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[29 August 2013] Islam and Life - Islam emphasis on charity giving - English

Broadcast Date-:-June 07 2013 Urdu NEWS Bulletin|Leader\'s emphasis on Muslim Unity-3rd Iranian Presidential Debate|Sahar TV|خبریں

Israeli officials have publicly declared that the Syrian government used Chemical weapons which was followed by statements made by US secretaries of state and defense who said that the assessment was that Sarin gas was indeed used. Syrian officials said this comes after the gains made by the Syrian army, particularly in and near Al-Qusier on the outskirts of Homs. Russia and Iran have both come out strongly against using this as a pretext for military action. Emphasis on how this shows how much Israel wants to get rid of Assad and how much it regards him as an enemy. Will Obama be dragged into a confrontation by Israel and its allies like the NeoCons in Washington even if he will have to face Russia, China and Iran? Or is it that the US shares the opinion that Assad must go and might assign Israel with the task of launching military action? An emphasis as well on the differences between the Syrian case and the Iraqi case because back then it was Dick Cheney and co who were pushing for war and even fabricated intelligence for this purpose. Now in this case it is Israel pointing to weapons of mass destruction trying to push a hesitant Obama administration into war. In this episode of the Middle East Today, we will discuss the Syrian crisis and ask: What the future holds for Syria?

The following is the full text of the speech delivered on July 23, 2014 by Ayatollah Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, in a meeting with students. The meeting was held on the eve of Quds Day. In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, and peace and greetings be upon our Master and Prophet, Muhammad, and upon his immaculate household I thank Allah the Exalted because at this point in time our country is witness to a group of young, religious, enthusiastic, motivated, reasonable and thoughtful people. Today, our meeting was a very good meeting. This matter has two parts: one is related to the details of the statements that the friends madew in this meeting. Well, good and valuable statements were made. It is possible that this humble person agrees or disagrees with these statements. The issue of content is one part of the issue. In my opinion, the part that is important and praiseworthy is the enthusiastic and inquiring spirit of students. This showed itself in the statements of the students who delivered a speech. This is important. It is possible that some of the requests that these students made are reasonable and that some are not reasonable, achievable and acceptable. But the essence of this inquiring spirit and this motivation for wanting, thinking, suggesting and criticizing is perfect. Of course, one should observe morality, piety and religious obligations in all affairs. We should avoid unfair statements. We should avoid baseless and unsubstantiated statements. These points are important in their own respect, but what is of primary importance is that our young students should be inquiring, motivated, enthusiastic, present on the scene and attentive to the issues of the country. Well, let us spend a few minutes discussing some of the issues that the friends raised in the meeting. The first issue is what I just said. I became happy with the spirit that exists in our young students - most of whom are representatives of student groups - and I thank God because one can feel that they enjoy enthusiasm, new ideas, motivation and an inquiring spirit. I hope that by Allah\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s favor, this spirit remains in you until you will be in charge of affairs because in the future, you will be officials in charge of affairs and you will be the managers of the country. I hope that by Allah\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s favor, this spirit and this critical, inquiring, responsible and dutiful outlook remains in you. If this happens, the country will be saved. The friends in the meeting raised a number of issues which, in my opinion, are noteworthy and important. The issue of \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"knowledge for the sake of knowledge without paying attention to its benefits for the country\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" - which was raised by a number of friends - is completely correct and we have repeatedly brought it up as well. Today, scientific work and endeavor in the country and in our universities and research centers is a lively, successful and praiseworthy endeavor. However, everyone should pay attention that knowledge is an introduction to action. Valuable knowledge is the kind of knowledge that helps the country and that is useful for solving its problems. Mere publication of our articles in, say, ISI journals and other such journals - even if they become a reference point - is not an ideal although it is praiseworthy in terms of knowledge. Scientific work should address the needs of the country. This was mentioned by the friends in this meeting as well and I would like to stress it. The officials and high-ranking managers in charge of higher education are present in this meeting. I hope that by Allah\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s favor, they pay attention to this point. There was another point in the statements of the friends which was correct. I too would like to place emphasis on it. This point is the relationship between methods of economic management and the culture of society. The idea that we brought up the issue of cultural invasion in the 1370s while the invasion was economic is completely correct. We do not reject this, but our outlook on knowledge as an original and vital issue should receive everyone\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s attention at any level. At that time too, certain complaints were made about the methods of economic management. However, what was important and what is important today is our outlook on cultural orientations. Of course, we agree that the methods of economic management have certain effects on culture, but the opposite is true as well. An issue that was discussed as a peripheral issue - but that is not peripheral to me and that is an important issue - is the issue of youth\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s marriage [students laugh and make noises indicating support]. We knew that you would have such a reaction to this issue. The issue of youth\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s marriage is an important issue. I fear that this indifferent outlook towards the issue of marriage - unfortunately, this indifferent outlook exists more or less today - will have terrible consequences for the future of the country. You brought up the issue of military service, but in my opinion, the issue of military service is not a difficult issue. It is possible to think about and work on this issue. The solution for the problem of military service as an obstacle in the way of marriage is not that we shorten the term. We can adopt other methods for this problem, but it remains an issue. Motivation for marriage should turn into a practical measure. That is to say, marriage should be promoted. Allah the Exalted says, \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"If they are in poverty, Allah will give them means out of His grace\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" [The Holy Quran, 24: 32]. This is a divine promise. We should trust this promise as we trust other divine promises. Marriage and starting a family has not made and will not make individuals experience hard living conditions. This means that one does not necessarily go through rough times because of marriage- on the contrary- marriage may solve the problems of individuals. The academic environment is a good and appropriate environment for preparing the ground for marriage. In my opinion, youth themselves, their families and officials in charge of universities should think about and make a decision about the issue of youth\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s marriage. We should not allow the age of marriage - which has unfortunately gone up today, particularly among women - to continue going up. There are certain wrong notions and traditions that are highly problematic. These wrong traditions are an obstacle in the way of promoting marriage among youth. Therefore, they should be practically broken. In my opinion, you - who are young, inquiring and enthusiastic and you who suggest breaking many habits and traditions - you should break the wrong traditions that exist on the issue of marriage. This is another issue that I deem necessary to stress. Of course, it was common in the past for a number of well-intentioned matchmakers and religious individuals to act as intermediaries and to introduce eligible women and men to one another. In this way, they helped them get married. Such tasks should be carried out. There should really be a movement in society in this regard. Another point that was witnessed in the statements of the friends in the meeting - this point also existed in the questions that students asked me indirectly - is about the compatibility between the political positions of students or student groups, and the viewpoints of the Leadership. Before this meeting, students had been asked: \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"What would you say if you were present in this meeting?\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" We have received certain answers. They brought us a book that contained 100 - or even more - pages. This book is about the opinions of students. I saw in the book that this question has been posed. And in this meeting, it was posed in a different way. In my opinion, this is not a very good and reasonable question. It is not the case that all the positions that people from different social backgrounds - including students who are among the leading groups among the people - adopt should be a copy of the viewpoints that the Leadership puts forward. This is not the case. As Muslims and as religious and thoughtful individuals, you should take a careful look in order to perceive your responsibilities and to make your own analyses. I will expand on this later on. You should adopt a position and express your viewpoints about individuals, orientations, policies and governments. It is not the case that you should wait and see what position the Leadership adopts about such and such an individual, movement, measure and policy so that you adopt your position on the basis of this position. This will lock affairs up. The Leadership has certain responsibilities. If Allah the Exalted helps him and bestows His blessings on him, he will carry them out. You too have certain responsibilities. You should look at the scene and make your own decisions. However, the standard should be piety. The standard should be piety. Piety means exercising self-restraint in supporting or opposing someone and in criticizing or praising someone. You should observe piety. If it is observed, then both criticizing, and supporting and praising people is good no matter if it is an individual, an administration, a political orientation or a political event that you criticize or support. There is nothing wrong with this criticism and support. Of course, if this humble person expresses his viewpoint about an issue, it is possible that it influences the decision of those who have trust in him and who accept this viewpoint. However, this does not mean that individuals should be absolved of responsibilities and opinions. This is not what I mean. Everyone should take a look and carry out their responsibility. As I said, the standard is that piety should be observed. That is to say, if we make a criticism, if we support someone, if we approve of a movement and a policy or if we reject it, this should really be done out of a sense of responsibility and without engaging our personal interests and temptations. This is another point. One of the friends in the meeting said that students have lost sleep over a certain issue. If concerns make students be so sensitive, this is very good. Of course, we hope that you get enough sleep and go to sleep on time! The expression \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"I have lost sleep over something\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" is a very good expression. If this is really the case, we become very happy. This feeling of worry and anxiety about different issues makes you look at issues with open eyes. As for what I have written down to discuss, it has two, three parts and I will discuss each part by paying attention to our time. First of all, we should consider students to be among those individuals who manifest the vigilant conscience of a people and a country. Of course, this is the truth of the matter. If students launch a movement in a society and if they make a move and a request, this shows the general orientation of that society. This is the case all over the world. Students are, in fact, among those groups of people who show the vigilant conscience and orientation of a nation. Therefore, students should pay attention to issues in a very wise way. They should know their conditions and their environment. They should know threats, opportunities, enemies and enmities. Of course, we do not expect students to forget about their lessons and different affairs in order to engage in political work only. This is not what we expect them to do. Rather, we expect them to look at issues with open eyes, with a clear outlook, with a sense of responsibility and with a high motivation. This is our expectation of students. Some of the issues that we are faced with today are issues related to our surrounding environment and to the region. Regional issues are not separate from the issues of the country. Today, one important and fundamental issue is the issue of Palestine and Gaza. Well, the issue of Gaza and the disasters that have befallen the people of Gaza today and that have a long history should receive our attention from two perspectives: one perspective is that this shows the truth of the Zionist regime. This is the Zionist regime. In my opinion, this is not the important part of the issue. The Zionist regime is a regime that has set itself the goal of showing blatant violence since the beginning of its illegitimate birth. They do not even deny this violence. They have set themselves the goal of clenching an iron fist. They say this everywhere and they are proud of it. This is their policy. Since the year 1948 - when this fake regime came into being officially - until today, they have been pursuing this policy. It is 66 years now that they have been pursuing this policy. Of course, it had committed many crimes in Palestine even before it was officially recognized and even before colonialists imposed it on the world and on the region. But during these 66 years, they did whatever they could as a government and as a political system. They committed any violent act that one can think a government can do to a people. And they have no scruples whatsoever. This is the truth of the Zionist regime. There is no cure for this except the annihilation of this regime. Annihilating the Zionist regime does not at all mean massacring the Jewish people in the region. The logical statement that our magnanimous Imam (r.a.) made - that Israel should be annihilated - is based on a human principle. We presented to the world the practical solution for this and no one could criticize it in a reasonable way. We said that a poll and a referendum should be conducted so that the people who live in, come from and belong to this region determine who should rule over it. We said that the people should resolve this issue. This is the meaning of annihilating the Zionist regime. This is the solution. This is a solution that is understandable and favored by today\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s standards of logic in the world. This is a practical solution. We even put forward a proposal to the United Nations and a number of international organizations in charge of such affairs. And this proposal was discussed by them. There is no cure for the problem that this savage and wolfish regime - whose policy is to behave towards people with iron fists, cruelty and savagery and that does not care about and deny killing people and children, attacking different regions and causing destruction - has created except its destruction and annihilation. If, by Allah\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s favor, that day comes and if it is annihilated, then so much the better. But what is the cure as long as this fake regime survives? The cure is decisive and militant resistance against this regime. The Palestinians should display power in the face of the Zionist regime. No one should think that if it had not been for the missiles of Gaza, the Zionist regime would have stopped their incursions. This is not the case. Notice what they are doing in the West Bank. This is while there is no missile, weapon and gun in the West Bank. The only weapon that the people have there is stones. Notice what the Zionist regime is doing there. It is doing whatever it can. It destroys people\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s homes, it destroys their gardens, it destroys their lives and it humiliates and belittles them. If it is necessary, it closes water on them and it blacks out electricity. The Zionists could not tolerate someone like Yasser Arafat who compromised with them. They besieged, humiliated, poisoned and destroyed him. It is not the case that if we do not display power in the face of the Zionists, they will tolerate and show mercy to people and observe their rights. This is not the case at all. The only cure that exists before the Zionist regime is annihilated is that the Palestinians manage to act in a powerful way. If they act in a powerful way, it is possible that the other side - which is this wolfish and violent regime - will retreat, as they are looking for a truce with all their power. This means that they have become desperate. They kill people and children and they show cruelty in an excessive way. But they are desperate as well. They are in dire straits and this is why they are after a truce. Therefore, we believe that the West Bank should become armed like Gaza. It is necessary to show power. Those people who are interested in the fate of Palestine should do whatever they can. This is what should be done: the people in the West Bank should become armed as well. The only thing that can alleviate the Palestinians\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\' pains is to show power. Otherwise, if we act in a tame, subservient and obedient way, nothing that is to the advantage of the Palestinians will be done and the violence that this violent, malevolent and wolfish creature is showing will not decrease. Today, the responsibility of people all over the world is political support. There is no doubt about this. As you can see, there are popular movements in Islamic and even non-Islamic countries. By Allah\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s favor, the world will witness the loud and great voice of the people of Iran on Quds Day. God willing, on Quds Day, the people of Iran will show how motivated they are about Palestine. Of course, some people wanted to show the opposite of this with the slogan \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"neither Gaza nor Lebanon\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\". They are wrong. The people of Iran believe in defending the oppressed: \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Be an enemy of the oppressor and helper of the oppressed\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" [Nahjul Balaghah, Letter 47]. This is what the people of Iran want and by Allah\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s favor, it will be shown. This is one perspective about the issue of Gaza. This is important and great emphasis should be placed on it. Today, western imperialist powers - that is to say, a few large, rich and powerful western powers which are headed by America and malevolent England behind it - have stood firm in order to defend this usurping, oppressive and cold-hearted regime. This is a very important issue. They are supporting it openly. What are they supporting? They are supporting a creator of disasters and no ordinary and fair-minded person can accept any indifference towards these crimes. A small area and a piece of land named Gaza is being attacked by airplanes, missiles, armies and tanks. They have used all kinds of munitions on these people. This is really an astonishing event. So many children are being killed, so many houses are being destroyed and people\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s lives are being accompanied by so much bitterness, cruelty and torture. This is while these so-called gentlemen are supporting it. With what reason do they support this regime? They support it with the stupid reason that the President of America gives. He says, \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Israel has the right to ensure its own security\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\". Well, do the Palestinians not have the right to ensure their security? Is it acceptable for a government to threaten the lives of a people who have been cruelly besieged by it and who show no reaction? Does anyone accept this? How will history judge this reason? The officials of these arrogant countries do not understand what they are doing - with these kinds of support - to their dignity and the dignity of their countries and regimes in history. They stand up with complete shamelessness and say that they support Israel. They do not at all point to the events that are happening in the region and to the disasters that this destructive and dangerous element is creating. This shows that today, the logic of liberal democracy - the logic and the intellectual system on the basis of which western countries are ruled and controlled - does not benefit from the slightest moral value. There is not any moral value and humane feeling in it. In fact, they are disgracing themselves. They are disgracing themselves in the face of the critical look of nations throughout the world, whether those who live in the present time or those who will live in the future. We should preserve this as an important experience for ourselves and we should know America. This is liberal democracy. This will and should influence our actions, our judgment and our behavior. This is the camp - that is to say, the government of the United States of America and its followers - that has stood up against the Islamic Republic today and that has challenged the Islamic Republic in different events. This is the truth about them. The truth about them is this: not only do they not show any sensitivity about the massacre of human beings and defenseless people but they also defend and support oppressors and perpetrators of appalling and great crimes - such as what is happening in Gaza today. This should be a standard for us. The people of Iran, our intellectual apparatus, our students and our broad-minded personalities should not forget this. This is America. This is western power and its intellectual basis - which is liberal democracy. Today, it is this intellectual basis that is confronting the Islamic system. Today, the politicians who are most indifferent to human rights are those who are in charge of managing these countries. They do not at all believe in human beings, human rights and human principles. Their behavior in Gaza and other such events is proving this. They do not at all believe in human rights, human dignity and respect, people\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s votes and anything else. The only thing that they believe in is money and bullying. There is no other reason for their behavior. In my opinion, whatever comes out of their mouths about the issue of freedom, human rights and other such things is a travesty of freedom and human rights. Well, we are not saying this as a piece of advice to America, the President of America and American politicians. It is clear [that they do not listen]. We are saying this for ourselves so that when we want to carry out an analysis, make a judgment and adopt a measure, we understand who we are dealing with and who the people we are faced with are. We are saying this so that we know what exists at the bottom of their thoughts. We should determine our responsibilities. What is important is that we should have a correct analysis of the west\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s behavior in the present time. Their confrontation with the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Islamic Revolution and the Islamic movement and Awakening is part of their major polices. The major policy of global arrogance is enslaving nations and dominating their fate without paying the least attention to their interests and requests. This is the major policy of arrogance and we should pay attention to it. Anti-American, anti-western and anti-arrogance slogans in our country reflect this truth. Some people should not immediately jump to the conclusion that a biased or completely unreasonable task is being carried out as soon as they hear an anti-western or anti-American slogan. They should not think like this because this is not the case. This anti-western and anti-American outlook in the Islamic Revolution is based on a correct experience, outlook and calculation. On that day, I said to the executive officials and decision-makers of the country that the main goal of the enemy is to create disruption in our calculation system. When one\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s calculation system is disrupted, it produces wrong outputs out of correct inputs. That is to say, experiences will no longer be useful to it. When our calculation system does not function properly and correctly and when calculation is not carried out in the right way, experiences will no longer be beneficial. Notice how westerners and the leaders of the current western civilization have treated our country during the past 80, 90, 100 years. We have a long experience of receiving blows from the west. There are some people in the country - some western-oriented, westernized and westoxicated individuals - who witness these experiences in front of their eyes, but who do not learn a lesson from them. Well, they saw that westerners brought Reza Khan to power and helped him dominate the country. As a result of this, a bizarre Reza Khani dictatorship was established in the country by the English. They helped a thuggish and unreasonable person who was completely indifferent to the principles of the country. Afterwards during the 1320s, the same powers came and occupied Iran. In fact, they divided it among themselves in one sense. The same powers looted our oil and imposed cruel contracts on this country. The same powers launched the coup d\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'état of the 28th of Mordad and overthrew and destroyed a national government which originated from the votes of the people despite all its flaws. The same powers made our national oil movement deviate from its path and consequently, they once more dominated our natural and material sources. The same powers established Mohammad Reza\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s dictatorship in the country for a long time and they supported it with all their power. During the 30-plus-year rule of Mohammad Reza over the country, our material and spiritual sources of wealth were looted. They created a disastrous situation for our people. They kept them in poverty and ignorance, they promoted public corruption in all bases of the country and they truly destroyed the culture of the country, the people\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s religion and everything. This was done with the support of the same western governments. They created as many obstacles as they could during their confrontation with the Iranian peoples\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\' Revolution and great movement. They supported and defended Saddam Hussein although they did not approve of him. Because Saddam was against the Islamic Republic, they helped him as much as they could. Westerners, England, America and France provided him with chemical bombs and different kinds of military weapons. Well, these are our experiences. Westoxicated intellectuals do not benefit from these experiences and they do not analyze them correctly because their calculation system has been disrupted. One of the most important services of the Islamic Revolution was reviving true logic and reason in the country. The fact that you young students analyze regional issues, look at different events with complete precision, identify the enemy, analyze regional events and stand firm shows the reasonable life of a country. It was the Revolution that offered this to us, but today, some people still want to go back to prior conditions. The same westernized orientations - the ones that love the west, that humiliate our people and our achievements and that humiliate national culture and identity to the advantage of western powers - want the same powers to come again and to define and introduce standards for the affairs, culture and orientation of the country. Those who are working against the Islamic Republic under the flag of the bloody enemies of the people of Iran are people who are after dominating the same ignorance - calculational ignorance - and the same satanic temptation that once existed opposed to the rationality of this country. I advise the dear students to strengthen their studies - both on the issue of religious and political areas - as well their scientific work. You should try to strengthen your power of analysis. Of course, when I take a look at students\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\' statements today, I witness good and outstanding points. This really requires our gratitude. It really requires that we thank God, but you should work on this as much as you can. Today, we did not have the time to discuss different issues of the country. By Allah\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s favor, we will discuss these issues in the other meetings that we will hold with students or other groups of people. Students should provide people with analyses on different issues of the country including social, economic and political issues. The people should be able to benefit from students\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\' analyses. Students\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\' power of analysis should be like this. This depends on studying. Therefore, students should study. It should not be the case that students\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\' outlook is a purely emotional one. Your intellectual products should not only be based on tabloid issues. You should deeply study, think about and discuss issues. Many of the statements that the friends in this meeting discussed are statements that should be resolved in student meetings and in free discussions. I have written this down. The free debates that we brought up and that requires free discussions in academic environments can resolve and clarify many of the issues that the friends discussed in this meeting. Students should be able to find the pros and cons of every issue in their student discussions. Another point that I want to discuss is that competitive discourse in academic environments is a good thing provided that it is accompanied by tolerating the opposing views. One should not become surprised, angry and intimidated at the existence of opponents. None of these three feelings is acceptable in the face of opponents. If we become surprised at the existence of opponents, this means that we are overconfident about ourselves. This is the reason why we are surprised when someone is opposed to us, but there is no room for surprise. Well, every individual, every thought, every movement and every orientation has certain opponents. And it is not the case that we think those opponents are necessarily wrong. This is not the case. There are certain weak points and these weak points make some people oppose us. Therefore, the existence of opponents should not make us surprised, as it should not provoke our anger. We should not become angry at their opposition. Opposition is understandable and acceptable. We should not be intimidated either. Being afraid of the existence of opponents shows that we are not confident about the power and strength of our position. This should not be the case. We have a reason. We should strengthen and build up the bases of our reason and then we should enter the arena of competitive discourse and engage in discussion. The spirit of students should be like this. Therefore, academic environments should continue working with the same spirit that they thankfully enjoy today. They should tolerate one another, they should speak to one another, they should discuss different issues with one another and they should strengthen the bases. In practical areas, the basis of their work should be piety and in intellectual areas, the basis of their work should be observing Islamic limits, knowing the enemy and knowing the methods that he uses for showing his enmity. I hope that Allah the Exalted bestows success on all of you and preserves you youth for furthering the goals of the Revolution. I hope that He increases your achievements on a daily basis. I hope that by Allah\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s favor, you youth create a good future for your Revolution and for your country. Greetings be upon you and Allah\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s mercy and blessings.

With all the different current events going on in the world, we all really need a funny, relaxed, refreshing, and yet eye-opening commentary on it all. Sayyid Shahryar\'s here to humbly shed a little insight into all that\'s going on around the world; past, present, and perhaps even future. In this episode of \'Keepin\' It Real\', we\'re going to be talking about \'Oysters, Orchards, Oil, and Some Desert Raiders\', in our part 2 of 2 episode titled \'Oysters, Orchards, Oil, and Some Desert Raiders II\'. [Emphasis on the \"II\"] If you haven\'t checked out the previous episode on Bahrain, titled \'Oysters, Orchards, Oil, and Some Desert Raiders I\', [Emphasis on the \"I\"], then please do so, otherwise some of the issues discussed in this episode might not make much sense to you. What are just a few of the times that the local native Bahraini population of Bahrain rose up against the foreigner imposed al-Khalifa \'Desert Raider\' regime? (hint: more than once) What religious sect do the overwhelming majority of the people of Bahrain adhere to? What did the mass media try to falsely and fraudulently portray the \"Islamic Awakening\" to be? Why do the so-called supporters of democracy, like the United States of America, Great Britain, France, and Germany (just to name a few) attack a democratic republic such as the Islamic Republic of Iran, yet never condemn monarchies such as Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Kuwait, the U.A.E., and case in point, Bahrain? What does the foreigner imposed and western subservient regime of the al-Khalifa, do to the local native Bahraini population of Bahrain after the masses of people wanted their basic human rights in the year 2011? And what are just a few of the basic rights and freedoms that were being demanded by the Bahraini people? What was the \'Pearl Roundabout\', why was it famous, and what did the \'Desert Raiders\' al-Khalifa regime do to it? When the \'Desert Raiders\' al-Khalifa regime realized that they could not keep the political pressure of the Bahraini people under control, what did they do, and who did they ask for help? One of the things done by the \'Desert Raiders\' was systematic torture, but do you know what the definition of systematic torture is; if not, it is defined in this episode? And even though we consider certain NGO\'s such as \'Amnesty International\' to be biased, what do they say about the human rights conditions in Bahrain in the year 2021? Who is Ayatollah Shaykh Isa Qasem, who all supports him, and what is a famous quote from his eminence as regards to oppressors and the oppressed? And most finally, what happens when some savage \'Imperialistas\' steal your land, and then give that stolen land to some foreign \'Desert Raiders\'; i.e. what do those foreign \'Desert Raiders\' have to do, to keep that land? (hint: it\'s gonna cost \'em a pretty penny) Hey, we\'re just \"Keepin\' It Real\". #KeepinItReal #KIR #IslamicPulse #NewsCommentary #Islam #Allah #Quran #GlobalArrogance #Revolution #AhlulBayt #Bahrain #HumanRights #IsaQasem #AliSalman #Wefaq #alWefaq #IslamicAwakening #ArabSpring #Attack #Defense #Justice #Satan #Truth #Evil #Freedom #Slavery #Humanity #God #America #USA #West #Britain #UK #Oysters #Oil #Imperialism #Pearls #Desert #Funny #Laugh #Smile

With all the different current events going on in the world, we all really need a funny, relaxed, refreshing, and yet eye-opening commentary on it all. Sayyid Shahryar\'s here to humbly shed a little insight into all that\'s going on around the world; past, present, and perhaps even future. In this episode of \'Keepin\' It Real\', we\'re going to be talking about \'Can You Please Pass the Turkey Again?!\', in our part 2 of 2 titled \'Can You Please Pass the Turkey Again?!\' [Emphasis on the \"Again?!\"], because you can never have enough of Thanksgiving. If you haven\'t checked out the previous episode on Thanksgiving, titled \'Can You Please Pass the Turkey!\', [Emphasis on not having an \"Again?!\" in its title], then please do so, otherwise many of the intricate issues discussed in this episode might not make much sense to you, and that would be quite unfortunate. So with the pleasantries aside, what is \'The National Day of Mourning\', where does it occur, how often does it occur, why does it occur, when does it occur, and at this event, what is it that occurs? And what is the \'Indigenous Peoples Sunrise Ceremony\', where does it occur, how often does it occur, why does it occur, and when does it occur? Who is Mr. Frank James from the Wampanoag Tribe and what does he say about the Wampanoag\'s welcoming of the Pilgrims? And why is it that whenever there is murder and destruction, there is always someone making money? So, what are we talking about when we\'re talkin\' about money, well the following questions and their answers in the episode will blow you away: How many millions of whole Turkeys are eaten yearly on Thanksgiving? [answer is more than you expect] What percentage of whole Turkey sales during the year, occur just in Thanksgiving? [answer is less than 100 percent] Approximately, how many millions of dollars were spent on Thanksgiving in the year 2020? [answer is way more than $100 million] Approximately, how many millions of dollars were expected to be spent on Thanksgiving in the year 2021? [answer is way more than the previous figure] And how many millions of dollars are spent just on stuffing on Thanksgiving? [watch the episode for answer] How many millions of boxes of stove top stuffing are sold by Kraft from October through December, which includes Thanksgiving? [millions of boxes!!] What percentage of Campbell\'s cream of mushroom soup sales occur around Thanksgiving? [answer is more than 39.9%] How many millions of pounds of cranberries are purchased at Thanksgiving? [millions of pounds!!] And what just coincidentally happens to be the busiest travel day of the year in the United States of America? And what also just coincidentally happens to be the two largest online shopping days of the year in the United States of America? Approximately how many millions of duped and bamboozled American consumers shopped online or in-store starting from Thanksgiving, to Black Friday, and thru Cyber Monday in just the year 2020 in the U.S.A? [the answer is unbelievable, unimaginable, and sickening] How many billions of dollars were spent by duped and bamboozled American consumers on Black Friday, just in the year 2020? [the answer is in billions!!] And how many billions of dollars were then spent by duped and bamboozled American consumers on Cyber Monday, just in the year 2020? [the answer is in billions!!] And with all this crazy amount of money that we\'re talking about, where in the world do these Americans get all this money from; I mean, who in the world has this much cash in hand?!?! Aaand second to last, what are just a few, but hard hitting statements of the Native Americans themselves as regards to \'Thanksgiving\'? And finally, what are 5 humble suggestions that we have at \'Keepin\' It Real\' when it comes to the mythical and historical \'Thanksgiving\'; and \"Can You Please Pass the Turkey Again?!\" Hey, we\'re just \"Keepin\' It Real\". #IslamicPulse #KeepinItReal #KIR #NewsCommentary #Islam #Allah #Quran #GlobalArrogance #Revolution #AhlulBayt #Thanksgiving #Thanksgiving2022 #HumanRights #GlobalPoverty #Turkey #PumpkinPie #Pie #IslamicAwakening #BlackFriday #CyberMonday #Genocide #UnThanksgivingDay #NationalDayofMourning #SunriseCeremony #Attack #Defense #Justice #Truth #Media #Evil #Freedom #Slavery #DebtSlavery #Humanity #God #America #USA #NewEngland #West #Britain #UK #NoThanksNoGiving #thankstaking #MayflowersKill #Pilgrims #Indians #Imperialism #SettlerColonialim #Colonialism #Native #NativeAmerican #Indigenous #Funny #Laugh #Smile

Welcome to the Islamic Pulse Talk Show. In this episode we\'re talking about al-Quds 2023 and how \"Freeing Palestine Means Freeing Humanity\'s Soul\". According to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Sayyid Ali Khamenei, what is the most fundamental issue of the Muslim World in the present-day? What is the \'right to resistance\' and how does it factor into the discussion regarding Palestine? What are some interesting points regarding the concept of Justice? And what are some interesting points regarding injustice? What are some of the disbalances that can be seen across the world in the present-day? Who is the only one that is speaking about the issue of Palestine and the oppression being committed against the Palestinians on a global level? Why is Palestine being focused on with such emphasis by the leadership of the Islamic Revolution? And does this emphasis on Palestine mean that the other issues of the Muslim World are being ignored by the leadership of the Islamic Revolution? How is Palestine a conglomerate and collection of many kinds of oppression? What has international global Zionism attacked when it comes to the sanctities of all divine religions, whether Christian, Muslim, or Jew? What do many Jewish Rabbis say about the Zionist state of israel? According to the Geneva Conventions, what is the status of the civilians that are living in occupied Palestine, which is also known as Zionist israel? How does solving the issue of Palestine set a global precedent that can lead to solving oppression in the other parts of the world? What is the relationship between Zionist colonialist ideology and the colonialist ideologies of the past such as the English or French colonial policies? Is Zionism a recent phenomenon and what are some interesting points about it? In what ways has radical Zionism attacked its opponents, at times even Jews themselves? What is the term \'democratization of fascism\' mean? How is globalism just another word for cultural invasion? Finally, what is the connection between the oppression occurring in Palestine and the oppression occurring in the rest of the world? To answer these questions and much more, we humbly invited Sayyid Agha Alireza from the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, to sit down with us and speak a little bit about how \"Freeing Palestine Means Freeing Humanity\'s Soul\". We pray that all of you have an eventful International al-Quds Day, wherever you are! And remember, Palestine Will Be Free, From the River to the Sea; it\'s only a matter of time. #IslamicPulse #IPTalkShow #Allah #Muslims #Islam #Quran #Quds #AlQuds #QudsDay #Palestine #BDS #FreePalestine #FlyTheFlag #BoycottApartheid #AlQuds2023 #AlQuds_The_Axis #QudsDay #Yemen #Resistance #Zionism #DeathToisrael #Taghut #Falsehood #Truth #Justice #ImamKhamenei #ImamKhomeini #Ramadan #Ramadhan #RamadanKareem #RamadanMubarak #Sawm #Ramadan2023 #Ramadan1444 #Wilayate #AhlulBayt #Imamate #Wilayah #WilayatAlFaqih #Khamenei #JihadeTabyiin #AwaitedOne #Mahdi #Media #SoftWar #IslamicRepublic #Revolution #Resistance #IslamicRevolution #IslamicAwareness

A series of animations, showing the teachings and morals shown and taught by the Holy Prophet, the greatest man to have ever walked on the earth. In the holy Qur'an, God has addressed the Prophet Muhammad: `Thus it is due to mercy from God that you deal with them gently, and had you been rough, hard-hearted, they would certainly have dispersed from around you' (3:159). The sublime celestial morals of the Prophet brought about the waves of the revolution of Islam first in Arabian society and afterwards all over the world. In the light of this all-embracing spiritual and intellectual resurrection, dispersion turned into unity, unchastity into chastity and virtue, idleness into hard work and industry, selfishness to altruism, and Arab arrogance to modesty and affection. Men and women were thus trained to become models of good moral behaviour and have altruistic manners forever. The morals of the Prophet were so sublime and praiseworthy that God has regarded them as great. `And truly you (Muhammad) possess great morals' (68:4).

The Story of Stuff will take you on a provocative tour of the consumer-driven culture in the US and the increasing consumerism and materialism in the rest of the world - from resource extraction to iPod incineration - exposing the real costs of our use-it and lose-it approach to stuff. -- ISLAM is against materialism because it results in social injustice and oppression. But also because Islam wants to nurture the inner spirituality and other potential noble qualities in human beings - and materialism - that is the slavery of this world - takes them in exactly the opposite direction. Often non-religious movements choose to resist materialism because of its consequences on society - that is they resist materialism for instrumental - means to ends - reasons. Islam however places importance on simplicity and modesty because they are valuable in themselves for human perfection. Hence even if the world becomes full of resources and everyone has more than what he or she needs Islam would still stress on simplicity and modesty in the lifestyles and pursuits of its followers. With its ideals of human perfection and emphasis on the eternal life in the hereafter Islam provides a powerful rational and emotional stimulus for individuals to abstain from materialism and channel their self-interest into attaining lofty human ideals and qualities. For more on this see Shaheed Mutahhari-s following works available on al-islam.org - a. Spiritual Discourses b. Perfect Man.

The Story of Stuff will take you on a provocative tour of the consumer-driven culture in the US and the increasing consumerism and materialism in the rest of the world - from resource extraction to iPod incineration - exposing the real costs of our use-it and lose-it approach to stuff. -- ISLAM is against materialism because it results in social injustice and oppression. But also because Islam wants to nurture the inner spirituality and other potential noble qualities in human beings - and materialism - that is the slavery of this world - takes them in exactly the opposite direction. Often non-religious movements choose to resist materialism because of its consequences on society - that is they resist materialism for instrumental - means to ends - reasons. Islam however places importance on simplicity and modesty because they are valuable in themselves for human perfection. Hence even if the world becomes full of resources and everyone has more than what he or she needs Islam would still stress on simplicity and modesty in the lifestyles and pursuits of its followers. With its ideals of human perfection and emphasis on the eternal life in the hereafter Islam provides a powerful rational and emotional stimulus for individuals to abstain from materialism and channel their self-interest into attaining lofty human ideals and qualities. For more on this see Shaheed Mutahhari-s following works available on al-islam.org - a. Spiritual Discourses b. Perfect Man.

The Story of Stuff will take you on a provocative tour of the consumer-driven culture in the US and the increasing consumerism and materialism in the rest of the world - from resource extraction to iPod incineration - exposing the real costs of our use-it and lose-it approach to stuff. -- ISLAM is against materialism because it results in social injustice and oppression. But also because Islam wants to nurture the inner spirituality and other potential noble qualities in human beings - and materialism - that is the slavery of this world - takes them in exactly the opposite direction. Often non-religious movements choose to resist materialism because of its consequences on society - that is they resist materialism for instrumental - means to ends - reasons. Islam however places importance on simplicity and modesty because they are valuable in themselves for human perfection. Hence even if the world becomes full of resources and everyone has more than what he or she needs Islam would still stress on simplicity and modesty in the lifestyles and pursuits of its followers. With its ideals of human perfection and emphasis on the eternal life in the hereafter Islam provides a powerful rational and emotional stimulus for individuals to abstain from materialism and channel their self-interest into attaining lofty human ideals and qualities. For more on this see Shaheed Mutahhari-s following works available on al-islam.org - a. Spiritual Discourses b. Perfect Man.

Complete Sermon of Prophet Muhammad SAWW at Ghadeer Khum by Agha Hassan Mujtaba Rizvi - English The Ghadir event and its significance Seventy days before his demise, when Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HF) 1 was returning to Medina after his last pilgrimage to Mecca, he reached the pond of Khum (Ghadir Khum) near Juhfa. It was the 18th of the month of Dhul-Hijja of the year 10 AH (March 15, 632 AD). By this time, the Prophet (PBUH&HF) had conveyed all of the divine commandments to his nation except for the formal and explicit public announcement of his divinely appointed successors as the leaders, guardians, and guides for the believers for all days to come. By the order of Allah, the Prophet (PBUH&HF) stopped at the pond of Khum, gathered the crowd of pilgrims, and delivered his last universal speech. In this sermon, he presented his last religious instruction which finalized the last divine religion and made Islam the perfect religion in the sight of Allah. Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (PBUH), the fifth Imam and successor of the Prophet (PBUH&HF) said: “The last obligatory duty that Allah sent down was al-Walaya(adherence to the guardian assigned by Allah). Then, He sent down the verse: ‘Today, I completed your religion…’1 once the Messenger of Allah established it in Juhfa area.” This message was the most unique in the entire mission of the Prophet (PBUH&HF) due to the revelation of Verse 67, Chapter 5 of the Holy Quran before his speech. In this revelation, Allah warned His Messenger that failing to deliver this last message would nullify his entire mission. This unprecedented warning proves that this last message contained the most important religious commandment of Allah for the Muslim nation. Moreover, the contents of this last message were so crucial to the faith that the Prophet (PBUH&HF) emphatically required all those who directly or indirectly heard the sermon of Ghadir Khum to convey it to people who were not aware of its details, and parents to convey it to their children for all generations to come. Hence, this sermon addresses all Muslim generations of the world until the Day of Judgement. This emphasis naturally implies that the content of this message has a vital role in the future of the Muslims, their spiritual health, and their felicity in the Hereafter. The main issue that the Prophet (PBUH&HF) addressed in his speech in Ghadir Khum was that Allah appointed Ali Ibn Abi Talib (PBUH) as the guardian (Wali), the master (Mawla), the leader (Imam), and the commander (Amir) of all believing men and women, the deputy and the executor of his affairs (Wasi), and his successor (Khalifa). His sayings and commands should be preferred over the opinions of all others in every matter. Obeying him is obeying Allah, and disobeying him is disobeying Allah. Whoever follows him (and his sayings) is a believer under the guardianship of Allah, and whoever turns away from him (or his sayings) is a disbeliever under the guardianship of Satan. Guardianship (al-Walaya) expresses a bilateral relation between the guardian and the people. Observing al-Walaya by people means adhering to the guardian and acknowledging his authority by heart, tongue, and action. On the other hand, the action of al-Walaya by the guardian means offering protection from evil, spiritual assistance, care, support, and guidance for his adherents. A divinely appointed guardian guards his adherents from misguidance, spiritual destruction, wrongdoing, and sin as much as they adhere to him and his commands. Establishing al-Walaya has been the ultimate goal of religion and the fruit of the entire efforts of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HF) during his mission. One who submits to Allah’s representative and adheres to him has indeed acknowledged Allah’s authority and guardianship and is a true monotheist in obeying Allah. Acknowledging the guardianship of the leaders that Allah appointed and submitting to them is the greatest pillar of faith. It safeguards the followers from the wrath and punishment of Allah. Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (PBUH) said: “Islam is established by five things: prayer, charity, fasting, pilgrimage, and al-Walaya (adhering to the guardians authorized by Allah). None (among them) was called for as (emphatically as) al-Walaya was called for. However, people accepted the first four and abandoned al-Walaya. People who refused to submit to the leaders that Allah appointed resemble the Satan who refused to submit to the viceregent of Allah, Adam (PBUH), and consequently, became an outcast and went under the curse of Allah forever as mentioned in the Holy Quran.1 It is narrated that Imam al-Ridha (PBUH) said: “The similitude of the believers in accepting the guardianship of the Commander of the Believers (Ali) on the day of Ghadir Khum is that of the angels in prostrating before Adam (i.e., submitting to him), and the similitude of those who turned away from the guardianship of the Commander of the Believers on the day of Ghadir is that of the devil (Iblis). In one of his speeches on the anniversary of the day of Ghadir, Imam Ali (PBUH) said: “Allah does not accept the faith (of an individual) except after he acknowledges the guardianship of whom He required. He does not arrange the means of His obedience (for an individual) except after he adheres to His ropes and the ropes of His authorized people. Thus, Allah sent down to His Prophet (PBUH&HF) on the day of the large trees1 that which explained His will for His sincere and chosen servants. Allah commanded him to convey (the message) without being concerned about the hypocrites or the deviants, and guaranteed him protection against their evil... By that, Allah completed His religion, and delighted the eyes of His Prophet (PBUH&HF), and the believers. Some of you witnessed this event and some received its news. This (appointment) concluded the beautiful word of Allah for those who observe patience… ”

Vali Amr Muslimeen Ayatullah Sayyed Ali Khamenei delivered this speech at the International Conference on Islamic Awakening on 17 September 2011. http://english.khamenei.ir//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1523 http://farsi.khamenei.ir/news-content?id=17271 بسم‌الله الرحمن الرحیم السلام علیکم و رحمة الله و برکاته الحمدلله رب العالمین و الصلوة و السلام علی سیدنا محمد و آله الطیبین و صحبه المنتجبین قال الله العزیز الحكیم : بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم : يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ اتَّقِ اللَّهَ وَلا تُطِعِ الْكَافِرِينَ وَالْمُنَافِقِينَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًا وَاتَّبِعْ مَا يُوحَى إِلَيْكَ مِن رَّبِّكَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرًا وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ وَكَفَى بِاللَّهِ وَكِيلا (O Prophet, fear Allah and do not obey the disbelievers and the hypocrites. Indeed, Allah is ever Knowing and Wise. (1). And follow that which is revealed to you from your Lord. Indeed Allah is ever, with what you do, Acquainted. (2) And rely upon Allah; and sufficient is Allah as Disposer of affairs.(3) Surat Al-Ahzab) I welcome our honored audience and dear guests. What has brought us here together is the Islamic awakening, which comes from the stronger inspiration and greater understanding among Muslim ummah. This awakening has led to a major development among nations of our region and has brought about uprisings and revolutions that could never have been contemplated in the calculations of the dominant regional and international satanic powers. These are momentous uprising that have razed to the ground the autocratic and imperialist strongholds and vanquished the tyrants guarding them. There is no doubt that colossal social upheavals have always relied on solid foundation of history and civilization and are products of accumulation of wisdom and experiences. Over the past 150 years, the presence of great intellectual and jihadi personalities that have been opinion leaders and behind Islamic movements in Egypt, Iraq, India and other countries in Asia and Africa has served as precursors and pioneers for the present situation in the Islamic world. The developments in the 1950’s and 60’s led to coming to power of regimes that were mostly inclined to materialistic ideologies and thoughts, and because of their inherent character fell into the trap of Western imperialist and colonialist powers. These are experiences that are lessons to learn from, and have contributed substantially to evolution of general and profound understanding in the Islamic world. The Islamic Revolution in Iran that was hailed by Imam Khomeini as “victory of blood over sword”, and establishment of the lasting, robust, courageous and progressive Islamic republic, and its impact on present Islamic awakening is itself a long story that deserves to be debated and researched. There is no doubt that Islamic Revolution of Iran will be accorded a thorough and comprehensive chapter in the analysis and writings of history of the present situation of the Islamic world. For that reason, the present and mounting facts and truths in the Islamic world are not simply events that are severed from the past historical roots, social and intellectual backgrounds to allow our adversaries and the shallow-minded to present them as a passing wave and short-lived phenomenon in order to snuff out hope in the hearts of nations by their warped and biased analyses. In this brotherly dialogue with you I want to place greater emphasis on three areas: 1. Taking a glance at the identity of these uprisings and revolutions 2. Major threats and harms lying on their way. 3. Recommendations to find solutions and prevent these threats and harms. Regarding the first point, I believe the most important element in these revolutions is the actual and mass presence of people in the arena of action, struggle and jihad. They were present, not only with their heart, desire and faith, but also with their body and souls. There is a big difference between this presence and the presence of a military group or even armed combatants in front of uncaring people or even concerned people. In the events of 1950’s and 60’s in some countries of Africa and Asia, the heavy load of the revolution was not on the shoulder of diverse segments of population and the youth from all parts of the country, but rather on the shoulder of coup d\\\\\\\'etat or small and limited armed groups. They decided and acted, and they themselves or the succeeding generation changed their ways as a result of certain motivations. The revolution became its own enemy and the enemy managed again to prevail over their countries. This is totally different than the change that comes from the people. It is the people that bring their body and soul to the arena of action, and by their jihad and devotion push back and defeat the enemy. It is the people that make the slogans and set the goals, identify and introduce and pursue the enemy. They draw their desired future, although not comprehensively, and as a result do not allow departure from the path of the revolution or conceding to the enemy, or change of course by compromising and the tainted few with special interests, and above all thwart the schemes of enemy’s agents. In such a grass-root movement, the revolution may be slowed, but can stay away from short-sightedness and being on shaky ground. Quran says “Have you not considered how Allah presents an example, [making] a good word like a good tree, whose root is firmly fixed and its branches [high] in the sky? أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ ضَرَبَ اللّهُ مَثَلاً كَلِمَةً طَيِّبَةً كَشَجَرةٍ طَيِّبَةٍ أَصْلُهَا ثَابِتٌ وَفَرْعُهَا فِي السَّمَاء Have you not considered how Allah presents an example, [making] a good word like a good tree, whose root is firmly fixed and its branches [high] in the sky? (24\\\\\\\" Ibrahim ) When I saw the brave body of the proud people of Egypt on television in Tahrir Square, I became convinced that their revolution will triumph. Let me confess something to you. After the victory of the Islamic Revolution and the establishment of the Islamic republic in Iran which caused an earthquake among the worldly materialistic rulers in East and West and brought unprecedented uproar and joy to Muslim nations, we expected that Egypt would be next in line to rise. The reason was the history of jihad, progressive thinking and presence of great mojahids and intellectuals in Egypt. I was reciting in my heart this poem by Abu Faras: أراك عصيّ الدمع شیمتك الصبر ما للهوی نهی علیك و لا أمر ؟ When I saw the people of Egypt in Tahrir Square and squares in other cities, I knew I have received my response. The people of Egypt told me with words coming from their heart: بلی أنا مشتاق و عندي لوعة ولكن مثلي لایذاع له سرُّ …This sacred secret was nothing but the motivation and resolve to rise, and gradually people of Egypt cemented this thought in their mind and at a historical juncture they manifested their resolve and entered the arena in a magnificent show of their power. Tunisia, Yemen, Libya, and Bahrain are no exception to this general rule. In these revolutions principles, values and goals are not written in prefabricated manifestos of groups and parties, but written in the minds, hearts and desires of each and every person present on the scene and are declared in the context of their slogans and behaviors. With these signals one can clearly tell that the principles of current revolutions in the region, in Egypt and other countries, are first and foremost the following: - Revival and renewal of national dignity and respect that have been broken and trampled during long years of dictatorial and corrupt rule and the political domination of America and the West. - Keeping up the banner of Islam which is the profound faith and longstanding attachment of people and being able to enjoy peace of mind, justice, progress and prosperity that could only be achieved under Islamic Sharia. - Resistance against the influence and domination of the United States and Europe that have wreaked the greatest damage and humiliation on the peoples of these countries over the past two hundred years. - Countering the usurper and fictitious Zionist regime that the imperialist powers have planted like a dagger in the heart of this region to serve as a tool to continue their diabolical domination after expelling a whole nation from their historical homeland. There is no doubt that the revolutions in the region that rely on and demand these principles are not to the liking of America, Europe and the Zionists, and they are going to use all means to deny them, but the truth will not change with their denial. The widespread participation of people in these revolutions is the most important element that constitutes their identity. Foreign powers that tried everything in their power and used all their schemes to keep in power the tyrannical, corrupt and subservient rulers in these countries and only abandoned them when the people left no choice for them have no right to claim a share in the victory of these revolutions. Even in Libya intervention by America and NATO cannot distort the truth. In Libya, NATO has caused irreparable damage. Had it not been for the military intervention of NATO and America, victory of people might have been delayed, but all these infrastructures would not have been damaged, and innocent women and children killed and then enemies that were accomplices of Qaddafi would not have been able to intervene in this innocent war-torn nation. People and the elite that are of the people and others who are from the people are the true owners of these revolutions that should be trusted to protect them and draw the path to the future. 2- Regarding the threats and harm, I should first emphasize that although there are threats, but there are also ways to stay safe. Mere presence of threats should not scare nations. إِنَّ كَيْدَ الشَّيْطَانِ كَانَ ضَعِيفًا ( Indeed, the plot of Satan has ever been weak) Allah says about a group of mojahids of early Islam: الَّذِينَ قالَ لَهُمُ النَّاسُ إِنَّ النَّاسَ قَدْ جَمَعُوا لَكُمْ فَاخْشَوْهُمْ فَزادَهُمْ إِيماناً وَ قالُوا حَسْبُنَا اللَّهُ وَ نِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ فَانْقَلَبُوا بِنِعْمَةٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَ فَضْلٍ لَمْ يَمْسَسْهُمْ سُوءٌ وَ اتَّبَعُوا رِضْوانَ اللَّهِ وَ اللَّهُ ذُو فَضْلٍ عَظِيمٍ ( Those to whom hypocrites said, \\\\\\\"Indeed, the people have gathered against you, so fear them.\\\\\\\" But it [merely] increased them in faith, and they said, \\\\\\\"Sufficient for us is Allah, and [He is] the best Disposer of affairs.\\\\\\\" So they returned with favor from Allah and bounty, no harm having touched them. And they pursued the pleasure of Allah, and Allah is the possessor of great bounty. ) We need to know what these threats are, in order not to be surprised and to be able to find solutions. We faced these perils and threats after the victory of Islamic Revolution and experienced them. With the grace of Allah and the leadership of Imam Khomeini and sacrifices of our people we managed to sail through them safely. The plots by enemies still continue but so does the firm resolve of our people. I divide the harm to these movements into two groups: those that have their roots within ourselves and come from our own weaknesses, and those that have been directly planned by the enemy. The first group of harms is of the following type: The sense and thought that after the downfall of the corrupt dictator the job is over. The peace of mind and comfort that comes after the victory and afterward the lessening of motivation and weakening of determination are among the first perils, and the most damaging threat is when individuals ask for their share of the spoils of victory. The story of the Battle of Uhud and the defenders seeking the spoils of victory caused the defeat of Muslims, and the mojahids were reprimanded by God. This is a good example that should never be forgotten. Being shocked and awed by the appearances of the arrogant powers and the feeling of fear from America and other interventionist powers are of these kinds of harm that should be avoided. The brave and young should throw out these fears from their heart. Trusting the enemy and falling into trap of their smiles and promises is another threat that needs to be avoided by the forerunners and leaders. The enemy must be identified no matter what cover it uses. The nation and the revolution should be protected against the designs of the enemy that at times hide behind the appearances of friendship and supportive gestures. Another side to this page is becoming overconfident and overlooking the enemy. Bravery must be combined with wisdom and good judgment. We must use all treasures of God within ourselves against Satan, al-Jinn wal–Ens. Causing division and pitting revolutionaries against one another and penetration behind the battlefront of struggle is another great harm that needs to be avoided with all your power. The second group of harm has been experienced by almost all countries of the region during different events. The first harm is the coming to power of those who are committed to America and the West. The West tries after the downfall of its pawns to protect the basic pillars of the system and levers of power, and change the direction by using the same foundation, but with a different head, in order to perpetuate its domination. This means wasting of all your efforts and sacrifices. At this stage, if they face resistance of the people, they try to introduce and offer to the movement and people other alternatives that are designed to divert the course of the movement. This scenario could be recommending government models and constitutions that will again throw the Islamic countries into the trap of cultural, political and economic dependence on the West. This could lead to their influence among the revolutionaries greater financial and media strength of an unreliable current and marginalization of the genuine currents in the revolution. This also means return of the domination of the West and the stronger grip of then outdated Western models that are far from basic principles of the revolution. If this tactic does not produce the desired result, experience tells us that they will go for anarchy, terrorism, civil war among followers of religions or ethnic communities and tribes, political parties, or even among neighboring nations and governments. Parallel to these actions, they will impose economic siege and sanctions, freeze national assets and launch all-out media war and propaganda. Their intention is to tire out and frustrate people and make the revolutionaries disappointed. Under these circumstances it becomes easy to defeat the revolution. Assassination of the righteous elite of the society and opinion leaders, defamation and vilification of others and even enticing some with money are among usual ploys used by the Western powers and the claimants of civilization morality. In Iran, the evidence and documents from the U.S. Den of Espionage that fell into the hands of the revolution showed that all these plots were designed by the regime in the United States for the people of Iran for them bringing back the reactionary and dependant rulers in revolutionary countries is a principle that prescribes all these dirty tricks. In the last part of my remarks, I present recommendations for your consideration and selection that are based on our tangible experiences in Iran and what has been gathered from the precise studies of other countries. Undoubtedly, conditions differ among nations and countries. Nonetheless, there are truths that can prove beneficial for all people. The first point is that by placing one’s trust in God and believing in the repeated promises of divine victories in the Quran and through astuteness, resolve, and braveness, it is possible to surmount all obstacles and emerge victorious. Of course, the task that you all have taken up is quite grave and momentous. Thus, one must bear great hardship for its sake. The Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali (`a) says: “فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَمْ يَقْصِمْ جَبَّارِي دَهْرٍ قَطُّ إِلَّا بَعْدَ تَمْهِيلٍ وَ رَخَاءٍ وَ لَمْ يَجْبُرْ عَظْمَ أَحَدٍ مِنَ الْأُمَمِ إِلَّا بَعْدَ أَزْلٍ وَ بَلَاءٍ وَ فِي دُونِ مَا اسْتَقْبَلْتُمْ مِنْ عَتْبٍ وَ مَا اسْتَدْبَرْتُمْ مِنْ خَطْبٍ مُعْتَبَر..” The important recommendation is that you must always consider yourself as being present on the scene: فَإِذَا فَرَغْتَ فَانْصَبْ ( So when you have finished [your duties], then stand up [for worship].)Therefore, when thou art free, still labor hard), always consider God as present and as your aid: وَإِلَى رَبِّكَ فَارْغَبْ (And to thy Lord turn all thy attention), and must not allow your victories to cause you to become arrogant or negligent: اِذا جاءَ نَصْرُ اللهِ وَ الْفَتْحُ وَ رَاَيْتَ النّاسَ يَدْخُلُونَ في دينِ اللهِ اَفْواجاً فَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ وَ اسْتَغْفِرْهُ اِنَّهُ كانَ تَوّاباً (When comes the help of Allah, and victory. And thou dost see the people enter Allah’s Religion in crowds. Celebrate the praises of thy Lord). These are the true foundations of a faithful nation. Another recommendation is the constant rereading of the principles of revolution. The slogans and principles must be refined and brought in line with the foundations and undisputed principles of Islam. Independence, freedom, justice, refusal to bow to despotism and colonialism, rejection of ethnic, racial, and religious discrimination, and the outright rejection of Zionism, which, today, comprise the pivots of the movements in Islamic countries, are all inspired by Islam and the Quran. Write down your principles on paper. Preserve your genuine nature with a high degree of sensitivity. Do not allow your enemies to formulate the principles of your future system. Do not allow Islamic principles to be sacrificed for transient interests. Deviation in revolutions starts with deviation in slogans and objectives. Never place your trust in the U.S., NATO, or criminal regimes such as Britain, France, or, Italy, which for long plundered and divided your land among themselves. Look upon them with suspicion and do not believe their smiles. Behind these smiles and promises lies conspiracy and betrayal. Find you own way by resorting to the blessed fountainhead of Islam and give back foreigners’ prescriptions to themselves. Another important recommendation is to avoid religious, ethnic, racial, tribal, and border disputes. Recognize differences as legitimate and manage them. Reconciliation among Islamic religions is the key to salvation. Those who fan the flames of religious division through apostatizing others are the mercenaries and servants of Satan, even if done inadvertently. Creating your own system of governance is your main and seminal task. This is a complex and difficult undertaking. Do not allow secular or western liberal or extremist nationalist or leftist Marxist models to be imposed on you. The leftist Eastern Bloc collapsed and the Western Bloc is propped up through violence, war, and deceit, and does not appear to have a bright outlook. The passage of time will be to their loss and to the benefit of the Islamic current. The ultimate goal must be a unified Islamic Ummah and the creation of a new Islamic civilization founded upon faith, rationality, knowledge, and morality. The liberation of Palestine from the savage claws of the Zionists is also a great objective. The countries of the Balkans, Caucasus, and western Asia were liberated from the claws of the former Soviet Union after eighty years. Why should the Palestinian people not be able to free themselves from the captivity of the oppressor Zionists after seventy years? The present generation in Islamic countries has the capacity to accomplish such great feats. The young generation of today is a source of pride for the past generations. As noted by the Arab poet: أبو الصخر من شيبان قلت لهم كلا لعمري و لكن منه شيبانُ و كم أبٍ قد علا بابنٍ ذُری شَرَفٍ كما علا برسولِ الله عدنانُ Trust your young generation. Revive their feeling of self-confidence and benefit them by the experiences of the elders. There are two important points in this connection: First, one of the most important demands of the people who have revolted and who have been liberated is to have a decisive participation in the management of their countries. And since they believe in Islam, their desire is to have a system of Islamic democracy, i.e. the rulers being elected through the vote of the people and the dominant principles and values of the society being based on the Islamic knowledge and sharia. This can crystallize in various countries, depending on their conditions, through various methods and forms. However, utmost care must be taken not to confuse this with the western liberal democracy. The secular, and at times anti-religious, western democracy is in no way related to the Islamic democracy which is committed to the values and main principles of Islam in its system of government. The second point relates to the fact that Islamic tenets must not be equated with backwardness, obscurantism, and ignorant and extremist biases. The demarcation between these two must be pronounced. Religious extremism, which is usually attended by violence, is the cause of falling short of the lofty goals of the revolution. This, in turn, results in the loss of public support and the eventual failure of the revolution. In sum, to speak of Islamic awakening is not to speak of a nebulous and indistinct concept that is amenable to various interpretations. Rather, it is to speak of a tangible reality in the external world that has filled the atmosphere and resulted in great uprisings and revolutions and removed from the scene some dangerous elements of the enemy. Nonetheless, the scene remains fluid and in need of being shaped and brought to a conclusion. The verses recited at the outset contain a complete and effective set of guidelines, especially in this sensitive and momentous juncture… Though, they are addressed to the Holy Prophet (PBUH), we all are their interlocutors and responsible for adhering to them. In these verses, piety (taqwa), in its lofty and broad connotation, is the first recommendation. Then comes the rejection of the orders of the infidels and hypocrites, adherence to the divine revelation, and, finally, trust in God… Once again, we will review these verses: بسم‌الله‌الرحمن‌الرحیم يا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ اتَّقِ ‌اللَّهَ وَ لا تُطِعِ الْكافِرينَ وَ الْمُنافِقينَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كانَ عَليماً حَكيماً(1) وَ اتَّبِعْ ما يُوحى‏ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ رَبِّكَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كانَ بِما تَعْمَلُونَ خَبيراً (2) وَ تَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ وَ كَفى‏ بِاللَّهِ وَكيلاً. (In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful. O Prophet! Fear Allah, and hearken not to the unbelievers and the hypocrites: verily Allah is full of knowledge and wisdom. But follow that which comes to thee by inspiration from thy Lord: for Allah is well acquainted with (all) that ye do. And put thy trust in Allah, and enough is Allah as a disposer of affairs.) والسلام علیکم و رحمة الله

Vali Amr Muslimeen Ayatullah Sayyed Ali Khamenei delivered this speech at the International Conference on Islamic Awakening on 17 September 2011. http://english.khamenei.ir//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1523 http://farsi.khamenei.ir/news-content?id=17271 بسم‌الله الرحمن الرحیم السلام علیکم و رحمة الله و برکاته الحمدلله رب العالمین و الصلوة و السلام علی سیدنا محمد و آله الطیبین و صحبه المنتجبین قال الله العزیز الحكیم : بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم : يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ اتَّقِ اللَّهَ وَلا تُطِعِ الْكَافِرِينَ وَالْمُنَافِقِينَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًا وَاتَّبِعْ مَا يُوحَى إِلَيْكَ مِن رَّبِّكَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرًا وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ وَكَفَى بِاللَّهِ وَكِيلا (O Prophet, fear Allah and do not obey the disbelievers and the hypocrites. Indeed, Allah is ever Knowing and Wise. (1). And follow that which is revealed to you from your Lord. Indeed Allah is ever, with what you do, Acquainted. (2) And rely upon Allah; and sufficient is Allah as Disposer of affairs.(3) Surat Al-Ahzab) I welcome our honored audience and dear guests. What has brought us here together is the Islamic awakening, which comes from the stronger inspiration and greater understanding among Muslim ummah. This awakening has led to a major development among nations of our region and has brought about uprisings and revolutions that could never have been contemplated in the calculations of the dominant regional and international satanic powers. These are momentous uprising that have razed to the ground the autocratic and imperialist strongholds and vanquished the tyrants guarding them. There is no doubt that colossal social upheavals have always relied on solid foundation of history and civilization and are products of accumulation of wisdom and experiences. Over the past 150 years, the presence of great intellectual and jihadi personalities that have been opinion leaders and behind Islamic movements in Egypt, Iraq, India and other countries in Asia and Africa has served as precursors and pioneers for the present situation in the Islamic world. The developments in the 1950’s and 60’s led to coming to power of regimes that were mostly inclined to materialistic ideologies and thoughts, and because of their inherent character fell into the trap of Western imperialist and colonialist powers. These are experiences that are lessons to learn from, and have contributed substantially to evolution of general and profound understanding in the Islamic world. The Islamic Revolution in Iran that was hailed by Imam Khomeini as “victory of blood over sword”, and establishment of the lasting, robust, courageous and progressive Islamic republic, and its impact on present Islamic awakening is itself a long story that deserves to be debated and researched. There is no doubt that Islamic Revolution of Iran will be accorded a thorough and comprehensive chapter in the analysis and writings of history of the present situation of the Islamic world. For that reason, the present and mounting facts and truths in the Islamic world are not simply events that are severed from the past historical roots, social and intellectual backgrounds to allow our adversaries and the shallow-minded to present them as a passing wave and short-lived phenomenon in order to snuff out hope in the hearts of nations by their warped and biased analyses. In this brotherly dialogue with you I want to place greater emphasis on three areas: 1. Taking a glance at the identity of these uprisings and revolutions 2. Major threats and harms lying on their way. 3. Recommendations to find solutions and prevent these threats and harms. Regarding the first point, I believe the most important element in these revolutions is the actual and mass presence of people in the arena of action, struggle and jihad. They were present, not only with their heart, desire and faith, but also with their body and souls. There is a big difference between this presence and the presence of a military group or even armed combatants in front of uncaring people or even concerned people. In the events of 1950’s and 60’s in some countries of Africa and Asia, the heavy load of the revolution was not on the shoulder of diverse segments of population and the youth from all parts of the country, but rather on the shoulder of coup d'etat or small and limited armed groups. They decided and acted, and they themselves or the succeeding generation changed their ways as a result of certain motivations. The revolution became its own enemy and the enemy managed again to prevail over their countries. This is totally different than the change that comes from the people. It is the people that bring their body and soul to the arena of action, and by their jihad and devotion push back and defeat the enemy. It is the people that make the slogans and set the goals, identify and introduce and pursue the enemy. They draw their desired future, although not comprehensively, and as a result do not allow departure from the path of the revolution or conceding to the enemy, or change of course by compromising and the tainted few with special interests, and above all thwart the schemes of enemy’s agents. In such a grass-root movement, the revolution may be slowed, but can stay away from short-sightedness and being on shaky ground. Quran says “Have you not considered how Allah presents an example, [making] a good word like a good tree, whose root is firmly fixed and its branches [high] in the sky? أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ ضَرَبَ اللّهُ مَثَلاً كَلِمَةً طَيِّبَةً كَشَجَرةٍ طَيِّبَةٍ أَصْلُهَا ثَابِتٌ وَفَرْعُهَا فِي السَّمَاء Have you not considered how Allah presents an example, [making] a good word like a good tree, whose root is firmly fixed and its branches [high] in the sky? (24" Ibrahim ) When I saw the brave body of the proud people of Egypt on television in Tahrir Square, I became convinced that their revolution will triumph. Let me confess something to you. After the victory of the Islamic Revolution and the establishment of the Islamic republic in Iran which caused an earthquake among the worldly materialistic rulers in East and West and brought unprecedented uproar and joy to Muslim nations, we expected that Egypt would be next in line to rise. The reason was the history of jihad, progressive thinking and presence of great mojahids and intellectuals in Egypt. I was reciting in my heart this poem by Abu Faras: أراك عصيّ الدمع شیمتك الصبر ما للهوی نهی علیك و لا أمر ؟ When I saw the people of Egypt in Tahrir Square and squares in other cities, I knew I have received my response. The people of Egypt told me with words coming from their heart: بلی أنا مشتاق و عندي لوعة ولكن مثلي لایذاع له سرُّ …This sacred secret was nothing but the motivation and resolve to rise, and gradually people of Egypt cemented this thought in their mind and at a historical juncture they manifested their resolve and entered the arena in a magnificent show of their power. Tunisia, Yemen, Libya, and Bahrain are no exception to this general rule. In these revolutions principles, values and goals are not written in prefabricated manifestos of groups and parties, but written in the minds, hearts and desires of each and every person present on the scene and are declared in the context of their slogans and behaviors. With these signals one can clearly tell that the principles of current revolutions in the region, in Egypt and other countries, are first and foremost the following: - Revival and renewal of national dignity and respect that have been broken and trampled during long years of dictatorial and corrupt rule and the political domination of America and the West. - Keeping up the banner of Islam which is the profound faith and longstanding attachment of people and being able to enjoy peace of mind, justice, progress and prosperity that could only be achieved under Islamic Sharia. - Resistance against the influence and domination of the United States and Europe that have wreaked the greatest damage and humiliation on the peoples of these countries over the past two hundred years. - Countering the usurper and fictitious Zionist regime that the imperialist powers have planted like a dagger in the heart of this region to serve as a tool to continue their diabolical domination after expelling a whole nation from their historical homeland. There is no doubt that the revolutions in the region that rely on and demand these principles are not to the liking of America, Europe and the Zionists, and they are going to use all means to deny them, but the truth will not change with their denial. The widespread participation of people in these revolutions is the most important element that constitutes their identity. Foreign powers that tried everything in their power and used all their schemes to keep in power the tyrannical, corrupt and subservient rulers in these countries and only abandoned them when the people left no choice for them have no right to claim a share in the victory of these revolutions. Even in Libya intervention by America and NATO cannot distort the truth. In Libya, NATO has caused irreparable damage. Had it not been for the military intervention of NATO and America, victory of people might have been delayed, but all these infrastructures would not have been damaged, and innocent women and children killed and then enemies that were accomplices of Qaddafi would not have been able to intervene in this innocent war-torn nation. People and the elite that are of the people and others who are from the people are the true owners of these revolutions that should be trusted to protect them and draw the path to the future. 2- Regarding the threats and harm, I should first emphasize that although there are threats, but there are also ways to stay safe. Mere presence of threats should not scare nations. إِنَّ كَيْدَ الشَّيْطَانِ كَانَ ضَعِيفًا ( Indeed, the plot of Satan has ever been weak) Allah says about a group of mojahids of early Islam: الَّذِينَ قالَ لَهُمُ النَّاسُ إِنَّ النَّاسَ قَدْ جَمَعُوا لَكُمْ فَاخْشَوْهُمْ فَزادَهُمْ إِيماناً وَ قالُوا حَسْبُنَا اللَّهُ وَ نِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ فَانْقَلَبُوا بِنِعْمَةٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَ فَضْلٍ لَمْ يَمْسَسْهُمْ سُوءٌ وَ اتَّبَعُوا رِضْوانَ اللَّهِ وَ اللَّهُ ذُو فَضْلٍ عَظِيمٍ ( Those to whom hypocrites said, "Indeed, the people have gathered against you, so fear them." But it [merely] increased them in faith, and they said, "Sufficient for us is Allah, and [He is] the best Disposer of affairs." So they returned with favor from Allah and bounty, no harm having touched them. And they pursued the pleasure of Allah, and Allah is the possessor of great bounty. ) We need to know what these threats are, in order not to be surprised and to be able to find solutions. We faced these perils and threats after the victory of Islamic Revolution and experienced them. With the grace of Allah and the leadership of Imam Khomeini and sacrifices of our people we managed to sail through them safely. The plots by enemies still continue but so does the firm resolve of our people. I divide the harm to these movements into two groups: those that have their roots within ourselves and come from our own weaknesses, and those that have been directly planned by the enemy. The first group of harms is of the following type: The sense and thought that after the downfall of the corrupt dictator the job is over. The peace of mind and comfort that comes after the victory and afterward the lessening of motivation and weakening of determination are among the first perils, and the most damaging threat is when individuals ask for their share of the spoils of victory. The story of the Battle of Uhud and the defenders seeking the spoils of victory caused the defeat of Muslims, and the mojahids were reprimanded by God. This is a good example that should never be forgotten. Being shocked and awed by the appearances of the arrogant powers and the feeling of fear from America and other interventionist powers are of these kinds of harm that should be avoided. The brave and young should throw out these fears from their heart. Trusting the enemy and falling into trap of their smiles and promises is another threat that needs to be avoided by the forerunners and leaders. The enemy must be identified no matter what cover it uses. The nation and the revolution should be protected against the designs of the enemy that at times hide behind the appearances of friendship and supportive gestures. Another side to this page is becoming overconfident and overlooking the enemy. Bravery must be combined with wisdom and good judgment. We must use all treasures of God within ourselves against Satan, al-Jinn wal–Ens. Causing division and pitting revolutionaries against one another and penetration behind the battlefront of struggle is another great harm that needs to be avoided with all your power. The second group of harm has been experienced by almost all countries of the region during different events. The first harm is the coming to power of those who are committed to America and the West. The West tries after the downfall of its pawns to protect the basic pillars of the system and levers of power, and change the direction by using the same foundation, but with a different head, in order to perpetuate its domination. This means wasting of all your efforts and sacrifices. At this stage, if they face resistance of the people, they try to introduce and offer to the movement and people other alternatives that are designed to divert the course of the movement. This scenario could be recommending government models and constitutions that will again throw the Islamic countries into the trap of cultural, political and economic dependence on the West. This could lead to their influence among the revolutionaries greater financial and media strength of an unreliable current and marginalization of the genuine currents in the revolution. This also means return of the domination of the West and the stronger grip of then outdated Western models that are far from basic principles of the revolution. If this tactic does not produce the desired result, experience tells us that they will go for anarchy, terrorism, civil war among followers of religions or ethnic communities and tribes, political parties, or even among neighboring nations and governments. Parallel to these actions, they will impose economic siege and sanctions, freeze national assets and launch all-out media war and propaganda. Their intention is to tire out and frustrate people and make the revolutionaries disappointed. Under these circumstances it becomes easy to defeat the revolution. Assassination of the righteous elite of the society and opinion leaders, defamation and vilification of others and even enticing some with money are among usual ploys used by the Western powers and the claimants of civilization morality. In Iran, the evidence and documents from the U.S. Den of Espionage that fell into the hands of the revolution showed that all these plots were designed by the regime in the United States for the people of Iran for them bringing back the reactionary and dependant rulers in revolutionary countries is a principle that prescribes all these dirty tricks. In the last part of my remarks, I present recommendations for your consideration and selection that are based on our tangible experiences in Iran and what has been gathered from the precise studies of other countries. Undoubtedly, conditions differ among nations and countries. Nonetheless, there are truths that can prove beneficial for all people. The first point is that by placing one’s trust in God and believing in the repeated promises of divine victories in the Quran and through astuteness, resolve, and braveness, it is possible to surmount all obstacles and emerge victorious. Of course, the task that you all have taken up is quite grave and momentous. Thus, one must bear great hardship for its sake. The Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali (`a) says: “فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَمْ يَقْصِمْ جَبَّارِي دَهْرٍ قَطُّ إِلَّا بَعْدَ تَمْهِيلٍ وَ رَخَاءٍ وَ لَمْ يَجْبُرْ عَظْمَ أَحَدٍ مِنَ الْأُمَمِ إِلَّا بَعْدَ أَزْلٍ وَ بَلَاءٍ وَ فِي دُونِ مَا اسْتَقْبَلْتُمْ مِنْ عَتْبٍ وَ مَا اسْتَدْبَرْتُمْ مِنْ خَطْبٍ مُعْتَبَر..” The important recommendation is that you must always consider yourself as being present on the scene: فَإِذَا فَرَغْتَ فَانْصَبْ ( So when you have finished [your duties], then stand up [for worship].)Therefore, when thou art free, still labor hard), always consider God as present and as your aid: وَإِلَى رَبِّكَ فَارْغَبْ (And to thy Lord turn all thy attention), and must not allow your victories to cause you to become arrogant or negligent: اِذا جاءَ نَصْرُ اللهِ وَ الْفَتْحُ وَ رَاَيْتَ النّاسَ يَدْخُلُونَ في دينِ اللهِ اَفْواجاً فَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ وَ اسْتَغْفِرْهُ اِنَّهُ كانَ تَوّاباً (When comes the help of Allah, and victory. And thou dost see the people enter Allah’s Religion in crowds. Celebrate the praises of thy Lord). These are the true foundations of a faithful nation. Another recommendation is the constant rereading of the principles of revolution. The slogans and principles must be refined and brought in line with the foundations and undisputed principles of Islam. Independence, freedom, justice, refusal to bow to despotism and colonialism, rejection of ethnic, racial, and religious discrimination, and the outright rejection of Zionism, which, today, comprise the pivots of the movements in Islamic countries, are all inspired by Islam and the Quran. Write down your principles on paper. Preserve your genuine nature with a high degree of sensitivity. Do not allow your enemies to formulate the principles of your future system. Do not allow Islamic principles to be sacrificed for transient interests. Deviation in revolutions starts with deviation in slogans and objectives. Never place your trust in the U.S., NATO, or criminal regimes such as Britain, France, or, Italy, which for long plundered and divided your land among themselves. Look upon them with suspicion and do not believe their smiles. Behind these smiles and promises lies conspiracy and betrayal. Find you own way by resorting to the blessed fountainhead of Islam and give back foreigners’ prescriptions to themselves. Another important recommendation is to avoid religious, ethnic, racial, tribal, and border disputes. Recognize differences as legitimate and manage them. Reconciliation among Islamic religions is the key to salvation. Those who fan the flames of religious division through apostatizing others are the mercenaries and servants of Satan, even if done inadvertently. Creating your own system of governance is your main and seminal task. This is a complex and difficult undertaking. Do not allow secular or western liberal or extremist nationalist or leftist Marxist models to be imposed on you. The leftist Eastern Bloc collapsed and the Western Bloc is propped up through violence, war, and deceit, and does not appear to have a bright outlook. The passage of time will be to their loss and to the benefit of the Islamic current. The ultimate goal must be a unified Islamic Ummah and the creation of a new Islamic civilization founded upon faith, rationality, knowledge, and morality. The liberation of Palestine from the savage claws of the Zionists is also a great objective. The countries of the Balkans, Caucasus, and western Asia were liberated from the claws of the former Soviet Union after eighty years. Why should the Palestinian people not be able to free themselves from the captivity of the oppressor Zionists after seventy years? The present generation in Islamic countries has the capacity to accomplish such great feats. The young generation of today is a source of pride for the past generations. As noted by the Arab poet: أبو الصخر من شيبان قلت لهم كلا لعمري و لكن منه شيبانُ و كم أبٍ قد علا بابنٍ ذُری شَرَفٍ كما علا برسولِ الله عدنانُ Trust your young generation. Revive their feeling of self-confidence and benefit them by the experiences of the elders. There are two important points in this connection: First, one of the most important demands of the people who have revolted and who have been liberated is to have a decisive participation in the management of their countries. And since they believe in Islam, their desire is to have a system of Islamic democracy, i.e. the rulers being elected through the vote of the people and the dominant principles and values of the society being based on the Islamic knowledge and sharia. This can crystallize in various countries, depending on their conditions, through various methods and forms. However, utmost care must be taken not to confuse this with the western liberal democracy. The secular, and at times anti-religious, western democracy is in no way related to the Islamic democracy which is committed to the values and main principles of Islam in its system of government. The second point relates to the fact that Islamic tenets must not be equated with backwardness, obscurantism, and ignorant and extremist biases. The demarcation between these two must be pronounced. Religious extremism, which is usually attended by violence, is the cause of falling short of the lofty goals of the revolution. This, in turn, results in the loss of public support and the eventual failure of the revolution. In sum, to speak of Islamic awakening is not to speak of a nebulous and indistinct concept that is amenable to various interpretations. Rather, it is to speak of a tangible reality in the external world that has filled the atmosphere and resulted in great uprisings and revolutions and removed from the scene some dangerous elements of the enemy. Nonetheless, the scene remains fluid and in need of being shaped and brought to a conclusion. The verses recited at the outset contain a complete and effective set of guidelines, especially in this sensitive and momentous juncture… Though, they are addressed to the Holy Prophet (PBUH), we all are their interlocutors and responsible for adhering to them. In these verses, piety (taqwa), in its lofty and broad connotation, is the first recommendation. Then comes the rejection of the orders of the infidels and hypocrites, adherence to the divine revelation, and, finally, trust in God… Once again, we will review these verses: بسم‌الله‌الرحمن‌الرحیم يا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ اتَّقِ ‌اللَّهَ وَ لا تُطِعِ الْكافِرينَ وَ الْمُنافِقينَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كانَ عَليماً حَكيماً(1) وَ اتَّبِعْ ما يُوحى‏ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ رَبِّكَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كانَ بِما تَعْمَلُونَ خَبيراً (2) وَ تَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ وَ كَفى‏ بِاللَّهِ وَكيلاً. (In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful. O Prophet! Fear Allah, and hearken not to the unbelievers and the hypocrites: verily Allah is full of knowledge and wisdom. But follow that which comes to thee by inspiration from thy Lord: for Allah is well acquainted with (all) that ye do. And put thy trust in Allah, and enough is Allah as a disposer of affairs.) والسلام علیکم و رحمة الله

Vali Amr Muslimeen Ayatullah Sayyed Ali Khamenei delivered this speech at the International Conference on Islamic Awakening on 17 September 2011. http://english.khamenei.ir//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1523 http://farsi.khamenei.ir/news-content?id=17271 بسم‌الله الرحمن الرحیم السلام علیکم و رحمة الله و برکاته الحمدلله رب العالمین و الصلوة و السلام علی سیدنا محمد و آله الطیبین و صحبه المنتجبین قال الله العزیز الحكیم : بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم : يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ اتَّقِ اللَّهَ وَلا تُطِعِ الْكَافِرِينَ وَالْمُنَافِقِينَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًا وَاتَّبِعْ مَا يُوحَى إِلَيْكَ مِن رَّبِّكَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرًا وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ وَكَفَى بِاللَّهِ وَكِيلا (O Prophet, fear Allah and do not obey the disbelievers and the hypocrites. Indeed, Allah is ever Knowing and Wise. (1). And follow that which is revealed to you from your Lord. Indeed Allah is ever, with what you do, Acquainted. (2) And rely upon Allah; and sufficient is Allah as Disposer of affairs.(3) Surat Al-Ahzab) I welcome our honored audience and dear guests. What has brought us here together is the Islamic awakening, which comes from the stronger inspiration and greater understanding among Muslim ummah. This awakening has led to a major development among nations of our region and has brought about uprisings and revolutions that could never have been contemplated in the calculations of the dominant regional and international satanic powers. These are momentous uprising that have razed to the ground the autocratic and imperialist strongholds and vanquished the tyrants guarding them. There is no doubt that colossal social upheavals have always relied on solid foundation of history and civilization and are products of accumulation of wisdom and experiences. Over the past 150 years, the presence of great intellectual and jihadi personalities that have been opinion leaders and behind Islamic movements in Egypt, Iraq, India and other countries in Asia and Africa has served as precursors and pioneers for the present situation in the Islamic world. The developments in the 1950’s and 60’s led to coming to power of regimes that were mostly inclined to materialistic ideologies and thoughts, and because of their inherent character fell into the trap of Western imperialist and colonialist powers. These are experiences that are lessons to learn from, and have contributed substantially to evolution of general and profound understanding in the Islamic world. The Islamic Revolution in Iran that was hailed by Imam Khomeini as “victory of blood over sword”, and establishment of the lasting, robust, courageous and progressive Islamic republic, and its impact on present Islamic awakening is itself a long story that deserves to be debated and researched. There is no doubt that Islamic Revolution of Iran will be accorded a thorough and comprehensive chapter in the analysis and writings of history of the present situation of the Islamic world. For that reason, the present and mounting facts and truths in the Islamic world are not simply events that are severed from the past historical roots, social and intellectual backgrounds to allow our adversaries and the shallow-minded to present them as a passing wave and short-lived phenomenon in order to snuff out hope in the hearts of nations by their warped and biased analyses. In this brotherly dialogue with you I want to place greater emphasis on three areas: 1. Taking a glance at the identity of these uprisings and revolutions 2. Major threats and harms lying on their way. 3. Recommendations to find solutions and prevent these threats and harms. Regarding the first point, I believe the most important element in these revolutions is the actual and mass presence of people in the arena of action, struggle and jihad. They were present, not only with their heart, desire and faith, but also with their body and souls. There is a big difference between this presence and the presence of a military group or even armed combatants in front of uncaring people or even concerned people. In the events of 1950’s and 60’s in some countries of Africa and Asia, the heavy load of the revolution was not on the shoulder of diverse segments of population and the youth from all parts of the country, but rather on the shoulder of coup d\'etat or small and limited armed groups. They decided and acted, and they themselves or the succeeding generation changed their ways as a result of certain motivations. The revolution became its own enemy and the enemy managed again to prevail over their countries. This is totally different than the change that comes from the people. It is the people that bring their body and soul to the arena of action, and by their jihad and devotion push back and defeat the enemy. It is the people that make the slogans and set the goals, identify and introduce and pursue the enemy. They draw their desired future, although not comprehensively, and as a result do not allow departure from the path of the revolution or conceding to the enemy, or change of course by compromising and the tainted few with special interests, and above all thwart the schemes of enemy’s agents. In such a grass-root movement, the revolution may be slowed, but can stay away from short-sightedness and being on shaky ground. Quran says “Have you not considered how Allah presents an example, [making] a good word like a good tree, whose root is firmly fixed and its branches [high] in the sky? أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ ضَرَبَ اللّهُ مَثَلاً كَلِمَةً طَيِّبَةً كَشَجَرةٍ طَيِّبَةٍ أَصْلُهَا ثَابِتٌ وَفَرْعُهَا فِي السَّمَاء Have you not considered how Allah presents an example, [making] a good word like a good tree, whose root is firmly fixed and its branches [high] in the sky? (24\" Ibrahim ) When I saw the brave body of the proud people of Egypt on television in Tahrir Square, I became convinced that their revolution will triumph. Let me confess something to you. After the victory of the Islamic Revolution and the establishment of the Islamic republic in Iran which caused an earthquake among the worldly materialistic rulers in East and West and brought unprecedented uproar and joy to Muslim nations, we expected that Egypt would be next in line to rise. The reason was the history of jihad, progressive thinking and presence of great mojahids and intellectuals in Egypt. I was reciting in my heart this poem by Abu Faras: أراك عصيّ الدمع شیمتك الصبر ما للهوی نهی علیك و لا أمر ؟ When I saw the people of Egypt in Tahrir Square and squares in other cities, I knew I have received my response. The people of Egypt told me with words coming from their heart: بلی أنا مشتاق و عندي لوعة ولكن مثلي لایذاع له سرُّ …This sacred secret was nothing but the motivation and resolve to rise, and gradually people of Egypt cemented this thought in their mind and at a historical juncture they manifested their resolve and entered the arena in a magnificent show of their power. Tunisia, Yemen, Libya, and Bahrain are no exception to this general rule. In these revolutions principles, values and goals are not written in prefabricated manifestos of groups and parties, but written in the minds, hearts and desires of each and every person present on the scene and are declared in the context of their slogans and behaviors. With these signals one can clearly tell that the principles of current revolutions in the region, in Egypt and other countries, are first and foremost the following: - Revival and renewal of national dignity and respect that have been broken and trampled during long years of dictatorial and corrupt rule and the political domination of America and the West. - Keeping up the banner of Islam which is the profound faith and longstanding attachment of people and being able to enjoy peace of mind, justice, progress and prosperity that could only be achieved under Islamic Sharia. - Resistance against the influence and domination of the United States and Europe that have wreaked the greatest damage and humiliation on the peoples of these countries over the past two hundred years. - Countering the usurper and fictitious Zionist regime that the imperialist powers have planted like a dagger in the heart of this region to serve as a tool to continue their diabolical domination after expelling a whole nation from their historical homeland. There is no doubt that the revolutions in the region that rely on and demand these principles are not to the liking of America, Europe and the Zionists, and they are going to use all means to deny them, but the truth will not change with their denial. The widespread participation of people in these revolutions is the most important element that constitutes their identity. Foreign powers that tried everything in their power and used all their schemes to keep in power the tyrannical, corrupt and subservient rulers in these countries and only abandoned them when the people left no choice for them have no right to claim a share in the victory of these revolutions. Even in Libya intervention by America and NATO cannot distort the truth. In Libya, NATO has caused irreparable damage. Had it not been for the military intervention of NATO and America, victory of people might have been delayed, but all these infrastructures would not have been damaged, and innocent women and children killed and then enemies that were accomplices of Qaddafi would not have been able to intervene in this innocent war-torn nation. People and the elite that are of the people and others who are from the people are the true owners of these revolutions that should be trusted to protect them and draw the path to the future. 2- Regarding the threats and harm, I should first emphasize that although there are threats, but there are also ways to stay safe. Mere presence of threats should not scare nations. إِنَّ كَيْدَ الشَّيْطَانِ كَانَ ضَعِيفًا ( Indeed, the plot of Satan has ever been weak) Allah says about a group of mojahids of early Islam: الَّذِينَ قالَ لَهُمُ النَّاسُ إِنَّ النَّاسَ قَدْ جَمَعُوا لَكُمْ فَاخْشَوْهُمْ فَزادَهُمْ إِيماناً وَ قالُوا حَسْبُنَا اللَّهُ وَ نِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ فَانْقَلَبُوا بِنِعْمَةٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَ فَضْلٍ لَمْ يَمْسَسْهُمْ سُوءٌ وَ اتَّبَعُوا رِضْوانَ اللَّهِ وَ اللَّهُ ذُو فَضْلٍ عَظِيمٍ ( Those to whom hypocrites said, \"Indeed, the people have gathered against you, so fear them.\" But it [merely] increased them in faith, and they said, \"Sufficient for us is Allah, and [He is] the best Disposer of affairs.\" So they returned with favor from Allah and bounty, no harm having touched them. And they pursued the pleasure of Allah, and Allah is the possessor of great bounty. ) We need to know what these threats are, in order not to be surprised and to be able to find solutions. We faced these perils and threats after the victory of Islamic Revolution and experienced them. With the grace of Allah and the leadership of Imam Khomeini and sacrifices of our people we managed to sail through them safely. The plots by enemies still continue but so does the firm resolve of our people. I divide the harm to these movements into two groups: those that have their roots within ourselves and come from our own weaknesses, and those that have been directly planned by the enemy. The first group of harms is of the following type: The sense and thought that after the downfall of the corrupt dictator the job is over. The peace of mind and comfort that comes after the victory and afterward the lessening of motivation and weakening of determination are among the first perils, and the most damaging threat is when individuals ask for their share of the spoils of victory. The story of the Battle of Uhud and the defenders seeking the spoils of victory caused the defeat of Muslims, and the mojahids were reprimanded by God. This is a good example that should never be forgotten. Being shocked and awed by the appearances of the arrogant powers and the feeling of fear from America and other interventionist powers are of these kinds of harm that should be avoided. The brave and young should throw out these fears from their heart. Trusting the enemy and falling into trap of their smiles and promises is another threat that needs to be avoided by the forerunners and leaders. The enemy must be identified no matter what cover it uses. The nation and the revolution should be protected against the designs of the enemy that at times hide behind the appearances of friendship and supportive gestures. Another side to this page is becoming overconfident and overlooking the enemy. Bravery must be combined with wisdom and good judgment. We must use all treasures of God within ourselves against Satan, al-Jinn wal–Ens. Causing division and pitting revolutionaries against one another and penetration behind the battlefront of struggle is another great harm that needs to be avoided with all your power. The second group of harm has been experienced by almost all countries of the region during different events. The first harm is the coming to power of those who are committed to America and the West. The West tries after the downfall of its pawns to protect the basic pillars of the system and levers of power, and change the direction by using the same foundation, but with a different head, in order to perpetuate its domination. This means wasting of all your efforts and sacrifices. At this stage, if they face resistance of the people, they try to introduce and offer to the movement and people other alternatives that are designed to divert the course of the movement. This scenario could be recommending government models and constitutions that will again throw the Islamic countries into the trap of cultural, political and economic dependence on the West. This could lead to their influence among the revolutionaries greater financial and media strength of an unreliable current and marginalization of the genuine currents in the revolution. This also means return of the domination of the West and the stronger grip of then outdated Western models that are far from basic principles of the revolution. If this tactic does not produce the desired result, experience tells us that they will go for anarchy, terrorism, civil war among followers of religions or ethnic communities and tribes, political parties, or even among neighboring nations and governments. Parallel to these actions, they will impose economic siege and sanctions, freeze national assets and launch all-out media war and propaganda. Their intention is to tire out and frustrate people and make the revolutionaries disappointed. Under these circumstances it becomes easy to defeat the revolution. Assassination of the righteous elite of the society and opinion leaders, defamation and vilification of others and even enticing some with money are among usual ploys used by the Western powers and the claimants of civilization morality. In Iran, the evidence and documents from the U.S. Den of Espionage that fell into the hands of the revolution showed that all these plots were designed by the regime in the United States for the people of Iran for them bringing back the reactionary and dependant rulers in revolutionary countries is a principle that prescribes all these dirty tricks. In the last part of my remarks, I present recommendations for your consideration and selection that are based on our tangible experiences in Iran and what has been gathered from the precise studies of other countries. Undoubtedly, conditions differ among nations and countries. Nonetheless, there are truths that can prove beneficial for all people. The first point is that by placing one’s trust in God and believing in the repeated promises of divine victories in the Quran and through astuteness, resolve, and braveness, it is possible to surmount all obstacles and emerge victorious. Of course, the task that you all have taken up is quite grave and momentous. Thus, one must bear great hardship for its sake. The Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali (`a) says: “فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَمْ يَقْصِمْ جَبَّارِي دَهْرٍ قَطُّ إِلَّا بَعْدَ تَمْهِيلٍ وَ رَخَاءٍ وَ لَمْ يَجْبُرْ عَظْمَ أَحَدٍ مِنَ الْأُمَمِ إِلَّا بَعْدَ أَزْلٍ وَ بَلَاءٍ وَ فِي دُونِ مَا اسْتَقْبَلْتُمْ مِنْ عَتْبٍ وَ مَا اسْتَدْبَرْتُمْ مِنْ خَطْبٍ مُعْتَبَر..” The important recommendation is that you must always consider yourself as being present on the scene: فَإِذَا فَرَغْتَ فَانْصَبْ ( So when you have finished [your duties], then stand up [for worship].)Therefore, when thou art free, still labor hard), always consider God as present and as your aid: وَإِلَى رَبِّكَ فَارْغَبْ (And to thy Lord turn all thy attention), and must not allow your victories to cause you to become arrogant or negligent: اِذا جاءَ نَصْرُ اللهِ وَ الْفَتْحُ وَ رَاَيْتَ النّاسَ يَدْخُلُونَ في دينِ اللهِ اَفْواجاً فَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ وَ اسْتَغْفِرْهُ اِنَّهُ كانَ تَوّاباً (When comes the help of Allah, and victory. And thou dost see the people enter Allah’s Religion in crowds. Celebrate the praises of thy Lord). These are the true foundations of a faithful nation. Another recommendation is the constant rereading of the principles of revolution. The slogans and principles must be refined and brought in line with the foundations and undisputed principles of Islam. Independence, freedom, justice, refusal to bow to despotism and colonialism, rejection of ethnic, racial, and religious discrimination, and the outright rejection of Zionism, which, today, comprise the pivots of the movements in Islamic countries, are all inspired by Islam and the Quran. Write down your principles on paper. Preserve your genuine nature with a high degree of sensitivity. Do not allow your enemies to formulate the principles of your future system. Do not allow Islamic principles to be sacrificed for transient interests. Deviation in revolutions starts with deviation in slogans and objectives. Never place your trust in the U.S., NATO, or criminal regimes such as Britain, France, or, Italy, which for long plundered and divided your land among themselves. Look upon them with suspicion and do not believe their smiles. Behind these smiles and promises lies conspiracy and betrayal. Find you own way by resorting to the blessed fountainhead of Islam and give back foreigners’ prescriptions to themselves. Another important recommendation is to avoid religious, ethnic, racial, tribal, and border disputes. Recognize differences as legitimate and manage them. Reconciliation among Islamic religions is the key to salvation. Those who fan the flames of religious division through apostatizing others are the mercenaries and servants of Satan, even if done inadvertently. Creating your own system of governance is your main and seminal task. This is a complex and difficult undertaking. Do not allow secular or western liberal or extremist nationalist or leftist Marxist models to be imposed on you. The leftist Eastern Bloc collapsed and the Western Bloc is propped up through violence, war, and deceit, and does not appear to have a bright outlook. The passage of time will be to their loss and to the benefit of the Islamic current. The ultimate goal must be a unified Islamic Ummah and the creation of a new Islamic civilization founded upon faith, rationality, knowledge, and morality. The liberation of Palestine from the savage claws of the Zionists is also a great objective. The countries of the Balkans, Caucasus, and western Asia were liberated from the claws of the former Soviet Union after eighty years. Why should the Palestinian people not be able to free themselves from the captivity of the oppressor Zionists after seventy years? The present generation in Islamic countries has the capacity to accomplish such great feats. The young generation of today is a source of pride for the past generations. As noted by the Arab poet: أبو الصخر من شيبان قلت لهم كلا لعمري و لكن منه شيبانُ و كم أبٍ قد علا بابنٍ ذُری شَرَفٍ كما علا برسولِ الله عدنانُ Trust your young generation. Revive their feeling of self-confidence and benefit them by the experiences of the elders. There are two important points in this connection: First, one of the most important demands of the people who have revolted and who have been liberated is to have a decisive participation in the management of their countries. And since they believe in Islam, their desire is to have a system of Islamic democracy, i.e. the rulers being elected through the vote of the people and the dominant principles and values of the society being based on the Islamic knowledge and sharia. This can crystallize in various countries, depending on their conditions, through various methods and forms. However, utmost care must be taken not to confuse this with the western liberal democracy. The secular, and at times anti-religious, western democracy is in no way related to the Islamic democracy which is committed to the values and main principles of Islam in its system of government. The second point relates to the fact that Islamic tenets must not be equated with backwardness, obscurantism, and ignorant and extremist biases. The demarcation between these two must be pronounced. Religious extremism, which is usually attended by violence, is the cause of falling short of the lofty goals of the revolution. This, in turn, results in the loss of public support and the eventual failure of the revolution. In sum, to speak of Islamic awakening is not to speak of a nebulous and indistinct concept that is amenable to various interpretations. Rather, it is to speak of a tangible reality in the external world that has filled the atmosphere and resulted in great uprisings and revolutions and removed from the scene some dangerous elements of the enemy. Nonetheless, the scene remains fluid and in need of being shaped and brought to a conclusion. The verses recited at the outset contain a complete and effective set of guidelines, especially in this sensitive and momentous juncture… Though, they are addressed to the Holy Prophet (PBUH), we all are their interlocutors and responsible for adhering to them. In these verses, piety (taqwa), in its lofty and broad connotation, is the first recommendation. Then comes the rejection of the orders of the infidels and hypocrites, adherence to the divine revelation, and, finally, trust in God… Once again, we will review these verses: بسم‌الله‌الرحمن‌الرحیم يا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ اتَّقِ ‌اللَّهَ وَ لا تُطِعِ الْكافِرينَ وَ الْمُنافِقينَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كانَ عَليماً حَكيماً(1) وَ اتَّبِعْ ما يُوحى‏ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ رَبِّكَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كانَ بِما تَعْمَلُونَ خَبيراً (2) وَ تَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ وَ كَفى‏ بِاللَّهِ وَكيلاً. (In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful. O Prophet! Fear Allah, and hearken not to the unbelievers and the hypocrites: verily Allah is full of knowledge and wisdom. But follow that which comes to thee by inspiration from thy Lord: for Allah is well acquainted with (all) that ye do. And put thy trust in Allah, and enough is Allah as a disposer of affairs.) والسلام علیکم و رحمة الله

Vali Amr Muslimeen Ayatullah Sayyed Ali Khamenei delivered this speech at the International Conference on Islamic Awakening on 17 September 2011. http://english.khamenei.ir//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1523 http://farsi.khamenei.ir/news-content?id=17271 بسم‌الله الرحمن الرحیم السلام علیکم و رحمة الله و برکاته الحمدلله رب العالمین و الصلوة و السلام علی سیدنا محمد و آله الطیبین و صحبه المنتجبین قال الله العزیز الحكیم : بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم : يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ اتَّقِ اللَّهَ وَلا تُطِعِ الْكَافِرِينَ وَالْمُنَافِقِينَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًا وَاتَّبِعْ مَا يُوحَى إِلَيْكَ مِن رَّبِّكَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرًا وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ وَكَفَى بِاللَّهِ وَكِيلا (O Prophet, fear Allah and do not obey the disbelievers and the hypocrites. Indeed, Allah is ever Knowing and Wise. (1). And follow that which is revealed to you from your Lord. Indeed Allah is ever, with what you do, Acquainted. (2) And rely upon Allah; and sufficient is Allah as Disposer of affairs.(3) Surat Al-Ahzab) I welcome our honored audience and dear guests. What has brought us here together is the Islamic awakening, which comes from the stronger inspiration and greater understanding among Muslim ummah. This awakening has led to a major development among nations of our region and has brought about uprisings and revolutions that could never have been contemplated in the calculations of the dominant regional and international satanic powers. These are momentous uprising that have razed to the ground the autocratic and imperialist strongholds and vanquished the tyrants guarding them. There is no doubt that colossal social upheavals have always relied on solid foundation of history and civilization and are products of accumulation of wisdom and experiences. Over the past 150 years, the presence of great intellectual and jihadi personalities that have been opinion leaders and behind Islamic movements in Egypt, Iraq, India and other countries in Asia and Africa has served as precursors and pioneers for the present situation in the Islamic world. The developments in the 1950’s and 60’s led to coming to power of regimes that were mostly inclined to materialistic ideologies and thoughts, and because of their inherent character fell into the trap of Western imperialist and colonialist powers. These are experiences that are lessons to learn from, and have contributed substantially to evolution of general and profound understanding in the Islamic world. The Islamic Revolution in Iran that was hailed by Imam Khomeini as “victory of blood over sword”, and establishment of the lasting, robust, courageous and progressive Islamic republic, and its impact on present Islamic awakening is itself a long story that deserves to be debated and researched. There is no doubt that Islamic Revolution of Iran will be accorded a thorough and comprehensive chapter in the analysis and writings of history of the present situation of the Islamic world. For that reason, the present and mounting facts and truths in the Islamic world are not simply events that are severed from the past historical roots, social and intellectual backgrounds to allow our adversaries and the shallow-minded to present them as a passing wave and short-lived phenomenon in order to snuff out hope in the hearts of nations by their warped and biased analyses. In this brotherly dialogue with you I want to place greater emphasis on three areas: 1. Taking a glance at the identity of these uprisings and revolutions 2. Major threats and harms lying on their way. 3. Recommendations to find solutions and prevent these threats and harms. Regarding the first point, I believe the most important element in these revolutions is the actual and mass presence of people in the arena of action, struggle and jihad. They were present, not only with their heart, desire and faith, but also with their body and souls. There is a big difference between this presence and the presence of a military group or even armed combatants in front of uncaring people or even concerned people. In the events of 1950’s and 60’s in some countries of Africa and Asia, the heavy load of the revolution was not on the shoulder of diverse segments of population and the youth from all parts of the country, but rather on the shoulder of coup d\'etat or small and limited armed groups. They decided and acted, and they themselves or the succeeding generation changed their ways as a result of certain motivations. The revolution became its own enemy and the enemy managed again to prevail over their countries. This is totally different than the change that comes from the people. It is the people that bring their body and soul to the arena of action, and by their jihad and devotion push back and defeat the enemy. It is the people that make the slogans and set the goals, identify and introduce and pursue the enemy. They draw their desired future, although not comprehensively, and as a result do not allow departure from the path of the revolution or conceding to the enemy, or change of course by compromising and the tainted few with special interests, and above all thwart the schemes of enemy’s agents. In such a grass-root movement, the revolution may be slowed, but can stay away from short-sightedness and being on shaky ground. Quran says “Have you not considered how Allah presents an example, [making] a good word like a good tree, whose root is firmly fixed and its branches [high] in the sky? أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ ضَرَبَ اللّهُ مَثَلاً كَلِمَةً طَيِّبَةً كَشَجَرةٍ طَيِّبَةٍ أَصْلُهَا ثَابِتٌ وَفَرْعُهَا فِي السَّمَاء Have you not considered how Allah presents an example, [making] a good word like a good tree, whose root is firmly fixed and its branches [high] in the sky? (24\" Ibrahim ) When I saw the brave body of the proud people of Egypt on television in Tahrir Square, I became convinced that their revolution will triumph. Let me confess something to you. After the victory of the Islamic Revolution and the establishment of the Islamic republic in Iran which caused an earthquake among the worldly materialistic rulers in East and West and brought unprecedented uproar and joy to Muslim nations, we expected that Egypt would be next in line to rise. The reason was the history of jihad, progressive thinking and presence of great mojahids and intellectuals in Egypt. I was reciting in my heart this poem by Abu Faras: أراك عصيّ الدمع شیمتك الصبر ما للهوی نهی علیك و لا أمر ؟ When I saw the people of Egypt in Tahrir Square and squares in other cities, I knew I have received my response. The people of Egypt told me with words coming from their heart: بلی أنا مشتاق و عندي لوعة ولكن مثلي لایذاع له سرُّ …This sacred secret was nothing but the motivation and resolve to rise, and gradually people of Egypt cemented this thought in their mind and at a historical juncture they manifested their resolve and entered the arena in a magnificent show of their power. Tunisia, Yemen, Libya, and Bahrain are no exception to this general rule. In these revolutions principles, values and goals are not written in prefabricated manifestos of groups and parties, but written in the minds, hearts and desires of each and every person present on the scene and are declared in the context of their slogans and behaviors. With these signals one can clearly tell that the principles of current revolutions in the region, in Egypt and other countries, are first and foremost the following: - Revival and renewal of national dignity and respect that have been broken and trampled during long years of dictatorial and corrupt rule and the political domination of America and the West. - Keeping up the banner of Islam which is the profound faith and longstanding attachment of people and being able to enjoy peace of mind, justice, progress and prosperity that could only be achieved under Islamic Sharia. - Resistance against the influence and domination of the United States and Europe that have wreaked the greatest damage and humiliation on the peoples of these countries over the past two hundred years. - Countering the usurper and fictitious Zionist regime that the imperialist powers have planted like a dagger in the heart of this region to serve as a tool to continue their diabolical domination after expelling a whole nation from their historical homeland. There is no doubt that the revolutions in the region that rely on and demand these principles are not to the liking of America, Europe and the Zionists, and they are going to use all means to deny them, but the truth will not change with their denial. The widespread participation of people in these revolutions is the most important element that constitutes their identity. Foreign powers that tried everything in their power and used all their schemes to keep in power the tyrannical, corrupt and subservient rulers in these countries and only abandoned them when the people left no choice for them have no right to claim a share in the victory of these revolutions. Even in Libya intervention by America and NATO cannot distort the truth. In Libya, NATO has caused irreparable damage. Had it not been for the military intervention of NATO and America, victory of people might have been delayed, but all these infrastructures would not have been damaged, and innocent women and children killed and then enemies that were accomplices of Qaddafi would not have been able to intervene in this innocent war-torn nation. People and the elite that are of the people and others who are from the people are the true owners of these revolutions that should be trusted to protect them and draw the path to the future. 2- Regarding the threats and harm, I should first emphasize that although there are threats, but there are also ways to stay safe. Mere presence of threats should not scare nations. إِنَّ كَيْدَ الشَّيْطَانِ كَانَ ضَعِيفًا ( Indeed, the plot of Satan has ever been weak) Allah says about a group of mojahids of early Islam: الَّذِينَ قالَ لَهُمُ النَّاسُ إِنَّ النَّاسَ قَدْ جَمَعُوا لَكُمْ فَاخْشَوْهُمْ فَزادَهُمْ إِيماناً وَ قالُوا حَسْبُنَا اللَّهُ وَ نِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ فَانْقَلَبُوا بِنِعْمَةٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَ فَضْلٍ لَمْ يَمْسَسْهُمْ سُوءٌ وَ اتَّبَعُوا رِضْوانَ اللَّهِ وَ اللَّهُ ذُو فَضْلٍ عَظِيمٍ ( Those to whom hypocrites said, \"Indeed, the people have gathered against you, so fear them.\" But it [merely] increased them in faith, and they said, \"Sufficient for us is Allah, and [He is] the best Disposer of affairs.\" So they returned with favor from Allah and bounty, no harm having touched them. And they pursued the pleasure of Allah, and Allah is the possessor of great bounty. ) We need to know what these threats are, in order not to be surprised and to be able to find solutions. We faced these perils and threats after the victory of Islamic Revolution and experienced them. With the grace of Allah and the leadership of Imam Khomeini and sacrifices of our people we managed to sail through them safely. The plots by enemies still continue but so does the firm resolve of our people. I divide the harm to these movements into two groups: those that have their roots within ourselves and come from our own weaknesses, and those that have been directly planned by the enemy. The first group of harms is of the following type: The sense and thought that after the downfall of the corrupt dictator the job is over. The peace of mind and comfort that comes after the victory and afterward the lessening of motivation and weakening of determination are among the first perils, and the most damaging threat is when individuals ask for their share of the spoils of victory. The story of the Battle of Uhud and the defenders seeking the spoils of victory caused the defeat of Muslims, and the mojahids were reprimanded by God. This is a good example that should never be forgotten. Being shocked and awed by the appearances of the arrogant powers and the feeling of fear from America and other interventionist powers are of these kinds of harm that should be avoided. The brave and young should throw out these fears from their heart. Trusting the enemy and falling into trap of their smiles and promises is another threat that needs to be avoided by the forerunners and leaders. The enemy must be identified no matter what cover it uses. The nation and the revolution should be protected against the designs of the enemy that at times hide behind the appearances of friendship and supportive gestures. Another side to this page is becoming overconfident and overlooking the enemy. Bravery must be combined with wisdom and good judgment. We must use all treasures of God within ourselves against Satan, al-Jinn wal–Ens. Causing division and pitting revolutionaries against one another and penetration behind the battlefront of struggle is another great harm that needs to be avoided with all your power. The second group of harm has been experienced by almost all countries of the region during different events. The first harm is the coming to power of those who are committed to America and the West. The West tries after the downfall of its pawns to protect the basic pillars of the system and levers of power, and change the direction by using the same foundation, but with a different head, in order to perpetuate its domination. This means wasting of all your efforts and sacrifices. At this stage, if they face resistance of the people, they try to introduce and offer to the movement and people other alternatives that are designed to divert the course of the movement. This scenario could be recommending government models and constitutions that will again throw the Islamic countries into the trap of cultural, political and economic dependence on the West. This could lead to their influence among the revolutionaries greater financial and media strength of an unreliable current and marginalization of the genuine currents in the revolution. This also means return of the domination of the West and the stronger grip of then outdated Western models that are far from basic principles of the revolution. If this tactic does not produce the desired result, experience tells us that they will go for anarchy, terrorism, civil war among followers of religions or ethnic communities and tribes, political parties, or even among neighboring nations and governments. Parallel to these actions, they will impose economic siege and sanctions, freeze national assets and launch all-out media war and propaganda. Their intention is to tire out and frustrate people and make the revolutionaries disappointed. Under these circumstances it becomes easy to defeat the revolution. Assassination of the righteous elite of the society and opinion leaders, defamation and vilification of others and even enticing some with money are among usual ploys used by the Western powers and the claimants of civilization morality. In Iran, the evidence and documents from the U.S. Den of Espionage that fell into the hands of the revolution showed that all these plots were designed by the regime in the United States for the people of Iran for them bringing back the reactionary and dependant rulers in revolutionary countries is a principle that prescribes all these dirty tricks. In the last part of my remarks, I present recommendations for your consideration and selection that are based on our tangible experiences in Iran and what has been gathered from the precise studies of other countries. Undoubtedly, conditions differ among nations and countries. Nonetheless, there are truths that can prove beneficial for all people. The first point is that by placing one’s trust in God and believing in the repeated promises of divine victories in the Quran and through astuteness, resolve, and braveness, it is possible to surmount all obstacles and emerge victorious. Of course, the task that you all have taken up is quite grave and momentous. Thus, one must bear great hardship for its sake. The Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali (`a) says: “فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَمْ يَقْصِمْ جَبَّارِي دَهْرٍ قَطُّ إِلَّا بَعْدَ تَمْهِيلٍ وَ رَخَاءٍ وَ لَمْ يَجْبُرْ عَظْمَ أَحَدٍ مِنَ الْأُمَمِ إِلَّا بَعْدَ أَزْلٍ وَ بَلَاءٍ وَ فِي دُونِ مَا اسْتَقْبَلْتُمْ مِنْ عَتْبٍ وَ مَا اسْتَدْبَرْتُمْ مِنْ خَطْبٍ مُعْتَبَر..” The important recommendation is that you must always consider yourself as being present on the scene: فَإِذَا فَرَغْتَ فَانْصَبْ ( So when you have finished [your duties], then stand up [for worship].)Therefore, when thou art free, still labor hard), always consider God as present and as your aid: وَإِلَى رَبِّكَ فَارْغَبْ (And to thy Lord turn all thy attention), and must not allow your victories to cause you to become arrogant or negligent: اِذا جاءَ نَصْرُ اللهِ وَ الْفَتْحُ وَ رَاَيْتَ النّاسَ يَدْخُلُونَ في دينِ اللهِ اَفْواجاً فَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ وَ اسْتَغْفِرْهُ اِنَّهُ كانَ تَوّاباً (When comes the help of Allah, and victory. And thou dost see the people enter Allah’s Religion in crowds. Celebrate the praises of thy Lord). These are the true foundations of a faithful nation. Another recommendation is the constant rereading of the principles of revolution. The slogans and principles must be refined and brought in line with the foundations and undisputed principles of Islam. Independence, freedom, justice, refusal to bow to despotism and colonialism, rejection of ethnic, racial, and religious discrimination, and the outright rejection of Zionism, which, today, comprise the pivots of the movements in Islamic countries, are all inspired by Islam and the Quran. Write down your principles on paper. Preserve your genuine nature with a high degree of sensitivity. Do not allow your enemies to formulate the principles of your future system. Do not allow Islamic principles to be sacrificed for transient interests. Deviation in revolutions starts with deviation in slogans and objectives. Never place your trust in the U.S., NATO, or criminal regimes such as Britain, France, or, Italy, which for long plundered and divided your land among themselves. Look upon them with suspicion and do not believe their smiles. Behind these smiles and promises lies conspiracy and betrayal. Find you own way by resorting to the blessed fountainhead of Islam and give back foreigners’ prescriptions to themselves. Another important recommendation is to avoid religious, ethnic, racial, tribal, and border disputes. Recognize differences as legitimate and manage them. Reconciliation among Islamic religions is the key to salvation. Those who fan the flames of religious division through apostatizing others are the mercenaries and servants of Satan, even if done inadvertently. Creating your own system of governance is your main and seminal task. This is a complex and difficult undertaking. Do not allow secular or western liberal or extremist nationalist or leftist Marxist models to be imposed on you. The leftist Eastern Bloc collapsed and the Western Bloc is propped up through violence, war, and deceit, and does not appear to have a bright outlook. The passage of time will be to their loss and to the benefit of the Islamic current. The ultimate goal must be a unified Islamic Ummah and the creation of a new Islamic civilization founded upon faith, rationality, knowledge, and morality. The liberation of Palestine from the savage claws of the Zionists is also a great objective. The countries of the Balkans, Caucasus, and western Asia were liberated from the claws of the former Soviet Union after eighty years. Why should the Palestinian people not be able to free themselves from the captivity of the oppressor Zionists after seventy years? The present generation in Islamic countries has the capacity to accomplish such great feats. The young generation of today is a source of pride for the past generations. As noted by the Arab poet: أبو الصخر من شيبان قلت لهم كلا لعمري و لكن منه شيبانُ و كم أبٍ قد علا بابنٍ ذُری شَرَفٍ كما علا برسولِ الله عدنانُ Trust your young generation. Revive their feeling of self-confidence and benefit them by the experiences of the elders. There are two important points in this connection: First, one of the most important demands of the people who have revolted and who have been liberated is to have a decisive participation in the management of their countries. And since they believe in Islam, their desire is to have a system of Islamic democracy, i.e. the rulers being elected through the vote of the people and the dominant principles and values of the society being based on the Islamic knowledge and sharia. This can crystallize in various countries, depending on their conditions, through various methods and forms. However, utmost care must be taken not to confuse this with the western liberal democracy. The secular, and at times anti-religious, western democracy is in no way related to the Islamic democracy which is committed to the values and main principles of Islam in its system of government. The second point relates to the fact that Islamic tenets must not be equated with backwardness, obscurantism, and ignorant and extremist biases. The demarcation between these two must be pronounced. Religious extremism, which is usually attended by violence, is the cause of falling short of the lofty goals of the revolution. This, in turn, results in the loss of public support and the eventual failure of the revolution. In sum, to speak of Islamic awakening is not to speak of a nebulous and indistinct concept that is amenable to various interpretations. Rather, it is to speak of a tangible reality in the external world that has filled the atmosphere and resulted in great uprisings and revolutions and removed from the scene some dangerous elements of the enemy. Nonetheless, the scene remains fluid and in need of being shaped and brought to a conclusion. The verses recited at the outset contain a complete and effective set of guidelines, especially in this sensitive and momentous juncture… Though, they are addressed to the Holy Prophet (PBUH), we all are their interlocutors and responsible for adhering to them. In these verses, piety (taqwa), in its lofty and broad connotation, is the first recommendation. Then comes the rejection of the orders of the infidels and hypocrites, adherence to the divine revelation, and, finally, trust in God… Once again, we will review these verses: بسم‌الله‌الرحمن‌الرحیم يا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ اتَّقِ ‌اللَّهَ وَ لا تُطِعِ الْكافِرينَ وَ الْمُنافِقينَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كانَ عَليماً حَكيماً(1) وَ اتَّبِعْ ما يُوحى‏ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ رَبِّكَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كانَ بِما تَعْمَلُونَ خَبيراً (2) وَ تَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ وَ كَفى‏ بِاللَّهِ وَكيلاً. (In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful. O Prophet! Fear Allah, and hearken not to the unbelievers and the hypocrites: verily Allah is full of knowledge and wisdom. But follow that which comes to thee by inspiration from thy Lord: for Allah is well acquainted with (all) that ye do. And put thy trust in Allah, and enough is Allah as a disposer of affairs.) والسلام علیکم و رحمة الله

Vali Amr Muslimeen Ayatullah Sayyed Ali Khamenei delivered this speech at the International Conference on Islamic Awakening on 17 September 2011. http://english.khamenei.ir//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1523 http://farsi.khamenei.ir/news-content?id=17271 بسم‌الله الرحمن الرحیم السلام علیکم و رحمة الله و برکاته الحمدلله رب العالمین و الصلوة و السلام علی سیدنا محمد و آله الطیبین و صحبه المنتجبین قال الله العزیز الحكیم : بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم : يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ اتَّقِ اللَّهَ وَلا تُطِعِ الْكَافِرِينَ وَالْمُنَافِقِينَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًا وَاتَّبِعْ مَا يُوحَى إِلَيْكَ مِن رَّبِّكَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرًا وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ وَكَفَى بِاللَّهِ وَكِيلا (O Prophet, fear Allah and do not obey the disbelievers and the hypocrites. Indeed, Allah is ever Knowing and Wise. (1). And follow that which is revealed to you from your Lord. Indeed Allah is ever, with what you do, Acquainted. (2) And rely upon Allah; and sufficient is Allah as Disposer of affairs.(3) Surat Al-Ahzab) I welcome our honored audience and dear guests. What has brought us here together is the Islamic awakening, which comes from the stronger inspiration and greater understanding among Muslim ummah. This awakening has led to a major development among nations of our region and has brought about uprisings and revolutions that could never have been contemplated in the calculations of the dominant regional and international satanic powers. These are momentous uprising that have razed to the ground the autocratic and imperialist strongholds and vanquished the tyrants guarding them. There is no doubt that colossal social upheavals have always relied on solid foundation of history and civilization and are products of accumulation of wisdom and experiences. Over the past 150 years, the presence of great intellectual and jihadi personalities that have been opinion leaders and behind Islamic movements in Egypt, Iraq, India and other countries in Asia and Africa has served as precursors and pioneers for the present situation in the Islamic world. The developments in the 1950’s and 60’s led to coming to power of regimes that were mostly inclined to materialistic ideologies and thoughts, and because of their inherent character fell into the trap of Western imperialist and colonialist powers. These are experiences that are lessons to learn from, and have contributed substantially to evolution of general and profound understanding in the Islamic world. The Islamic Revolution in Iran that was hailed by Imam Khomeini as “victory of blood over sword”, and establishment of the lasting, robust, courageous and progressive Islamic republic, and its impact on present Islamic awakening is itself a long story that deserves to be debated and researched. There is no doubt that Islamic Revolution of Iran will be accorded a thorough and comprehensive chapter in the analysis and writings of history of the present situation of the Islamic world. For that reason, the present and mounting facts and truths in the Islamic world are not simply events that are severed from the past historical roots, social and intellectual backgrounds to allow our adversaries and the shallow-minded to present them as a passing wave and short-lived phenomenon in order to snuff out hope in the hearts of nations by their warped and biased analyses. In this brotherly dialogue with you I want to place greater emphasis on three areas: 1. Taking a glance at the identity of these uprisings and revolutions 2. Major threats and harms lying on their way. 3. Recommendations to find solutions and prevent these threats and harms. Regarding the first point, I believe the most important element in these revolutions is the actual and mass presence of people in the arena of action, struggle and jihad. They were present, not only with their heart, desire and faith, but also with their body and souls. There is a big difference between this presence and the presence of a military group or even armed combatants in front of uncaring people or even concerned people. In the events of 1950’s and 60’s in some countries of Africa and Asia, the heavy load of the revolution was not on the shoulder of diverse segments of population and the youth from all parts of the country, but rather on the shoulder of coup d'etat or small and limited armed groups. They decided and acted, and they themselves or the succeeding generation changed their ways as a result of certain motivations. The revolution became its own enemy and the enemy managed again to prevail over their countries. This is totally different than the change that comes from the people. It is the people that bring their body and soul to the arena of action, and by their jihad and devotion push back and defeat the enemy. It is the people that make the slogans and set the goals, identify and introduce and pursue the enemy. They draw their desired future, although not comprehensively, and as a result do not allow departure from the path of the revolution or conceding to the enemy, or change of course by compromising and the tainted few with special interests, and above all thwart the schemes of enemy’s agents. In such a grass-root movement, the revolution may be slowed, but can stay away from short-sightedness and being on shaky ground. Quran says “Have you not considered how Allah presents an example, [making] a good word like a good tree, whose root is firmly fixed and its branches [high] in the sky? أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ ضَرَبَ اللّهُ مَثَلاً كَلِمَةً طَيِّبَةً كَشَجَرةٍ طَيِّبَةٍ أَصْلُهَا ثَابِتٌ وَفَرْعُهَا فِي السَّمَاء Have you not considered how Allah presents an example, [making] a good word like a good tree, whose root is firmly fixed and its branches [high] in the sky? (24" Ibrahim ) When I saw the brave body of the proud people of Egypt on television in Tahrir Square, I became convinced that their revolution will triumph. Let me confess something to you. After the victory of the Islamic Revolution and the establishment of the Islamic republic in Iran which caused an earthquake among the worldly materialistic rulers in East and West and brought unprecedented uproar and joy to Muslim nations, we expected that Egypt would be next in line to rise. The reason was the history of jihad, progressive thinking and presence of great mojahids and intellectuals in Egypt. I was reciting in my heart this poem by Abu Faras: أراك عصيّ الدمع شیمتك الصبر ما للهوی نهی علیك و لا أمر ؟ When I saw the people of Egypt in Tahrir Square and squares in other cities, I knew I have received my response. The people of Egypt told me with words coming from their heart: بلی أنا مشتاق و عندي لوعة ولكن مثلي لایذاع له سرُّ …This sacred secret was nothing but the motivation and resolve to rise, and gradually people of Egypt cemented this thought in their mind and at a historical juncture they manifested their resolve and entered the arena in a magnificent show of their power. Tunisia, Yemen, Libya, and Bahrain are no exception to this general rule. In these revolutions principles, values and goals are not written in prefabricated manifestos of groups and parties, but written in the minds, hearts and desires of each and every person present on the scene and are declared in the context of their slogans and behaviors. With these signals one can clearly tell that the principles of current revolutions in the region, in Egypt and other countries, are first and foremost the following: - Revival and renewal of national dignity and respect that have been broken and trampled during long years of dictatorial and corrupt rule and the political domination of America and the West. - Keeping up the banner of Islam which is the profound faith and longstanding attachment of people and being able to enjoy peace of mind, justice, progress and prosperity that could only be achieved under Islamic Sharia. - Resistance against the influence and domination of the United States and Europe that have wreaked the greatest damage and humiliation on the peoples of these countries over the past two hundred years. - Countering the usurper and fictitious Zionist regime that the imperialist powers have planted like a dagger in the heart of this region to serve as a tool to continue their diabolical domination after expelling a whole nation from their historical homeland. There is no doubt that the revolutions in the region that rely on and demand these principles are not to the liking of America, Europe and the Zionists, and they are going to use all means to deny them, but the truth will not change with their denial. The widespread participation of people in these revolutions is the most important element that constitutes their identity. Foreign powers that tried everything in their power and used all their schemes to keep in power the tyrannical, corrupt and subservient rulers in these countries and only abandoned them when the people left no choice for them have no right to claim a share in the victory of these revolutions. Even in Libya intervention by America and NATO cannot distort the truth. In Libya, NATO has caused irreparable damage. Had it not been for the military intervention of NATO and America, victory of people might have been delayed, but all these infrastructures would not have been damaged, and innocent women and children killed and then enemies that were accomplices of Qaddafi would not have been able to intervene in this innocent war-torn nation. People and the elite that are of the people and others who are from the people are the true owners of these revolutions that should be trusted to protect them and draw the path to the future. 2- Regarding the threats and harm, I should first emphasize that although there are threats, but there are also ways to stay safe. Mere presence of threats should not scare nations. إِنَّ كَيْدَ الشَّيْطَانِ كَانَ ضَعِيفًا ( Indeed, the plot of Satan has ever been weak) Allah says about a group of mojahids of early Islam: الَّذِينَ قالَ لَهُمُ النَّاسُ إِنَّ النَّاسَ قَدْ جَمَعُوا لَكُمْ فَاخْشَوْهُمْ فَزادَهُمْ إِيماناً وَ قالُوا حَسْبُنَا اللَّهُ وَ نِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ فَانْقَلَبُوا بِنِعْمَةٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَ فَضْلٍ لَمْ يَمْسَسْهُمْ سُوءٌ وَ اتَّبَعُوا رِضْوانَ اللَّهِ وَ اللَّهُ ذُو فَضْلٍ عَظِيمٍ ( Those to whom hypocrites said, "Indeed, the people have gathered against you, so fear them." But it [merely] increased them in faith, and they said, "Sufficient for us is Allah, and [He is] the best Disposer of affairs." So they returned with favor from Allah and bounty, no harm having touched them. And they pursued the pleasure of Allah, and Allah is the possessor of great bounty. ) We need to know what these threats are, in order not to be surprised and to be able to find solutions. We faced these perils and threats after the victory of Islamic Revolution and experienced them. With the grace of Allah and the leadership of Imam Khomeini and sacrifices of our people we managed to sail through them safely. The plots by enemies still continue but so does the firm resolve of our people. I divide the harm to these movements into two groups: those that have their roots within ourselves and come from our own weaknesses, and those that have been directly planned by the enemy. The first group of harms is of the following type: The sense and thought that after the downfall of the corrupt dictator the job is over. The peace of mind and comfort that comes after the victory and afterward the lessening of motivation and weakening of determination are among the first perils, and the most damaging threat is when individuals ask for their share of the spoils of victory. The story of the Battle of Uhud and the defenders seeking the spoils of victory caused the defeat of Muslims, and the mojahids were reprimanded by God. This is a good example that should never be forgotten. Being shocked and awed by the appearances of the arrogant powers and the feeling of fear from America and other interventionist powers are of these kinds of harm that should be avoided. The brave and young should throw out these fears from their heart. Trusting the enemy and falling into trap of their smiles and promises is another threat that needs to be avoided by the forerunners and leaders. The enemy must be identified no matter what cover it uses. The nation and the revolution should be protected against the designs of the enemy that at times hide behind the appearances of friendship and supportive gestures. Another side to this page is becoming overconfident and overlooking the enemy. Bravery must be combined with wisdom and good judgment. We must use all treasures of God within ourselves against Satan, al-Jinn wal–Ens. Causing division and pitting revolutionaries against one another and penetration behind the battlefront of struggle is another great harm that needs to be avoided with all your power. The second group of harm has been experienced by almost all countries of the region during different events. The first harm is the coming to power of those who are committed to America and the West. The West tries after the downfall of its pawns to protect the basic pillars of the system and levers of power, and change the direction by using the same foundation, but with a different head, in order to perpetuate its domination. This means wasting of all your efforts and sacrifices. At this stage, if they face resistance of the people, they try to introduce and offer to the movement and people other alternatives that are designed to divert the course of the movement. This scenario could be recommending government models and constitutions that will again throw the Islamic countries into the trap of cultural, political and economic dependence on the West. This could lead to their influence among the revolutionaries greater financial and media strength of an unreliable current and marginalization of the genuine currents in the revolution. This also means return of the domination of the West and the stronger grip of then outdated Western models that are far from basic principles of the revolution. If this tactic does not produce the desired result, experience tells us that they will go for anarchy, terrorism, civil war among followers of religions or ethnic communities and tribes, political parties, or even among neighboring nations and governments. Parallel to these actions, they will impose economic siege and sanctions, freeze national assets and launch all-out media war and propaganda. Their intention is to tire out and frustrate people and make the revolutionaries disappointed. Under these circumstances it becomes easy to defeat the revolution. Assassination of the righteous elite of the society and opinion leaders, defamation and vilification of others and even enticing some with money are among usual ploys used by the Western powers and the claimants of civilization morality. In Iran, the evidence and documents from the U.S. Den of Espionage that fell into the hands of the revolution showed that all these plots were designed by the regime in the United States for the people of Iran for them bringing back the reactionary and dependant rulers in revolutionary countries is a principle that prescribes all these dirty tricks. In the last part of my remarks, I present recommendations for your consideration and selection that are based on our tangible experiences in Iran and what has been gathered from the precise studies of other countries. Undoubtedly, conditions differ among nations and countries. Nonetheless, there are truths that can prove beneficial for all people. The first point is that by placing one’s trust in God and believing in the repeated promises of divine victories in the Quran and through astuteness, resolve, and braveness, it is possible to surmount all obstacles and emerge victorious. Of course, the task that you all have taken up is quite grave and momentous. Thus, one must bear great hardship for its sake. The Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali (`a) says: “فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَمْ يَقْصِمْ جَبَّارِي دَهْرٍ قَطُّ إِلَّا بَعْدَ تَمْهِيلٍ وَ رَخَاءٍ وَ لَمْ يَجْبُرْ عَظْمَ أَحَدٍ مِنَ الْأُمَمِ إِلَّا بَعْدَ أَزْلٍ وَ بَلَاءٍ وَ فِي دُونِ مَا اسْتَقْبَلْتُمْ مِنْ عَتْبٍ وَ مَا اسْتَدْبَرْتُمْ مِنْ خَطْبٍ مُعْتَبَر..” The important recommendation is that you must always consider yourself as being present on the scene: فَإِذَا فَرَغْتَ فَانْصَبْ ( So when you have finished [your duties], then stand up [for worship].)Therefore, when thou art free, still labor hard), always consider God as present and as your aid: وَإِلَى رَبِّكَ فَارْغَبْ (And to thy Lord turn all thy attention), and must not allow your victories to cause you to become arrogant or negligent: اِذا جاءَ نَصْرُ اللهِ وَ الْفَتْحُ وَ رَاَيْتَ النّاسَ يَدْخُلُونَ في دينِ اللهِ اَفْواجاً فَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ وَ اسْتَغْفِرْهُ اِنَّهُ كانَ تَوّاباً (When comes the help of Allah, and victory. And thou dost see the people enter Allah’s Religion in crowds. Celebrate the praises of thy Lord). These are the true foundations of a faithful nation. Another recommendation is the constant rereading of the principles of revolution. The slogans and principles must be refined and brought in line with the foundations and undisputed principles of Islam. Independence, freedom, justice, refusal to bow to despotism and colonialism, rejection of ethnic, racial, and religious discrimination, and the outright rejection of Zionism, which, today, comprise the pivots of the movements in Islamic countries, are all inspired by Islam and the Quran. Write down your principles on paper. Preserve your genuine nature with a high degree of sensitivity. Do not allow your enemies to formulate the principles of your future system. Do not allow Islamic principles to be sacrificed for transient interests. Deviation in revolutions starts with deviation in slogans and objectives. Never place your trust in the U.S., NATO, or criminal regimes such as Britain, France, or, Italy, which for long plundered and divided your land among themselves. Look upon them with suspicion and do not believe their smiles. Behind these smiles and promises lies conspiracy and betrayal. Find you own way by resorting to the blessed fountainhead of Islam and give back foreigners’ prescriptions to themselves. Another important recommendation is to avoid religious, ethnic, racial, tribal, and border disputes. Recognize differences as legitimate and manage them. Reconciliation among Islamic religions is the key to salvation. Those who fan the flames of religious division through apostatizing others are the mercenaries and servants of Satan, even if done inadvertently. Creating your own system of governance is your main and seminal task. This is a complex and difficult undertaking. Do not allow secular or western liberal or extremist nationalist or leftist Marxist models to be imposed on you. The leftist Eastern Bloc collapsed and the Western Bloc is propped up through violence, war, and deceit, and does not appear to have a bright outlook. The passage of time will be to their loss and to the benefit of the Islamic current. The ultimate goal must be a unified Islamic Ummah and the creation of a new Islamic civilization founded upon faith, rationality, knowledge, and morality. The liberation of Palestine from the savage claws of the Zionists is also a great objective. The countries of the Balkans, Caucasus, and western Asia were liberated from the claws of the former Soviet Union after eighty years. Why should the Palestinian people not be able to free themselves from the captivity of the oppressor Zionists after seventy years? The present generation in Islamic countries has the capacity to accomplish such great feats. The young generation of today is a source of pride for the past generations. As noted by the Arab poet: أبو الصخر من شيبان قلت لهم كلا لعمري و لكن منه شيبانُ و كم أبٍ قد علا بابنٍ ذُری شَرَفٍ كما علا برسولِ الله عدنانُ Trust your young generation. Revive their feeling of self-confidence and benefit them by the experiences of the elders. There are two important points in this connection: First, one of the most important demands of the people who have revolted and who have been liberated is to have a decisive participation in the management of their countries. And since they believe in Islam, their desire is to have a system of Islamic democracy, i.e. the rulers being elected through the vote of the people and the dominant principles and values of the society being based on the Islamic knowledge and sharia. This can crystallize in various countries, depending on their conditions, through various methods and forms. However, utmost care must be taken not to confuse this with the western liberal democracy. The secular, and at times anti-religious, western democracy is in no way related to the Islamic democracy which is committed to the values and main principles of Islam in its system of government. The second point relates to the fact that Islamic tenets must not be equated with backwardness, obscurantism, and ignorant and extremist biases. The demarcation between these two must be pronounced. Religious extremism, which is usually attended by violence, is the cause of falling short of the lofty goals of the revolution. This, in turn, results in the loss of public support and the eventual failure of the revolution. In sum, to speak of Islamic awakening is not to speak of a nebulous and indistinct concept that is amenable to various interpretations. Rather, it is to speak of a tangible reality in the external world that has filled the atmosphere and resulted in great uprisings and revolutions and removed from the scene some dangerous elements of the enemy. Nonetheless, the scene remains fluid and in need of being shaped and brought to a conclusion. The verses recited at the outset contain a complete and effective set of guidelines, especially in this sensitive and momentous juncture… Though, they are addressed to the Holy Prophet (PBUH), we all are their interlocutors and responsible for adhering to them. In these verses, piety (taqwa), in its lofty and broad connotation, is the first recommendation. Then comes the rejection of the orders of the infidels and hypocrites, adherence to the divine revelation, and, finally, trust in God… Once again, we will review these verses: بسم‌الله‌الرحمن‌الرحیم يا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ اتَّقِ ‌اللَّهَ وَ لا تُطِعِ الْكافِرينَ وَ الْمُنافِقينَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كانَ عَليماً حَكيماً(1) وَ اتَّبِعْ ما يُوحى‏ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ رَبِّكَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كانَ بِما تَعْمَلُونَ خَبيراً (2) وَ تَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ وَ كَفى‏ بِاللَّهِ وَكيلاً. (In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful. O Prophet! Fear Allah, and hearken not to the unbelievers and the hypocrites: verily Allah is full of knowledge and wisdom. But follow that which comes to thee by inspiration from thy Lord: for Allah is well acquainted with (all) that ye do. And put thy trust in Allah, and enough is Allah as a disposer of affairs.) والسلام علیکم و رحمة الله

[13 feb 2012] وحدت اسلامی کانفرنس،عالم اسلامی کی تقویت پر تاکید - Political Analysis - sahartv - Urdu مہمان:محترم ارشاد عارف-پروفیسر عزیز الدین ہمدانی-محترم حسن ہانی زادہ

http://pknews.tv - on tripartite summit - Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was born in village of Aradan near city of Garmsar, southeast of Tehran in 1956. He is the fourth son of an ironworker who had seven children. Mahmoud and his family migrated to Tehran when he was one-year-old. He went to primary and high school in Tehran and got his diploma and was admitted to the University of Science and Technology (Elm-o-Sanaat) in the field of civil engineering after he ranked 132nd in the nationwide university entrance exams in 1975. He was accepted as an MS student at the same university in 1986 and became a member of the scientific board of the Civil Engineering College of University of Science and Technology. Later on he got his doctorate in 1987 in the field of engineering and traffic transportation planning. He is married with two sons and one daughter. Following the 1979 Islamic revolution he became a member the conservative faction of the Office for Strengthening Unity [OSU] Between Universities and Theological Seminaries. The OSU was established by Ayatollah Mohammad Beheshti, one of Ayatollah Khomeini's key advisors, to organize Islamic students against the rapidly growing Islamic group of Mojahedin-e Khalq (MEK). With invasion of Iraq and start of the Iran-Iraq war in 1980, Ahmadinejad rushed to the western fronts to fight against the enemy and joined the voluntary (basij) forces of the Islamic Revolution's Guards Corps (IRGC). He served in different units of the Islamic Revolution Guards Engineering Corps. He served as governor of Maku and Khoy cities in the northwestern West Azerbaijan province, and as an advisor to the governor general of the western province of Kurdistan for two years. While serving as the cultural advisor to then Ministry of Culture and Higher Education in 1993, he was appointed as governor general of the newly established northwestern province of Ardebil from 1993 to 1997. He was elected as the exemplary governor general for three consecutive years. But in 1997 the newly-installed Khatami administration removed Ahmadinejad from his post as Ardebil governor general. He returned to the University of Science and Technology (Elm-o-Sanaat) again to teach in 1997. In April 2003 Ahmadinejad was appointed mayor of Tehran by the capital's municipal council, which is dominated by the hard-line Islamic Iran Developers Coalition (Etelaf-e Abadgaran-e Iran-e Islami). In some of Ahmadinejad's public statements, he has appeared to identify himself as a Developer. He lives a very Spartan lifestyle and that's how he projected himself. As Mayor, he reversed many of the policies of previous moderate and reformist mayors, placing serious religious emphasis on the activities of the cultural centers by turning them into prayer halls during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. He also suggested the burial of the bodies of martyrs of the Iran-Iraq war in major city squares of Tehran. On 24 June 2005 Dr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was elected as Iran's sixth president. He swept to the presidential post with a stunning 17,046,441 votes out of a total of 27,536,069 votes cast in the runoff election. In the 2009 presidential election Ahmadinejad was nominated to run for the second term. In the presidential election of 2009, 39,165,191 ballots were cast on 12th June, according to Iran's election headquarters. Ahmadinejad won 24,527,516 votes, (62.63%). In second place, Mir Hossein Mousavi won 13,216,411 (33.75%) of the votes. The election drew unprecedented public interest in Iran. The election results remain in dispute as Mir Hossein Mousavi and his supporters who believe that electoral fraud occurred during the election. This popular belief ignited protests and demonstrations in the large cities with a united slogan of “Where is my vote”, which resulted in the birth of “Green Movement” of Iran. Finally Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei formally endorsed Ahmadinejad as President on 3 August 2009, and Dr. Ahmadinejad was sworn in for a second term on 5 August 2009 Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran have agreed to expand socio-economic cooperation and more particularly neutralize foreign interference in this part of the world. At the conclusion of a tripartite summit in Islamabad, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said the regional cooperation will lead to an end to foreign interference, a reference to the US-led NATO military presence in Afghanistan. The Iranian President said that the nuclear weapon do not empower any state and must be eliminated from political relations. Howerver, Afghan President Hamid Karazi’s focus was to gain regional support for the Taliban talks, a reference to his demand to include Kabul in the talks between the US and Taliban. Islamabad asserted that it would lend its support to President Karazi in any future Taliban talks. The Taliban have so far refused to negotiate with Kabul describing Karzai administration as the puppet. The three neighboring countries also decided to step up their efforts to combat drug production and trafficking in Afghanistan, a particular source of concern for Pakistan. The summit also decided to enhance trilateral trade through facilitative measures like preferential tariff and free trade arrangements and barter trade. The three countries in their summit declaration sounded determined to ensure the territorial integrity and sovereignty of regional states. This is a clear reference to the frequent US drone strikes in Pakistan's tribal region that have killed large number of civilians since 2004. However, analysts believe more than any thing else, it depends on Islamabad if it is willing to scrap secret deals with Americans that allows them to carry out drone attacks in the tribal areas.

[06 April 2012] دفاعی تیاریوں میں اضافے پر قائد انقلاب اسلامی کی تاکید - زاویہ نگاہ - Sahar TV - Urdu محترم ایم افضل-محترم عباس حاجی نجاری-ڈاکٹر رضوان قیصر-

NATO-supported politicians in Syria are isolated since the national election. Meanwhile the UN has about-turned to announce the presence of al-Qaeda inside Syria. Press TV has interviewed Webster Griffin Tarpley, author and historian from Washington about the admission by UN and US heads that al-Qaeda is attempting to destabilize Syria from inside the country after so long refusing to admit its presence and surmises on why the announcement would be made at this point in time. What follows is an approximate transcript of the interview. Press TV: How surprising is it to you to see UN Chief Ban Ki Moon expressing concern about the situation in Syria? And what does Ban Ki Moon's breaking of his own silence mean to the UN Security Council? Tarpley: In the case of Ban Ki Moon we must always suspect ulterior motives i.e. an evil intent. And in these circles that Ban Ki Moon speaks for, that is to say NATO and imperialism in general, the new line is no longer to deny the presence of al-Qaeda in Syria, but to begin to cite al-Qaeda as yet another reason why an invasion and bombing will be necessary that is to say, if this terrible situation goes on any longer that al-Qaeda might get the upper hand. We heard Hilry Clinton in a rare moment of candor in the past week also conceding the presence of al-Qaeda in Syria. However, we need to point out that the reason al-Qaeda is there is because these NATO heads of government, heads of state and other officials have brought al-Qaeda into the picture. Al-Qaeda is what it always was, the CIA Arab Legion and in particular some of the most experienced al-Qaeda operatives were brought from Tripoli in Libya all the way to southern Turkey to Iskandaron and other places in kind of an airlift by NATO some months ago. So much so that when Ambassador Jafari of Syria showed his CD at the UN - he said that the Syrian government has these confessions of foreign fighters including Turkish and Libyan foreign fighters and I think we can assume that's the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group, which is therefore al-Qaeda. So, Ban Ki Moon is just as morally bankrupt as he always was, it's just that he has had to change his mode of attack. The entire situation of this resistance is of course desperate. As a result of the Syrian election a couple of weeks ago when more than half of the possible voters voted under the worst possible conditions, the Syrian National Council is breaking apart and the leader (Berhan) Ghalioun has now resigned, he's out. So, there is no coherent opposition so now they're less worried about trying to pretend that there's a political opposition and more with let's get on with the invasion. Press TV: Just imagine if those armed gangs who claim to be the saviors of the Syrian people, yet kill civilians and use the human population as a human shield according to reports - just imagine if they came to power, I mean, what kind of a government would we see? Isn't it paradoxical? Tarpley: This is of course the essence of the imperialist policy, it is partition, mini-states, micro-states and failed states. It's more or less what you see in Libya. We notice that the Western media have been much less interested in showing us the wonders of democracy, the singing tomorrows of the National Transitional Council in Libya because that country of course is tragically breaking up and you've got terrorist gangs and the beginnings of a separation of different parts of the country. This is what they would like to bring to Syria using NATO bombing, invasion… and the shock troops i.e. the people NATO has on the ground at the moment are these al-Qaeda types supplemented of course by mercenaries from France, turkey and other countries. The specific emphasis we have right now though is to try to cut a corridor - and it won't be a humanitarian corridor, it will be a terror corridor - starting with Tripoli to northern Lebanon and this Kleyate airport, which NATO would like to seize. That's why we've had an increase in terrorist assassinations in that area; we've had the kidnapping of the pilgrims… This is a thrust to try to get a corridor from the Mediterranean into Syria through Tripoli and the Kleyate airport. Press TV: What lies ahead for Syria in the long term especially in terms of the Assad government? How long can the Assad government resist and maintain its power? Tarpley: I think the Assad government politically is better off in the last two weeks than it was before because they've successfully carried out a national election, a multi-party election; the Constitution has been changed so that the Baath Party no longer has a monopoly of power. I think anybody who is sincerely interested in democratic reforms has participated in that election; some of them did get elected. The people who have been boycotting it have isolated themselves - they're now exposed as either al-Qaeda or fellow travelers with al-Qaeda. So it seems to me the NATO political situation has gotten desperate and the only way out of that is to try to escalate the military side. But there once again they risk the collision with Russia, China and others who are not going to allow them to do that at least under the UN cover. One of the places to look for a possible resolution for this is the Bilderberg-er meeting here in Washington SC at the end of next week, would typically be a place where a solution to that dilemma might emerge and therefore bears very, very careful watching.

[2] امام خمینی رح مجدد دین - Imam Khomeini, Revived Religion, Islam - Urdu

[18 Jan 2013] Should Islam and politics be separated - Islam And Life - English

[01 Mar 2013] Zavia Nigah - شیعہ فرقے کی حفاظت پر سپریم کورٹ کی تاکید - Urdu

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has met with Leader of Iran\\\\\\\'s Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei to discuss bilateral issues. During the meeting, Ayatollah Khamenei laid emphasis on the importance of cooperation between the two neighbors. He said the two countries should take strides in expanding political, economic and scientific ties, arguing that there are no obstacles to this end. Ayatollah Khamenei praised the performance of the Iraqi government, but said Baghdad needs to do more to improve the welfare of Iraqis. Premier Maliki earlier held talks with President Rouhani during which both sides discussed Syria as well as bilateral ties. The top Iraqi official also held separate talks with Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif to discuss similar topics. Iran and Iraq have enjoyed growing ties ever since the overthrow of the former Iraqi dictator, Saddam Hussein in 2003.

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful‌ First of all, I would like to welcome all the dear brothers and sisters and the glorious officials who render many services in one of the outstanding arenas of the Islamic community - that is to say, the arena of hajj and visiting the House of God and the enlightened city of Madina. I hope that you will benefit from this great achievement in the hereafter. I hope that your actions and efforts in this auspicious arena will be so sincere that your performance sheet in the hereafter shines, like the sun, with the light of purity and sincerity. I express my gratitude to the honorable gentlemen for the efforts that they have made in the arena of hajj. The things that they have done - whether in cultural, spiritual, moral and educational areas or in practical and organizational areas - should really be appreciated. What is important is that we should know hajj is one of the strong points of the holy religion of Islam. Although there are not a few strong points in Islamic sharia, hajj plays an outstanding role because of the characteristics which it enjoys and which we are more or less familiar with. In fact, we can say that hajj is a source of power for the Islamic community and the Islamic Ummah. The day when we Muslims from different countries and with different denominations manage to achieve intellectual growth so much so that we can form the Islamic Ummah in the real sense of the word - unfortunately, we Muslims have not managed to achieve this moral, political and intellectual growth until today - and the day when we Muslims from eastern parts to western parts of the world of Islam manage to form one single ummah although we may have different governments, we understand how hajj can be a source of power, strength, transcendence and dignity for this Islamic Ummah. Today, the Islamic Republic should adopt such an outlook towards hajj. It should regard hajj as a means of power. What kind of power? By power, do we mean materialistic, political, military power or soft power such as cultural or linguistic power? The answer is no. The power of hajj is far beyond this. As well as showing the political and cultural power of the Islamic government, hajj provides a source of spiritual power. That is to say, it builds human beings from the inside, prepares them to overcome difficult obstacles and opens their eyes to realities which cannot be seen and felt without being present in the arena of hajj. By performing hajj rituals, one can understand a number of spiritual and educational realities of Islam. Hajj plays such a role. One of the requirements of hajj is that hajj pilgrims should behave in a brotherly - in the real sense of the word - way towards one another in the arena of hajj and this great Islamic obligation. They should not look at one another as outsiders and enemies. They should see themselves as people who are moving towards one goal, who pursue one thing, who revolve around one pivot. Allah the Exalted says, \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Let there be no obscenity, no wickedness and no quarreling in the Hajj.\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" [The Holy Quran, 2: 197] The meaning of \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"no quarreling\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" is not that we should not quarrel with the enemy. On the contrary, hajj is the manifestation of quarreling with the enemy. Some narrow-minded and pessimistic people say, \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"There should be ‘no quarreling\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\' during hajj pilgrimage. Why do you hold a detestation ceremony during hajj pilgrimage?\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" The enmity which is reflected in this ceremony means enmity towards polytheism and atheism. This is one of the most fundamental principles of Islamic life. The kind of enmity which should not exist in hajj pilgrimage is enmity between brothers and believers and enmity between people who believe in monotheism. This enmity should not exist. Not only should we Muslims express in words that we have no enmity towards one another, but also we should feel this from the bottom of our hearts. This is the exact opposite of what the enemies of Islam are trying to do in the Islamic community. You should pay attention to this. The existence of differences between Islamic denominations and between Shia and Sunni Muslims will not create any problem as long as these differences are confined to ideological differences. One person may believe in something and another person may believe in something else. Problems arise when these ideological differences lead to behavioral differences, confrontation, hostility and enmity. The enemies of the world of Islam are after creating such a situation and hatching such a plot. They have properly understood that the Zionist regime can breathe easily if Islamic denominations in the world of Islam start confronting and fighting with one another. They have understood this truth perfectly and properly. On the one hand, they form groups which engage in takfirism - not only do these groups anathematize and curse Shia Muslims, but they also anathematize Sunni denominations - and on the other hand, they hire a number of mercenaries to add fuel to the fire of discord. You know and have heard about this plot. They provide these groups and mercenaries with different means of mass communication. Where do they do this? They do this in America and London. The kind of Shia Islam which is promoted from London and America is useless for Shia Muslims. Shia leaders - particularly the leaders who emerged after the victory of the Islamic Revolution - our Imam and other leaders placed great emphasis on preserving the unity of the Islamic Ummah and behaving in a brotherly way towards Muslims. This is while a number of people - who interfere in the affairs of Muslims for no reason - are after fueling the fire of discord. This is the thing which the enemy wants. This is the thing which the enemies of Islam - who are neither Shia nor Sunni - like to pursue. We should understand this condition properly and we should pay attention to it. Another important point is that Muslims should share and exchange their original Islamic cultures and their Islamic experiences with one another. This is another strong point of hajj and another source of power for it. We may have heard different things about such and such an Islamic country. But, hearing is different from sitting and talking directly to an individual from an Islamic country. This individual can also compare what he has heard about our dear Islamic Iran with what he sees in you and hears from you. This way, he can discover the truth about Iran. There are an enormous number of propaganda campaigns against the Islamic Republic. There are a large and surprising number of media networks who propagandize against the Islamic Republic with different methods. When a young individual from such and such an African, Asian, Arab or non-Arab country goes on the Internet, watches such and such an international channel or reads such and such an international newspaper, how can he or she understand that what such media networks say is false? Your presence in hajj and in this international arena gives you the opportunity to reveal the truth not only in words but also in action. It helps you to speak the truth about Shia Islam, the Islamic Revolution and the events which are happening today. Another important and crucial point about hajj is the thing which I referred to earlier: strengthening spirituality in our hearts and souls. My dear ones, we can put up a resistance in the arenas of jihad for the sake of God only if our hearts are filled with faith in God and reliance on Allah the Exalted. It is not possible to move forward without spirituality. It is not possible to take difficult paths without a strong faith. Without reliance on Allah the Exalted, it is not possible to ignore the superficial power of powerful countries and see the real power. Reliance on God, faith and belief in God\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s promises are necessary. These things can be achieved in hajj. When people go on hajj pilgrimage they \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Witness the benefits (provided) for them.\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" [The Holy Quran, 22: 28] These benefits are not only material benefits. There are otherworldly, spiritual and psychological benefits as well as material benefits in hajj pilgrimage. This is the significance of hajj. Well, today you can see that besides creating intellectual, psychological and ideological discord among Muslims throughout the world of Islam, the enemies fuel the fire of war as well. See how they fuel the fire of war in our neighboring countries with the pretext of Shia and Sunni differences. They do this in different ways in our neighboring countries such as Pakistan, Iraq, Syria and Bahrain. Even when the problem is not about Shia and Sunni, they say that it has occurred because of Shia and Sunni differences. I have given many examples in this regard. The enemies are prepared to set the region on fire for their own political interests. Superpowers are like this. They are not afraid that an explosion may take place in such and such a neighborhood of an Iraqi city and they are not afraid that 50 people may be killed in this explosion. They are not afraid that certain events may happen in Syria, Egypt or other countries which may turn them into a ruin. Superpowers - such as America and countries like America - do such things for their own illegitimate interests. We hope that the Americans are serious about their new outlook on Syria. We hope that it is not another political game. It is several weeks that they have been threatening the region to wage a war and create a serious conflict for the sake of the interests which they have defined for themselves. And they consider it legitimate to defend these interests no matter if they jeopardize the interests of ten other countries and nations. They are such people. They do not care about justice and the interests of human beings. They refer to such interests as national interests, but these are not really their national interests. Rather, these are the interests of the Zionists and the enemies of humanity. These are the interests of capitalists who have proved during the last 70, 80 years that they are not committed to any human principle and value. But they call it national interests and they are prepared to fuel all kinds of wars and fitnas for the sake of these proclaimed national interests. It is several weeks that they have been trying to cause great controversy by threatening the region with a war and bombardment. Well, if they are serious about their recent outlook, this means that they have turned back from the wrong path which they have been taking during the last few weeks. We hope that they are serious. This is the condition of the region and the world. The Islamic Republic takes a look at all these issues with open eyes and with its full attention. What we have understood is that as a nation with a total population of 70, 80 million people and with a sensitive geographical location in the world, we should strengthen our position by adopting the right outlook and by benefiting from our Islamic power. We should let the entire humanity see our lofty and human goals which have originated from Islam and we should invite all human beings to cherish the gift which Islam has offered to human beings. This is our responsibility. I have repeatedly said that strengthening the country from the inside is possible primarily with firm faith, unity of the people, appropriate actions by the officials of the country, cooperation between the people and officials and reliance on Allah the Exalted. That is to say, we should benefit from rationality, spirituality, reliance on God and diligence. Undoubtedly, this will influence the conditions of the region as it has influenced the region so far. I hope that what Islam wants for the Islamic Republic, people throughout the world, Muslims and non-Muslims will be achieved with your presence in different arenas - including your presence in the arena of hajj which manifests your rationality and your clear outlook. I hope that your presence in such arenas will bring about communal happiness. I ask all of you to pray for us. I hope that this year you will experience a good hajj pilgrimage and I hope that you, all Iranian hajj pilgrims and all the pilgrims who visit the House of God from throughout the world will benefit from divine blessings and mercy. I hope that your hajj pilgrimage will be accepted by God. Greetings be upon you and Allah\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s mercy and blessings

The following is the full text of the speech delivered on September 17, 2013 by Ayatollah Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, in a meeting with commanders and officials of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. The meeting was held on the occasion of the 20th Congress of Officials and Commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful First, I would like to welcome you and second, I congratulate you on this auspicious Eid. You turned our day into an Eid with your presence and warm breath and with the good programs that you performed. I hope that, by Allah\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s favor, your hearts will always be happy. I hope that your hearts will always remember God and achieve loftier positions. I would like to say a few things about our great Imam and knowledgeable member of the Holy Prophet\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s (s.w.a.) household, Imam Ali ibn Musa ar-Ridha (thousands of greetings and praise be upon him). In fact, we cannot understand the spiritual position of these holy personalities, let alone describe them in words. However, before our eyes and before the eyes of history, the lives of these great personalities are a practical, eternal and undeniable lesson. If, in certain cases, we take a look at the lives of the Imams (a.s.) and if we put great emphasis on their policies, the measures they took and their biographies, this does not mean that these are the most important parts of their lives. This is not the case. Their spiritual world, their effort to get close to God and the wisdom and love which radiated from their peerless hearts are other important parts of their lives. However, what is before our eyes is the lives of these great personalities and we should learn from them. Imam Ridha (a.s.) lived for almost 55 years. That is to say, he was born in the year 148 - the year when Imam Sadiq (a.s.) was martyred - and he was martyred in the year 203 of the Hijri calendar. The entire life of this great personality with all its greatness, depth and dimensions took place in this fairly short era. Nineteen, twenty years out of these 55 years constituted the era of the Imamate of this great personality. But if you take a look at this short era, you will see that it exerted a considerable influence on the world of Islam, it gave great depth to the true meaning of Islam and it helped people follow the Holy Prophet\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s (s.w.a.) household and get familiar with their teachings. This is an extraordinary phenomenon and it is like a deep sea. When that Imam achieved Imamate, his close friends and his followers said, \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"What can Ali ibn Musa do in such an environment which is filled with Harun\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s oppression?\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" There is a narration which says, \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Blood trickles from Harun\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s sword.\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" These friends and followers used to say, \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"In such conditions, what can this young Imam do to continue the jihad of Shia Imams and to carry out the great responsibility which falls on his shoulders?\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" This is the beginning of the Imamate of Ali ibn Musa ar-Ridha (a.s.). When you take a look, you will see that after the passage of 19, 20 years - when Ali ibn Musa ar-Ridha was martyred and his Imamate ended - the ideas and thoughts of the Holy Prophet\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s (s.w.a.) household and the issue of commitment to the Imams were established, in the world of Islam, so firmly that the oppressive and dictatorial Abbasid regime could not confront it. Ali ibn Musa ar-Ridha had done this. You have heard that De\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'bel-e Khozayee went to Merv in Khorasan and composed and recited a number of well-known poems in praise of Imam Ridha for which he was rewarded. He stayed in Merv and other cities of Khorasan for a few days and then he went towards Baghdad, Kufa and other cities that he wanted to visit. In the middle of the way, some bandits attacked and looted the caravan on which De\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'bel was travelling. The travelers sat and watched the looting of their property. The chief of the bandits was sitting on a rock and proudly watching the prisoners and captives of this caravan and the things which they had stolen and collected. De\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'bel heard that the chief was whispering a poem. He listened and he realized that it was his own poem. It was one of the couplets of the qasida that he had recited one month or one month and a half ago in Merv: \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"I see that their property has been looted and divided among outsiders and wicked people.\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" [Speaking in Arabic] In the middle of the way to Rey and Iraq, the chief of the bandits was reciting this poem from memory. De\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'bel became happy. He stood up and said, \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Who has composed the poem that you are reciting?\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" The chief said, \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"It belongs to De\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'bel-e Khozayee.\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" De\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'bel said, \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Well, I am De\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'bel-e Khozayee.\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" When the chief saw that this person was De\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'bel-e Khozayee, he stood up, held De\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'bel in his arms, kissed him and said, \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Because of the presence of this person in the caravan, give them back all their property.\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" They gave them back all their property, respected them and helped them move towards their destination. Well, this is a small event in history, but it has a great significance. The poem which was composed in praise of Ali ibn Musa ar-Ridha was recited and memorized, in Rey and Iraq, by a bandit after the passage of almost one month or one month and a half since the poem was composed. What does this mean? It means that the ground for promoting the position of the Holy Prophet\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s (s.w.a.) household and the auspicious name of Imam Ridha was so prepared that, in a short time, this poem - at that time, poetry was one of the most effective means of communication - spread rapidly by word of mouth until it was picked up by a bandit in the middle of a desert. This indicates the great movement which was launched during the Imamate of Ali ibn Musa ar-Ridha in order to promote the school of thought of the Holy Prophet\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s (s.w.a.) household. During this time, the love of the Holy Prophet\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s (s.w.a.) household was shared by all individuals and the hearts of all people felt the presence and existence of the Imams in the Islamic community. The movement of the honorable children of the Imams towards Iran has a positive and meaningful dimension as well as a tragic dimension because of their martyrdom in the middle of the way to Iran. The reason for their movement towards Iran was the request of the people and their acceptance of the Holy Prophet\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s (s.w.a.) household. As you know, when we speak about the Holy Prophet\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s (s.w.a.) household, we mean the school of thought which was established by the Imams and the Islamic concepts which they introduced. It means a deeply cultural and spiritual achievement and a great ideological feat. This is the movement of Imam Ridha (a.s.). According to the events that you know and have heard about, Ma\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'mun finally feels that he has to martyr Ali ibn Musa ar-Ridha (a.s.) - he had forced that great Imam to leave Medina in order to get close to him and he did not plan to kill Imam Ridha at first - contrary to what he had planned. The divine will and plan to bury a member of the Holy Prophet\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s (s.w.a.) household in this place, which was faraway from Medina, was exercised by the enemies of the Holy Prophet\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s (s.w.a.) household. This is divine wisdom and engineering. In order to reach lofty goals, one should carry out his responsibilities in such a way. Long-term outlooks should be adopted with such intention, motives and hopes. The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps has such a position. The issue is not that a new government was formed after the Revolution and that it has certain supporters and opponents and certain soldiers, guardians and armed forces. The issue is not this. It is beyond such things. The issue of the Islamic Revolution - which is protected by you members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps - is beyond such things. First of all, I would like to say a few things about the experience of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps over these many years. Then, I will raise the point which I had wanted to discuss with you dear brothers. The performance of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps over the past 30-plus years has been brilliant. I am not saying this as a ceremonial gesture, like the words of praise which are uttered in many places. This is a fact. The performance of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps represents the experience of our nation. That is to say, the depth of the personality and identity of the Iranian nation can be seen in this performance because the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps enters the arena with faith and belief. What kind of arena? The arena of jihad and resistance. It has built the strongest and the most intelligent military commanders. During the war, those who became designers- and as foreigners say \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"strategists\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"- while they were young and below thirty years old and had not received any military education. It was the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps who built them. It was this organization which created such a spiritual environment. It was the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps which founded such an organization on the basis of faith and belief. It has built a number of outstanding personalities whom our nation and our history will never forget. This is the art of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. These are the things which this organization has done in the area of war. Besides these, we can see that it has built and introduced the wisest, the strongest and the best managers in non-military areas. The list of people that the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps has introduced to the ruling organizations of the Islamic Republic is very long and glorious. This is the performance of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. One of the important parts of the performance of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps is that it lives a revolutionary life and it preserves its revolutionary nature. That is to say, different events have not been able to make this strong and powerful organization deviate from the main and the right path. It has not changed its path just because life and the world have changed. These are the excuses that a number of people make. These people make excuses for compromising their principles and they justify their mistakes. Their excuse is that the world has changed, that everything has changed. Well, certain things do not change. Since the beginning of history until today, the virtue of justice and the tendency of human beings to seek justice have not changed. The fact that oppression is bad and national independence and national dignity are great virtues has not changed. These things and many other principles cannot be changed. The fact that the world has changed cannot give us an excuse to change our behavior, our ideals and our goals. When our ideals change, our path changes too. When our ultimate goal changes, then it is absurd to follow the previous path. In such circumstances, we should move towards achieving a new goal and we should follow a new path. One of the most important strong points of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps is its resistance and steadfastness on this enlightened path. These are the points which I wanted to raise about the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. Of course, one can say many things about this organization. We have said many things about it. Other people too have said many things. Of course, there are many points which have not been raised about this organization, but right now, I am not going to speak about this issue more than this. What is important is that the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps is the guardian of the Islamic Revolution. I do not want to say that this guardianship means the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps should protect the Islamic Revolution in all arenas including scientific, intellectual, cultural and economic arenas. This is not what I mean. What I want to say is that as a living organism, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps should know what it wants to protect and what this Revolution is. It is not necessary for the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps to engage in protection of the Islamic Revolution in political arenas, but it should gain a proper understanding of political arenas. Some people mix certain issues together. This should be clarified. It is not possible to describe a certain organization as the arm and the guardian of the Revolution, but make it ignore and close its eyes to different political orientations - while some of these orientations behave in a deviant way and become dependent on such and such a group and some of them do not. This is meaningless. Such an organization should know what it wants to protect. If we relegate the challenges that the Revolution is faced with to political and partisan challenges and to confrontation between certain people, this is negligence and carelessness. These are not the challenges that the Revolution is faced with. The main challenge of the Revolution is that it has introduced a new system for humanity. We are not saying that since the beginning, the Revolution addressed the entire humanity. This is not the case. At first, it was the Islamic Revolution of Iran and it only addressed issues which were related to Iran and fundamental changes in this country. However, the language and message of this Revolution could not naturally be confined to the borders of Iran. Through this Revolution, a message which was based on a universal and human truth was conveyed to the entire humanity. Anybody in the world who hears this message feels that they are attached to it. What is this message? If we want to describe the social and human function of this message in a phrase we should say that it is: confrontation with global arrogance. This is the message of the Revolution. Global arrogance is a system which divides the world into the oppressed and the oppressor. The logic of the Revolution, which is based on the logic of Islam, is \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Deal not unjustly, nor shall you be dealt with unjustly.\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" [The Holy Quran, 2: 279] You should not oppress others and you should not let others oppress you. Who in the world is not happy about and interested in this message? This message is: neither oppress other people nor let them oppress you. This is the exact opposite of the current order in the world which was imposed after the emergence of the new industrial civilization and the prevalence of industrial tools and the culture of domination. Any organization in the world which is dependent on global arrogance is against this message. Those who like to achieve domination over other countries - that is to say, oppressive governments and economic networks which suck at the resources of other nations - are against this message because they are oppressors. The dependent governments which rule over poor or rich nations, which follow global arrogance, which have no power but which follow and obey these arrogant powers are also against this message. Such and such a government which completely implements the policies of arrogant powers such as America or England is naturally against the message of \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"[D]eal not unjustly, nor shall you be dealt with unjustly.\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" The international, multinational or domestic organizations which loot people\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s wealth are against this message. Those politicians who promote the three elements of war, poverty and decadence throughout the world are against this message. During the last two, three centuries, many of the wars which were waged were influenced by global arrogance. Global powers either waged a war against a certain country or made two other countries fight one another. They have done this for the sake of their own interests. Poverty too is the result of their policies. They are to blame for the situation that they have created in many poor countries where the people live in poverty and cannot benefit from their natural resources. With their political domination, these arrogant powers have prevented many countries from drawing on their own intellectual resources. You should read the book \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Glances at World History\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" written by Jawaharlal Nehru. In the chapter which is about the interference of the English in India, he says that the kind of industry and science which existed in India was not inferior to the one in Europe, England and the west. Rather it was superior to European science. Well, Nehru was both trustworthy and well-informed. When the English entered India, one of their plans was to prevent the domestic industry of India from developing. Well, India ended up watching tens of millions of people in that era and hundreds of millions of people in future eras suffer from hunger in the real sense of the word. The same is true of Africa. The same is true of many Latin American countries. So, not only does global arrogance wage wars but it also brings about poverty. The great treasure which has been accumulated on the peaks of wealth and which belongs to the richest individuals in the world reminds us of this hadith: \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"I have not seen any kind of wealth which was accumulated without someone\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s right being violated.\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" [Derasat fi Nahjul Balaghah, page 40] When they loot the oil, agricultural products and tea resources of a country, when they take control of financial sectors of a country in a way that the people have no access to it and when they do not let the people in such a country have control over production, industry and other areas related to national progress, this country and nation becomes poor. So, they are responsible for war, poverty and decadence. They are responsible for the prevalence of decadence and fueling the fire of sexual desire - which is a natural process and which can be ignited in all individuals. Each of these issues requires a long and detailed discussion. Well, global arrogance promotes war, poverty and decadence and it does this by dividing the world into the oppressed and the oppressor. Islam - that is to say, the Islamic Revolution which is based on Islamic concepts - says, \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Deal not unjustly, nor shall you be dealt with unjustly.\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" It rejects all these negative elements. This is the main challenge. This is the root of their enmity. This is why they fight the Islamic Revolution. Other issues are all excuses. We should adopt such an outlook on sanctions, domestic wars, coups d\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'état and other events which have taken place during the recent years such as the nuclear issue. Contrary to what everyone thought, our Revolution achieved victory. Then it formed a government which managed to prevail. This was while everyone in the world thought that the Islamic Republic would be destroyed in six months or in one or two years. Then they gave a generous figure and said that the Islamic Republic would be destroyed in three, four years. Contrary to what they thought, it became stronger on a daily basis and its \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"root is firm and its branches are in heaven, yielding its fruit in every season by the permission of its Lord\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" [The Holy Quran, 14: 24-25]. It has turned into a regional power and a country which is influential in major international issues. They are against this. They raise the issue of nuclear weapons. Well, we do not believe in nuclear weapons, not because of such and such people and not because of America and other countries. Rather, we are against nuclear weapons because of our belief. No one should have nuclear weapons. When we say that other countries should not have nuclear weapons, it means that we ourselves should not and will not have them. But, their problem is something else. If certain countries emerge which put an end to their exclusive right, they will have no problems with that. Of course, they do not want to give up their self-proclaimed right, but if this happens, they will not create uproar about it. But when it comes to Islamic Iran and the Islamic Republic, they create uproar. Why do they do this? It is because having such a capability and power is a source of support for the Islamic Republic which is based on \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"[D]eal not unjustly, nor shall you be dealt with unjustly.\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" This is the main challenge. We should know and see this. With such an outlook, we should analyze and interpret the behavior of America, the west and such and such a country and orientation which is dependent on and attached to these powers. This is the Islamic Revolution. In the eyes of these enemies, no one is more hated than our magnanimous Imam who was an outstanding personality and who was like a shining sun. They looked at him with respect, but they also showed enmity towards him from the bottom of their hearts because he resisted and because he was perceptive and wise due to two unique characteristics that he enjoyed: complete wisdom and complete decisiveness. He put up resistance in a determined way and he was like a barrier in the way of their progress and in the way of the harm which they wanted to inflict. This was why they were his enemies. Of course, as I said, they looked at him with respect. They knew about his greatness, but the greater he was, the angrier they became. Today, the same situation exists. They show the same hatred towards anybody who is committed to these main values and principles - that is to say, values which determine the political identity of the Revolution such as \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"[D]eal not unjustly, nor shall you be dealt with unjustly\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\". They hate anybody who realizes that the problems the enemies created for the Islamic Republic are based on this outlook and who takes this path by adopting such an outlook and showing such resistance. Of course, the world of diplomacy is the world of smiling. They smile and ask to negotiate with us. They themselves offer to negotiate with us. A few days ago, one of the western politicians was asked, \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"You want to negotiate with Iran. This is while Iran is your enemy.\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" He said, \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Well, negotiations should be conducted with the enemy, not other people.\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" That is to say, they admit that they are the enemies of Iran and they say this openly. The reason for their enmity is not the behavior of certain people. Rather, the reason is the true nature and identity of the Islamic Revolution. Everything that they say should be analyzed, interpreted and identified from this perspective. We are not against proper and reasonable moves, whether in the world of diplomacy or in the world of domestic policies. I believe in the idea which was referred to as \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"heroic flexibility\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\". Flexibility is necessary in many areas. It is very good and there is nothing wrong with it. But the wrestler who is wrestling against his opponent and who shows flexibility for technical reasons should not forget who his opponent is and what he is doing. This is the main condition. Our politicians too should know what they are doing, who they are faced with, who their opponent is and which area the opposing side wants to attack. They should pay attention to this point. Well, you are the guardians of the Islamic Revolution. The meaning of the guardian of the Islamic Revolution is not that you should be present in all arenas and you should have a responsibility in all areas. As it was reflected in the statements of the dear and honorable commander who delivered a speech today, you have a certain and clear responsibility. As he pointed out, it is an appropriate move to take a look on the scope of activities of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. I agree with what he said. But, first, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps should always know what it wants to do and what it wants to protect. Second, it should preserve its stability and steadfastness which is the main characteristic of the glorious identity of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. It should not forget this. Everybody, at all levels, should pay attention to this point. I have repeatedly pointed out that what the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps does is based on spirituality. Spirituality does not contradict scientific progress, systematic organization, new methods and different scientific and practical innovations. We should not think that when we pay attention to spirituality, we should ignore the material aspects of life. This is not the case. During the early Islamic era, the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.), the Commander of the Faithful (a.s.) and Muslims employed the best and the cleverest tactics in the arenas of war. In our own times too, revolutionary elements - whether the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, the Islamic Republic of Iran Army or other revolutionary elements - employed the cleverest tactics and methods during the Sacred Defense Era. Spirituality does not contradict the idea that we should pay attention to the material aspects of our work and the effective organization of things. This spirituality should be preserved because it is the essence of our work. The last point I want to raise is that, in my opinion, the future of the Islamic Revolution is a bright future. This is not a vain hope. I am saying this because we have taken everything into consideration. There are two reasons for this. The first reason is experience. Well, during the early years of the Revolution, we were in a terrible condition because of our lack of manpower, lack of material resources, lack of weapons, lack of executive experience and different other shortcomings. But, where are we now? Today, we benefit from a wealth of manpower, material resources, scientific and political progress and international dignity. Where were we 30-plus years ago and where are we now? All of our moves during the past 35 years were made while we were under pressure from the opposing side. That is to say, the wind was blowing in the opposite direction, but we managed to move forward. On the path that we were taking, there were fierce and adverse winds, but we managed to move forward. Is this experience not good? Is it not enough? Hostile orientations cannot confuse or stop a nation who is united, determined and religious and who knows what is wants to do. On the issue of the regional events which recently took place in the world of Islam, wherever Muslims suffered a loss, it was because they did not know what they should do. In these events, there was not a clear guideline and therefore such things happened. Of course, it will not remain like this. The event which happened in regional and Islamic countries - that is to say, Islamic Awakening - is an unprecedented phenomenon and it will play its part in these events. So, our experience is the first reason. Another reason is that we are moving forward with rationality and scientific precision. Our opposing side suffers from increasing weaknesses and internal contradictions because of the wrong way the infrastructures of this civilization are built. They are retreating. Of course, they do not need to admit that they are retreating and it is not necessary to visibly and clearly see this in their statements. This is the truth of the matter. When a people move things forward with precision and by finding the right way, they will definitely achieve the desired results. We have said that we should promote the idea of building the Islamic Republic from the inside. We have said that knowledge should develop and spread. We have said that domestic production should be the essence of our work. We have said that we should adopt a serious outlook on the issue of optimism about the domestic capabilities of the country. We have said that talents should develop and blossom. These things are the essence of our work. When a country moves forward by relying on its domestic capabilities, its manpower, its knowledge, its faith and its unity, it will certainly achieve the desired results. Therefore, we have no doubts that we have a bright future ahead of us. Whether this future arrives sooner or later depends on you and I. If laziness, negligence, selfishness, materialism and attachment to superficial things divert our attention and if we do something to cause our downfall - whether individual downfall or social downfall - then this future will be achieved later than expected. But it will definitely be achieved and this is because of the efforts and sacrifices which were made. Thankfully, in the arena of sacrifices too, you have been very active. You have put in a good performance and made brilliant moves in this arena. By Allah\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s favor, it will be the same in the future. I hope that God will make you benefit from the prayers of the Imam of the Age (may our souls be sacrificed for his sake). I hope that He will make you and us the guardians of Islam and the Islamic Revolution in the real sense of the word. I hope that He will associate the pure souls of our martyrs and the immaculate soul of our magnanimous Imam with His saints and with the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.). Greetings be upon you and Allah\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s mercy and blessings

Soft War against the Media Mafia - English subs Clear emphasis by the Leader, Ayatullah Sayyid Ali Khamenei, to engage in the soft war. This is not the first time the leader has unveiled the fact that the media empire today is at the service of the zionism.