Decades after his departure, Imam Khomeini “is still alive among us, and should remain alive among us.”
The Leader recalled how Imam Khomeini also transformed the people’s attitude towards the so-called superpowers and their presumed invincibility to the point that the then US rulers acknowledged that the Imam had “humiliated” them.
"At that time, no one assumed that anything could be done contrary to what the US willed. Imam Khomeini proved that superpowers are not invincible. We witnessed what happened to the Soviet Union. And today we are watching the US and see what is transpiring there," Ayatollah Khamenei said, adding Imam Khomeini taught the masses how these big powers can be overcome.
Commenting on the massive public protests that have swept the United States in recent days, the Leader said the “cold-blooded” murder of an African American by a white police officer in Minneapolis exemplified the US’s overall “behavior and essence” that has manifested itself in Washington’s atrocities throughout the Middle East and elsewhere in the world.
The Leader underlined the Imam’s spirit of “seeking and encouraging change,” calling him a “true leader.”
From a young age, Imam Khomeini would advise in favor of “rising up in the path of God,” Ayatollah Khamenei noted, and reminisced how the late leader would invoke “spiritual revolution” among people through his speeches.
Imam Khomeini thus managed to eventually bring about “change across the whole Iranian nation,” and prompted the people to abandon the spirit of lethargy and capitulation in the face of oppression, the Leader stated.
Imam Khomeini also caused the nation to abandon its feelings of self-deprecation and consider itself entitled to self-esteem, and extended the nation’s attitude towards religion beyond a simply personal matter, Ayatollah Khamenei remarked.The revolutionary leader kept up his efforts at inducing change even after the Islamic Revolution, the Leader remarked.
The revolutionary attitude is still alive today, said the Leader, citing the country’s scientific and defensive achievements and noting that Iran has attained the “deterrent status” thanks to its defense power.
The Leader then underlined the importance of continued pursuance of change as a means of betterment, and proceeded to name some instances of desired change across the country’s various affairs.
As one desired prospect in the field of economy, the Leader cited potential severance of dependence on oil revenues.
Across the social sphere, the Leader sternly warned against allowing the population’s median age to rise.
The ceremony commemorating the anniversary of the passing away of Imam Khomeini - the great founder of the Islamic Revolution - which used to be held annually at his resting place with masses of people attending, was broadcasted live due to the Corona pandemic.
The following are some more excerpt of the statements his eminence made at this speech:
"Nations resemble an ocean. Creating a storm in an ocean is not something anyone could do. Imam Khomeini created a storm in the ocean of the Iranian nation, turning the Iranian nation that had abandoned self-determination into a determining, influential nation in the world."
"During the Pahlavi rule, the Iranian nation had a contemptuous outlook towards itself, not only before world powers but also before govt officials. It didn’t occur to people they could rise up against the Pahlavis and global powers. Imam Khomeini inspired this belief in people."
"The Iranian nation regarded a despotic government to be a natural matter. Imam Khomeini turned such a nation into a nation that determined their own type of government. People’s demands progressed from trivial, limited requests to great, global demands."
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