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In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

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و الحمدللَّه ربّ العالمين

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و الصّلاة و السّلام علي سيّدنا ابي‌القاسم المصطفي محمّد

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و علي آله الأطيبين الأطهرين المنتجبين

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سيّما بقيّةالله في الارضين

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I welcome all of you dear brethren and sisters,

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who have taken the trouble of traveling from various cities

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and have come

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and honored our Hosseiniyeh (religious center) with your presence [and] with your sentiments.

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[I welcome] especially those brethren and sisters who have come from long distances

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and hope that the divine mercy and divine grace

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would be bestowed upon each and every one of you, brethren and sisters.

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These days coincide with the auspicious days of the [lunar] month of Zilqada

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and the memorable days of [the Iranian] month of Shahrivar.

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The blessings of the month of Zilqada are also numerous blessings;

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[while] the memories of the month of Shahrivar are also meaningful and rich.

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The auspicious month of Zilqada is, firstly, among the banned months [in which Muslims cannot go to war];

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the eleventh day of this month is the auspicious birth anniversary of Hazrat Samen ol-Hojaj [the Eighth Shia Imam] (PBUH),

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and the beginning of the Ten-Day Dignity period.

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The 23rd day of this month is the day when a special pilgrimage is paid to Samen ol-Hojaj (PBUH);

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the 25th day of this month is the day of Dah'wul Arz [the day that lands came out of water and life began to spread on Earth], which is an auspicious day;

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the night in the middle of the month of Zilqada is among the blessed nights of the year, when special acts should be done;

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every Sunday in the month of Zilqada is a day for repentance and [asking for] forgiveness

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and [a special] act should be done [on these days] which has been mentioned by the late great mystic, Haj Mirza Javad Maleki, in [his book] al-Muraqibat,

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quoting the Revered Prophet of Islam as telling his disciples that

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“which one of you are willing to repent?” All of them said ‘we want to repent’,

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- it was apparently in the month of Zilqada.

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According to this quote and this tradition, the Prophet (PBUH) said,

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“On [every] Sunday in this month do this prayer

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- he [Maleki] mentions a prayer with certain specifications in Muraqibat.

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In short, the days in the month of Zilqada, which is the first of the banned months [are special and]

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there are auspicious and blessed days and nights in these three consecutive months, [which] are full of blessings; [therefore,] they must be taken advantage of.

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The month of Shahrivar is also among memorable months.

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On the 17th [day] of Shahrivar in the [Iranian calendar] year 1357 (September 1978), at this very Shohada Square of Tehran,

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the agents of the despotic regime [of former Iranian Shah], sprayed defenseless people with bullets

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and killed a large number- which is still not clear to us, but it was a large number

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- of people at that square. On the 17th [day] of Shahrivar

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that is, a few months before the victory of the [Islamic] Revolution,

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In this month of Shahrivar, the unmanly assassination of [Iran's former] president and prime minister

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- the late Martyr Rajaei and the late Martyr Bahonar - took place.

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In this month of Shahrivar, assassination of Martyr Ayatollah Qoddousi - the former attorney general of the country - took place.

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In this month of Shahrivar, the martyrdom of the Friday Prayers leader of [the Iranian city of] Tabriz at the hands of Monafeqeen [Mojahedeen Khalq Organization] took place.

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In this month of Shahrivar - on its last day - the military assault of the country by the Baathist regime of [former Iraqi dictator] Saddam Hussein took place.

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These are very strange, meaningful, and rich memories.

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In all these incidents, the American regime was behind the issue;

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there were American agents who either directly helped

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or encouraged, or at least, turned a blind eye to these crimes.

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Our youths must not forget these memories;

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one of those things about which I am concerned,

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is that this young [and] thriving generation of ours, which thank God, is also informed and insightful,

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[and] has motivation as well, [that] is ready to work, is [present] in the middle of the arena, [and] is revolutionary

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may gradually forget about these important incidents [and] this great lessons of the contemporary times.

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[If this happens] it would be [due to] inadequate actions by us and responsible organs;

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these incidents must not get old, [and] historical memory of a nation must not get weak.

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If our youth across the county do not know about these incidents, do not analyze [them]

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[and] do not find root causes [of these incidents], [then] they would make mistakes about understanding their country and understanding [their] future.

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Our youths must know these incidents correctly and know

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what took place, what happened, [and] who was [responsible]; our youths must understand these [issues].

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Another massacre like the massacre on the 17th [day] of Shahrivar took place on the 8th [day] of [the Iranian month of] Bahman (February)

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at this very Enqelab [Revolution] Square here, which has been mostly ignored.

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[On that day,] the agents of the [Shah’s] regime attacked people.

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They have quoted from the memories of this American general, who had come to Tehran in the last days of the life of the past regime to save the regime;

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he says ‘I brought the generals of the Shah together

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and told them to lower the barrels of their guns’;

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that is, the armed agents of the Shah’s regime, who were faced with people,

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most of the time, they fired bullets into the air to scare people,

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[and] this man advises the generals of the Shah and tells them to lower the barrels of guns and [directly] hit the people.

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They obeyed that order here at this Enqelab Square; [they] lowered the barrels of [their] guns,

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targeted people, [and] martyred a lot of people;

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but it was ineffective, [because] the people did not retreat, [and] the people continued [with their revolution].

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Then one of the commanders of the Shah’s army - General Qarebaqi - goes to [General] Huyser

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and says ‘your command was of no use and could not make people retreat’.

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Huyser writes in his memories that how their analyses were childish!

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[He says,] ‘What did he [the Iranian general] mean?’ That is, [Huyser] says Qarebaqi expected that

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the case [of the Iranian revolution] would be closed through spraying people with bullets once; no, [Huyser believed] that it must have continued,

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[and] wherever they confronted people, they must have massacred them!

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This is [the true nature of] America. For 25 years, America was the absolute ruler in this country;

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they commanded the generals of the Shah in this manner;

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in the economic fields, in the political fields, in the security fields,

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[and] in the foreign policy fields, Americans had the final say in Iran;

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[this was] the absolute rule of America [over Iran] during the time of the despotic regime [of the former Iranian Shah]. Such a regime governed our country

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whose officer was subordinate to an American, whose minister of finance was also his subordinate,

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his minister of defense was also a subordinate to him, its prime minister was also a subordinate to him,

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[and even] the Shah himself was a subordinate to America; [and in an] unquestioning [manner].

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Such a regime governed this country.

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America ruled in our country like [the rule of a] pharaoh; [totally] like pharaoh [who as put by the Quran]:

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“Oppressed a sector of them [the people], slaughtering their [newborn] sons and keeping their females alive;”

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they [Americans] treated our people in this way.

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[Then] the Moses of [our] time came

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[and] toppled and demolished the throne and rule of this pharaoh and its followers; this is [what the Islamic] revolution [did].

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One year and two months after this incident of Shahrivar

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- that is in [the Iranian month of] Aban 1358 (November 1979) - the youths [following] our great Imam [Khomeini], the youths following the line of Imam,

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went and conquered this spy den [embassy] of America;

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they captured Americans with their hands tied and their eyes blindfolded;

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this time, Moses defeated the pharaoh in this way.

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Now, some people say why Americans are averse to Iran? Well, this is the reason;

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Iran was totally in control of America, [and was] in the hands of America;

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all main components of the existence of the country moved according to the will of Americans;

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[but] Imam came and by means of this people, drove America out of this country;

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[so Americans] have every right to be [our] enemy, [and] they have every right to show hostility [toward Iran],

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and they are doing it; even now, they are showing hostility.

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The reverend Imam said, “America is the Great Satan.”

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This “Great Satan” is a very meaningful saying.

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The chief of all demons in the world is “Lucifer,”

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but as stipulated by the Quran,

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the only thing that the Lucifer can do is to tempt humans;

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he cannot do anything more than temptation;

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[he] tempts human beings, deceives them, and seduces them;

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but America both tempts, and massacres,

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and imposes sanctions, and deceives, and also pretends;

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it raises the flag of human rights, [and] pretends to be an advocate of human rights,

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[but] every few days on the streets of the American cities, an innocent [person]

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and an armless [person] is killed by the American police;

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[and this is] apart from the rest of their crimes and outrages.

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[And] this was how they behaved in Iran in the time of the despotic regime [of the Shah], and

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[you also see] their warmongering, the wars they wage, [and how they are] creating warmongering

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groups like these ones that are currently wreaking havoc in Iraq and Syria and other places;

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these are things that Americans do.

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Now, some people insist on disguising this Great Satan with these specifications

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- who is worse that the Lucifer - and depict it as an angel.

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Why? [Suppose we could] put aside religion, [and] put aside revolutionary ideas;

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what happens to loyalty to the country’s interests? What happens to [human] intellect?

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What kind of intellect and what conscience would allow

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a person to choose a power like the power of America as friend, as trustworthy,

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[and] as savior angel? They are like this; this is the truth of this affair.

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Yes, they adorn themselves; with a righteous countenance, wearing ties, wearing perfumes,

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[and] with outwardly remarkable appearances, they show themselves in a different way in the eyes of simpletons;

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this is the truth of the American regime.

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This is about us; [and] the same is true about other countries.

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The great nation of Iran expelled this Great Satan from the country;

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[we] must not allow it to return again;

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[we] must not allow [that] after it has left through the door, to return through the window;

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[we] must not allow it to infiltrate [into the country]; their hostility is unending.

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Following the issue of “JCPOA” and this [nuclear] agreement

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whose fate is not clear neither here nor there,

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[even] now, they are plotting against Iran at American Congress;

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I have news which shows that right now, a group inside the American Congress

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is drawing up a bill to cause trouble

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and to find fault and to cause problem for the Islamic Republic of Iran;

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their hostility is like this; it is unending.

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These hostilities will continue; [but] till when they will continue?

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[It will continue] until you become strong, [and] until the Iranian nation becomes so strong

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that the enemy would lose hope about [the success] of political or security or military or economic aggression, or sanctions and so forth.

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We must get strong; we must strengthen ourselves inside [the country].

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I have frequently explained how this strength, which is necessary for the country, should be achieved;

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firstly, through [having] a powerful economy; [by following] this very Resistance Economy,

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whose policies have been notified and must be pursued on the ground and through practical and operational and executive steps

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with full force and without losing any time.

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Well, thank God, our friends within the administration are taking certain steps;

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one [step] is that the country’s economy should be strengthened,

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the country’s youth should not remain jobless, [and] initiatives of [our] youths should not go unattended;

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this is one of the ways [to make the country stronger]. Another way is to develop science;

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the scientific march [of the country] should not lose steam,

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[because we must] progress in [acquiring] science, [since] everything depends on science;

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[and] this is another way to strengthen [the country].

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One of the most important ways for internal strengthening [of the country]

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is to maintain the revolutionary spirit among people; especially among youths.

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The enemies are trying to make our youth carefree,

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to make them indifferent toward the revolution,

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[and] to kill and destroy the epic and revolutionary spirit in him; [we] must stand up to this [scheme].

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The youth must maintain the revolutionary spirit,

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and state officials must respect the revolutionary youth;

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some speakers and writers [should] not attack Hezbollahi and the revolutionary youth

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by calling them extremist and the likes of that.

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The revolutionary youth must be revered, [and] must be encouraged to keep up his revolutionary spirit;

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[because] it is this spirit that protects the country, [and] defends the country;

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[and] it is this spirit that helps the country in time of danger.

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These are three main factors of national power:

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strong and resistant economy, advanced and growing [capacities in all fields of] science,

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and maintaining the revolutionary spirit in all people, especially among the youth;

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these are [the factors] that can protect the country; [when these goals are realized] then the enemy would lose hope.

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America does not hide his hostility.

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Yes, they do the division of labor; one [American official] smiles,

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[while] another one draws up and pursues [the approval of] a bill against the Islamic Republic;

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this is some sort of division of tasks.

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They seek something they call negotiation with Iran,

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[but] negotiation is just an excuse, [because] negotiation is a means for infiltration

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[and] negotiation is a means [for them] to impose their demands [on Iran].

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I, only on this nuclear issue [and] for clear reasons, which I have frequently mentioned these reasons,

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agreed [to allow Iranian officials] to go and negotiate; well they negotiated.

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Thank God, our negotiators appeared good in this arena;

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however, I did not allow negotiation in other areas and [we] will not negotiate with America;

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[we] negotiate with the entire world, [but] do not negotiate with America.

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We are for negotiation, [and] for understanding;

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both negotiations at the level of governments, and negotiations at the level of ethnic groups, and negotiations at the level of religions;

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[therefore,] we are for negotiation and will negotiate with everybody save for America;

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and of course, the [case] of the Zionist regime is reserved

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[because] the very existence of the Zionist regime is an illegitimate existence and a fake government.

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[Let me] say a sentence about the Zionist regime.

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After the termination of these nuclear negotiations, I heard

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that Zionists in the occupied Palestine have said that

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‘at present, because of these negotiations, which took place [on Iran's nuclear program], we have been relieved from Iran concerns for 25 years,

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[and] we will do something [about those concerns] after 25 years’. In response I say,

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firstly, you will not see the next 25 years.

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God willing, in 25 years from now, through the divine assistance

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and with God’s Grace nothing called the Zionist regime would exist in the region.

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Secondly, [even] during this period [of 25 years] the Islamic combative and epic and jihadi spirit

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will not leave the Zionists alone even for a single moment; they [must] know this.

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Nations are awake, [and] they know who the [real] enemy is;

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now, the governments and propaganda fuss and the likes of them want

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to take friend for foe, [but] they will get nowhere.

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Nations – Muslim nations, [and] especially regional nations – are quite vigilant and know [who the real enemy is].

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Well, this is the situation of the Zionist regime and that is [the situation] of America.

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One sentence I must say about the issue of elections.

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The issue of elections is one of our current and present issues.

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Of course, some people, unfortunately, started form one and a half years ago,

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[and even] two years before the elections to bring up issues related to elections;

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I think this is not expedient; the [general] atmosphere in the country should not be turned into an election atmosphere [in an] untimely [manner];

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[however,] since about one and a half years ago – when almost two years had remained before this year’s elections, which are [scheduled to be held] at the end of the year –

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some people started in the press and in [their] remarks to talk about the elections [and] to discuss [it].

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When elections conditions come about in the country,

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many of the main issues of the society are marginalized and forgotten.

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Well, the election atmosphere is an atmosphere of rivalry and conflict;

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why should we for no reason drag this atmosphere of rivalry, [and this] atmosphere of conflict [forward] to one year [or] two years before [elections are held]?

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I believe that premature beginning of these discussions is not expedient.

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However, why [I am saying this] now? [Because] now that three [or] four months have remained to the elections,

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it is [a good] time [for me] to make remarks on the elections.

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Now, today, I will mention certain points

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and in future, if I were still alive, I would say more on the elections.

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The issue of the elections is a very important issue for the country.

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Elections are the complete manifestation of people’s participation [in political affairs] and their choice.

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Through their turnout in the elections – whether presidential election,

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or in the elections for the Islamic Consultative Assembly (parliament), or the elections for the Assembly of Experts

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– people shape true democracy in this country;

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this is very important. We have not allowed this [issue of elections] throughout the 36 [or] 37 years

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that have passed since the outset of the revolution to be shut down or delayed.

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In various countries, when there is a war or an incident takes place, [they] defer the elections,

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[but] in Iran, elections have not been postponed [even] one day from their set schedule; at no juncture of junctures [of post-revolution history].

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Tehran was bombarded, cities in Khuzestan and Ilam and Kermanshah [provinces] and other places were bombarded,

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yet elections were held on time. It was the same in the remotest parts of the country;

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in villages and [even] in those places which were hard to reach.

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Elections were not shut down [under any conditions] in this country.

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Some people wanted to shut down elections

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– in some periods, some politicking and politicized people

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made their efforts to shut down or postpone elections –

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[but] with God’s Grace they were prevented [from achieving their goal] and elections were held on scheduled time.

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This is [due to] the importance of elections.

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Well, it is for this reason that, thank God, our elections are complete manifestation of democracy.

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The Islamic Republic Establishment is a democratic system in the true sense of the word.

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Well, of course, the enemy keeps talking [against us];

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Americans and their propaganda agents keep talking against our elections in different ways.

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Americans were present in Iran for 25 years in the time of the [former] despotic regime,

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[but] the ceremonial and ridiculous parliaments of those days,

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were never criticized by Americans even once.

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If you refer to history and read about issues related to elections in the time of Mohammad Reza [the former Shah]

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– and before that [and] worse than that, [in] the time of Reza Shah –

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[you would see that at first] the British were dominant [power] here and then Americans became dominant,

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[but] they not even once objected to these ceremonial, sham, [and] ridiculous elections;

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[and even] now, they do not  utter a word of protest at the despotic and dictatorial and inherited regimes

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that exist in this region,

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but with regard to Iran, which has held consecutive elections in this way and all the pillars of its [ruling] system

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– from the leader of the system and president of the system, to members of the Majlis (parliament), to members of the Assembly of Experts,

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to members of municipal councils – are all elected by people,

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they continuously protest, object, [and try to] find false faults.

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Our elections during this period, thank God, have been healthy elections.

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The point I want to offer is that our elections

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Are those that according to conventional international norms

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have been among the best and the healthiest elections with high people turnout.

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Unfortunately, one of the bad habits that some people have inside [the country]

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is that they regularly raise doubt about the health of the elections in any period [of time].

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Before elections, they frequently talk about [the possibility] of cheating, of [their] concerns,

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that this may happen [or] that may happen; this is a wrong thing to do.

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During these 37 years, out of the trust

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that they have had in the [Islamic] Establishment in various periods and under different administrations,

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people have taken part in elections with enthusiasm

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Why some people want to undermine this trust with their own hands?

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People have trust in the [Islamic] Establishment. When there are elections, they come [and] enter the election process and cast [their] votes;

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why one must undermine this [trust] due to groundless and false concerns lest [some violation may take place]?

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Well, it is clear; this [violation in elections] would not be allowed; [and] strict care is taken [of the election process].

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One of the greatest blessings that come through the Guardian Council is that they are watchful;

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[and they] watch out for errors and mistakes and do not allow any violation to take place;

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this is true about other organs as well.

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During these years, sometimes in some periods, they reported to me

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that there were problems with the elections; [and] I ordered them to go and investigate,

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[and] it became clear that no, it is not like this.

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Sometimes a violation may take place here and there, which can have no effect on the result of the elections

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– that is not important – [but] elections have been [on the whole] healthy in all periods [of time].

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People’s vote is the “right of people” in the true sense of the word; [it is] the right of people.

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When an Iranian brother or sister comes and take part in the elections and casts their votes in the ballot boxes,

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respecting this right of him/her is a religious obligation, [and is] an Islamic obligation;

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this trust of him/her should not be betrayed; it is really the right of people.

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Whatever is the result of the vote, [we] must be committed to it; this is also the right of people.

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[The fact] that in [the Iranian year] (13)88 (2009) I stood against those who insisted that the [result of the] election should be revoked

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was for this reason that [I] defended the right of people.

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Forty million [people] – which was the highest turnout in elections – took part in voting in [the Iranian year] (13)88.

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Well, it had a result. Every person had won that election, I would have stood [behind him] and defended [his win].

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I defended the right of people, [and] defended the [real] right of people.

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Again anytime that people would vote

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– to anybody that people would choose and accept and vote for –

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I will [continue to] defend the right of people; [and] will stand behind people.

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The vote of people is the right of people.

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We [must] not unwisely undermine this trust that people have in the [Islamic] Establishment with illogical remarks.

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Sometimes [these critics] criticize the Ministry of Interior, [and] sometimes criticize the Guardian Council.

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The Guardian Council is the watchful eye of the [Islamic] Establishment for elections;

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[and] such a thing exists everywhere in the world

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– now, its name is different, here, it is called the Guardian Council –

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[and they] are watchful to see that person who enters the arena of elections, [and who] is nominated for elections,

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whether is qualified or not; and they must make sure about that qualification;

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if they saw some oversight has happened and a person who is no qualified has entered [elections] they will prevent them;

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this is their right, is their legal right,

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[and] is their rational and logical right; [and] some people raise groundless objections [to role of the Guardian Council]

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Part of this people’s right is this very right of vote of the Guardian Council;

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this very right to qualifying and effective supervision by the Guardian Council; this is part of the right of people,

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[and] this [right] must be observed, [and] must be protected.

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Elections are important. This is my current opinion on the elections.

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Of course, I believe in enthusiastic participation of people [in elections]; [and] I believe that the country is protected by this [participation].

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In future, if I am alive, I will talk more about this issue.

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What I tell you dear brethren and sisters emphatically

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is that [you must] know that the Islamic Republic of Iran, with this people, with this logic, [and] with this constitution

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will triumph over all enemies.

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The condition [for doing this] is to put our trust in the Almighty God,

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consolidate bonds of brotherhood and unity among ourselves,

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do not create divide in the country, [and] do not weaken each other.

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If we observe this, the Almighty God will help us.

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Any person who helps Islam, the Almighty God will help him.

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O Almighty! Resurrect the purified soul of the revered Imam [Khomeini] with [the souls] of your Chosen Ones;

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[and] resurrect the purified souls of our beloved martyrs with [the souls] of your Chosen Ones.

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O Almighty! Pour down your blessings and favors increasingly on this faithful and good-doer nation.

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