The Iranian people will not let other people decide what happens to them: Leader

He stressed how important the Ghadir event was as the foundation for Islamic government and the protection of the Islamic way of life.

As Ayatollah Khamenei talked about some of Imam Ali’s (PBUH) good qualities, he said, “Our master taught us that the Islamic system is based on people and that we should believe that each person has an effect on the fate of the country.”

During the meeting, the leader of the Islamic Revolution talked about the upcoming presidential elections. He pointed out that they will happen 40 days after President Raisi’s funeral, which was a sad event that drew millions of people to pay their respects. Besides that, he said that he hoped God would bless the Iranian people in these polls.

Ayatollah Khamenei said that the most qualified candidate and full participation by the people are the keys to national pride in the polls. According to him, the main reason for insisting on and focusing on getting as many people as possible to vote in the elections is that a high turnout brings respect to the Islamic Republic.

Even though there have been wars against the Islamic Republic since it was founded, the leader of the Islamic Revolution saw the polls and the large number of people who voted as ways to end the fighting. “Participation of the people is an important part of the Islamic Republic.” He also said, “The elections are the most important sign of this.”

Ayatollah Khamenei spoke out against leaders who think that progress can only be made by working with other countries and against the false idea that the US is the only way to progress. “People who are putting their hopes in people outside the country don’t see these skills within our borders.” It makes sense that they won’t make plans to use these skills if they don’t see or understand their value, he said.

The leader of the Islamic Revolution stressed that the Islamic Republic has made progress with God’s help and without depending on outsiders, even though it has faced opposition and problems. “The Iranian people will not let other people decide their fate in the future either,” he said.

The leader thought that not depending on other countries was a brave and independent act for the whole country. He said that these two things will help the Iranian country show off its skills, character, and strength, which will earn it more respect around the world.

In another part of his speech on the day of Eid al-Ghadir, Ayatollah Khamenei said that the disbelievers were hopeless because Islam would continue to be in charge of politics because God told the Holy Prophet (PBUH) to announce Imam Ali’s succession and imamate. “The spiritual life of Islam lives on in the continuation of Islamic rule and government, which is shown in the Imamate,” he said.

Through the ideas of Imamate and Wilayah, Ayatollah Khamenei said that the continuation of the Islamic way of life was linked to the continuation of Islamic authority. “The goal of the 250-year-long efforts and battles of the Imams was to establish the sovereignty of Islam and spread the Islamic way of life in society,” he said. “Some Shia scholars later pursued and continued these goals, as do Imam Khomeini and the people of Iran today.”