In a significant and glorious gathering of different groups of people on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of Imam Khomeini’s demise, the Islamic Revolution Leader Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei regarded raising the two flags of “revival of Islam” and “dignity and pride of Iran and the Iranian” as two dimensions of the late Imam’s historical movement.

Referring to the enemies’ efforts to impede progress and exaltation of the Iranian people, the IR Leader stressed:” All of the people and all of those interested in the strength of the system, Islam and the Iranian nation should vote with all of their power and vigor in the presidential elections.”

In this ceremony which was held in the late Sayyed Mostafa Khomeini courtyard in Imam Khomeini’s holy shrine, Ayatollah Khamenei offered his condolences on the anniversary of the calamity of losing the great father of the Iranian people, considering the feeling of identity and originality by Muslims of the world as one of the valuable results of raising the flag of the revival of Islam by the late Imam Khomeini.

“As a result of Imam Khomeini’s great Islamic movement, the Palestinian people was revived after decades of disappointment; Arab countries felt hopeful after consecutive failures and the Zionist regime as a cancerous tumor which had depicted an invincible figure of itself, was slapped by the hand of Muslim youths,” he added.

Pointing to the consecutive Intifadas of the Palestinian people and their consecutive strikes against the Zionist regime, the retreat of the occupying regime from Lebanon and its defeat in the two wars of 33 days in Lebanon and 22 days in Gaza, IRI Leader said:” All of these were because of the blessing of the revival of the flag of Islam by Imam Khomeini’s hands, so that the Zionist regime was forced to temporarily abandon the slogan of ‘from Nile to Euphrates.'”

Explaining the results of raising the flag of the revival of Islam, Ayatollah Khamenei added:” The endeavor of Muslim nations to establish Islamic government and system, creating the spirit of hope among the intellectuals of the Islamic world and softening the tone of the Western world against Muslims, all of these are of the blessings and results of general awakening and resistance in the Islamic world.”

“Muslims all over the Islamic world should appreciate this successful and valuable experience and organize their way according to it, because the only way to the dignity and pride of Muslim nations is their resistance,” he stressed.

Citing examples of U.S. oppressions, he said: “America spoke about democracy and the credibility of the votes of nations, but ignored the votes of the Palestinian people in electing their favorite government and by fully supporting the Zionist regime called the oppressed Palestinian people anarchist and evil.”

Reminding the US behavior regarding Iran’s nuclear issue, IRI Leader added: “Americans in front of the natural and legitimate right of the Iranian people who seek achieving the nuclear industry and using the nuclear energy in different peaceful issues, accused the Iranian people of trying to build the atomic bomb by telling lies and concealing the reality.”

“The Iranian people and their officials have declared times and again that the nuclear weapon is religiously forbidden (Haram) in Islam and they do not have such a weapon. But the western countries and America in particular through false propaganda claim that Iran seeks to build nuclear bombs which is totally false and a breach of the legitimate rights of the Iranian nation,” Ayatollah Khamenei added.

On the American new approach, the IR Leader said it is not possible to bring about changes through speeches and mottos but they should take practical steps and compensate all their mistakes and wrongdoings in connection with the Iranian nation as well as the entire region.

“Former American administration by resorting to violence, military intervention, discrimination and bullying behavior depicted a disgusting image of itself and the Muslim nations deeply hate the United States,” Ayatollah Khamenei said.

Referring to unwise policies of the former American president who occupied Afghanistan and Iraq under the pretext of campaign against terrorism, the IR Leader said the sincerity of the US administration should be proved in action, otherwise, ushering soft words and delivering speeches for Islamic nations will not bring about any change.

He considered the revival of the spirit of dignity and pride of Iran and the Iranian as another dimension of Imam Khomeini’s great movement and said:” The late Imam wiped off the feeling of inferiority from the spirit of the nation. The feeling of inferiority that dependent governments, dictators and Westernized intellectuals instilled into the country, and by continuously blowing the spirit of self-esteem to the nation, the late Imam proved that ‘we can and we are powerful.'”

Ayatollah Khamenei called facilities as necessary for the progress of any country, adding:” The main pillar of progress and power is spiritual components and especially the feeling of self-esteem and national dignity that can grant popularly-elected systems strength and power against the bullying powers and make any nation enjoy effectiveness in international equations and policies.”

IRI Leader regarded national dignity as a very essential necessity and said:” Relying on people in the dimension of the country’s management, self-sufficiency and the power of exchange in the economic arena, the production of science and having a large portion in the scientific structure of the world and being proud of national culture and traditions, are issues that make national dignity meaningful.”

He considered respecting the individual human beings as the practical meaning of national dignity in the arena of society management, adding:” National dignity in foreign policy means enjoying the independence of opinion, so that no power can impose any issue on the country and people.”

Referring to the commitment of people and the system to national self-esteem and national dignity as Imam’s valuable instruction, Ayatollah Khamenei said:” The country’s 30-year-old movement in this direction has had ups and downs but never stopped and Iranian wise people by preserving national dignity in all arenas, continue the way to exaltation and progress and reach a point with full power that enemies even dare not threaten it.”

Criticizing those who claim that the Iranian nation has been humiliated, the IR Leader said the dignity of this great nation in various international arenas is very outstanding and clear adding,”
The bullying powers have formed an alliance against the Iranian nation, trying to insinuate, through full-scale propaganda campaign, that the nation has admitted humiliation but to no avail.”

IRI Leader regarded parting company with people, distancing from Islamic values and forgetting Imam’s auspicious guidelines as a great danger for the country, adding:” By preserving the powerful skeleton of the system which is the souvenir of our dear Imam and by relying on the will of people especially the youth, we should continue our way until the final victory.”

Pointing to the upcoming presidential elections, Ayatollah Khamenei slammed efforts made by aliens’ media efforts to manipulate the elections and said sometimes the enemies claim that elections in Iran is just appointing somebody and sometimes claim that it is a controlled game inside the administration which will be with fraud. They try to hit the religious democracy in the country and prevent massive turnout in the elections through these efforts.

The IR Leader praised the Iranian nation as a dear, clever, aware and experienced nation and said that the enemy seeks to inculcate despair in the nation to deprive the system from the firm support including the people’s votes. Unfortunately some people in the country repeat the enemy’s words and help its plots.

Ayatollah Khamenei highlighted choosing different officials of the system as a glory for the nation and underlined that the aliens bid to deprive the nation from this glory but everybody who is interested in Islam, the system and the Iranian nation, according to the religion and ration he should participate in the upcoming elections.

The IR Leader noted that presence of different candidates with different tastes in the elections is honor for the system and warned the supporters of candidates to avoid clashes so that the enemy would misuse their belief and ideals. He added that those who insist on clash and unrest, they are traitor and very negligent.

Addressing the four presidential hopefuls, Ayatollah Khamenei said,” It is not decent for a presidential hopeful to resort to slandering another candidate in a speech or a debate to prove himself.”

“I am not opposed to criticism and debate but all should try to do it in legal and religious framework. The people are full aware and understand well,” the IR Leader added.

Ayatollah Khamenei noted that difference of opinion is natural but the presidential hopefuls should perform in a brotherly way to do their tasks well.

“I have one single vote and no one knows my vote. I will never say to people to vote for certain candidates because the issue is among the nation’s affairs and belongs to it,” the IR Leader said.

Ayatollah Khamenei also called upon the masses to go to the polls in large numbers to thwart efforts aimed at portraying the elections as undemocratic, adding that all should work toward the protection of the Islamic Revolution.