Speech [The impotence and helplessness of the superpowers in the face of the determination and faith of nations; spiritual and physical strength together being the source of prosperity]

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

A human being has two aspects: one is the spiritual aspect and the other, the manifest and physical. Human beings have one kind of learning in spiritual aspects and another in the manifest and physical ones. A human being in the full sense is formed when these two are present together. I am happy that some people reinforce the spiritual side and some others, the physical. It is hoped that both of them couple these two aspects together: the physical and the spiritual. If you the esteemed teachers and the dear gentlemen, the sportsmen, strengthen these two facets and, likewise, they are strengthened in all the people of the country; the spiritual aspect that the teachings of Islam have given, and the physical ones in the ways required, this nation will, then, attain prosperity. Those who possess the factor of physicality and sportsmanship are the youth whose physical strength makes them cheerful and prepared because of these very sports. In such an event, their psyche accepts spirituality and faith more quickly.

At times it so happens that sports, and teaching and training are in the service of the taghout. This can bring nothing but loss to a country. But when these two big potentialities and forces are in the service of God, the faith within them is reinforced and a great force that no power can obstruct, is generated for successfully attaining Islamic objectives.

As you clearly saw, the crowds with their physical and spiritual strength, and the power of faith, were able to succeed so far in carrying out this great campaign. They defeated the satanic powers and that big taghouti power which was equipped with all the latest weapons and behind which stood all the material forces and all the superpowers that were supporting him, among which America, of course, used to give support to a greater extent. Notwithstanding this, all the countries were unable to destroy this power of faith- which had arisen in our country and nation- and protect themselves and their interests. We had no weapons at that time. The few weapons that are now in the hands of the Islamic guards are the spoils of war. We had no weapons before and during the Revolution, but they had everything. According to the reckoning of the materialists, it was not possible for such a big power, behind which stood all the powers including even the so-called Islamic governments. All the superpowers such as America, the Soviet Union, China, and Britain were the supporters of the taghouti power.

When I wanted to pass through Kuwait, it was not for nothing that they did not allow me to do so. It was not without purpose that the government of Iraq made every effort for me to be silent or not remain there. It was because all of them were together; the satanic forces were together. When I saw that they were preventing me from going even to Kuwait and told me to return from where I had come and we were compelled to return to Iraq, I knew that they would not let us stay there. The important issue was not that only Kuwait was like this; all these so-called Islamic countries had common interests and supported one another. And so we decided to go to a country that was not under any influence. We choose France and proceeded to that country. And they rued their action; both Iraq and the Iranian government, because we had the freedom to engage in propaganda in Paris. We let the whole world know of the issues and problems in Iran. And televised interviews would be held with those who used to come from America. Throughout America- as it used to be said- and in many places such as Canada, what we used to say would be disseminated. The people who would consider themselves as being connected to Islam and also those who did not subscribe to Islam started supporting the taghout, but our nation pressed ahead strongly. Did our nation have guns at that time? Did it have machineguns? Did it have tanks? Did it have cannons? It had none of these, but there was something else; and that was spirituality and faith in God. Faith gave such power to the nation that people who were previously afraid of the sound of a gunshot did not allow even the fear of tanks to creep into their hearts. Those who used to fear the shadow of a policeman two years ago are now not even afraid of a field-marshal! One of our friends said that some children in Shiraz collected around an official and told him to say long live so-and-so, and death to so-and-so, when the official, who was standing there and telling the children to go away saw me, he asked me to save him from the children. And then he stood there saying in a loud voice what the children had told him to say!

Our people all together, were saying the same thing, and this brought the spiritual and material forces together. Nobody but God can accomplish such a thing. This power was a divine one. Somebody had come to Paris to visit me. He told me about the village in his neighborhood to which he had gone. He said that every morning the spiritual leader of the village would lead with the demonstrating people following him. He told me that the case was the same with all the villages. He also mentioned the name of a certain village that I had visited. There is a fort in the desert near a mountain. He said that he saw the people in that place saying the same thing. I came to believe there and then that an Invisible Hand was at work, because human effort has definite limits. It was the same belief and faith that was also there in the early period of Islam. At that time, every ten to fifteen Muslims owned just one camel. Every few people of the armies of the Apostle of God and of the Muslims had only one sword; and an old one at that. Notwithstanding this, they were able to overcome the Persian and Roman empires. The Roman vanguard consisted of sixty thousand soldiers followed by seven hundred or eight hundred and thirty thousand other. One of the Commanders of the Army of Islam asked for thirty people to accompany him in order to confront these sixty thousand! But, according to history, it was arranged for sixty people to go so that each one of them would confront one thousand! And they, subsequently, went and emerged triumphant. It was because of the angels being behind them, and God taking care of them. May God give you success.

May God's peace, mercy and blessings be upon you.