On the occasion of the 34th anniversary of Imam Khomeini’s demise, Imam Khamenei delivered a live televised speech on June 4, 2023. During his speech, he described Imam Khomeini, as the leader who managed to bring about great transformation on national, Islamic, and global levels.

During the event, the Leader described the venerable Imam Khomeini as the flagbearer of divine missions in an age of armed ignorance in recent centuries.

"Not only is Imam Khomeini the outstanding figure of our time, he is also one of the outstanding figures of Iran’s history that no person or movement will be able to erase from historical memories, nor will they be able to distort him in an effective and long-lasting manner," he said.

Imam Khamenei referred to the incredible dimensions of Imam Khomeini’s character in religious sciences, faith and piety, strength of character, power and will, rising for the cause of God and revolutionary politics and creating transformation in the human system.

"The collection of these dimensions are not seen in any of the leaders in Iranian history. For this reason, our unique Imam will always be alive and will introduce his luminous face to everyone with a resonating voice," he added.

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution clarified the unprecedented transformations that Imam Khomeini brough about in Iran, the Islamic nation and the world.

"This Revolution shattered a political structure consisting of a monarchy and replaced it with a democracy. This Revolution removed a puppet system of governance that bowed to world powers replacing it with an independent system that relied on national dignity. This system of governance removed an anti-Islamic government from the picture, and it established and built an Islamic government in its place,” explained Imam Khamenei.

In this regard, the Leader added that Imam Khomeini equipped a nation that had its eyes fixed on the hands of foreigners with the power of "We can," which is something that will overcome all current and future problems.

In describing the dimensions of the transformation that Imam Khomeini brought about at the level of the Islamic nation, the Leader pointed to the creation of the Islamic Awakening, the dynamism and relative readiness of the Islamic nation and the transformation of the Palestinian issue into the first issue of the Islamic world. 

"The Imam breathed life into the depressed body of the Palestinian nation," he added.

Imam Khamenei underlined that the removal of passivity in the face of materialism and drawing the attention of nations to spirituality was the main line of Imam Khomeini’s transformation on a global level.

"That outstanding character revived spirituality in the world. The intensive attack of the political and media centers of world rulers on spiritual issues and their vulgar efforts to promote materialism is a reaction against this development," he said.

Imam Khamenei explained that pieces of paper and audio tapes were the only tools used by Imam to convey his messages and words to the people. He underlined that "faith" and "hope" were the two important factors that enabled Imam Khomeini to carry out his miraculous activities.

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution considered having faith in God while continuing the way of Imam, while fighting the enemies of God as equivalent to having faith and trust in God’s promises.

"The Lord has promised that whoever aids Him, will receive His help. He has promised to defend the believers and make them steadfast and strong in the steps they take,” he said.

Imam Khamenei outlined the distance between the Islam that Imam Khomeini believed in and the Islam of capitalism and the eclectic Islam of uninformed intellectuals.

"Imam believed in the Islam of the Book and the Sunnah along with sound jurisprudential reasoning and proper comprehension. He strongly rejected the views of uninformed, so-called intellectuals," he added.

The Leader also spoke about another aspect of Imam Khomeini’s faith, which was his "faith in the people." 
"With a deep understanding of the divine verses, the Imam had deep trust and faith in the motives and actions of the people, including their votes."

In exemplifying the depth of Imam Khomeini's basic line of thought on the Republic, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution stated, "The expression ‘Republic’ in the name of the government, i.e., the Islamic Republic, is a result of the Imam's trust and belief in the people."

Imam Khamenei clarified that "hope" was the second soft factor during several decades of Imam Khomeini’s transformative activities. 

"Hope, was a permanent element and the driving force of Imam Khomeini’s movement, in such a way that he spoke of rising for the cause of God in the 40s, he practically entered the uprising field in the 60s and in the 80s, he refused to turn a hair amid the terrible military-security and political storms."

In this regard, he added that, "As Imam Khomeini stated himself, he never lost hope. He believed that when the nation wants something, they will surely achieve it."

After enumerating the dimensions of Imam Khomeini’s faith and hope, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution said, “Without a doubt, his most important lesson and advice to us is to continue his path, guard his legacy, and follow the triple transformation that he created at the level of the country, the Islamic nation, and the world.”

Imam Khamenei considered the requirements and tools necessary to follow the path and goal of Imam Khomeini to be different from that which was used 40 years ago.

"Of course, the fronts have not changed and today, like yesterday, the front of Arrogance, the front of the Zionists and the front of aggressive powers are lined up in front of the Iranian nation."

He remarked that the difference between the current front formation and the one in the past is that the Iranian nation has become stronger now, while the enemy has become weaker.

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution emphasized that, "The honorable Imam’s transformations have stubborn, spiteful enemies who are criminals and aggressors. In order to deal with them, the Iranian nation must be equipped with the same soft skills that the magnanimous Imam possessed. They need to have faith and hope."

Imam Khamenei pointed to the fact that, contrary to the mistaken idea of some people, "the Global Arrogance and Zionism’s enmity with the Iranian nation will not fade or disappear because of local retreats."

"In many cases, our retreats caused them to come forward and become more aggressive. That is because their main goal is to force Iran to return to the era before the Revolution, that is, the period when the nation was dependent on others and had no identity."

In the same context, the Leader added, "During the last few decades, in some administrations, there were individuals who believed in retreating and giving concessions. In one of these administrations, the same country we had retreated before, issued an indictment for our president. Or in another administration, which unfortunately helped the US, the Americans ended up labeling Iran as an axis of evil."

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution underlined that the main goal of the enemies’ efforts is to weaken the faith of the people and to extinguish the flames of hope in people’s hearts. He added that maintaining independence, dignity and national interests depends on preserving faith and hope.

In this regard, Imam Khamenei stated, "During the past few decades, stubborn and arrogant institutions did everything they could to weaken people’s faith and hope, and they made progress in a few cases, but in most cases, by the grace of God, they were overcome and defeated by the Iranian nation."

In another part of his speech, Imam Khamenei described the riots that took place in Iran last year as the final link in the series of attempts made by the country’s enemies.

"The comprehensive planning of these riots was carried out in the think tanks of Western countries. Its implementation was accompanied by extensive financial, arms and media support of Western security institutions, traitors and mercenaries who turned their backs on their country and agents of hostile policies against Iran."

Enumerating some of the hostile measures taken by the Westerners during last fall’s riots, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution said, "They thought that the Islamic Republic was finished and that they could use the Iranian nation to achieve their goals, but once again, these fools made a mistake and failed to recognize the Iranian nation."

Imam Khamenei also explained the tactics used by the enemies to create despair in the youth.

"They try to create despair in young Iranians by pointing out the high costs of living and inflation."

The Leader regarded the country’s progress in the fields of science and technology, the growing industrial and agricultural infrastructure, transportation, workforce training, construction activities in Iran’s deprived and remote areas, progress in international politics, national honor, and developments in the country's military and defense authority as hopeful realities that promise a brighter future.

"The enemy wants these facts to be forgotten. It does not want the Iranian youth to know about them," he stated.

At the end of his speech, the Leader pointed out that another method that is employed by the country’s enemies in order to create despair has been to make people pessimistic towards the elections. 

"This year's elections is very important. The enemy has already activated its [propaganda] artillery to destroy it, even though we are nine months away from the elections," he emphasized.

At the beginning of this ceremony, Hujjat al-Islam Sayyid Hassan Khomeini, the Custodian of the Mausoleum of Imam Khomeini (ra), stated that the Islamic Revolution was the most popular revolution in the world while considering the system of the "Islamic Republic" to be the greatest legacy left behind by Imam Khomeini.

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