1
00:00:08,770 --> 00:00:10,420
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

2
00:00:10,820 --> 00:00:18,910
I am very thankful to dear brethren who have tried

3
00:00:20,310 --> 00:00:27,820
to relive the endeared memory of Muslim Kurd Peshmerga

4
00:00:27,820 --> 00:00:34,110
and did not allow these sacrifices to be forgotten;

5
00:00:35,710 --> 00:00:39,340
I am thankful for the trouble that you have undertaken

6
00:00:40,940 --> 00:00:50,600
and I am also thankful for the remarks that were made by Mr. Hosseini,

7
00:00:50,600 --> 00:00:54,050
Mr. commander [Rajabi], [and] my old friend, Mr. Molla Qader.

8
00:00:54,220 --> 00:00:58,800
God willing, the Almighty will make all of you succeed and help you.

9
00:01:00,110 --> 00:01:17,600
Yes, as you pointed out, brave and devoted brethren in the Kurdish region were not few

10
00:01:20,170 --> 00:01:28,170
and all across the Kurdish region, there were faithful and devoted brethren,

11
00:01:29,940 --> 00:01:33,600
who really spared no effort for the [success of the Islamic] Revolution.

12
00:01:34,680 --> 00:01:46,450
The centerpiece of them was these young people who had come together in groups of Muslim Kurd Peshmerga;

13
00:01:46,710 --> 00:01:54,340
[they]took up arms and went into the [battle] field; endangering both their own lives

14
00:01:54,570 --> 00:01:58,850
and their families; this is an important point.

15
00:01:58,940 --> 00:02:04,400
In Isfahan, in Tehran, in Yazd, in Mashhad, [and] in Tabriz

16
00:02:05,570 --> 00:02:12,880
if the son of a family went to war and was martyred,

17
00:02:12,880 --> 00:02:21,220
people showed them respect. Nobody would dare,

18
00:02:21,940 --> 00:02:25,420
and basically nobody was willing, to threaten them.

19
00:02:25,420 --> 00:02:31,820
[However,] this was not the case in Kordestan. In Kordestan, some families whose young members

20
00:02:31,820 --> 00:02:40,400
were martyred or fought [against anti-revolutionary elements] were threatened by anti-revolutionaries.

21
00:02:41,420 --> 00:02:48,420
This young person, among the Muslim Kurd Peshmergas, who came into the field [of battle] with such bravery

22
00:02:48,420 --> 00:02:55,620
– and I remember and was quite familiar with this group; I had frequently traveled there, I had seen;

23
00:02:55,710 --> 00:03:06,200
they came and went – endangered both his own life

24
00:03:06,850 --> 00:03:09,540
and the comfort of his family.

25
00:03:09,540 --> 00:03:11,910
They knew this and [still] they came forth; these [issues] are very important.

26
00:03:12,220 --> 00:03:18,140
And they succeeded to pass the test in a good way; truly and fairly speaking, they succeeded to pass the test in a very good way.

27
00:03:18,820 --> 00:03:25,820
From the first day [after the Islamic Revolution] the enemy focused on the Kurdish region; for two reasons:

28
00:03:25,910 --> 00:03:34,800
firstly, for ethnic issues, and secondly, for [the sake of] religion. They had hope that they would be able to infiltrate[the country] from this point;

29
00:03:36,600 --> 00:03:44,200
in Baluchestan one way, in Turkmen Sahra another way; [and] in Kurdistan another way.

30
00:03:44,650 --> 00:03:51,140
All these numerous documents and papers related to Kordestan region,

31
00:03:51,140 --> 00:03:57,910
which were hidden in security caches of the tyrannical regime [of former Iranian Shah] all fell into our hands.

32
00:03:57,910 --> 00:04:02,110
We realized what policies were pursued by these people [in Shah’s government] in that region and what they did

33
00:04:03,220 --> 00:04:07,680
They wanted to take advantage of the same policies following the victory of the Islamic [Revolution]

34
00:04:08,770 --> 00:04:14,340
and turn Kordestan region into a vulnerable point

35
00:04:14,340 --> 00:04:18,570
from which the revolution could have been hit; this was the goal.

36
00:04:20,200 --> 00:04:23,820
Now, they chanted various slogans; some shouted leftist slogans

37
00:04:23,820 --> 00:04:26,050
[and] some even chanted Islamic slogans.

38
00:04:26,510 --> 00:04:31,740
In this very Kordestan region, there were people among the antirevolutionary elements, who were opposed to the Islamic Establishment,

39
00:04:31,740 --> 00:04:33,740
yet [they] read verses of Quran

40
00:04:34,280 --> 00:04:38,510
– well, we all remember it; those who were involved in this issue, remember it.

41
00:04:38,970 --> 00:04:46,250
However, in fact they were working [and] endeavoring for anti-revolutionary [groups], for America, [and] for the Zionist regime [of Israel];

42
00:04:46,250 --> 00:04:53,050
and they used all their force so as to make that region insecure;

43
00:04:53,820 --> 00:04:56,540
well, that region was never made insecure.

44
00:04:56,540 --> 00:05:05,140
Well, yes, our youth from various places went to Kordestan, but if the Kurdish people were not with the revolution in their hearts,

45
00:05:05,220 --> 00:05:08,140
would these [youth] have been able to do anything? It is evident that [the answer is] no.

46
00:05:08,800 --> 00:05:13,820
If tenfold the number of forces that we sent to Kordestan,

47
00:05:14,050 --> 00:05:19,250
had been dispatched to Kordestan, but Kurdish people were not with them in their hearts, they couldn’t do anything.

48
00:05:19,800 --> 00:05:24,050
The hearts of Kurdish people and many Kurdish clerics were with them.

49
00:05:24,740 --> 00:05:29,140
Some of Kurdish clerics were martyred by anti-revolutionary [elements],

50
00:05:29,140 --> 00:05:32,250
the latest [instance] of which was the late Sheikholeslam [who was martyred] a few years ago.

51
00:05:32,620 --> 00:05:39,050
They martyred this pure and virtuous man in [the city of] Sanandaj.

52
00:05:39,170 --> 00:05:46,510
Therefore, the work that was done in that region was due to determination of [Kurdish] brethren.

53
00:05:46,650 --> 00:05:51,850
I have a lot of memories; now, Mr. Molla Qader talked about [the case of] Paveh.

54
00:05:51,850 --> 00:05:59,080
I remember the day when I went there for the first time after what happened in [the Kurdish city of] Paveh; the air was cold.

55
00:05:59,340 --> 00:06:05,450
I went to the high grounds [of the city] and [saw] young people who were there and [I] went into their mosque.

56
00:06:06,740 --> 00:06:14,910
Despite being strangers in their own home, the people in that region

57
00:06:14,970 --> 00:06:21,340
were really working hard and served and persevered for the Islamic Republic Establishment;

58
00:06:21,480 --> 00:06:23,020
I mean, it was really like that.

59
00:06:23,420 --> 00:06:28,080
Well, thank God, it [their hard work] was effective; today [the same situation] prevails in those regions.

60
00:06:28,080 --> 00:06:33,800
The important point is that we must be aware that the enemy will not remain idle.

61
00:06:34,540 --> 00:06:39,680
If we imagine that the enemy will remain idle, no [this is not true],

62
00:06:39,880 --> 00:06:50,600
the enemy will remain hostile as far as it can and will make plots and take action;

63
00:06:51,080 --> 00:06:55,200
they also have money [and] their security services are immense;

64
00:06:55,910 --> 00:07:00,280
their propaganda machine is immense and they keep trying.

65
00:07:00,280 --> 00:07:04,970
We must remain vigilant and we have to remain vigilant.

66
00:07:05,170 --> 00:07:11,280
As I told you, this issue of Shia and Sunni is an important issue.

67
00:07:12,540 --> 00:07:17,250
They have put their emphasis on the issue of Shia and Sunni;

68
00:07:18,110 --> 00:07:23,450
[they] have tried to fan the flames of biases on both sides;

69
00:07:24,600 --> 00:07:33,650
that is, they have tried to ignite the flames of bias both on the side of Shias and on the side of Sunnis.

70
00:07:33,650 --> 00:07:40,880
Well, some people always become playthings for such things out of oblivion.

71
00:07:41,680 --> 00:07:48,220
People who are concerned and interested should be very vigilant not to fall for these issues.

72
00:07:50,370 --> 00:08:01,280
It is really like this that he who poses as supporter of Sunnis and starts attacking Shias

73
00:08:01,740 --> 00:08:14,310
and goes to extremes in showing animosity [toward Shias] has no interest at the bottom of his heart in Sunnism and in Islam.

74
00:08:14,820 --> 00:08:17,200
The same is also true about [Shiism].

75
00:08:17,710 --> 00:08:26,540
There are people who ignite the flames of bias among Shias against Sunnis

76
00:08:26,540 --> 00:08:33,110
while they is no religious motivation in them. Who is being exploited by them?

77
00:08:33,420 --> 00:08:41,170
[They exploit] ordinary men and women who do not pay attention to all aspects of this issue;

78
00:08:41,280 --> 00:08:53,480
[they] have religious interests, but they lack necessary wisdom and attention and knowledge to understand what the enemy’s goal is.

79
00:08:54,540 --> 00:08:56,620
These [enemies] do the instigation on both [Shia and Sunni] sides.

80
00:08:56,880 --> 00:09:02,050
Everybody must be careful not to allow these plots reach their goal.

81
00:09:02,340 --> 00:09:09,710
Since a long time ago I have said that the British have extensive experience about this issue,

82
00:09:09,800 --> 00:09:12,050
[and] they are more experienced than Americans [in this regard].

83
00:09:12,280 --> 00:09:21,200
They have a lot of experience in sowing discord between Shiism and Sunnism;

84
00:09:21,250 --> 00:09:25,970
they exactly know what to do to pit the two sides against each other.

85
00:09:26,650 --> 00:09:31,800
Sometimes they talk as if they support Sunnis.

86
00:09:31,800 --> 00:09:44,680
Now, you saw they passed a bill in support of Arab Sunnis in Iraq at the American Congress!

87
00:09:45,020 --> 00:09:50,820
Now, are they really interested in Sunnis?

88
00:09:51,140 --> 00:09:58,200
They are against anything that bears a sign of Islam; for them Shia and Sunni is alike;

89
00:09:59,850 --> 00:10:01,850
this point should be taken note of.

90
00:10:02,220 --> 00:10:09,480
Therefore, the issue of religion is [just] one issue. Now, fortunately, the issue of ethnicity does not apply to Kurds.

91
00:10:09,710 --> 00:10:12,570
[Enemies] cannot take advantage of the Kurdish factor.

92
00:10:12,570 --> 00:10:16,910
Although in some countries they can take good advantage of the Kurdish factor,

93
00:10:17,080 --> 00:10:19,110
We must strip them [the enemies] of their excuses.

94
00:10:20,480 --> 00:10:25,800
[The necessity to do] cultural work to which Mr. Molla Qader referred is totally correct; cultural work is very good.

95
00:10:25,800 --> 00:10:33,080
Now, this step that you are taking with regard to Muslim Kurd Peshmerga

96
00:10:33,080 --> 00:10:38,510
is, per se, a cultural work. If this work is, God willing, carried out well and clean and comprehensive,

97
00:10:38,970 --> 00:10:43,540
it would be a valuable cultural work. This must be done.

98
00:10:43,600 --> 00:10:49,200
[Providing] services and [economic] work should be also done. The youth should really not remain without job;

99
00:10:49,740 --> 00:10:57,370
joblessness is the root cause of corruption and issues related to the youth are high priority [issues].

100
00:10:57,510 --> 00:11:01,370
I hope, God willing, the Almighty will make all of you succeed

101
00:11:01,480 --> 00:11:06,680
[and you will] be able to, God willing, finish the work that you have started in the best possible manner.

102
00:11:07,250 --> 00:11:09,420
Peace be unto you and so may the mercy of Allah and His blessings.