The Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei met with the 24,000 Martyrs of Khuzestan Congress organisers on February 27, 2024. He praised the people of Khuzestan for their heroism and sacrifice during the Sacred Defence. He said that their success resulted from the combination of their high motivation and their faith (Ima'n). Referring to the late Imam Khomeini's choice of the term "Islamic Republic" for Iran's political system, he said that the Imam's choice reflected his deep understanding of Islam and the Iranian people. He added that the key to the Islamic Republic's survival and progress has been its reliance on both the civic power of the people and Islam.
The leader of the Islamic Revolution gave Eid greetings to the people on the auspicious occasion of the Eid of the 15th Sha'ban and spoke of the Imam's deep understanding of the people and his comprehensive and progressive view of Islam. He said, "The Imam (Khomeini) always trusted the people, from the early days of the Islamic movement until the victory of the Islamic Revolution and after that. He saw Islam as a school of thought and system of ideas suited for politics and public administration. On this basis, he was able to create the ground for Iran's progress and continuing development."
Ayatollah Khamenei said that the main problem the enemies of the Islamic Republic have is their lack of understanding of the Iranian people as well as their lack of understanding of Islam. He said, "Based on their estimates and designs, the enemies of the nation of Iran were sure that the Islamic Republic would not see its 40th anniversary, but to their dismay, Iran's progress did not stop, and by the grace of God and with reliance on the people's motivation, will, and their faith (Ima’n), it will continue."
In another part of his speech, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution described the current situation in Gaza as another example of the miracles of relying on the people and Ima’n. He said, "The steadfastness of the resistance forces and their frustration of the enemy's attempts to destroy them, as well as the patience of the people of Gaza in the face of the bombings and calamities, are indicative of the strong Ima’n of these people.
Referring to the patent falsity of the claims of Western civilisation about human rights and the hypocrisy and duplicity in the Gaza affair, Ayatollah Khamenei said, "Westerners who make a fuss about the execution of one criminal have closed their eyes to the killing of 30,000 innocent people in Gaza, and the United States, with complete shamelessness, time and again, has vetoed resolutions to stop the bombing of Gaza."
He said, "This is the real face of Western culture, civilisation, and liberal democracy. On the surface, it has well-dressed politicians with smiles on their faces, but in reality, it is a rabid dog and a bloodthirsty wolf."
At the end of the speech, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution said, "We are confident that this Western civilisation and this crooked path will not reach its destination. The culture of truth and the correct logic of Islam will prevail over all of them."
The full text of the Leader's speech at this meeting will be released simultaneously with the opening of the Congress of 24,000 Martyrs of Khuzestan Province.