Speech [The move towards the self-sufficiency and dependence, appreciation the victories of combatants]

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

I appreciate you brothers who struggle for further the goals of Islam and the country. I hope God will grant you success to be more useful for your country. You know that the former regime was, I should say, preventive, deterring our youths from progress. The former regime did not want to help the youth grow. In fact, it worked to deter their progress in favor of the superpowers. As such, the country was dependent from all aspects. The cornies of the regime fled the country after they had plundered it, and left a semi-bankrupt country for the youths of this land and should strive hard to make up for the devastations and ruins which our country suffered during the reign of the criminal father and son. What counts is that you should consider two aspects, as I have pointed out repeatedly. One is trust in God almighty, which will help you if you want to work for Him. God will pave the way for you and inspire in you the ways of guidance in whatever field you are engaged. The other is self-confidence. Rely on your own resources. You are able to do everything. Our inventors can come up with brilliant inventions. Our innovators can also do the same if they rely on their own resources and believe in their capabilities. In the former regime, the phrase" we cannot" prevailed among all layers of people. It had been instilled in people's mind that they could not do anything, and that the capable people had to come and teach them. Those who came would not teach, but tried to make people dependant. Today, thank God, their influence has been curtailed and they have no foothold in the country. You young people in this country, wherever you are, should contemplate the future of your country and the present condition of your country. You are required to proceed with these two characteristics: trust in God Almighty and self-confidence. After a short while, you will see that the ways leading to prosperity have been opened before you and big powers will not longer covet your country. God willing, this country will become a model country for other countries, which are subject to the propaganda ploys of superpowers. The propaganda is meant to inhibit the development of those countries.

Today you should gird up your loin to develop the country's industries and production. Your activity for progress of an Islamic country is today an act of worship. Today, your efforts for this Islamic country is regarded as an act of worship, whether you are working in factories or any branch of industry, in agriculture or elsewhere. When in the cause of God one renders services to the people, who undergone oppressions, who were kept backward and whose spiritual and material development was inhibited, it is as if one is serving Islam and striving on the homefront. When you serve with this in mind, you are mujahid behind the frontlines. In the same way that our combatants struggle in the warfronts and thus worship God, you should also worship God by your works behind the frontlines. I hope that the activities of you dear ones, the Iranian youths and all layers of the nation including women and men will be immune from damage of the time and all superpowers will be unable to harm you.
You see that these days we are being embroiled the schemes and plots of superpowers. They have mustered up their powers and attacked your country, whether propaganda attack or military attack. It is because they feel that Iran can save the country and other countries from the bondage of servitude to superpowers and their acts of plunder. We should be ready to deal with them further bows in future. We are still midway through. What you, the youth, did is unprecedented in the world. You cannot find any country that has been separated from a superpower and not been associated with another power. Without the exception, all countries of the world are either under direct or indirect influence of this or that superpower. You are unique in the world for soundsing the death bell for the two superpowers and curtailing their influence. You want to be yourselves. You want to be independent. You want to be free. You want to be free to the end from the bondage the tyrannical regime had imposed on you, which you removed. This liberation hinges on your efforts. With your efforts in all fields, you can ensure this liberation. Everyone who is engaged in any field whether studying in universities, farming in deserts and farmlands, fighting in warfronts, working in factories is struggling in the cause of God and should cocontinue with it till the end. I wish you will finish the job. If you wish, God almighty will favor you. You should be determined in working for your country and for welfare of all oppressed countries. God willing!

You know that the disasters our country has suffered since the outset of the revolution are numerous. These hardships are offset bby the great victories you have achieved so far. We lost our competent youths and efficient men, but what we have achieved is more valuable than this loss. This is what the Doyen of Martyrs (peace be upon him) sacrificed his wife and children for, the messenger of God (peace be upon him and his progeny) devoted his life to, and the Immaculate Imams suffered afflictions for. We who claim to be- I hope this claim is correct- their followers should also tolerate the disasters, as they did, for the sake human values and Islamic values. We should stand against all calamities in order to achieve that human value and implement Islam that is on top of all values in our country and in other countries.

You know what notable victories these dear young combatants have achieved in warfronts these days. The big powers are now thinking to avert Saddam ignominious defeat so that they can keep him longer. You see that Saddam's mental status has turned into hysteria. Whenever he suffers defeat in the theater of war, he hits our country and our youth with long-range missiles. You saw what he did to Dezfoul in the past, yesterday and today. Masjid Soleyman, Marivan and Baneh have been similarly subjected to his frenzied attacks with long-range missiles. We defeated him in the war and he cannot confront us. He viciously attacks the ordinary and defenseless people. Strangely, in the past two or three days ago- prior to this crime- he said he had told one of the international organizations that they reserved the right to hit all parts of Iran and that they would do so. The international organization, which is charged with protection of so-called human rights, remained silent and thus encouraged him to commit such a crime. He cannot harm our military men. He can only fire missiles from afar. He can only fire long-range missiles, which the big powers such as the US, and Soviet Union gave him. He can only fire these missiles from afar and destroy the houses of oppressed people and their families, then brag about doing such and such and killing so many Iranians. It is not worthy of bragging when you fire a missile cross the Iranian borders and kill a number of innocent women and children sleeping in their houses. On the other hand, you cry out, denying that Iranians have not entered Iraqi land even for an inch, while Iranians have advanced 700 kilometers deep inside Iraq and God willing complete it in the coming days. I would like to appreciate these dear youths who are serving in warfronts selflessly, all branches of the armed forces as well as the Construction Jihad forces who are greatly active. We are honestly indebted to them. They are in the warfronts under those circumstances and win your victory and pride.

While many of their cities are within our range and our combatants can bombard them, they have not done such a thing nor will they do so, because the people of cities are innocent. We should stop him in the war theater. We should inflict damage to him and crush him in battlefield. I hope that war will come to a close very soon, that this regime will collapse and Iraq will be run by its people in a proper Islamic manner.

Among the items I was informed of today was that Saddam has given a medal to one of his commanders who claimed he had achieved victories in warfronts. He gives medals, as in his wont. When we retook Khorramshahr and drove the Iraqis out of the city, Saddam gave bravery medals to some of his commanders. Now that they have been igniminously expelled out with around 700 of them taken captive and 3500 killed or wounded, some of whom are military commanders, Saddam is reportedly giving them medals. It is better to give him a medal, a medal of bravery. With all the brutalilty, he goes here and there, and resorts to anyone to rescue him for the plight. On the other hands, he hollers for war and if the poor guys he has sent to warfronts make a mistake, he will execute them. In the past few days, he has reportedly set up a field court and executed many of the commanders who displayed laxity in this matter. He has found this mental state. He is now in a mental state that he resorts to every means and commits every crime. I hope that the Iraqis and the Iraqi army do not tolerate more than this so that God willing Iraq will continue living proudly and comfortably with its Islamic way of life.

I beseech God Almighty to grant health and success to the youths in warfronts, behind the frontlines, and to you dear youths who are active on the homefront. I hope you all will be healthy and happy and continue with your work with power, and efficiently rendering services to your country. We also pray for you, God willing.

May God's peace and mercy be upon you!