Speech [Protection of Islam and the country, Islamic-national duty]

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

I should appreciate the gentlemen, the clerics and other gentlemen at a session that can be said spiritual session. You and all those engaged in this war and are in Iran differ greatly from former time. There was a day if your youths wanted to do something, what they could do was to go to the sea and the like. Now you see how our youth are acting. This is a favor God Almighty has favored our nation. We all should appreciate the value of this favor. We ourselves are nothing. All should know that whatever befalls is from God. My experience indicates that in this long period of time when I was engaged with these activities which were my spiritual duty, which I had withdrawn, I feel that many of the affairs were accomplished without us knowing. We had not drawn any plan for doing them. This was nothing but the fact that God was guiding. This was the whole affairs. God's favor is now flowing towards you and the whole nation. You, who are the power of this nation and servant of the Islamic Republic and safeguard this republic and the warfronts, are more liable to God's favors. If you do something there it is like a long act of worship we do here. Rest assured that when you take one step for God Almighty, God Almighty will come more forward on account of His compassion.

Rest assured that you are lasting. The army should rest assured that it is lasting. We are duty bound to support the army. We have divinely duty and you should rest assured that we support you. The day when munafiqin had conspired to disband the army, constantly branding the army as doing this or that at that time. I believed even at that time that the army should be protected. This belief has now become stronger, because we were close to that time, but now that time has elapsed and many changes have occurred. Today I read things from your faces that could not be seen at that time. Today your situation differs from that time. Continue with your service with confidence. No one can introduce any change in your situation and power. No one can weaken you. The nation is with you. All are with you. You should also be with the nation and thank God you are.

When a nation revolted, all were together, its army, Sepah, Basij, clerics, businessmen, workers and people were present, such a nation, who is all together, no one can oppose them. These cannot be objected. Both the US and Soviet Union know that when they want to defeat the nation, they target a front supported by people. A population that is in uniform, this population cannot be disrupted. Struggle to be together. Struggle to be single-handed. Do not even try to be two groups. Be one group. You should not imagine that Sepah has a status and Sepah should not imagine you have a status. Both of you have one status. Both of you have one duty and that is protection of Islam.

When you study the early days of Islam and the pains that small number suffered in the face of numerous opponents, the holy Prophet suffered so much and others suffered and preserved Islam. Today, you have a national duty towards your country. You have also an Islamic duty towards preservation of Islam. Islam is now a trust in our hand. Today the whole world is watching Iran, waiting to see what this population wants to do. They are amazed as to what the 40- million-population, who has come together at this corner of the world, wants to do. China with one billion and one hundred thousand population is watching to see what has happened here. The Soviet Union is watching. The US is watching more closely. All are watching to see what voice is the call so strongly resounding everywhere at this corner of the world by a small population. They do not know what Islam is and what spirituality is. What they calculate is how many tanks we have and how many they have. Of course, if we calculate this in comparison to the US and Soviet Union, we have nothing. If this is the way to calculate! However, this is not the way to calculate. The thing to calculate is that you have raised a voice and motivated the world.

Now, if one goes anywhere in the world you will see the attention they give to Iran is greater than we are. They are more aware of the developments than we here are. It is because the development is a spiritual development. The question is not that we want to fight or defend. We want to engage in sacred defense. That is to say, we want to defend the prestige of Islam and an Islamic country. This is a defense that reason and Islam comply with. All agree that defense should be made. Now your country has been victim of a criminal. He has been deceived in order to come and trigger such a tumult. If their support was not behind him, he would be destroyed by a slap. However, they are all backing him, but their support is diminishing. They have become disappointed. Know that your enemy is today despaired and you are now strong. The chief duty vests with you. Each of you should act according to the duty. Law has set your duty. Islam has set your duty. This duty should be fulfilled. This duty brings you prestige; you find credit and your country finds credit.

Now how much your country differs from that time? At that time all were subject to the advisors who ordered what should be done. Our factories were in the hands of advisors. Our army was in their hand. Everything was in their hand. Today, thank God, you control everything. You have stood on your own feet and against the US, the Soviet Union and I do not know other countries. You cry that you are independent and have nothing to do with others. No one can interfere nor can any one do. It is not to their military and political interests. They cannot interfere. However, for us to continue resisting and preserving the country and for you to protect your national prestige and your Islamic prestige lies in your unity. To think that I am from military and should be so and so, I am from Sepah and should be so and so, I am from Basij, etc. should not cross your mind. All of you are the same and that is your national power. We and you are all one, these words that who and where I am will be irrelevant. All are united. Thank God, today, as reports indicate, all of you have become integrated. All the forces have become integrated. You see how they are afraid of you. They are going here and there to find support for peace. They are lying of course. It is clear they are telling a lie. God will add their punishment by their lies. Anyhow, I want you to continue with your work without agitation in your mind lest the army would be changed the way demanded by hypocrite. Without any agitation continue with your work. Be strong. The nation is with you. We are all with you. The clergy are mixed with you. Now you see the integrity in the gathering you are now in it. Formerly, there was no precedence in any system that in this way people be so mixed. No military organization is like ours in which the clergy, the army, Sepah and people be mingled in so warm atmosphere, seeming to be one entity. Thank God, today such thing has found expression. The clergy are like this and I hope that the clerics join the warfronts in greater number and serve the forces in greater quantity and they do. It is your duty.

Without considering what I am and what he is, bear in mind that God has provided us with the duty, divinely duty to fulfill. Know that this will preserve your worldly and other-worldly happiness. I hope that note this and fulfill the duty set by law and Islam. You, the Sepah and others should be a single hand for preservation of your prestige, for preservation of Islam and for protection of your country, a country that is now model for everywhere and will join you; they have to join. Other countries will join you. I hope that a revolution will emerge, the revolution accomplished in Iran will be launched everywhere. I hope that you will be sanctioned and successful. Let me stress again not to let the former words of munafiqin cross your mind to the effect that the army is so and so. If anyone voices a single word in this context, one is part of the munafiqin. Now one who is a Muslim knows that he should preserve his army. One who is a Muslim, loves the Islamic country, knows that army is among the organizations that preserves Islam in the same that Sepah and Basij do. When you all get together, you sill constitute an enormous population and can show your power before others and preserve your country. You can repel your enemies. My duty is to pray for you and every night without interruption pray for you. There is not a night when I do not pray for the armed forces and when I do not curse those who are against you. May God grant you dignity and health and you will be proud before God's Threshold. I pray when you enter there, you will accompany the Doyen of Martyrs, Imam Husayn (May God's Peace be upon him) sitting on top.

May God's peace and mercy be upon you!