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In the Name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful

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الحمدللّه ربّ العالمين

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والصّلاة والسّلام علي سيّدنا و نبيّنا ابي‌القاسم المصطفي محمّد

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و علي آله الاطيبين الاطهرين المنتجبين

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سيّما بقيّةالله في الارضين و لعنةالله علي اعدائهم اجمعين

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Dear brethren and sisters! You are very welcome.

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Every year, the 29th [day] of [the Iranian month of] Bahman is one of our epic and glorious days at this Hosseiniyeh [religious place of worship] because of your presence.

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For me, who am keen on meeting with the dear people of [the northwestern city of] Tabriz and Azarbaijan [province], this is an opportunity,

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so that, if I cannot meet with all those dear people, [at least,] I can meet with a group of youths, officials, venerable clerics,

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and various walks of life here at this Hosseiniyeh.

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You are very welcome! Convey my greetings to the rest of the dear people

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in Tabriz and in other cities of Azarbaijan. Convey my greetings to your other citizens.

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The issue of [what happened on] the 29th [day of the Iranian month] of Bahman [in the Iranian year 1356 (February 18, 1978)] is not simply a historic issue, [but] is a lesson [to be learned, [and] is a [major] topic [for discussion].

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Let me say this to you, young people: the people of Azarbaijan and the people of Tabriz

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not only in the case of the [Islamic] Revolution and the 29th of Bahman – and of course the 29th of Bahman turned into a driving force for the victory of the revolution

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on the 22nd of Bahman of the following year (February 11, 1979);

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it was a driving force in order to make this [victory of the revolution] possible; it was a driving force –

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but also since about 120 years ago, [or] 130 years ago,

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have been one of the most important axes of struggles with regard to all important social developments in the country and important political developments.

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Our dear youths must know this, [because] this is the identity of Azarbaijan.

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Both in the case of the [prohibition of the consumption of] tobacco and [what] late Hajj Mirza Javad Mojtahed Tabrizi [did in this regard], [and] in the case of constitutionalism

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– and as you know the constitutionalist developments related to Azarbaijan are famous – and in the case of the national movement for taking [Iran’s] oil industry back from Britain,

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Azarbaijan has been one of those important [and] influential places.

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Both in [the case of] the Islamic Revolution, and during the [eight-year Iraqi] imposed war [against Iran], and in what happened before the war

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in Tabriz itself and in Azarbaijan itself, it was the people of Azarbaijan who played a [very important] role.

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Early in the revolution, some people started a move

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in opposition to the revolution [and] to create divide [and] to oppose what the revolutionary people of Iran believed in.

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They assumed in their own imagination that Tabriz was a good place to do this

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– and this has been always among old policies of Britain and anti-Iran elements – [and] they went there and stoked unrest.

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I was a member of the Revolution Council; there were discussions in Tehran, [and] some people were concerned, [but] the Imam said nobody must be concerned,

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[because] the people of Tabriz would give an [appropriate] answer to them; this actually happened and there was no need to anybody else [to interfere].

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The people of Azarbaijan are like this. During the time of [Iraqi imposed] war [against Iran], the Ashura Division [of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps] was among the first divisions to engage the enemy. It was not only that division,

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[because] Azarbaijan’s clerics, various walks of life in Azarbaijan, [and] logistical organs in Azarbaijan

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were all present in the arena. This is the history of Azarbaijan.

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Azarbaijan has always stood up alone in the face of avarice of those who have set their sight on

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creating ethnic divide in the country and [the people of Azarbaijan] are still taking the same steps at the present time.

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Well, different languages are spoken in our country, [and] our country is made up of different ethnic groups;

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there are Turks, there are Persians, there are Arabs, there are Baluch people, there are Lors, [and] there are Kurds.

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This is some form of diversity and this diversity is an opportunity, [but] the enemy has always set its sight on making this [diversity] a means of [creating] gaps [among the nation].

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Big Iranian ethnic groups themselves, and of course better than all, the people of Azarbaijan,

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are taking the bull by its horns and are standing against this evil policy of enemies.

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Our dear youths across the country must pay attention to this [point]

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that the enemy keep a sharp lookout and intends to take advantage of any fault line, which they assume can create a quake [in the Iranian society]

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in order to destroy the fundament of this country’s independence and the fundament of the revolution.

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It wants to take advantage of all possibilities, [and to do this,] it looks around to find fault lines,

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while there are no fault lines, [because Iranian] people are unanimous, [and] people are united.

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Well, you, who are yourselves from Tabriz and from Azarbaijan, you are aware of your own sentiments.

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This poem, which you read out here that “By the Quran, we are loyal to our allegiance to you,”

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I know this [is true and] this is something beyond doubt. The people of Azarbaijan have proven this not only in words, [but also] in action,

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and have shown that they stand in the face of the tempting and divisive enemy.

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My dear ones, the rest of the Iranian ethnic groups [are] also, fortunately, like this; people of Khorasan are like this

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– despite religious differences in eastern part of Khorasan province – Kurdish people are like this, [and] Baluch people are like this.

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There have been clerics among Baluch people, who stood tall in the face of the enemies of the revolution in early [years following victory of the Islamic] Revolution.

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I have been there for a long time, [and] I knew clerics [who were active] there. Let me mention their names, so that, people would know them: late Mowlavi Abdolaziz Sadati

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from [the southeastern city of] Saravan [was one of them]; [he was] a skinny old man

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who stood against those who opposed the revolution, those who criticized the revolution, and those who tried to find fault with the revolution,

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and defended the revolution; he was also a Baluch and Sunni Muslim.

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In Kurdistan, [there was] late [Mohammad] Sheikholeslam; he delivered a strong and powerful speech in [the city of] Sanandaj.

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They were Sunnis – [because] Kurds follow Shafi’i denomination [of Sunni Islam] – but they defended the revolution,

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because they saw that the revolution has hoisted the flag of Islam.

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[However,] counterrevolutionary [elements] martyred Sheikholeslam because of the same speech, [and] because of the same positions.

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In Khuzestan, Arab youths stood against the invasion [of the country] by the regime of [former Iraqi dictator] Saddam [Hussein].

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They [Iraqi invaders] were Arabs, [and] these [Iranian youths] were also Arabs, but this latter Arabs stood [against the invasion]. The name of martyr Ali Hashemi

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– the young Arab commander from Khuzestan and [the city of] Ahvaz – and the names of these [people] will never be forgotten, [because] these [brave men] stood [against the enemy].

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He [the Iraqi invader] spoke Arabic, and this [Iranian youth] also spoke Arabic, but this latter one understood the truth,

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recognized the enemy’s plots and stood [against them]. The same is true about the rest of Iranian ethnic groups.

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[However,] ahead of all and better than all are the people of Azarbaijan. Now, [let enemies to] continuously hatch plots, to continuously deliberate, to continuously talk,

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to continuously spend money, [and] to continuously take out petrodollars from coffers of tycoons and spend them on creating division in the country; they will not be able [to achieve this goal].

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The nation is united and consolidated. Today, I will talk about this issue, will also talk about

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[the demonstrations on] the 22nd day of [the Iranian month of] Bahman [which marks victory of the Islamic Revolution], [and] will also talk about officials and their responsibilities.

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All these [factors] must be seen in one place. The Iranian nation is standing [against enemies], and [people] are consolidated.

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Now, a group has been repeating such terms as “national reconciliation, [and stresses on] national reconciliation.” In my opinion, such remarks are meaningless,

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[because] people [of Iran] are like a single hand, [and] are united together. When it comes to [protecting] Islam, when it comes to [protecting] Iran, when it comes to independence [of the country],

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[and] when it comes to resistance in the face of the enemy, people stand fast with all they have.

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It is possible for two people to have different viewpoints on any given political issue, [but] it does not affect [the unity among people]. Why you keep saying reconciliation?

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Are people estranged [to one another] to need reconciliation? Newspapers clamor over such terms, [and] they do not realize that they are causing problems [for the country].

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When you say reconciliation, it is like that there is some estrangement [among people], [while] there is no estrangement.

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Yes, our people are estranged to those who insulted the [sanctity of] the day of Ashura.

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The nation is estranged to those, who on the day of Ashura,

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disrobed a Basiji youth on the street and beat him with brutality, with tomfoolery, [and] shamelessly. We will not reconcile with these [people]

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at all and with those people who are averse to the essence of the revolution, say ‘the essence of the [Islamic] establishment is our target’, [and] say ‘elections are just an excuse for us [to stoke unrest]’;

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of course, these people are a small group, are a few [and] are just a drop in comparison with the huge ocean of the Iranian nation; they are nothing.

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[The people who form] this ocean are consolidated and united with one another; this unity does exist and must exist and must be bolstered on a daily basis.

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Thank God, the Azarbaijani elites have always been paying attention to these points.

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The zealous youths of Azarbaijan, [and] the people of Azarbaijan from all walks of life,

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have always been paying attention to this point and have stood against the enemies’ plots, the enemies’ temptations, [and] the enemies’ activities;

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have [always] defended the national unity and have laid down their lives for it.

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You, in the first place, and us and all officials and members of the nation must appreciate Azarbaijan.

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Azarbaijan is a point of strength for the revolution and for the Islamic establishment. This is the first point.

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As for the 22nd [day] of [the Iranian month of] Bahman, first of all, I must thank the entire nation of Iran from the bottom of my heart.

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This year’s [nationwide demonstrations on] the 22nd of Bahman gave credit to the revolution, to the Islamic establishment, and to the Islamic Iran.

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The estimate offered by domestic officials and those people who usually give an estimate of the crowd on the streets [saying] that how many people were there,

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indicated that in the big cities of the country and in 70 percent of the country’s [smaller] cities, the crowd [taking part in the revolution anniversary] demonstrations, in comparison to past years,

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was higher in some cases, much higher in some cases, and double [the previous years] in some cases.

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This has been said by those people, who are our domestic estimators; [and] it was not only said by them, [because] the foreigners have also said this,

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[and] the enemies of the revolution have said this [as well]. The same people, who disdained the Bahman 22 demonstrations every year and said [only] a few thousand people have come into the streets,

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used terms like million[-strong rallies] this year. Yes, it is true. Millions of people across the country poured into the streets.

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I am short of words [how to describe this], [and] I am not important enough to thank [the people], [because the revolution] belongs to people themselves.

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It is God, who must be thanked, [and] it is God who must be praised for having oriented people’s hearts in this direction.

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The important point is that throughout the year,

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with the money [provided to them by] the [US] CIA [spy] organization, and [Israeli] Mossad organization, and British intelligence and spy agencies,

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and [also through] petrodollars supplied [to them] by tycoons, hundreds of media [outlets] talk against Iran. Throughout the year, they are busy [doing anti-Iran propaganda] day and night.

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They also find scores of bankrupt [and] fugitive political [figures], who have fled Iran,

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[and] pay them money in order to write analyses, write news,

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[and] prepare speeches against the revolution and against the [Islamic] establishment with the purpose of disdaining [everybody] from the Imam to [all] Iranian people, to various activities of the revolution – to which I will make a reference later –

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[and to] accuse the revolution, accuse the establishment, and undermine [the Islamic establishment].

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They endeavor for an entire year, then on the 22nd day of Bahman this downpour of divine blessing,

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[and] this huge popular presence pours down like rain and clears this contaminated and misty atmosphere.

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It flows into the streets like a blessed current, cleanses people’s mind and clears it of contaminations. This is [what] the 22nd of Bahman [does].

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We have a 22nd of Bahman, we have a Quds day, and each one of them has its own meaning, [and] has a goal.

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People understand this concept very well and enter the arena in view of that concept.

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Now, who are in the arena? This is a very important point.

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You, in the city of Tabriz or in other cities or here in Tehran;

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just have a look at this huge crowd, which is moving

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most of these [demonstrators] are not [even] 37 years old – while the revolution is 37 years [or] 38 years old –

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[and this means that most demonstrators] were not there in early post-revolution years, have not seen the Imam, have not seen the period of the Sacred Defense [the Iraqi impose war against Iran],

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[and] have not seen the dark and bitter time of the monarchial regime’s repression, but they take part [in the anniversary of the revolution].

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Once on the streets, they clench their fists and chant slogans and shout with the same enthusiasm, with the same sentiment, with the same knowledge, [and] with the same intellectualism and insight [as the revolutionary generation].

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What does this mean? It means that the revolution is still alive; ,

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[and] it means that the revolution continues to thrive, is growing,

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[and] these are new cases of growths of the revolution.It is these third and fourth post-revolution generations, who are coming [into the arena]

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and stand in the face of the enemies and make their categorical statement. This is very important.

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The enemies are trying – of course they are beating the air – to prove that the revolution is inefficacious;

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well, we have problems, [but] where in the world and in what country all the problems have been set right and solved in full?

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Problems exist everywhere, we also have them – now I will explain about them – [and] we do not deny them either;

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problems exist without a doubt, but the enemy tries to ignore the advances made by the revolution in the face of these problems.

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The revolution and the Islamic establishment have taken a great step during these about 38 years.

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I have a list at my disposal of the main plans of the revolution [which have been implemented] during these [past] 38 years, [which shows]

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what [great] efforts have been made for the country. Such efforts are not made by capable and active governments [even] in a hundred years.

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We [must] compare [these efforts] with what was done before the revolution. With regard to infrastructural issues

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– and clearly these infrastructural issues are very important for the future of the country and for the progress of the country – in some cases,

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the progress of the country during revolution years has been 1,000 percent [higher compared with pre-revolution era]; I mean ten times.

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In some cases, [the progress made after the revolution] has been 2,000 percent to 6,000 percent, that is, sixty times [more than what was before the revolution].

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With regard to the number of university students, the amount of scientific progress, the infrastructural work done,

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numerous and huge cultural issues, [and] national prestige and dignity, we compare [the present time] with [the situation] before the revolution,

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with the time of the monarchial regime, with the period of America’s domination [on the country], [and] with the time

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that Tehran was a resting place for Zionist elements, who when they felt exhausted, they came here in the garden of Shiyan,

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which was their resting place then, to have a good time, stay [for] seven days, eight days, [or] ten days and go back;

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we compare this with that. The country has progressed, [and] has moved [forward]; it has undergone a [growth] spurt.

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At that time, the country was run by a subdued government.

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The monarchial government was a subdued government, [which was] subdued to America, subdued to Britain,

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[and] subdued to [other] big governments. It had made the nation abject and obsequious, had totally shut down the country’s potentialities,

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[and] had given control of some [of those potentialities] to the enemy.

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The revolution took place and activated many of those potentialities, [and this is why] our country is dignified now.

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Today, across the region, almost with regard to all regional issues, nothing will happen as long as Iran does not want,

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[and] as long as Iran is not present and does not make a decision.

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The Iranian nation has shown that it is a resistant nation; our enemies say all these [facts] in their analyses;

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they say that the Iranian nation cannot be confronted and countered, [because] it is a resistant nation,

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[which] resists [and] does not submit to the enemies; this is [true] dignity.

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You compare this dignity with the period of humiliation that they [the enemies] had imposed on this nation, [and] on this country. Yes,

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it is clear that this is a cause of happiness and delight for the youths, who come into the arena. This is the [real meaning of] the 22nd of Bahman;

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the 22nd of Bahman is a divine bounty, [and] is a divine opportunity

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for the nation to show itself, [and] to cry out its determination at the top of its voice.

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Everything that is in the heart of this nation, they become evident in their slogans on the 22nd of Bahman across the country.

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We seek progress, seek Islam, [and] seek an Islamic establishment emanating from people, which will be able to solve people’s problems;

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this is the slogan of [the demonstrations on] every year’s 22nd of Bahman and [proves that] the nation is standing fast.

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The nation will undoubtedly reject any official who wants not to be with the nation and does not stand fast.

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Well, this is about the issue of the 22nd of Bahman.

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The next point I want to mention here is addressed at esteemed officials of the country.

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I tell the officials not to take this popular presence in [the nationwide demonstrations on] the 22nd of Bahman

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to mean that they have no complaints about the activities of us, officials.

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People have grievances, [and] people have grievances about many things that happen in the country.

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People are averse to discrimination. Wherever they see discrimination, they feel upset and suffer.

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Anywhere they see underperformance [of officials, they feel] likewise, wherever they see inattention to problems [they feel] likewise,

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[and] wherever they see work is not done [by officials, they feel] likewise; [in short,] people have grievances.

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The 22nd of Bahman should be seen in its own capacity. Steadfastness of people in the face of

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an enemy, which is lying in ambush to devour Iran, is one thing, which shows itself on the 22nd of Bahman,

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but their expectations from us, officials, is something else.

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Well, [at the beginning of the new Iranian year] I said that [this year would be] the year of “Economy of Resistance, practical steps and action.” [This year] is coming to an end; it is [almost] the end of the [11th Iranian month of] Bahman,

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[and it is time when] practical steps and action must be shown [to the people]. I also said at the beginning of the year that state officials

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– both officials of the executive power and administration, and officials of the judiciary, and officials of the Majlis [parliament], makes no difference, all of them –

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must show at the end of the year that what they have done for [the realization of] the practical steps and action during the current year; they should not say ‘this must be done’,

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but must say ‘this was done’; this must become clear.

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Today, we are plagued by problems, [and] the problems of people and grievances of people cannot be overlooked; officials must take [these problems] seriously.

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The problem of unemployment is important, the problem of recession is important, [and] the problem of high prices is important.

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These are among those problems that exist [in the country]. Of course, officials are making efforts [to solve them], [and] we see this, but capacities [to work] are higher than these [measures taken so far].

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Now, I will, God willing, explain about this in due time;

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we are not in a deadlock, [and] we are not facing a deadlock with regard to economic problems.

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There are problems, from two sides, three sides, [and] four sides, there are problems, but

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the way out of the problems is also clear. How can we get out of these problems? Officials must try [to do this].

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Four [or] five years before this, I said in my New Year speech

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that today the gaze of the enemies of the Iranian nation is fixed on the issue of economy. They are trying

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to put pressure on the economy of the country, and put such pressure on the economy of the country that people would be afflicted with [all kinds of] problems.

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When people are plagued with problems, they become disillusioned, [and] lose heart; [and] this is what the enemy wants.

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The enemy wants the people to be discouraged about their revolution, their establishment, their administration, [and] their country.

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Therefore, they put pressure on the issue of economy [and] mount pressure [on this sector]. Officials must pay attention to this point.

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Of course, it is not like that our problems are simply limited to the economic problems. Everybody knows that I am very sensitive about the cultural problems,

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[and] am very sensitive about the issue of science, but when I look at the priorities over limited periods of time,

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the issue of the country’s economy appears as first priority, because the enemy is aware of this.

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Today, they are still doing the same things; everybody [must] pay attention to this.

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Both under the former American administration, and under the present administration,

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one of the ploys used by the [American] enemy has been to keep threatening [the country] with war; and [that] the military option is on the table and the likes of this.

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That European official also tells our officials that if it was not for the JCPOA [Iran’s nuclear deal with the P5+1 group of countries], war in Iran would be inevitable, [and] there would certainly be war, [but] this is a sheer lie!

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Why they talk about war? [They do this] in order to deflect our focus toward [military] war, [but] the real war is something else; the real war is the economic war,

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the real was is [the imposition of] sanctions, [and] the real war is to conquer the areas of work and activity and technology inside the country; this is the real war.

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They threaten us with the military war in order to [make us] ignore this; [to forget that] the real war is the cultural war.

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So many different television [channels] and various online networks

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are working in order to take the hearts and minds of our youths away from religion and sanctities and chastity and modesty

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and the likes of these. They are seriously at work, [and] spend a lot of money for this purpose! This is the real war.

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Officials must be vigilant. I told the esteemed president ‘give notice to your managers to combine [their] management

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with transparency, [and] combine [their] management with supervision’.

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A [state] manager must [also] do supervision, [and] must follow up on the work [he is supposed to do].

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That we merely say a given task must be done, [and] the opposite side says ‘yes’,

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that task would not be done. It must become clear in the field and on the ground that whether a task has been done;

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these [issues] are among those things, which are needed by us and attention must be paid to them.

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I believe that in the venerable verse [of the Quran, which says:]

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“And prepare against them using whatever power you're enabled with,”

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most probably the meaning of “power” is not just military power;

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of course, military power is part of it, but it is not limited to military power.

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[The Quran says:] prepare against them using whatever power you're enabled with.

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[It means] strengthen yourself from inside as much as you can. This is the meaning of strengthening the internal structure of the country, which I have frequently talked about.

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[You must] increase your power from scientific viewpoint, increase your power from technological viewpoint,

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increase your power from the viewpoint of domestic production, increase your power from the viewpoint of influencing into foreign markets,

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[and] increase your power from the viewpoint of discovering numerous potentialities that exist in this country and have not been tapped yet,

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and take advantage of these potentialities.

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When I announced, in defining [general] policies [notified to the administration], that the country should achieve an eight-percent [economic] growth, some people said it was not possible!

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Then specialists and experts said if we took [the existing] potentialities into account,

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a growth of more than eight percent would be also possible to be realized in the country!

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[This does] not [mean] growth in the sense that we would sell more oil – of course, this is useful, but this is not what I mean –

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[it actually] means growth in domestic production of the country, [and] economic strength of the country; this means the same [concept of] the Economy of Resistance on which I have frequently emphasized and have repeated.

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Then some people come and highlight shortages, exaggerate [them], magnify [those shortages], and say nothing about advances, nor they talk about solutions [to the existing problems]!

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It happens that these are the same people, who had persuaded the enemies to impose sanctions on Iran; they had persuaded [the enemies] to impose sanctions [on the country].

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[Now,] these people highlight weaknesses more than anybody else – less so inside [the country], [and] more so outside.

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Dear brethren, dear sisters, youths of Azarbaijan,

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o brave people of difficult arenas, who have passed your test! Let me tell you this:

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[you must] know that if we continue [our march] according to this style of movement and, as they commonly say, on this very track,

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the victory will certainly belong to Iranian nation.

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Everybody [must] think, everybody [must] endeavor, everybody [must] persevere,

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everybody [must] take the future into consideration, everybody [must] keep ideals before their eyes and move toward those ideals, [

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and] everybody [must] keep this sacred hope warm in their hearts. We thank God,

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who has kept this beam of hope alive in our hearts that [has not allowed us to] lose hope on the future of the country for a single moment

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and thank God, we have achieved better than what we had hoped for and more than that.

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However, this is not the final limit to our aspirations, is not all we demand; [and] also is not all God demands us to achieve.

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We have just taken a short step, [but] we must take longer steps

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and go ahead and, God willing, achieve what the Islamic establishment has promised, which is the creation of a just,

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progressive, powerful, dignified and strong Islamic society, and we will certainly achieve it, God willing and with the permission of the Almighty God.

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God willing, the Almighty God would protect you, [and] the Almighty God would keep you safe.

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Peace be unto you and so may the mercy of Allah and His blessings