Speech [Avoiding differences]

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

Islamic history, except for the period of its early days, knows of no youths like the Iranian youths. Likewise, there is no record in history of a nation like the Iranian one. Except for a short interval- not a long one- in the early period of Islam, where in history do you know of the youths of a country being so enthusiastic about war and about defending their country? And the people to be unitedly looking forward like this to the victory of the army, the Islamic Guards and all the other armed forces? Where have you seen people looking forward ardently to martyrdom? I envy your bright, cheerful faces and your tears of devotedness. I feel small when I come across these faces and these hearts which because of their attention to the Blessed and Exalted Lord, have left this kind of impression on these faces. Other than my prayers accompanying you, there is nothing else that I can do for you. In what words can I praise these divine sentiments, this attention to the Blessed and Exalted God, this firm determination and unique courage of yours?

My dear ones! You have a lofty status in the sight of the Almighty. You and our people are now living in a crucial period in history with regard to which the same utterance that was made at the advent of Islam-" the whole of Islam is confronting the whole of paganism" «2» should also be made in your case. You are now the guards of Islam. My friends! My dear ones! Take care to see that your missions and campaigns are sincere in purpose and are undertaken for the sake of God. Do not let personal or group differences plague your minds. All of you- whether you belong to the army, the gendarmerie, the guard corps or the volunteer corps- who go to defend Islam and Islam's honor on the fronts constitute the army of Islam. All of you belong to the army of the Imam of the Time (s). Be careful about observing Islamic etiquette. Do not have any differences among yourselves. The enemy wants to create differences among these groups that are prepared for" jihad" It wants to separate the army from the Islamic Guards and them for the army. You are from the same nation; you belong to the same (religion of) Islam. All of you abide under the shelter of the Qur'an and the banner of Islam. There must be coordination among you. If any differences arise among yourselves or among your chiefs and your forces, then this Islamic country will, God forbid, fall into the hands of heretics, and Islam, as a result, will lapse into isolation for a long time to come.

It is incumbent on the Iranian youth and nation to avoid discord and not let any differences arise among them at this critical juncture as the differences, God forbid, will take the whole country away from us, and we and our youths will return to the conditions in which we were previously. Try to behave like brothers with one another. Today, the Iranian army, gendarmerie, all the armed forces and you brothers as well are under the banner of Islam. You must behave like brothers. If you do so, if you remain together and attack the army in unison while keeping God in mind, you will triumph. But if, God forbid, differences arise among you- which is your, and our enemy's desire- a different situation may result. This is a divine obligation on everybody: all the orators; writers and you who are advancing manfully on the fronts and are making sacrifices. It is everybody's divine duty to invite one and all to unity and togetherness. These youths, from whatever class and force they be, who are fighting for the Islamic cause, are the light of Islam's eyes. Islam and the Muslims should appreciate them; they should be proud of them. The writers and orators ought to invite the people to unity. They must summon the people to" jihad" If, God forbid, the tongue utters a word or the pen writes a word that causes separation and division among the masses, it will be an unpardonable sin in the Eyes of the Blessed and Exalted God. Every single one of you belongs to this country. You want to safeguard it. Thus, there should be no differences among you. Do not pay heed to those that create divisions. All the people ought to be united and keep God, the Blessed and Exalted, in mind. The big powers have become disappointed as they are not able to achieve anything by means of war or military assault. So they have resorted to mischief. They aim to sow discord among you and to divide you.

Be watchful! Our nation must be vigilant. Bear in mind that any orator who wants to sow discord and undermine the clergy, does not have only the clergy in his sights. After they are undermined, it will be your turn. They want to invade the country and destroy every thing of it, without anybody being to object or confront them. You, every one of you, remember that from the time of Rida Khan's coup d'etat until now, the clergy have been in the forefront of every development. They have shown their opposition, they have been tortured, imprisoned and exiled. And the people have adhered to them. If the masses are deprived of them, and they of the masses, it will be the occasion for the superpowers to celebrate. The intellectuals who are not the agents of the big powers, but, nevertheless, do and say things that amount to doing what the agents do, ought to wake up. They should consider the fact that it is an Islamic country. A country that has become your own; an independent one, not dependent upon any other. Do not do anything for these severed links to get cemented again. Invite the people to Islam, to goodness. Ask them to equip themselves. Invite them to the culture of Islam. You have been witnessing the culture of the West for more than fifty years. Whatever misfortune has befallen this country is because of this western culture. Whatever deviance occurred among our dear youths was because of this western culture. The intellectuals ought to think of giving a few years time to the culture of Islam as well. Let them experience it; let them see for themselves what Islamic culture can do.

I pray for all of you. May you, God willing, go to the fronts in safety and return in safety. May you earn victory and return victorious, I would like to stress once again that your victory on the fronts depends on your unity and faith. Have faith. Strengthen it and cooperate with all the armed forces. You have the same goal which is to defeat the superpowers. I hope that you remain safe and sound, that you tread this path that is the divine one and return in triumph. And I also hope that I will meet you again in this place when you return victoriously.

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