What is the goal of the Islamic Republic? Imam Khamenei elaborates
Pursuing an Iranian-Islamic paradigm of progress
The chief purpose of the Islamic Republic is to follow an Iranian-Islamic paradigm of progress. We do not desire the type of progressive manner used by the West. Western-style progress has no appeal for today's well-informed human. The progress made by developed countries in the West could not eradicate poverty: it could not eliminate discrimination; it could not administer justice in a society; it could not preserve morality. Primarily, this type of progress was founded on oppression, colonialism, and the looting of other countries. During this meeting, one of the gentlemen raised certain points in regards to the attack of the Portuguese on Iran; well, it was not only Iran: in Eastern Asia, the Portuguese and the Dutch raided many countries. But how large are the Netherlands, or Portugal and Spain, or England? How significant are their historical and scientific values? They grabbed the entire great Asian and African continents and clenched them in their fists. These continents were centers of wealth.
Fulfilling the ideals of Islam aimed at worldly and otherworldly happiness for all human beings
What is important for us is to think carefully about our behavior in the past and to learn a lesson from our weak and strong points. Today, we are in the same situation as we were in the past. No one should have the illusion that those who confronted the Islamic Republic with all their power in the past have changed their mind today. Today, they are confronting the Islamic Republic as well, but any enemy retreats if he is forced to. If you force him to retreat, he will retreat, but he does not change his mind about his enmity towards us. This is the way of the world today. The enemy and his camp should be known and the enemy's smile should not be taken seriously and it should not deceive us.
We should not forget about our goal either. The goal of the Islamic Republic is to attain the ideals of Islam which are the worldly and otherworldly happiness of all human beings and progress in material and spiritual arenas. This goal should not be forgotten. We should pursue this goal and be sure that victory is certain with faith, steadfastness, and insight about the events around us, about current issues, about the enemy and about the arena of action and fighting. This issue should receive attention.
This is the reason why I repeatedly say that the prospects which lie ahead for the Islamic Republic are bright prospects. This is because our people, our youth, our men and women are - thankfully - pious and perceptive. They know the enemy and they are diligent and innovative. Which issue did our youth fail to resolve? We managed to move forward whenever there were necessary infrastructures. This is in the shade of those talents and capabilities which Allah the Exalted bestowed on our religious people.
Establishing a system based on Islamic principles
Forming an Islamic community under a just rule is a primary goal that will provide the grounds for the ultimate goal set by the prophets, namely the moral perfection of humans… The only way to spread the moral message of this loud shout and this novel and redeeming message [of the Islamic Republic] is the correct propagation of this message which could be carried out by establishing a system that is based on the Islamic principles and presenting it to other nations. This is because the words and the message of Imam Khomeini (r.a) are attractive and influential in nature.
The rule of God forms the basis of Islamic thoughts and God has given humans the right to entrust this rule to other people. And in the Islamic Republic system, this duty is entrusted to people through elections, and this is the pure, deeply-rooted, and well-trusted basis of religion-based democracy.
According to the Islamic view, all ruling is particular to God and it could only be entrusted to others through the divine channels which have been specified in Islam. And these channels are based on the Holy Quran and Islamic traditions and have been emphasized in the constitution. According to this perspective, representing the nation turns into a rule that is based on the rule of God and it is due to this reason that the rules must be obeyed by everyone.
Safeguarding national interests, independence, freedom, social justice, national power, and security
The goal of establishing the Islamic Republic is to safeguard national interests, independence, freedom, social justice as well as national power and security. [IRI] Ideology seeks to provide and protect national interests and is thus considered a nation's identity.
The U.S. has fundamental issues with the essence of the Islamic establishment. Moreover, many countries in Africa, Asia or Latin America have relations with the U.S., and yet they are facing plenty of problems.
The American officials seek the position and status they once enjoyed in Iran before the 1979 Islamic Revolution and they will not be content with less than that.
The Islamic Republic is the government of resistance; what does that mean?
The Islamic Republic is the government of resistance. It is a government of resistance which has politics, an economy, international action, and an extensive influence zone inside and outside the country. This is very important and it cannot be compared with any other resistance element. That is why all enmities throughout the world – whether on the part of the seekers of power or on the part of their servants – are aimed at the Islamic Republic.
Well, what does the "government of resistance" mean? It means refusal to give in to bullying and to greed. It means adopting a position of power. The government of resistance adopts a position of power. Notice that the government of resistance is not interested in showing transgression, in seeking dominance and in possessing the wealth of other nations and countries. Nor is it interested in adopting a defensive and passive position. It is interested in none of these things.
Some people think that if we wish to dismiss the accusation that we are interested in seeking international and regional dominance and power, we should adopt a defensive approach. This is not the case. We will not adopt a defensive approach. We will not adopt a passive position, rather we will adopt the position that is stated in this ayah: "Against them make ready your strength to the utmost of your power, including steeds of war, to strike terror into the hearts of the enemies, of Allah and your enemies" [The Holy Quran, 8: 60].
We will adopt a position which has been described in this ayah as "To strike terror into the hearts of the enemies, of Allah and your enemies." What does the Arabic phrase "Tarhebuna behi" [literally meaning striking fear, intimidating] mean? It means the same thing which is referred to as "deterrent power" in today's political literature. The Islamic Republic is in a position where it can benefit from "deterrent power". It has the power to deter. Therefore, they want to take away this power.
Whatever the Islamic Republic has and whatever it has achieved so far – it has achieved these things with its own innovations and determination and it is not indebted to any other government and power – it has achieved them in order to deter and in order to have deterrent power. From now on too, it will continue to take the same path. From now on too, we will move forward on the path of increasing this deterrent power as much as we can and with all our power, with all our effort and with all of our human resources – which are not few in number.
We will do this so that the enemy will not think of transgressing and so that he knows that if he behaves in a transgressing manner, he will receive a hard blow and a harsh response. Long ago I said that the time of "hit and run" against the Islamic Republic is over [Supreme Leader's speech delivered on September 22, 2007, in a meeting with government officials]. It is not the case that others can hit and run. If they hit us, they will be in trouble. They might be the ones to start, they will not be the ones to finish. They will not have this power. This is the power that the enemy is afraid of. This is the power that the enemy will not like the Islamic Republic to have.
Well, what is the target of the enemy's attack? I will tell you that you are my dear brothers, my children, and my youth. The report that our honorable commander delivered here shows that you receive training in insight, in spirituality, in political outlook and the like as well as receiving military training. What is the enemy pursuing? What is the enemy's goal in the Islamic Republic? What is the target of the enemy's attack?
I will tell you that the enemy has a short-term, medium-term and long-term goal. The enemy's short-term goal is to undermine the security of the country, to create uproar and fitna in the country and to destroy this great honor that the Islamic Republic has thankfully achieved. In a tumultuous and chaotic region – or it is better to say in a tumultuous and chaotic world – we have managed to create a safe environment for our country. This has been achieved by the people. This has been achieved by our diligent officials. This has been achieved by our awareness, our vigilance, and our up-to-date quality. They want to take this away from the great people of Iran. One of the most important goals or the most important short-term goal of the enemy is to eliminate the security of the country. Later on, I will say a few more things in this regard.
Their medium-term goal is the issue of the economy of the country and the issue of the people's livelihood problems. The economy should not move forward, the people's livelihood issues should be up in the air, labor and production should be low in the country, unemployment should become epidemic in the country in the form of a disaster and the people should become disappointed at the Islamic Republic and the Islamic government because of their livelihood problems. This is the enemy's goal. They are after this. They are working to that end and they are planning for it.