In the Name of Allah, The Compassionate, The Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, The Lord of the world. Peace be on the Seal of prophets, our Master and Prophet, Abi Al Qassem Mohammad and on his chaste and pure Household, chosen companions and all prophets and messengers. Peace be upon you all and Allah’s mercy and blessing.

First in the anniversary of the decease, I address the successor of the Imam and the preserver of his course His Eminence Ayatollah leader Imam Sayyed Ali Khaminai (May Allah prolong his lifespan), our noble authorities, the brothers and sisters in the Islamic Republic in Iran – the president, the government and the people – all the lovers, supporters and adorers of this great Imam in Lebanon and all around the world with the loftiest verses of condolence and consolation. This anniversary will never die since Imam Khomeini is – as His Eminence leader Imam said- an eternal truth because it is linked to the spring of righteousness and the metal of mercy.

Brothers and sisters! The Imam had made great and magnificent achievements. Among the most important achievements of the Imam which I would like to tackle in this limited time interval is his revivification of the set of divine, prophetic, human and moral values in the life of man, the peoples, the nations and especially in the minds and hearts of this nation. The influence of this revivification of the set of great values has transcended our Arab and Islamic nation to many other places in this world. Many drew their inspirations from the revolution, movement and values of this Imam to confront their challenges, tyrants and hard and difficult conditions.

He came at a time when Allah Al Mighty chose to revive His mercy and enlighten His right path anew. It was an era in which different concepts and values started to prevail among our peoples and nations. These concepts and values have nothing to do with our values, culture, civilization and history such as the notion and culture of failing to advocate righteousness for various and feeble pretexts and reasons – some of which covered with religion; others with realism and others with wisdom. Other examples are the concepts and culture of abandoning responsibilities towards great causes and even dispensing with responsibilities. We withdraw from great causes on the level of humanity to be devoted to a great cause on the level of the nation. Then we withdraw from the national cause to a cause on the level of the homeland. Then we desert the homeland cause for the favor of a cause on the level of the group whether it was a sect, a faction, a party, a bloc or a leadership. Then we withdraw from the group to be drowned in ourselves and our personal lives. It’s the culture of abandoning responsibility towards major causes, the culture of surrendering to the logic of the autocratic power of materialism. It’s the culture of despair from accomplishing any victory or achievement. With the prevalence of the culture of materialism, all moral and religious values – such as trusting in Allah having confidence in him, Allah’s advocate of the fighters and the deemed weak who are revolting to defend their legitimate rights – would be dropped from the formula. It’s the culture of surrendering to the subjection to one of the two camps at that time: the East and the West. It’s like we can’t do anything and we can’t but be with either the camp of the west or the camp of the east; and to be here or there we must be subordinates. We move in the framework of the project of others to achieve but bits of the interests of our nation and homeland. It’s the culture of being incapable of achieving independence. It’s the culture of self mistrust, not trusting in people and not trusting the nation in all fields. That’s why we always had to imitate others and be subsequent to others, to meditate the experiences of others and to appeal for others to save ourselves. It’s the culture in which the right norms to specify the enemy and the foe and the right battle are lost. It’s what we call now specifying priorities. The feeling of belonging was lost. There was a feeling of contradiction between patriotism and nationalism, the national belonging and the religious belonging.

The Imam came to revive and affirm another set of values which totally contradicts all what was prevalent. He revived in us and in the nation the culture of jihad and rising in the face of tyrants and oppressors. He revived in us the culture of honorable revered life in which man rejects humiliation, disgrace and being content with but little livelihood rights and luxury. He revived in us the values of being generous and sacrificing ourselves, our dear ones and our riches until martyrdom for the sake of the causes of our nation and our sacred causes. He revived in us the culture of supporting the downtrodden and the oppressed and never to abandon them. He revived in humanity all the moral and religious values which are related to Allah Al Mighty, The Omnipotent, The Supporter, The Helper, The Leader and The Guide such as drawing trust and confidence from Him. He revived in us the culture of self-confidence after having confidence in Allah Al Mighty and the culture of trusting peoples and their minds, knowledge, civilization, various capacities, human and materialistic capabilities and their abilities to make changes, make their own fate, gain independence, defy oppression and liberate sanctities.

The speech of the Imam was a faithful human speech in which he did not address Muslims only but also all the oppressed, downtrodden and deemed weak in this world. He used to address them with such terms: O deemed weak; O downtrodden; O oppressed. When he used to talk about the traits of the oppressed and the downtrodden, he used not to be talking about the Islamic or Arab peoples or about Palestine. He would be talking about the peoples of Africa, the peoples of Latin America, the Red Indians in the USA and about many Asian peoples who were suffering from tyranny, oppression and dictatorships and whose wealth was being looted while they were abandoned to die from hunger, deprivation, negligence and death.

In the conscience of the Imam there was not only the Islamic nation. In his conscience and in his speech were every human being: tens and hundreds of millions of those who starve to death in this world and tens and hundreds of millions of the illiterate who has no chance in this world to get education. He used to specify the reasons and hold the tyrants and the oppressors – on top of whom is what he used to righteously call greater Satan, the US administration – responsible of all of this tyranny, oppression, negligence and subjugation from which our people and the oppressed deemed weak peoples are suffering. His speech was faithful and humanistic. When delivering a speech, he used to seek evidence not only from the Qoran and the Prophetic Tradition but also from the human mind: How does the mind judge? What the mind deems good and what the mind deems bad? He used to seek evidence from the collective human nature which does not change from one man to another. It’s the nature which Allah creatd man with: Allah’s creation never alters. He used to address people with human nature and mind as much as with the Qoran and the Tradition. He also used to make his researches and establish them on the common factors among religions and religion followers. Thus we find in the Imam’s words and literary tradition many quotations from the preceding prophets and especially the Father of prophets and the Sheikh of prophets Abrams Al Khalil, Moses Kalim Allah (The prophet whom Allah talked to) and Jesus (the Spirit of Allah) besides the Prophet of Allah – the Master of prophets and messengers – Mohammad peace be upon them all. In particular he used to quote the prophet of Allah Abrams. We rarely find an Islamic scholar or a scholar from the followers of other religions who honors the prophet of Allah Abrams with his concern and interest and quotes him as Imam Khomeini (May Allah bless his soul). This has to do with the collective monotheistic background in the mind and intellect of Imam Khomeini (May Allah bless his soul). That’s because Abrams (Peace be upon him) is the common prophet among all the religions which still exist. Today there is no religion on Earth does not end after all to Abrams (Peace be upon him). Abrams is a common point between Jews, Christians and Muslims. We all claim being the followers of Abrams – the Sheikh of prophets and the Father of all prophets peace be upon them.

Imam Khomeini used to cite when tackling all the values he wanted to revive the prophets and prophet Abrams peace be upon him. He repeatedly talked about Abrams’ stand all alone in face of Nimrod and all the stone idols which people used to warship impudently. Imam Khomeini frequently talked about Moses’ (peace be upon him) stand in the Pharaoh’s castle. He was with his Lord, his brother Aaron and his stick. He continually depicted the Christ(peace be upon him) who was all alone or among few supporters when he burst into the temple to confront the burglars, thieves and deceivers who had great authority. So whenever he talked about politics, jihad, struggle and supporting the oppressed, he used to quote the prophets as examples. Whenever he used to talk about Gnosticism, values, morals and man’s journey towards Allah, the refinement of man’s soul and the good relations with people and the slaves of Allah he used to cite the prophets.

The Imam (May Allah make Heaven his abode) did not revive these values, this culture and these concepts only via writing, speech delivering, compositions and the like. Rather the special characteristic of this Imam through which he was able to be distinguished among reformists, authors and revivalists is that he regenerated this culture and all these values through action. He did not spend all his life writing, making researches, teaching and refining students. Rather he stepped down to the field with his blessed hoariness, his turban, his jurisprudence, his great soul, magnificent heritage, limitless expectations and absolute trust in Allah Al Mighty.

He advanced in the field and behind him moved his students and the rest of the people. He started challenging tyrants. He was armless even from the stick. He endured difficulties, offered sacrifices and made great achievements. Thus was his reverberating victory on the most oppressive tyrants of the age. Thanks to his presence in the field and his jihad, he could establish the modern Islamic regime. This regime could through its firm pillars, intact structure and cord linked to Allah stand in face of all international, foreign and local conspiracies.

Brothers and sisters! The whole concern of the Imam was to promulgate these values and this faithful humanistic culture among peoples. This is what he precisely meant when he talked about exporting the revolution.

Many people with ill intentions tried to exploit this term which was proposed by the Imam (May Allah bless his soul) to fabricate discourse about the aims of the Iranian empire and that the Imam will dispatch his soldiers, the guardians of the revolution, his army, his armed forces and millions of volunteers to topple regimes and impose definite values, ideas and views on people. In this perspective, many fears were evoked based on fabrications and illusions. However no soon did the Imam (May Allah bless his soul) take the initiative to clarify this position and this view. There is a great text for the Imam which he articulated in a major meeting for the scholars of the religious school, missionaries and the preachers of the Imam. He told them that when we talk about exporting our revolution we do not mean that we want to do that with the power of the sword but rather through missionaries. Then he told them compose, explain and talk with people. Form a committee to control what is be written and published because not all what is written and published are among our values and culture. We want to present our ideas and views to the peoples of the world; then whoever wants to be inspired by these ideas and benefit from this experience, that would have to do with his will, decision and determination. So the notion of exporting the revolution evoked by Imam Khomeini in the first years had nothing to do with dispatching armies, invading and conquering but rather exporting these values, culture and ideas.

Indeed today when we talk for example about Lebanon, we may say that the resistance which started in Lebanon – though it is a comprehensive broad national resistance, however as far as the Islamic resistance and the general atmosphere and milieu are concerned – rely on these values of jihad, sacrifice, offering generously, martyrdom, self-esteem, honor, awakening, steadfastness, tolerance, hope, confidence and trust in Allah. This is what is meant by exporting these values to Lebanon and to every place in this world. It did not matter if these were Iranian-made values or if they were set by Imam Khomeini. The Imam did not see that he existed in fact. These were the values and the culture of the great prophets of Allah. These are the values and the culture of Noah, Abrams, Moses, Jesus and Mohammad (Peace be upon them all). It was important that they be spread in our Arab and Islamic countries and among all the peoples around the world, especially the oppressed, downtrodden and deemed weak peoples. Among the most important values which were revived by the Imam is the culture of resistance and among the major causes to which he gave a valuable historic thrust between 1978 and 1979 after it appeared that it was moving in the way of falling, being besieged and neglected is the cause of Palestine and Al Qods.

Bothers and sisters! Decades following the revolution of the Imam and two decades following his demise, these values, concepts and culture still have influential existence. Allow me to say that they are today even more forceful and influential in their presence than any time in the past. Even more, all the developments which our region and nation witnessed especially the struggle against the Israeli enemy prove the truthfulness and authenticity of this culture and its options.

Today and starting by these concepts, values, culture and spirituality we are before a lofty humanistic, faithful and jihadi scene. It’s the Freedom Flotilla with its collective scenes of bravery, steadfastness, sincerity, sacrifices and high sense of responsibility which was expressed by all the partakers in the Freedom Flotilla who were on their way to break the inhumane siege of Gaza. I find it our duty – based on the logic of the mind, human nature, religion, values, jihad and resistance to pay tribute to all of these participants and all those who stand behind them and to bow with esteem and respect before their courage, sincerity, humanity and readiness to face death for the sake of saving an entire people which is besieged, starved and butchered. The diversity of activists in the Freedom Flotilla manifests these deep-rooted values shared by the resisting sheikh, the resisting archbishop, resisting men, resisting women, Muslims, Christians, religious people, seculars, Arabs, Turks and foreigners from more than 35 countries. They stood side by side, shoulder to shoulder facing the sea, the winds, challenges, fear and later the Israeli aggression, crimes, killing, piracy, detention and torture. They tolerated all of that with patience, steadfastness and deep faith in the righteousness of what they are doing. This reveals part of the most important factors of power on which Imam Khomeini always preached.

Brothers and sisters! Ladies and gentlemen! The Freedom Flotilla cause has major and great indications that require taking measures and following up on more than one level. But for the limit of time, we would like to call on you and on all the Lebanese, Palestinians, Arab and Islamic communities in Lebanon and all our dear people through the TV screen to take part tomorrow in the ceremony of consolidation, pride, and support to the besieged Palestinian people in Gaza and to the heroes of the Freedom Flotilla who returned alive and especially to the martyrs who seem to be mostly Turkish. To show solidarity with these martyrs and with all those who partook in the Freedom Flotilla and to express the stance which must be taken and which we must continue working in its framework, we call on you to partake in the rally which will be held tomorrow night at 08:30 at the Raya Field. Thus talking on the stance, reading and track I prepared on this cause will remain till tomorrow Inshallah.

We renew our oath to our Imam, leader and inspirer Ruhullah Al Mussawi Al Khomeini to preserve his course and carry on his path and achieve his goals and to be loyal to his successor and to pray where he yearned to pray in Al Aqsa in Al Qods. Peace be upon you and Allah’s mercy and blessings.