لطفا منتظر باشید ...
Leader at a
gathering of over 200 thousand youth in Tehran
(20.4.2000)
The following is a translation of excerpts from the of the
beloved Leader of the Islamic Revolution at a gathering of over 200
thousand youth in Tehran. The translation is done by a western news
agency and although it seems to be more or less ok, its accuracy has
not been checked with the original text. What is very much
noticeable is that this news agency was only interested in the
political sections of His Eminence speech and most of the historical
and ideological sections of the speech were not translated.
In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate...
Today, our young people and the entire nation enjoy the morale of
hard work and initiative. Before the revolution, neither the youth
nor other members of the public were given the opportunity to be
creative with initiatives. The people were not given the opportunity
to be creative in the fields of science, industry and other diverse
fields of innovation. Any innovation was ignored by the government
of the time. The revolution revived the people's mentality of
independence, self-reliance and self-confidence. And now the people
have immense opportunity to be creative. We are fortunate to have so
many young people with such high morale. Our young people and every
individual member of the nation feels that they play a hand in the
country's destiny. In fact, the country's dynamism and management is
in the hand of the individuals who are elected by the people.
Today, the people in some countries near us in the region play no
role in the election of their officials. In these countries the
people have no role and no supervision over their rulers, or in the
coming and going of the rulers, the length of their reign, their
wealth, their debauchery and abuse of power. In some other countries
there is some sort of democracy on the surface, but in reality those
governments are not the fruits of the people's involvement either.
In these countries the domination of rulers or the influence of
foreign powers is so strong that in fact the people have no role to
play in the running of their country. Today the realities in our
country are exceptional. At least they are exceptional in this
region. The people play a role. They elect their government, the
Majlis deputies and the members of the judicial and executive
authorities. The people then test their elected representatives for
a period, and would re-elect them if they are happy with their
performance. But if the people are not happy with some officials,
they would seek to elect someone else in the next round. This is a
very good opportunity.
The next point I wish to discuss concerns the Islamic
instructions, principles and values which are implemented in our
country. There may be democracies in many other regions of the
world, and they may engage in economic activities, but they are
deprived of social justice and elimination of discrimination. In the
capitalist countries today, the common activity among various strata
of the people is the struggle by individuals to protect self
interests. In those countries the planners do not feel obliged to
implement social justice. Social justice is the biggest
recommendation of Islam, whose instructions form our constitution
and dictate our laws. If some state officials were to refuse to
implement social justice and endeavor to eliminate poverty and
division between the rich and poor, they would fall out of favor.
Naturally the people would not support such officials.
The government's popular nature is another value which has been
presented to this country by Islamic sovereignty and Islamic
teachings. Being popular means being part of the people. Being
popular is something which is far more important than just being
elected by the people. In a democracy or in a form of a democracy,
some people might be elected, but they might not have any links with
the people. They are not from the midst of the people.
In our Islamic country, being people-oriented is a value. The
president is people-oriented. Officials are people-oriented. They
want to be people-oriented. Whoever is closer to the people, and
whoever understands more about the people's sentiments, and whoever
shows more sympathy towards the people and expresses sympathy
towards them, the people will also express more interest in him or
her. This is one of the major advantage of our current
situation...
This is a country, which has such a massive number of young
people, which has such a high number of talented people, which has
such a source of energy including enormous natural and climatic
resources and in which the people enjoy from Islamic doctrine and
the recognition of God. If the officials of this country implement
their duties correctly and properly - this is the intention of our
country's officials to implement their tasks well - undoubtedly the
future which is awaiting them will be a very bright and shinning
future, a future, which can become a model for the Islamic world to
follow, in the first instance, and for others to follow later.
However, there are threats. There are threats. We must identify
the sources of threats. In all my talks and statements, directed
either to the young people or to the entire nation, I stressed on
threats against the country and the nation particularly the young
generation. The reason for my emphasis is that the threats are very
serious. My dear young people! Sometimes a negligence or an
oversight or an indifference or a complacency may deprive a nation
from great achievements. We must not allow this happen. Our nation
has shown that it can, under effective leaders or officials, make
great achievements with endeavor, efforts and hard work. And it will
be able to do so providing that threats can be identified. At this
juncture, I am not merely addressing the older generation. Rather, I
am drawing the attention of the young people. I am asking the young
people to recognize the threats precisely. The young people should
play their role in withstanding the threats. Two issues threaten our
bright future: External threats and internal threats. I must say
that the external enemy will not be able to threaten us a great deal
if we did not have internal enemies or infiltrators or two-face
people who sabotage the affairs of the country...
Anything that harms the health, faith and vitality of the young
people is a threat. Or, anything that undermines the efforts and the
education of the young people is a threat. Carelessness in a threat
too. Laxity is also a threat. So are drugs and indifference towards
science, education and work. Preoccupation with useless quarrels in
society is a threat. A domestic quarrel is a threat. And, lack of
trust in the system or the officials is a threat. Of course, the
negligence of the officials should be considered as a threat. The
plans of external enemy is also a kind of threat.
A nation like the Iranian nation that is alert, alive, wise,
young and revolutionary must be able to overcome all of the said
threats. When I talk about external threat, I mean the centers of
world power. My dear brothers, sisters and children! Today, not only
Iran but all countries that are not on the same level of the
advanced European and American countries, are faced with a dual
threat. What is a dual threat?
What is this additional threat? It is, on the one hand, the
direct influence of super powers, headed by America, and on the
other, the wave of globalization. It is what you have seen recently
in America where demonstrations have been staged against this wave
by a section of the American people. What is globalization? It means
that a group of world powers, a number of countries - mainly those
who have influence over the UN and mainly those countries which have
been colonialists in the past - want to expand their culture,
economy and traditions throughout the world. They want to set up a
share-holding company in which they should hold 95 per cent of its
share while the rest of world countries should have 5 per cent. They
want to have authority. They want to make decisions. That is what
globalization means. Today, many countries, many political leaders
from the so-called third world, many world intellectuals, are
campaigning against globalization. They oppose it and they are
alarmed by it.
Some of our officials who attended international conferences say
that many of those countries, who attended the G77 summit and the
Non-Aligned Movement summit, are afraid of globalization. This is
because they know globalization means American domination over other
countries' economy, culture, army, policy and government and over
almost everything else that belongs to other countries. This is
something which does not even fall into the category of exerting
direct influence. You see that so much pressure has been exerted on
the fact that Iran does not pay any attention to America. Americans
use all pressure in order to crush this grim face that the Iranian
nation has shown towards America
- a grim face and no attention. The reason for this is that they
have made every efforts in all corners of the world aimed at
persuading world politicians to flatter, to show humility, to bow
down and to surrender. Americans have hinted to heads of African,
Asian and Latin American countries that they have no option for
survival but to surrender to America and to its policies. Many of
those countries have accepted this.
There is only one country, one nation and one government in the
world which has not submitted to this pressure. We have nothing to
do with America. However, we are not prepared to surrender to
bullying, to pressure and to imposition of policies, and ties. We
are not prepared to surrender. That country is the Islamic Republic
of Iran.
Contrary to hypocritical remarks which are made occasionally by
American officials within the context of their statements and
speeches - they occasionally praise the Iranian nation, a
half-hearted praise, or say a word of praise for a section of
Iranian officials and its system -
contrary to these, their real intention is to be able to
establish their political and economic denomination over Iran, or if
possible a military one.
They have their eyes on Iran's markets. They have their eyes on
Iran's resources. Furthermore, because the Islamic Republic of Iran,
the Iranian nation and Iran's revolutionary and Islamic system have
been able to arouse a massive awareness in the Islamic world, an
awareness which could not easily be destroyed, they want to put an
end to this international awareness by persuading Iran and by making
Iran humble. Their intention is to tell the world that: those
countries and nations who intend to establish themselves on their
own, have also submitted to America and showed humility towards
it.
That is what they want. That is their objective. Their intention
is not the establishment of healthy relations but this is what they
imply in their propaganda. Certain people, unfortunately, in Iran
and in the press and through other channels repeat those words. As
if all economic problems of our country will be resolved through the
establishment of ties with America. This is a lie. This is untrue.
The Americans, when it comes to their contacts and relations and
activities in the world, have just one aim in mind. And they express
it openly. They do not hide it, and they do not conceal it. And that
aim concerns the preservation of America's interests. If and when
they establish relations with someone, it is because America's
interests demand it. What is important to them is their own
interests. America does not bring any benefits to any country.
When America makes a loan of a few million dollars to a
particular country, it extracts concessions from that country which
amount to several times the value of the original loan made to that
country. Today, if you look at the countries which are around us in
the region, you will see that they are afflicted with poverty, with
weakness, with despotism, and with corruption and numerous problems
and difficulties up to their eyeballs. Is it not true that these
countries have relations with America? All of them have relations
with America. The Americans take advantage of them but do not bring
any benefits to them. On numerous occasions the Americans have
announced that their aim in maintaining relations with other
countries around the world is to use such countries for serving the
American government's interests. What does this all imply? It
implies that, from the viewpoint of the Americans, the interests of
an American citizen take precedence over the interests of an Iranian
citizen or any other non-American individual. The interests of an
American youth take precedence over the interests of an Iranian
youth. The interests of Americans take precedence over the interests
of everybody else. This is the basis upon which America's foreign
policy in international relations is based. This is the principal
aim which America seeks.
Of course, they use the term human rights. They lie. They do it
to deceive others. There are some countries, whose oil resources are
being used by America, where there has never been a freely elected
parliament, not even once. In those countries you will not find a
single leader or a president who has been freely elected by the
people. But America chooses not to mention the words democracy and
human rights when it comes to its relations with those countries.
Why? Because its interests are protected there.
During the time that the regime of Saddam Husayn was at war with
Iran, the Americans cooperated fully with Saddam's regime because it
was in America's interests to do so. When the regime of Saddam
attacked Kuwait and threatened America's interests, Saddam Husayn
was turned into an oppressor and they did to Saddam what we are
seeing today. It was then that they turned Saddam into an aggressor,
a criminal and an unreliable element. Was he not all these things
before? This is the practice and the method of the Americans. Even
now there are numerous institutions in America itself, and in Europe
acting on behalf of the Americans, which are active and busy trying
to bring pressure upon the government of Iran, upon public opinion
in Iran and upon the public atmosphere in Iran.
I have been given a report on certain research centers which are
apparently research centers but are in fact bodies set up to bring
political pressure, to bring the pressure of propaganda and to whip
up public opinion against the Islamic system in Iran. Outwardly,
they use the language of friendship through certain political
elements. Their military elements, their defense minister and their
military chief in the Persian Gulf region use the language of a
bully. And this is how their spy networks behave and operate. In
secret they are busy hatching conspiracies. I do not have the time
to go into details. I have been given the names of the various
institutions and organizations which are involved in this
connection. You are well aware of all their activities. You know
what they are up to. Unfortunately, some of them have been able to
take advantage of a situation of discord and turmoil. They have been
able to gain access to elements inside Iran, and to make contacts
with certain individuals inside Iran. One such person, upon
returning to his country, has reported that as far as Iran was
concerned everything was now ready and that the only thing that
remained to be done was to introduce the ambassador to Iran. Who
told such a person that in Iran everything was now ready for a deal?
How did he arrive at such a conclusion? Who spoke to him? What was
told to him and by whom?
These are things that constitute the internal threats. As I
mentioned before, my dear ones, if we are united internally in this
country, if we maintain a united front, if the people are sincere
and honest with their government and with the state officials, a
foreign enemy can never have a detrimental effect on this country.
The enemy will then never be able to do anything against us.
Unfortunately, there are certain elements inside this country who
support the enemy's cause. There are hypocrites and enemies in this
country who have never accepted, not even for one day, the
government of the Imam [Khomeini] and the Islamic system in this
country...
Today, also, there are hypocrites and enemies among us in this
country. There are certain individuals in this country who used to
think that once the revolution succeeded the government would fall
into their lap. They used to think that the government would then
belong to them. They accepted neither the concept of velayat-e faqih
[rule of the supreme jurisconsult] nor the Imam [Khomeini] himself.
They did not even accept the people. They did not accept religious
beliefs and sentiments...
The Islamic system in this country has also been lenient towards
these hypocrites, and it has not punished them. Today these look at
some of the incidents in which the enemy has a hand, and they think
that they've found an opportunity to strike a blow at the heart of
the Islamic system in this country. They continue to pursue their
hypocritical activities, hoping that the state officials are divided
by internal divisions. They hope that the people are divided by
internal divisions. They hope that the ties which bind young people
to the Islamic system can be severed and broken. They hope that the
young people will turn their backs on the Islamic system.
You, my dear young people, ought to know that the hypocrites
tremble every time you make a move. Every time you stage an Islamic
or a revolutionary or a religious gathering; every time you take
part in prayers and religious ceremonies; every time you take part
in 22nd Bahman ceremonies [ceremonies held on 11th February every
year to commemorate the victory of the Islamic revolution]; every
time you take part in ceremonies and rallies marking Qods
[Jerusalem] Day; every time you show respect for state officials and
the president of the republic and every time you make a move which
reflects your devotion to Islam, divinity and the cause of the
revolution, you make the hypocrites tremble with fear. They become
disconcerted. [The crowds express their approval by chanting slogans
and condemning the hypocrites.] At present there are certain
individuals who give hope to the foreign enemy through their
statements, remarks, stances, propaganda and perhaps by taking part
in some riots. Now the foreign enemy thinks that maybe the time is
ripe to come back and take over Iran, to dominate the Iranian nation
and to crush the Iranian nation's 21 year revolution resistance. In
fact, these individuals are guilty because they boost the enemy's
morale.
Let me tell you something my dear ones, the main objective of the
enemies - both the foreign and the hypocritical and presumptuous
internal enemies - is to topple the religious Islamic state. This is
the main objective and the enemies would not be happy with anything
less. They know that they will not be able to do anything in this
country for as long as the power lies in the hand of religion, the
religious laws, for as long as the Islamic Majlis ratifies laws in
accordance with the religious instructions and for as long as we
maintain the existing constitution, which is based on religion. The
enemies will not be able to do anything for as long as the state
officials remain committed to the religion, Islam and the principles
of velayat-e faqih. The objective is to eliminate this...
The main objective of the enemy is to separate the state from the
imamate and religion. Afterwards, the enemy will be able to do
anything. I must say that the enemy is not able to separate the
state from the religion. Today, owing to the awareness and the
elevated thoughts of the Iranian nation, and with the blessing of
the great Iranian revolution, neither America nor any materialist
power, will be able to create an incident in the world of Islam
similar to the peace imposed on Imam Hasan [who established peace
with his enemy]. Now, should the enemy apply immense pressure, the
Karbala incident [during which Imam Husayn was martyred] will occur
again...
I am grateful to God that our nation is an alert nation and our
officials are united around the axis of religion and Islam. Many
people are trying to speak on behalf of the president or other
officials. They are wasting their time. The president is a spiritual
and committed individual, who is devoted to Imam [Khomeini] and who
is a religious intellectual and has a sense of responsibility in
this respect. Our other officials, those at the higher level, thanks
be to God, are the same. However, we have some complaints about
certain individuals among our middle-ranking officials.
The enemy has made a great mistake in its analysis concerning the
Iranian nation and Iranian youths. Thanks be to Almighty God, the
Iranian nation is a steadfast nation, an alert nation, an
intelligent nation and a nation which is ready for work. This
applies to its youths and to all its people throughout the country.
Officials, thanks be to God Almighty, are committed to religion and
enjoy a sense of responsibility.
Of course, as I said in the Friday prayers sermons the other day
that some phenomenon exist in our country which pains my heart. I do
not wish to discuss what gives me pain in public. However, the point
which I described the other day as a sorrowful story, it is really
that. It is a sad story.
About two years ago, during a Friday prayers sermon, I said that
the global arrogance machinery, headed by America, had used
propaganda in order to overthrow governments of countries and to
create disorder in countries.
I addressed the propaganda centers and said: Look, your
conspiracy of taking advantage of your radio stations so as to
implement the same programs, which you implemented in the Eastern
Europe and some other states, in the Islamic Iran, you will fail.
Your efforts will be futile. I said this to them two years ago. And
this is a fact. But unfortunately, I see that the enemy who has
concentrated all his propaganda efforts so as to mislead the public
opinion in the country, has now switched over from radio propaganda
by building a stronghold inside our country. Some of the newspapers
inside the country today are the bases of the enemy. They are
performing the same task that the BBC Radio and Voice of America as
well as the British and American and Zionist television broadcasts
intend to perform. [At this point the audience begin chanting the
slogan of "Death to mercenary writers"].
I am opposed neither to press freedom nor to the diversity of
subjects discussed by the press. I will become happier if the number
of newspapers in this country were to increase from 20 to 200. I
have no bad feelings in my heart in the face of the fact that there
are many newspapers and periodicals in this country. If the press
were to follow the constitution, that is, if they were to enlighten
the people, if they were to respect the country's interests, if they
were to use their pens to serve the people and religion, the more
such newspapers we have the better it will be. But when some
newspapers concentrate all their efforts to create anxiety among the
public, to create discord and to make the people and their
readerspessimistic towards the state...
It seems as to if 10 or 15 newspapers are being directed from the
same center to publish articles with similar headlines. They make
mountains out of molehills and anyone reading their headlines would
imagine that everything in the country is forsaken. They kill the
hope among the youth. They weaken the people's trust in the state
officials. They offend and insult the main revolutionary foundation
of the country. I do not know whose example these newspapers are
following. Even the western press is not like this. This is a sort
of charlatanism by the press... This is a kind of press charlatanism
which is being pursued by some section of the press today.
In some countries of the world, which offer a model for
journalism for certain of our newspapers, if an official, a
minister, an executive official and even if a president resort to
stealing, they write about it and reveal it. If he or she commits
crimes, they are disclosed. If he or she takes bribes, they will
publish it with bold headlines. However, they do not attack the
country's constitution. They do not attack the legislative system.
They might criticize or analyze the laws which have been passed, but
they do not resort to hue and cry when dealing with a law. They have
gone beyond what the main pioneers of this method [would have done
themselves].
The constitution is being insulted. The country's principal
policies are being criticized. Minor incidents are being
exaggerated. The climate is filled with accusations whenever
something happens. An assassination takes place and there is no
information available about it and no-one has any clues about it as
to who is behind it, but they publish headlines in newspapers and
level accusations against Guards [Islamic Revolution Guards Corps],
the basij [volunteer forces] and the clergy. What is the purpose of
such moves? Why are they so much against the basij?...
If you were supposed to benefit from the young people's
enthusiasm, and if you were to channel this enthusiasm and energy in
the right direction to serve the country, what organization would be
more suitable than the Basij? Why are some individuals so hostile to
the Basij? Do they know who the target of their hostility is? Why do
they keep questioning the activities of the Basij so much? It is
their questions which expose their hidden motives. I know there are
some nice people who work in the press. There are devout believers
among the proprietors of the press as well as among the journalists.
However, in the midst of the same people I see the fingerprints of
such people as Abdullah Bin Abi [presumably, Abdullah Bin Ziyad who
dispatched an army against the third Shi'i Imam Husayn and killed
him with 72 of his companions] (Abdullah Bin Abi was a munafiq who
lived in Madinah during Prophet Muhammads (S) time). I see how they
are trying to create division, discord, tension, anxiety, pessimism
and despondency. I see how, on the one hand, they try to promote the
agents who are affiliated and subservient to the enemy. And on the
other hand, they try to discredit the figures who are useful,
devout, sincere and sympathetic. Of course, such efforts will be
futile. Almighty God will disgrace them.
Of course, I was reluctant to discuss the issue of the press so
explicitly and for this long, but I was compelled. I discussed the
matter with the relevant officials. Our honorable president is also
unhappy with the press, the same as me. I discussed the matter with
him too. I heard that he had called some of these journalists and
press proprietors to a meeting. He, at the meeting, advised them,
but I am not sure whether the matter can be put right through
advice. I think it is unlikely.
The fact is that the enemy has prepared a plan to influence the
public opinion in Iran. The enemy's intention is to create problems.
This is the problem of the day, and they do not give the people a
chance to breathe. Even if the people find something to make them
happy, they find another problem to spoil their joy. They are
constantly inducing skirmishes.
I have repeatedly warned the state officials and I have seriously
asked them to control this situation. This is not called reigning-in
the press. This is not called the restriction of freedom of the
press and distribution of information. We endorse the healthy
dissemination of information. This is tantamount to blocking the
enemy's infiltration. We are trying to stop the enemy from realizing
his propaganda conspiracy.
I believe that the existing state of propaganda and press
behavior in the country is harmful to the state, to the young
people, to the future, to the revolution and to the people's faith.
They are constantly trying to break fundamental principles of Islam.
They keep questioning the Islamic codes. They question the
revolution, not by logical statements but through highly wrong
methods. Such methods are unprecedented and one could not find an
example, except in the unhealthy press of the past. After discussing
the matter with the relevant officials and the president, I thought
of discussing the matter with you. I feel like a father who wishes
to discuss an issue with his children. Of course I must tell you
that one of the objectives pursued by the enemy is to provoke
sentiments in the country so as to create insecurity. I strongly
recommend that lest one should submit to emotions and take any
action contrary to the law. I am not allowing this under any
circumstances.
When the enemy intends to create chaos and fighting, he would not
find it too difficult to hire a handful of mercenaries and dispatch
them to infiltrate the ranks of Hezbollahi and committed and sincere
youth. They may, under the guise of supporting the leader - create
chaos. Be careful. Watch the infiltrators.
Nothing else, I just wanted you to know, I do not want the public
opinion to be left in the dark. The people should know what the
enemy is doing in the country in the field of cultural issues. They
should know what objectives the enemy is pursuing. The enemies'
objectives are to take away the people's faith, and to create a
chasm between this generation and their elders. They belittle our
proud achievements of the past 20 years. The cultured people in
other countries try to magnify their past achievements. The
eight-year war, the holy defense [against Iraq] was the biggest
achievement which the Iranian nation should be proud of. The entire
world, including the NATO, the Eastern bloc, the America itself and
the reactionary states of the region all joined hands to help Iraq
and to put pressure on Iran. Nevertheless, they could not dismember
even an inch of this country's territory.
My dear ones! In the past 200 years and before the imposed war,
our country always lost some of its territory whenever it was
engaged in war with another country. But after 200 years, there was
a war in which the enemy failed to capture even one inch of our
territory even though all the military and political powers of the
world were supporting it. The is a source of pride for our history.
But they question the war, they question the combatants, they
question the martyrs, they question the army and the [Islamic
Revolution Guards] Corps, they question the Basij. Separating the
young generation from the previous generation and from its historic
achievements, separating people from the officials, separating
people from religious beliefs can only be pursued by the enemy.
This is the problem that I wanted to discuss with you. You should
know, the relevant organizations should know, that there is a great
danger. And if they don't put an end to this danger, the enemy will
certainly take a step forward, the enemy will find a new spirit. Of
course, one place that the enemy will not be able to conquer,
spiritually or psychologically, is where the people stand and where
this servant of people stands...
