Speech [Explaining the resistance of Iranian people against the enemies]

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

Reciprocally, I extend my congratulations on the auspicious occasion of the birth anniversary of Hadrat `Askari (`a) to the gentlemen. I also congratulate you on the anniversary of the victory of revolution and beseech the Most Blessed and Exalted God to guide us all to proceed in the cause of Islam and put Islam into practice as much as we can.

What is felt is that the Islamologists who claim to know Islam and be versed in sociology are aware neither of Islam nor of the Islamic society. You see these persons, groups and foreign mass media that claim to be learned in these issues. Excluding the mass media, these persons and groups claim that they know the society, the people, votes Since they were not aware of the status and power of Islam and the situation of our society- that is the Iranian society- they imagined that in the very first days or months this revolution could not hold on and that it would disintegrate from inside and outside. They did not know that a revolution could be popular and inspired by an Islamic idea or launched by a group or by a number of people. These two are far different from each other. As regards the former, no one collects a group of people to initiate the revolution, no power stages a coup. The people (of Iran) gradually felt that they should do it after experiencing so much pressure in the course of long years. Thank God, the clerics as well as preachers made great efforts to enlighten the people. When people launch a revolution, a group, even armies, cannot destroy this revolution. It is possible, let us suppose, a big power- like the US, for example- attacks and occupies Iran, but it cannot disturb the revolution; it cannot tame this people. We saw that a power of that enormity like Russia attacked Afghanistan, but when the Soviet forces entered Afghanistan, they were weakened. It appears that they are regretful of it, but they are ashamed to admit this. If the US supposedly comes to occupy Iran, it can do it at the beginning, yet it cannot sustain it. It can send its aircrafts and fighters to bombard the cities and do such things, but when they land on the ground, people will tear them to pieces with their fists and teeth. Those who presumed to be able to restore Iran to its previous situation with a group of people had not understood Islam, the Iranian people or the enormous development, that took place in Iran. You and we see how people are putting up a resistance in Khouzestan and places where war is raging.

When I see Friday congregations in some cities such as Khouzestan, Abadan, Ahwaz, Dezfoul and others, I really take pride in having such places. Islam has such regions that are subject to bombardment every moment, yet people in these regions and Friday prayers leaders speak with that power; its Fridays are spent so full of glory. A Friday prayer (congregation) that is held in a war-stricken region differs from that in Tehran, in Qum or in other places. The former has a special virtue. Fridays in these war-torn cities inject morale into Iran, into the army. Those who imagined that they could attack Iran and do something were naive. Let us take Saddam for an example. He was deceived by big powers and could not understand anything. He made the attack and you saw that, thank God, he has now begun to decline. Their (Iraqi) bombardment of our cities from afar indicates that their military power is weak. On account of their weakness, they lob missiles from across the borders or fly overhead and drop bombs. This is because of the military weakness they suffer. What is ridiculous is that while the world is observing the situation, Jordan's Husayn «1» persists in joining this man; «2» he wants to commit suicide. It is because he does not understand the situation. As a matter of fact, they are neither familiar with Islam nor its power nor the Iranian people and their commitment to Islam. They imagine that the people of Iran are like them, like their own citizens. They do not know that if, one day, they remove the bayonet from their own cities, people will destroy them. Conversely, Iran drove out those big powers and is now celebrating its fourth anniversary in spite of their predictions that Iran would be destabilized in a few months. Thank God, people are so powerful as before and have even grown more so, and they feel as they committed as before.

The example you quoted from that old woman has been cited to me quite often. There are numerous instances like these. The old man whose sons had been martyred came here, crying. He demanded permission to go to the warfronts. I told him that he was old like me and could not go to the battlefield and fight. Well, he argued that he could go and do something. This is the situation. Or take that woman or that girl who insisted on going to the battlefield. We told them it was not possible for them to go to the warfronts. However, they persisted in going to the threats of war. So did the youths. Have you seen the last will of the young adults? These last wills can stir and awaken one. Thank God, Iran is a model country and I hope that with the guidance of Friday prayer leaders people will turn to Islam and keep their own power as they have. I hope that Islamic injunctions will, God willing, be implemented. Of course, this movement and revolution is the prelude to the implementation of Islam. You, the others and we did not have a different purpose; you didn't want to gain power; you wanted to revive Islam and, thank God, are close to it. There are, of course, difficulties and shortcomings as far as clerics are concerned. We are particularly short of preachers. You said seminaries have been set up there; they are quite beneficial. Today, we stand in drastic need of preachers. We need clerics to a great extent. We are consuming our stock. Our clerics are dispatched elsewhere and the Qum Theological Seminary faces a shortage. So do other places. The seminaries should serve as a backing so that, God willing, they would remain safe and secure. I have repeatedly stressed that these seminaries should be preserved in their traditional form. If fiqh, the fiqh that prevails among us, deviates from its pristine path, it will be destroyed. We should preserve fiqh in the same context and power that our mentors have preserved from the beginning to the present day and in the same order. I hope that you gentlemen will all be successful. I again thank the gentlemen for coming here to see them in person. This is one of the blessings of this movement and revolution that we meet the gentlemen, and be at their service. May God grant you all success and advance Islam until the reappearance of the Imam of the Time, May God's peace be upon him. May God's peace, mercy and blessings be upon you!