various domains after the victory of the Islamic Revolution.

The Islamic Revolution of Iran is passing the 38^th year of its life. This revolution faced with the arrays of the Front of Arrogance since the first days of its emergence. The Islamic Revolution ushered in a phase of great developments in all spheres for the Iranian nation and had a plethora of blessings. Independence was the most important development which led to the formation of the Islamic Republic system of government with the absolute votes of people. This independence bestowed dignity and honour to the Iranian people and inspired many other oppressed nations and freedom seekers in the world. A few days after capturing the US embassy in Tehran, which Imam Khomeini rightly called it “the den of espionage”, the Imam said, “We were a nation under the pressure of the US and other superpowers. Our independence was lost. Our freedom was lost. Our reserves had perished. And we rose up to gain our freedom. We rose up to gain our independence.”

This revolution, with standing firm on its global values, mottoes and message, created a deep development. Expatiation of the achievements of this revolution requires insight and recognition of its nature and identity.

The Islamic Revolution of Iran has attained many achievements during its nearly 4 decades of life. The topmost achievement is the severance of political and cultural dependence on the enemies which led to other achievements such as economic growth, freedom coupled with human responsibility, self-belief and justice-seeking. Since its inception till the period of the Sacred Defence (8 year war imposed by the US through its regional puppet, Saddam) and after that, the Islamic Revolution has faced a lot of political, cultural, military and economic conspiracies; but this divine revolution has passed all these hardships through steadfastness and firm belief in God. The Iranian nation has so far overcome all hardships through paying the costs. But all these hardships have made the revolution more robust and stable against the ill-wishers.

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said on February 8, 1993, “The Islamic Revolution revived the Islamic identity among Muslims. The awakening of nations and creation of vividness and hope among the combatant and revolutionary forces in the world is the undeniable and inalienable fruit of Iran’s Islamic Revolution. Another impact of the Islamic Revolution was that it woke up the enemy of the Islamic Revolution. The coalesced front of Arrogance including America, the reactionary, anti-people and aggressive powers and the powers which consider the world as their own and like the weak nations to be under their will and intention, have lined up against Islam and the Islamic Revolution.”

The blessed impacts of the Islamic Revolution are the result of the religious and value-based development that ushered in a new era of resistance against bullying powers. That’s why the Arrogance Front has exerted its utmost in every arena to stop this movement or bring it under its control. But the vigilance of the leader (both Imam Khomeini and Ayatollah Khamenei) and steadfastness of the nation has foiled all plots of the enemy and turned the threats to opportunities. In all years after the victory of the Islamic Revolution the Iranian nation has incessantly moved forward despite ceaseless conspiracies hatched on the way of this newfound phenomenon. In spite of the economic sanctions, imposition of the 8 year internecine war and political and cultural schemes which would increasingly become harsher and more intricate, the Islamic Republic system has been successful in reaching high scientific peaks and achieved self-belief and self-reliance through dynamic advancement.

The Iranian nation is celebrating the 38^th anniversary of the triumph of the Islamic Revolution while a new chapter has opened in the political and economic engagements of the country. During the recent years the illegal sanctions of the west against Iran escalated under the pretext of Iran’s nuclear activities. The west made strenuous efforts to stymie the Islamic Revolution’s advancement but the Iranian nation hasn’t doubted its path for a single moment and has taken big strides. This is an issue that has been admitted even by the American officials. Once, the former US Secretary of State John Kerry acknowledged that Iran has not weakened with sanctions. This is because the Islamic Republic has continued its course despite sanctions and has proven itself in this regard.

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution said, “During all these years, in spite of all defects and pressures, the Iranian nation has had a forward move in the course of progress, in the field of science and achievement of modern technologies which play an important role in the economic advancement and sustainable development.”

Undoubtedly, the economic pressures and sanctions are considered as two deterring factors in the way of a country’s progress; however, the Iranian nation, pinning hope on future and through innovation of the young specialized forces has not allowed the wheels of production to be halted in sensitive sectors such as oil, gas, nuclear industry, new energies and medical sciences. In the field of oil, gas and petrochemicals many European companies are rivaling to enter the Iranian market. Delegations and representatives of giant European companies like Siemens and executive managers of big European and Asian corporations have met and conferred with the Iranian officials in Tehran and signed numerous agreements.

Many companies and investors have been considering long term economic cooperation with Iran and are returning to Iran’s markets. The oil giants Total and Schell have already sent their managers to Tehran. Other oil companies like British Petroleum (BP), Stat Oil and Luke Oil have shown penchant for participating in Iran’s oil and gas sector. Wall Street Journal forecast that with lifting of Iran’s sanctions different economic domains of its economy will witness absorption of foreign investment and growth. Livia Leu Agosti, former Swiss Ambassador to Tehran, said, “Many European companies are interested in entering Iran’s market and investing in it. Iran is a great country with 80 million people enjoying high education, a rich country with considerable oil and gas reserves. There are many opportunities and possibilities for European companies in the sector of infrastructures including transportation. Iran has an attractive market in different aspects such as medicine and food.”

The World Bank, in its 2016 economic prospect, announced that despite oil prices reduction, the economic growth in the region will increase to over 5% for the 2016-2018 period. This monetary body has based this growth on the spectacular improvement of Iran’s economy and declared that the Islamic Republic is considered the greatest developing economy in the region.

All these opportunities have materialized under circumstances that the US and other enemies of the Islamic Revolution have focused their basic strategies on magnifying a few shortcomings and enervating revolutionary moves. The Iranian nation has not got tired or desperate of pursuing its goals. The Iranian nation has speedily covered the phases of stabilizing independence and power and frustrated the enemies by thwarting their schemes. A fair analysis of the achievements of the Islamic Revolution reveals that this unique movement of the contemporary era has been successful in gaining most of its objectives and even the enemies admit that the Islamic Republic system has not been overcome in any domain. The Iranian nation proved to the world that this revolution is a dynamic and energetic revolution and has gone from strength to strength.

The Great Satan, the US, and its allies have always concentrated on hindering the way of Iran’s progress. Economic sanctions have turned into a leverage of pressure to force the Islamic Iran to kowtow to the dictates of the bullying powers. These sanctions have been carried out in the form of coercive economic measures by the US and its accomplices in the EU. Through sanctions in the oil sector to obstructionism at the markets of goods, exchange and investment the United States has piled up its efforts to create despair and dissatisfaction among Iranian masses. Analyst Javad al-Ahrar says, “Economic pressures of the west against Iran during all the past years were focused on implying of inability in securing basic needs in key sectors of production in Iran. But this method was not that effective in practice and Iran showed that, with effort in the path of self-sufficiency at infrastructural sectors, it is able to resist against the economic pressure.”

Today, the White House officials continue speaking of all options being on the table from sanctions to war. This is the west’s soft war against the Islamic Republic to demonstrate Iran as unable and hamstrung vis-à-vis sanctions. However, Iran proved that the theory of fabricating shortcomings or augmenting them has failed and replaced by a more dangerous plot, namely, putting hurdles on the way of Iran’s progress. The daily Christian Science Monitor wrote that the sanctions and restrictions have caused the Islamic Republic to take strides and move toward further progress. Sanctions have failed to bring about the results pursued by the US and the west; for, intensification of sanctions has conversely persuaded Iran to advance in every sphere.”

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution has reiterated in different occasions that the challenge of the Iranian nation with the United States persists. He had made it clear that a requisite for this great struggle is steadfastness and all-out effort for the progress of the country in the fields of science and construction so that prosperity and victory is attained.

Reaching real independence requires a very tough combat and has many vicissitudes. The only nations which emerge victorious in this combat are the ones who do not retreat from fighting the avarice of the global powers and do their best to decrease their dependence on these hegemonic and oppressive powers via achieving strategic technologies. The Islamic Revolution of Iran practically proved that the discourse of independence-seeking has originated in resistance, self-belief and seeking of dignity.

RM/SS