Leader warns of enemy plots, reaffirms Imam Khomeini’s path

Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, on Monday June 4, addressed over a million at the mausoleum of the Father of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini (God bless him), on the 29th anniversary of his departure from the mortal world.

He told the gathering which included senior civilian and military officials as well as foreign diplomatic representatives that Iran has complete trust in the capabilities of its people, and is thus undeterred of the pressures of the enemies who are in fact afraid of the Iranian nation’s Revolutionary Spirit - the legacy of the late Imam Khomeini.”

He said: “Imam Khomeini led the Islamic Revolution that forced out the enemies and became a source of inspiration for other nations. The Islamic Revolution took the Iranian nation out of the quagmire of dependence on foreigners, corruption and international humiliation.”

Ayatollah Khamenei described Imam Khomeini as the symbol of the Revolution, saying Iran will not be able to achieve its great goals without the powerful engine of the Revolution. This year, he pointed out, the coincidence of the Beloved Leader’s passing away anniversary with the martyrdom anniversary of the Commander of True Believers, the Leader of the Pious, and Epitome of Justice, Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (AS), warrants us to focus on the dynamic personality of the divinely-decreed successor of Prophet Mohammad (blessings of God upon him and his progeny). Imam Ali (AS) possessed steadfastness, resistance and strictness, along with kindness, affection and magnanimity, taking these qualities to the height of perfection.

He said: “Imam Ali (AS) was steadfast and strict in the face of every unfair movement: including oppression, oppressors, deviation from the path of God, transgression and greed. He would stand up against these things with complete steadfastness and power and his spirit of resistance is unprecedented till this day. He also behaved in a completely sensitive and delicate manner when it came to the worship of God, and the affairs of the oppressed, the underprivileged and the weak classes of society. He was, however, firm and resolute against Mua’wiyah – the rebellious governor Syria – to the extent that when some of his companions suggested that in view of Mua’wiyah’s influence in the Levant, his dismissal should be deferred, the Imam did not accept this, since this would have been a violation of justice and divine commandment.”

Ayatollah Khamenei noted the iron resolve of Imam Ali (AS) against the Khawarej or renegades who claimed to be Muslims yet rebelled against him. He said “on the other hand, we witness such extreme delicacy and affection in the Commander of the True Believers regarding the weak and the underprivileged classes that once while delivering provisions incognito to a poor widow, he even baked bread for her orphans and entertained them.

Ayatollah Khamenei referred to the incident of the forces of Mua’wiyah attacking the Iraqi city of Anbar, and after murdering its governor, looting houses, terrorizing people, and snatching the ornaments of even non-Muslim women, a tragic incident that made Imam Ali (AS) say: “If any Muslim dies of grief after all this, he is not to be blamed”.

He added: “If we want to have a correct understanding about the power and strength of the Commander of the True Believers, we should look at his sermons that are full of wisdom and continue to provide instructive lessons for all humans till this day.”

Ayatollah Khamenei said that Imam Khomeini as a true servant of Imam Ali (AS), strove to demonstrate these qualities as is evident by his firmness against oppressors and the evil elements, such as the corrupt British-installed Pahlavi potentate, the US which he rightly called the Great Satan, and the tyrant Saddam of the repressive Ba’th minority regime of Baghdad.

On the other hand, he said: “One can see the affection and delicacy of our magnanimous Imam. He once received a message from the mother of a martyr. I myself took that message, given by the mother of a martyr, to our magnanimous Imam. The eyes of that powerful man were filled with tears! He was deeply touched by that mother's message of respect and sacrifice.”

Thus, he said, the Late Imam Khomeini, as the steadfast follower of Imam Ali (AS) succeeded in ousting the despotic Pahlavi regime, defeating the US, and foiling the intricate plot of the 8-year war. Ayatollah Khamenei added that the war was imposed by the US to destroy the Revolution and overthrow the Islamic government, “however, our magnanimous Imam turned this threat into an opportunity, and these are the signs of the strength, power and authority of Imam Khomeini.”

He pointed out that many of the dreams of Imam Khomeini have come true such as national confidence, self-sufficiency, the scientific, technological and political progress of the country, and the expansion of influence the Islamic Republic has achieved in the vast region of West Asia and North Africa.

Ayatollah Khamenei said with confidence: “Our magnanimous Imam's Islamic Republic will achieve more growth and greatness on a daily basis and that is what has made the enemies nervous and angry. My dear ones, dear youth, great people of Iran, the moves that the enemy makes are a sign of his nervousness, agitation and anger, not a sign of its power. What the enemy does today against the Islamic Republic does not stem from power. Its behavior shows that it is nervous, angry and agitated because of the Islamic Republic's greatness and progress and the Iranian nation's resistance.”

Ayatollah Khamenei told the audience to cast a glance at the exemplary life of Imam Ali (AS) and the forces of darkness that opposed him, such as the “Nakethin”(the Oath-Breakers), the “Qasetin” [the Unjust) and the “Mareqin” (the Renegades). The “Nakethin” were the weak-willed and irresolute companions who broke their allegiance because of the trifles of the world and because of their materialistic desires and temptations; the “Qasetin” were his avowed enemies opposed to the essence of his government of social justice; while the “Mareqin” were the witless, imbecile and ignorant elements who stood up against the Living Qur’an – that is, Imam Ali (AS) – on the misconstrued belief that they were following the Written Qur’an.

Ayatollah Khamenei said: “Look, who after the government of justice that ended with the martyrdom of Imam Ali (AS), seized power of the state and replaced rule with the like of the tyrannical regimes of Ḥajjaj, and Obaydollah ibn Ziyad, and the other Omayyads. Opportunists, materialists and the witless wanted the same thing, but they did this in different ways. Of course, witlessness was a specific quality of the “Mareqin” or renegade hordes and their leaders most probably collaborated with the enemies.”

He said: “These three fronts confronted our Late Imam Khomeini as well. The US, the illegal Zionist entity and their cohorts inside Iran represented the Qasetin. These were elements who were opposed to the essence of the Islamic Republic and they were against the authority of a person like our magnanimous Imam. They too were and still are looking for a replacement for this government. Their replacements are today's versions of Hajjaj and it is clear who they are.

Ayatollah Khamenei continued: “The front that represented the “Nakethin” or Oath-Breakers against Imam Khomeini, was formed of loose-belted companions. Woe upon those loose-belted companions who could not resist materialistic desires! They turned the arena of competition to do good into an arena of war for the sake of power and seizing the trifles of the world. There were all kinds of individuals among them. During the time of the Commander of the True Believers, the Oath-Breakers were comprised of the likes of Talha and Zubayr and some others. The same was true for Imam Khomeini, and he also stood up against this diverse and vast front.”

Ayatollah Khamenei said: “The front of the Mareqin – or the ignorant, the renegades – against Imam Khomeini were comprised of those people who did not understand the conditions and circumstances of the country and the people of Iran. They failed to identify the enemy's deployments and methods. They busied themselves with peripheral matters and they failed to understand the greatness of our movement. If we want to cite examples of this group, we can refer to the likes of DAESH and to the “Monafeqin” or MKO terrorists whose treacherous leaders and their cohorts were ignorant and deceived.

He said: “These three groups and the enmity that they showed was not particular to Imam Khomeini. Such enmity has continued after the passing away of the Father of the Islamic Revolution as well. Today too, these three groups have deployed their forces against the Islamic government and the great legacy of the Late Imam – that is, the Islamic Republic. However, the Islamic Republic's resolve, resistance and steadfastness has thwarted their designs. Of course, this joint front is doing its best to create obstacles and problems for the Islamic Republic. They create problems to slow down the movement of the people of Iran, though they are not able to prevent the Iranian people from making progress.”

Ayatollah Khamenei said: “I tell you dear brothers, dear sisters and great people of Iran, by Allah’s favour, we have precisely followed the path of Imam even after his departure, we will continue to do so. We will not adopt a passive and weak position and by the grace of God, we will stand up against the greed and bullying of foreigners and enemies. We will not make decisions in a hasty and excited manner and we will not pay attention to peripheral matters at the expense of fundamental issues. We will correctly identify our priorities by Allah's guidance. We trust our people and our dear youth and their capabilities. We will never place our trust in the enemy. We are confident about divine assistance. We have no doubt that by Allah's assistance, the people of Iran will achieve victory with this motivation.”

“And we are aware of the enemy's plan. We are completely aware of the enemy's plan and we will reveal it to the people. Of course, our dear people know understand these realities. Today, the enemy's plan is comprised of these three elements: economic pressure, psychological pressure and practical pressure. The purpose of these three kinds of pressure is to dominate our dear country – Iran – as they have dominated some poor and ignominious countries in the region.

Elaborating on these three points, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution said: “Economic pressure means imposing sanctions and preventing other countries from cooperating with us in economic areas. What they want to achieve through economic pressures and sanctions is not only pressuring the government and the Islamic Republic, rather they foolishly want to make the people of Iran exhausted. They say that they should exhaust the people of Iran so that the Islamic government would be forced to give in to their bullying. This is their goal. They neither know the people nor the Islamic Republic. This is economic pressure and they pursue this goal, but by Allah’s favor this goal will turn out to be a complete failure with the efforts of officials and the people.

“As for the psychological pressure”, he said: “They have targeted the Islamic Republic's strong points – those strong points which are a source of power and strength for the country and the people – by propagandizing them as problematic in a bid to disappoint the Iranian nation.

“For example, one of these strong points is our nuclear progress. Nuclear progress has been a source of pride for the technology of the country. Nuclear progress has been a source of pride for the technology and science of the country. It has revealed the talents of our youth and therefore, it is not a minor achievement. Perhaps, you remember the day when we were in need of 20-percent enriched uranium for medical purposes. Our 20-percent resources were about to run out and we had to get more. How were we supposed to do so? We had to get it from foreign countries – like the US, European countries and the like – but they created all sorts of obstacles ahead of us. They laid down all sorts of terms and conditions for us because they understood that we needed it. When a people vitally need something, they have no choice other than accepting the conditions and impositions of sellers. They wanted to seize the opportunity to lay down all kinds of terms and conditions for us.

“The negotiations, talks and meetings lasted for months – perhaps for over a year – and they kept repeating their demands. The Islamic Republic placed its trust in its youth regarding the nuclear issue. Our youth managed to produce the 20-percent enriched uranium inside the country. This shocked our enemies! The power of our experts, scientists and youth to launch a scientific and technological movement made the enemy angry and enraged. Well, this is a very strong point for the country. It is a source of reputation and credit. In practice too, it helps the country to make progress.

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution noted: “Through their extensive propaganda efforts, they tried to make some people think that this achievement – which is a national strong point – is a problematic issue and a weak point. They said the nuclear issue is a source of tension, and will make the enemy increase pressures and therefore, it is of no avail. They want to turn this strong point into a problematic issue so that they can take it away from us. This is a psychological course of action, one through which they want to make the Iranian people pessimistic about their great breakthroughs.

He said: “Another example is the issue of missiles. Building various missiles and missile power is a source of security in the country. Our youth do not remember the day when Tehran was burning under the fire of the enemy's round-the-clock missile strikes. The houses were collapsing and the people were being killed and this was happening in Tehran, let alone the cities which were involved in the war – Dezful, Ahwaz, Shush and other cities. The enemy's missiles would even reach distant cities, but we did not have any missiles and weapons to defend ourselves. We had to just wait and watch!

“Today, our youth have managed to become the first missile power in the region! The enemy knows that if it launches one, it will receive ten [audience chants “Death to the US, Death to Israel”]! So, missiles are a source of security and they are a strong point. Notice that the enemy has focused on the issue of missiles and unfortunately, some people inside the country are echoing the enemy’s words, by saying, "What is the use of missiles?"

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution said “Another strong point that we have is the issue of the Islamic Republic's pursuit of international justice. This is a source of credit for the Islamic Republic. If the Islamic Republic assists oppressed nations, this is a source of pride. If it supports the Palestinian nation, this is a source of credit. The Islamic Republic has strengthened the Resistance forces against the Zionist entity. They created some enemies, some disturbing and detrimental elements – namely DAESH, an-Nusra Front and the like – in Iraq and Syria, but the Islamic Republic supported the Resistance forces. This is pursuit of justice. This is defence of the independence of regional countries. This is defending the territorial integrity of countries and therefore, this is a strong point. However, they are insinuating that this strong point is an act of interference by Iran.”

Ayatollah Khamenei pointed out: “Their agents inside the country are unfortunately busy as well. One day, they chanted the slogan of "Neither Gaza nor Lebanon" on the streets of Tehran on the occasion of Quds Day which is the day for defending Palestine. Those who help the enemy's psychological warfare inside the country are vicious elements. They are mean creatures. They are a source of embarrassment.

“In the present time too, there are some people who are trying to impose a faulty form of the JCPOA on the country. Foreign governments are after this and some people inside the country promote the idea that if this [JCPOA] does not work, there will be a war. No, this is a lie! This is promoting the interests of the enemy. It is clear what the enemy's goal is. The enemy is trying to make us abandon our strong points and give up our elements of national power so that it can more easily dominate our country, our people, our fate and our future. They have devised such a plot, but the people have stood up against them. This is psychological pressure.”

“As for the practical pressure”, said Ayatollah Khamenei: “I would like to speak a little about this to our dear people throughout the country. The enemy exerts practical pressure through causing commotion in the country. This is their definite plan, but they will fail miserably on this one for sure, as this has been the case until today! The enemy's plan is to take advantage of the people's justified demands. Some people in a city or an area of the country might have some demands. They gather somewhere, pursuing their demands. For example, they are laborers who pursue their labor demands, or some people in a city pursue their civil demands.

“In such cases, the enemy plans to send infiltrators – thugs and malicious individuals who are of course very few in number – so they can turn the people's peaceful gatherings into an anti-security and seditious movement with the purpose of staining the name of the country, the people and the Islamic Republic. The people throughout the country should pay attention to this. This is the enemy's plan and we are aware of it. They have devised schemes to that end. Of course, I firmly believe, they are horribly wrong and our dear people will stand up against their schemes in a powerful, courageous and vigilant manner. I advise our dear people to preserve their vigilance, as they have done so.”

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution said: “The people's presence on the scene is very important. This Friday is Quds Day and the world will see the people's presence on that day. By Allah's favor, despite the fact that the people are fasting and it is very hot – they will do so while they are fasting, just like all other Quds days – this Quds Day will be held in a stronger and more enthusiastic way than Quds days in previous years.

“I mentioned the JCPOA. I would like to raise a few points about it. One can infer from the statements of some European governments that they expect the people of Iran to both endure and wrestle with sanctions, and to give up their nuclear activities – which are a vital need for the future of the country – and to continue the restrictions that they have imposed on them.

“I say to these governments that they should know that this strange dream of theirs will not come true! The people and government of Iran will not endure the sanctions and the nuclear restrictions and confinement. This will not happen.

“The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran has the responsibility of immediately preparing the ground for developing 190,000 SWUs – for the moment within the framework of the JCPOA. It should also prepare the ground, starting from tomorrow, for some other activities which has been ordered by the honorable President.”

Ayatollah Khamenei then said in Arabic by addressing the Arab World: “I would like to say a few words to the Arab youth: I would like to address the courageous Arab youth and say to them. You should prepare yourselves for a future in which your countries will be benefitting from the blessings of freedom, progress and independence. Submitting to the US, failing to adopt a decisive position in the face of the usurper Zionist etity, adopting hostile positions against Muslim brothers and flattering the enemies – all these actions have turned some Arab governments into an enemy for their nations. And you youth have the responsibility of eliminating this false equation.

“I call on you dear ones to fill yourselves with hope, innovation and activeness and to cultivate your personalities. You should attach significance to the cultivation of your personalities. The future will belong to you if you embark on building it today. If you build the future, you will be the ones who will benefit from its blessings.

“You should not be intimated by the dominance of the world of kufr and you should be confident about the promise of Allah the Omnipotent and the Magnificent. Allah the Pure and the Exalted says with complete clarity, as the holy Qur’an says in Ayah 42 of Surah at-Tour: "Do they seek to outmaneuver [Allah]? But it is the faithless who are the outmaneuvered ones!”  

“I pray to Allah the Exalted for you, for your success and for your steadfastness on this enlightened path.”

AS/ME