Indonesia

Republic of Indonesia is a sovereign state in Southeast Asia and Oceania. The nation's capital city is Jakarta.  Indonesia is an archipelago comprising thousands of islands. Fossilized remains of Homo erectus and his tools, popularly known as the "Java Man", suggest the Indonesian archipelago was inhabited by at least 1.5 million years ago.  With an estimated population of over 252 million people, making it the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia's republican form of government comprises an elected legislature and president. The country shares land borders with Malaysia and other neighboring countries include Singapore, the Philippines, Australia, Palau, and the Indian territory of the  Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

The area of Indonesia is populated by peoples of various migrations, creating a diversity of cultures, ethnicities, and languages . In Indonesia official language is Indonesian and the Currency is Indonesian rupiah.

Indonesia like much of Southeast Asia was influenced by Indian culture. When Indian traders arrived on the islands of Sumatra, Java and Sulawesi, bringing their religion. Hinduism of Shaivite traditions started to develop in Java in the fifth century AD. The traders also established Buddhism in Indonesia. Today, it has the largest Muslim population in the world. Although Muslim traders first traveled through South East Asia early in the Islamic era, the spread of Islam among the inhabitants of the Indonesian archipelago dates to the 13th century in northern Sumatra; other Indonesian areas gradually adopted Islam which became the dominant religion in Java and Sumatra by the end of the 16th century. For the most part, Islam overlaid and mixed with existing cultural and religious influences. Only Bali retained a Hindu majority.

 The Indonesian Constitution guarantees freedom of religion. However, the government only recognizes six official religions (Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Confucianism) there are non-official religions in Indonesia. Indonesia does not recognize agnosticism or atheism, and blasphemy is illegal. In the 2010 Indonesian census, 87.18% of Indonesians identified themselves as Muslim .

By the turn of the 20th century, nationalist stirring, brought about by nearly three centuries of oppressive colonial rule, began to challenge the Dutch presence in Indonesia. A four-year guerrilla war led by nationalists against the Dutch on Java after World War II, along with successful diplomatic maneuverings abroad, helped bring about independence. The Republic of Indonesia, officially proclaimed on August 17th, 1945, gained sovereignty four years later.

During the first two decades of independence, the republic was dominated by the charismatic figure of Sukarno, one of the early nationalists who had been imprisoned by the Dutch. General (ret.) Soeharto eased Sukarno from power in 1967. Indonesia's economy was sustained throughout the 1970's, almost exclusively by oil export.

The Asian financial crisis, which broke out in mid-1997, paralyzed the Indonesian economy with the rupiah losing 80% of its value against the US dollar at the peak of the turmoil.

On May 21, 1998, Soeharto resigned after 32 years in power and was replaced by B.J. Habibie following bloody violence and riots. Indonesia held its first democratic election in October 1999, which put Abdurrahman 'Gus Dur' Wahid in the role of president. Then vice president Megawati assumed the presidency in July 2001 after incumbent president Wahid was impeached by a special session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), the country's highest law making body.

 Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, also known by his initials SBY, won over voters in Indonesia's first democratic elections in 2004 and reelected again in 2009. He leads the country with his image as a man of integrity, a strong communicator and firm leader in times of crisis.

Under Suharto, Indonesia had experienced solid economic growth in tandem with an autocratic political system. Then came the Asian economic crisis which brought a temporary end to high economic growth and perhaps a permanent end to dictatorship. Instead it has moved solidly into the ranks of genuine democracies, defined for the purposes of this essay as nations where the people can and do change their government through peaceful, popular elections. Indonesia has also recovered respectable if not stellar economic growth.

So far, Indonesia has achieved all the democratic stability. Most importantly, Indonesia is socially stable, strongly committed to combating terrorism, militarily calm and is increasingly itself giving voice to democratic values in its own foreign policy, and in its natural leadership of ASEAN policy.

The following is the full text of the speech delivered on April 29, 2013 by Ayatollah Khamenei the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution in a meeting at Inauguration of Islamic Awakening and Ulama Conference.

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

All praise belongs to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, and peace and greetings be upon our Master, Muhammad al-Mustafa, and upon his immaculate household, chosen companions and those who follow them well, until the Day of Judgment.

I welcome you honorable guests and I ask Almighty and Merciful God to bless this collective effort and make it an effective step towards happiness of Muslims. "Surely He listens and responds."

Today the subject of Islamic Awakening, which you will discuss in this conference, tops the list of the issues of the Islamic world and the Islamic Ummah, an amazing phenomenon that will result in the re-emergence of Islamic civilization - for the Islamic Ummah and then for all of the world - in the not too distant future providing that, with Allah's permission, it stays healthy and continues.

Today what lies in front of our eyes and cannot be denied by any informed and intelligent individual is that the world of Islam has now emerged out of the sidelines of social and political equations of the world, that it has found a prominent and outstanding position at the center of decisive global events, and that it offers a fresh outlook on life, politics, government and social developments. This is considered an important and significant phenomenon in today's world, which is suffering from a deep intellectual and theoretical vacuum after the failure of communism and liberalism. This is the first sign of the political and revolutionary events in North Africa and the Arab region on a global scale, which itself is a harbinger of greater truths that will come to pass in the future.

Islamic Awakening, which speakers in the arrogant and reactionary camp do not even dare to mention in words, is a truth whose signs can be witnessed in almost all parts of the world of Islam. The most obvious sign of it is the enthusiasm of public opinion, especially among young people, to revive the glory and greatness of Islam, to become aware of the nature of the international order of domination and to remove the mask from the shameless, oppressive and arrogant face of the governments and centers that have been pressuring the Islamic and non-Islamic East in their clutches for more than two hundred years and have been exposing nations to their brutal and aggressive thirst for power disguised with the mask of civilization and culture.

The dimensions of this auspicious awakening are widespread and mysterious, but what was witnessed of its immediate outcomes in a few North African countries can make hearts confident about the great and amazing outcomes that will be achieved in the future. Miraculous fulfillment of divine promises is always a hope-inspiring sign that promises the fulfillment of greater promises. The Quranic account of the two promises that Allah the Exalted gave to the mother of Prophet Moses is an example of this divine tactic. At that difficult moment, when she was ordered to cast her baby in the river in a basket, Allah the Exalted said, "Surely We will bring him back to you and make him one of the messengers." [The Holy Quran, Sura al-Qasas, Ayah 7] The fulfillment of the first promise, which was the smaller promise and a cause for happiness for the mother, became the sign of the fulfillment of the promise of prophetic mission, which was far greater and of course, it required long-term suffering, struggle and patience: "So We restored him to his mother that her eye might be refreshed, and that she might not grieve, and that she might know that the promise of Allah is true..." [The Holy Quran, Sura al-Qasas, Ayah 13] This true promise was the great mission which was fulfilled after many years and it changed the course of history.

Another example is the reminder about the overwhelming power of God to suppress the invaders of the Holy House: in order to encourage His audience through the Holy Prophet to submit to His order, Allah the Exalted makes use of this example "so let them serve the Lord of this House" [The Holy Quran, Sura Quraysh, Ayah 3] and says, "Did He not cause their war to end in confusion?" [The Holy Quran, Sura al-Fil, Ayah 2] Similarly, in order to raise the spirits of His beloved Prophet and convince him of the truth of the promise "your Lord has not forsaken you, nor has He become displeased" [The Holy Quran, Sura ad-Dhuha, Ayah 3], Allah the Exalted gives the reminder about the miraculous blessing: "Did He not find you an orphan and give you shelter? He found you astray and guided you." [The Holy Quran, Sura ad-Dhuha, Ayah 6-7] And there are many such examples in the Holy Quran.

The day when Islam achieved victory in Iran and managed to capture the fort of America and Zionism in one of the most important countries in this extremely sensitive region, those who were wise and quick to learn realized that if they had patience and insight, other victories will come one after another.

The brilliant truths in the Islamic Republic, which are acknowledged by our enemies, have all been achieved in the shade of trust in divine promises, patience, resistance and asking God for assistance. In the face of temptations by weak people who, during tense times, shout "we are sure to be overtaken," [The Holy Quran, Sura ash-Shuara, Ayah 61] our people have always shouted "by no means, my Lord is with me and soon will He guide me." [The Holy Quran, Sura ash-Shuara, Ayah 62]

Today this is a precious experience that is available to the peoples who have stood up against arrogance and tyranny and have managed to overthrow and shake corrupt governments that are subservient to and dependent on America. Resistance, patience, insight and faith in the divine promise "surely Allah will help him who helps His cause" will pave this path of glory for the Islamic Ummah until it reaches the peak of Islamic civilization.

At this important meeting, which has been attended by a group of religious scholars of the Islamic Ummah from different Islamic countries and denominations, I believe it is appropriate to discuss a few necessary points regarding the issue of Islamic Awakening.

The first point is that the earliest waves of awakening in the countries of this region, which started simultaneously with the entry of the pioneers of colonialism, were mainly caused by religion and religious reformers. The names of outstanding leaders and personalities - such as Sayyid Jamal ad-Din, Muhammad Abduh, Mirza-e Shirazi, Akhund-e Khorasani, Mahmoud al-Hassan, Muhammad Ali, Sheikh Fazlollah, Hajj Agha Noorullah, Abul A'la Maududi and tens of famous, great, mujahid and and influential clerics from Iran, Egypt, India and Iraq - have been recorded in history books forever. Similarly, in the contemporary era, the brilliant name of the great Imam Khomeini is shining like a brilliant star at the forefront of the Islamic Revolution. Meanwhile, today and in the past, hundreds of famous religious scholar and thousands of lesser-known religious scholars have played a role in great and small reform movements in different countries. The list of non-cleric religious reformers, such as Hassan al-Banna and Iqbal Lahori, is also long and amazing.

Almost everywhere, clerics and theologians have been the intellectual authority and spiritual support for the people and wherever they have appeared in the role of guides and pioneers at the time of great developments and have moved forward in the first rows of popular movements in the face of dangers, the intellectual bond between them and the people has been strengthened and they have played a significant role in showing the path to the people. This is as beneficial to the wave of Islamic Awakening as it is unpleasant and distressing to the enemies of the Islamic Ummah, those who bear grudges against Islam and those who are opposed to the rule of Islamic values, and they are trying to take away this intellectual authority from religious strongholds and create new centers for it. They have learned through experience

that they can easily reach a compromise with these centers over national principles and values, and this is something that will never happen in the case of pious religious scholars and devoted religious personalities.

This makes the responsibility of religious scholars heavier. Through vigilance and caution and by identifying the enemy's deceptive methods and machinations, they should completely shut the door to infiltration and foil the enemy's plots. One of the greatest calamities is becoming attracted to the lure of worldly wealth. Exposure to the favors of wealthy and powerful people and being indebted to taghuts of lust and power are the most dangerous cause of separation from the people and loss of their trust and friendliness. Self-centeredness and thirst for power, which lure weak individuals towards developing an inclination to poles of power, prepare the ground for involvement in corruption and deviation. It is necessary to constantly keep this holy Quranic ayah in mind: "(As for) that future abode, We assign it to those who have no desire to exalt themselves in the earth nor to make mischief and the good end is for those who guard (against evil)." [The Holy Quran, Sura al-Qasas, Ayah 83]

Today in the era of hope-inspiring movements of Islamic Awakening, sometimes certain things are witnessed which on the one hand, show the efforts by the agents of America and Zionism to create unreliable intellectual authorities and which on the other hand, show the efforts by debauched Qaruns to drag religious and pious people towards their poisoned and contaminated activities. Religious scholars and pious men should be extremely vigilant and careful.

The second point is the necessity of delineating a long-term goal for Islamic Awakening in Muslim countries, a noble aim that gives orientation to the awakening of nations and helps them reach a certain point. It is through identifying this particular point that one can prepare a roadmap and specify the medium- and short-term goals in it. This final goal cannot be anything less than creating a brilliant Islamic civilization. All parts of the Islamic Ummah - in the form of different nations and countries - should achieve the civilizational position that has been specified in the Holy Quran. The main and the general characteristic of this civilization is that it should allow human beings to utilize all the material and spiritual capacities that Allah the Exalted has bestowed on them and on the world in order to bring about happiness and transcendence for humanity. The surface structure of this civilization can and should be witnessed in popular government, in the laws that have been extracted from the Holy Quran, in identifying and addressing different needs of humanity, in avoidance of rigidity and reactionary attitudes as well as unwarranted innovation and adulteration, in creating public welfare and wealth, in establishing justice, in liberation from an economy that is based on special privileges, usury and taking pride in wealth, in promoting human values, in defending oppressed people in the world, and in hard work and innovation. Adopting an ijtihadi and scholarly outlook on different areas - ranging from humanities to the system of formal education, from economy and banking to technical and technological production, from modern media to art and cinema and to international relations and other areas - are all among the requirements for this civilization-building.

Experience has shown that all of these things are possible and within the capacities of Muslim communities. This outlook must not be treated with haste and pessimism. Being pessimistic about one's capabilities is ingratitude to God's blessings, and neglecting help from God and the laws of creation amounts to slipping into the morass of entertaining "evil thoughts about Allah." [The Holy Quran, Sura al-Fath, Ayah 6] We can break the chain of scientific, economic and political monopolies of the domineering powers and help the Islamic Ummah become the pioneer of restoring the rights of the majority of nations in the world, which have been dominated by a minority of arrogant powers.

Through religious faith, knowledge, ethics and constant struggle, Islamic civilization can gift advanced thought and noble codes of behavior to the Islamic Ummah and to the entire humanity, and it can be the point of liberation from materialistic and oppressive outlooks and corrupt codes of behavior that form the pillars of current Western civilization.

The third point is that in the movements of Islamic Awakening it is necessary to pay constant attention to the bitter and horrifying experience of following the West in politics, behavior and lifestyle.

In more than a century of following the culture and politics of the arrogant powers, Muslim countries suffered from deadly calamities such as political dependence and humiliation, economic plights and poverty, decline of moral virtues and ethics and shameful scientific backwardness, and this was while the Islamic Ummah enjoyed a glorious history in all of these areas.

This statement must not be interpreted as hostility towards the West. We are not hostile towards any group of human beings because of geographical differences. We have learnt lessons from Ali (greetings be upon him) who describes human beings in this way: "Those who have the same religion as you, they are brothers to you, and those who have religions other than that of yours, they are human beings like you." Our complaint against oppression and arrogance and against bullying and transgression is the moral and practical degeneration that has been imposed on our nations by the colonial and arrogant powers. Currently, we can witness the bullying and interference of America and some of its followers in the region in the countries in which the breeze of awakening has turned into the storm of uprisings and revolutions. Their promises must not affect the decisions and actions of outstanding political personalities and the great movement of the people. In this case as well, we need to learn lessons from our experiences: those who pinned their hopes on the promises of America for years and based their behavior and policies on the inclination towards the oppressor did not manage to resolve any problems of their nations or eliminate an injustice to themselves or to others. By surrendering to America, they did not manage to prevent the demolition of even one single Palestinian home in a territory that belongs to the Palestinians. The politicians and outstanding personalities who are deceived by the bribe or intimidated by the threats of the camp of the arrogant powers and miss the great opportunity of Islamic Awakening should be apprehensive about this divine threat: "Have you not seen those who have changed Allah's favor for ungratefulness and made their people to alight into the abode of perdition into hell? They shall enter into it and an evil place it is to settle in." [The Holy Quran, Sura Ibrahim, Ayah 28-29]

The fourth point is that today one of the most dangerous things that threatens the movement of Islamic Awakening is the efforts to foment discord and turn these movements into bloody sectarian, ethnic and national conflicts. Currently, this plot is being seriously pursued by intelligence services of the West and Zionism with the help of petrodollars and bribed politicians from East Asia to North Africa and particularly in the Arab region. And the money that could have been spent to bring about happiness for mankind is being used to make threats, excommunicate, assassinate, bomb, shed Muslim blood and to kindle the fire of long-lasting grudges. Those who consider the unified power of Islam as an obstacle in the way of their evil goals have come to the conclusion that fanning the flames of conflicts inside the Islamic Ummah is the easiest way to achieve their satanic goal and they have used differences of opinion in Islamic jurisprudence, kalaam, history and hadith - which are natural and inevitable - as a pretext to excommunicate, shed blood and cause fitna and corruption.

A vigilant look at the scene of domestic conflicts clearly reveals the enemy's hands behind these tragedies. These deceptive hands undoubtedly take advantage of the ignorance, prejudice and superficiality that exists in our societies and they add fuel to the fire. The responsibility of religious and political reformers and outstanding personalities is very heavy in this regard.

Currently, Libya, Egypt and Tunisia, Syria, Pakistan, and Iraq and Lebanon are in one way or another involved in or exposed to these dangerous flames. It is necessary to be extremely careful and to look for a remedy. It would be naïve to think that all of these things are due to ideological and ethnic factors and motives. Propaganda campaigns of the West and dependent and mercenary media in the region pretend that the destructive war in Syria is a Shia-Sunni conflict and they create a safety margin for the Zionists and the enemies of resistance in Syria and Lebanon. This is while the two sides of the conflict in Syria are not Shia and Sunni, rather they are the supporters and opponents of anti-Zionist resistance. Neither the Syrian government is a Shia government, nor is the secular and anti-Islam opposition a Sunni group. The only achievement of the plotters of this calamitous scenario is that they have managed to make use of religious sentiments of simple-minded people to kindle this deadly fire. A look at the scene and those who are involved in it at different levels can clarify the issue for any just individual.

Also, in the case of Bahrain, this wave of propaganda is spreading lies and deception in another way. In Bahrain, the oppressed majority - who have been deprived of the right to vote as well as other fundamental rights that a nation should enjoy - have risen up to demand their rights. Should this be considered a Shia-Sunni conflict simply because the oppressed majority are Shia and the oppressive secular government pretends to be Sunni? Of course, the European and American colonialists and their friends in the region want to make things appear like this, but what is the truth?

These are the things that call religious scholars and just reformers to careful thinking and sense of responsibility and they make identification of the enemies' goals behind highlighting sectarian, ethnic and partisan differences an obligation for everybody.

The fifth point is that one of the standards for judging whether Islamic Awakening movements are on the right path is the positions they adopt on the issue of Palestine. Since sixty years ago up until today, the occupation of Palestine has been the biggest tragedy that has been imposed on the Islamic Ummah.

Since the first day up until today, the tragedy of Palestine has been a combination of killings, assassinations, destruction, usurpation and transgression against what is held sacred in Islam. The necessity of putting up a resistance against this warring and usurping enemy and fighting him has been agreed upon by all Islamic denominations and all honest and healthy national currents. Any current in Islamic countries which disregards this religious and national responsibility out of consideration for the domineering demands of America or under the pretext of unreasonable justifications should not expect to be viewed as loyal to Islam and sincere in its nationalistic claims.

This is a test. Anybody who does not accept the slogan of liberating Holy Quds and saving the Palestinian nation and Palestinian territories or anybody who sidelines this slogan and turns his back on the camp of resistance, will be condemned. The Islamic Ummah should keep this clear and fundamental standard in mind everywhere and at all times.

Dear guests, brothers and sisters, never lose sight of the enemy's plot. Our lack of vigilance creates opportunities for our enemies.

The lesson that Ali (greetings be upon him) teaches us is that "whoever is careless about his cause, his enemy will not sleep over this advantage..." In this regard, our experience in the Islamic Republic is also a source of lessons. After the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, the arrogant Western governments and America - which had long established full control over Iranian taghuts and used to determine the political, economic and cultural destiny of our country and which had underestimated the enormous power of Islamic faith in society and remained unaware of the power of Islam and the Holy Quran to deploy forces and to guide - suddenly realized that they had been unaware and their governmental organizations, intelligence services and control rooms resumed work in order to make up for the overwhelming defeat they had suffered.

We have witnessed various kinds of machinations from them over the past thirty-something years. In essence, there have been two factors that have foiled their plots: insistence on Islamic principles and presence of the people on the scene. These two factors are the key to the problems everywhere. The first factor is guaranteed by sincere religious faith in divine promises and the second factor is guaranteed by sincere efforts and honest clarification. A nation that has faith in the honesty and sincerity of its leaders will bring in enthusiasm with their blessed presence, and wherever a nation stays on the scene with a solid determination, no power will have the capability to defeat it. This is a successful experience for all the nations that gave rise to Islamic Awakening through their presence.

I pray to Allah the Exalted to bestow His guidance, assistance and mercy on you and on all Muslim nations.

Greetings be upon you and Allah's mercy

In a meeting with thousands of pilgrims at Imam Rid ha's (a.s.) shrine in

the holy city of Mashhad, Ayatollah Khamenei the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution said that it is necessary to evaluate the weaknesses and strengths that existed in the year 1391 and to make plans on the basis of this large-scale evaluation. He added: "Just as people need constant evaluation in the case of personal matters, so national evaluation is also important when it comes to national issues of the country. This is because such evaluation can teach us lessons and help us make better decisions in the future."

His Eminence said that other nations and their intellectuals are watching the Iranian nation's performance and achievements in order to make use of Iran's experiences. He added that the enemies are also tracking the Iranian nation's achievements and weak points. "From this perspective, the Iranian nation should have a large-scale and realistic outlook and an appropriate evaluation of the country's conditions."

The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution said that it is wrong to evaluate Iran's conditions by considering only such issues as high prices, decreases in production in certain sectors and economic pressures. He stressed: "The appropriate perspective is to see the great advances and achievements as well as the weaknesses and problems in this vast arena that is full of challenges. Such a large-scale evaluation will reveal the Iranian nation's pride and honor."

Ayatollah Khamenei stated that American officials have openly announced that the purpose of sanctions is to cripple the Iranian nation, further adding: "In this arena which is full of challenges, the Iranian nation has managed to turn threats into opportunities by relying on its intelligence, capacities and power. Just like a sporting champion, the Iranian nation has managed to emerge victorious out of a tough and tiring competition, making everybody praise it."

He reiterated: "If the conditions of the country are viewed from this perspective, the Iranian nation will definitely be the champion of this great arena."

The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution added: "The successes and achievements of the Iranian nation in this challenging arena are such that even perceptive political and academic elites in different countries, including the ill-wishers of Iran, have been forced to praise the Iranian nation."

Ayatollah Khamenei referred to the people who are always unhappy about the advances of the Iranian nation and stressed: "These people are like the enemies of the Iranian nation and they use two methods to counter the advances of the Iranian nation: first, they create obstacles through such techniques as sanctions, threats and keeping government officials, outstanding personalities and the people busy with secondary issues that are not among the priorities and second, they broadcast widespread and massive propaganda in order to hide the advances of the Iranian nation and to magnify its weaknesses."

His Eminence said that from this perspective, the year 1391 was one the busiest years for the ill-wishers of the Iranian nation, adding: "They have announced that their goal is to cripple the Iranian nation and to bring it to its knees. Therefore, if our nation resists their pressure, stays vibrant and achieves more advances, they will lose credibility."

Elsewhere, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution posed two questions: "Which country is the center of machinations against the Iranian nation? Who are the enemies of our nation?"

Ayatollah Khamenei stated: "The main center for designing machinations against the Iranian nation is America and today after the passage of 34 years, whenever the word ‘enemy' is mentioned, the Iranian nation quickly thinks of America."

His Eminence added: "American officials should think carefully about this issue and they should ask themselves why the Iranian nation quickly thinks of America whenever they hear the word ‘enemy'."

The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution referred to the enemies of the Iranian nation and reiterated: "Apart from America, which is the archenemy of Iran and the center of machinations, there are other enemies, including the evil English government, which does not enjoy independence and plays a complementary role as the follower of the American government."

Ayatollah Khamenei also referred to the French government and added: "The Islamic Republic of Iran has not had problems with the French government and people, but the French government has adopted a policy of clear enmity towards to the Iranian nation in the recent years, particularly since the time of Sarkozy, and this wrong policy is still being pursued, which is unwise."

Referring to the Zionist regime, His Eminence stated: "The usurping Zionist regime is too small to be considered among the first row of the enemies of the Iranian nation."

The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution touched on the Israeli threats of a military invasion against Iran and stressed: "If they make any such move, the Islamic Republic of Iran will raze Tel Aviv and Haifa to the ground."

Ayatollah Khamenei reiterated: "The Americans constantly refer to these few enemies of the Iranian nation as ‘the global community'. This is while the global community is not at all determined to be hostile towards the Iranians and Islamic Iran."

Having mentioned the true enemies of the Iranian nation, Ayatollah Khamenei explained their hostile actions throughout the year 1391 and added: "Despite their claims of friendship with the Iranian nation, the Americans started imposing harsh and widespread oil and banking sanctions on Iran and they insist that they should not be considered enemies in spite of these hostile actions."

The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution said that the current policy that America is pursuing is in line with the policy of extending an iron fist that is covered with a velvet glove. "In spite of these deceptive moves, they started a well-planned initiative and they expected that after a few months, the Iranian nation would give in to their bullying and put an end to its growing scientific activities. However, what happened was contrary to the will and predictions of the ill-wishers."

Ayatollah Khamenei said that American officials are happy about the effect that sanctions have had on Iran, adding: "The sanctions have had an effect, but they have not had the effect that they were after."

His Eminence reiterated: "If the sanctions have been effective, it is because our economy is dependent on oil and for this reason, an economy that is free from oil should be among the main plans and priorities of the next government."

The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution stressed: "Seventeen, eighteen years ago, I told the government of that time and its officials that they should act in a way that we could shut down our oil wells whenever we wanted to. The so-called ‘technocrats' smiled in disbelief and said it was not possible."

Ayatollah Khamenei stated: "Building an economy that is free from oil is possible, but it requires appropriate planning and implementation."

Having explained the hostile actions of the enemies on the economic front in the year 1391, His Eminence referred to the enemies' efforts on the political front and added: "One of the measures that were adopted on the political front by the ill-wishers of the Iranian nation was their efforts to isolate the Islamic Republic. However, the summit of the Non-Aligned Movement in Tehran - which was attended by leaders and high-ranking officials of the Non-Aligned Movement, who praised Iran for its amazing scientific, technological and economic advances - foiled the enemies' plot."

The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution said that another measure that the ill-wishers have adopted on the political front is creating doubts in the minds of the Iranian people and trying to separate them from the Islamic Republic. "The massive and enthusiastic presence of the people in the rallies of the 22nd of Bahman and the way they expressed their affection for Islam and the Islamic Revolution, were a powerful punch in the mouth of the enemies."

Ayatollah Khamenei said that another measure that was adopted by the enemies of Iran was their unsuccessful attempts at decreasing the influence and power of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the region. He added: "The powerful presence of Iran behind the scenes of the 8-day war on Gaza and the defeat that the Zionist regime suffered at the hands of Palestinian combatants and also the ill-wishers' acknowledgement that the regional issues cannot be resolved in the absence of Iran, caused the enmities to fail on these fronts."

His Eminence stressed: "All these pressures and enmities, particularly the sanctions, have had great positive effects in addition to their negative effects. One the most important positive effects was that last year domestic capacities of the Iranian nation were activated and great achievements were made in areas relating to infrastructure."

Ayatollah Khamenei referred to certain advances and achievements that were made under sanctions in the year 1391, further adding: "Discovering new sources of oil and uranium, building and developing power plants and refineries, adopting measures relating to infrastructure in the area of building roads and developing the energy sector, accomplishing important scientific and technological achievements including the launching of the Nahid satellite and the Pishgam explorer which was carrying living creatures, building an advanced fighter jet, producing important and new pharmaceuticals, achieving the highest rank in the region in the area of nanotechnology, making outstanding achievements in scientific areas, increased rate of scientific progress, increased number of university students in the country and scientific achievements in area of stem cell research, new sources of energy and nuclear technology are among the amazing advances that Iranian youth and scientists achieved in a year in which the Iranian nation was supposed to be crippled by the sanctions."

His Eminence stressed: "The great lesson that the achievements and victories of the year 1391 contain is that a vibrant nation will never be brought to its knees as a result of its enemy's sanctions, pressure and harsh measures."

The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution reiterated: "The year 1391 was in fact an arena of practicing in which the Iranian nation managed to show its capabilities and advances and at the same time identify some of its weak points."

Ayatollah Khamenei referred to the economic weaknesses of the country in the year 1391 and added: "Dependence of the country on oil, disregarding large-scale economic policies of the country and being tangled up in daily policies are among the weaknesses that our government officials - particularly officials of the next government - should pay attention to and they should know that the country must have large-scale economic policies that are clear, well-planned and well-organized."

His Eminence said another lesson that the year 1391 contained was that the country enjoys a strong foundation, further stating: "When the foundations are strengthened, the effect of the enemies' hostile efforts will be minimized."

The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution stressed that besides the economy, issues relating to security, healthcare, scientific advances, independence and national dignity are also important, adding: "With its advances in the year 1391, the Iranian nation proved that not only being independent of America and the superpowers will not lead to backwardness but that it will also bring about progress."

Having presented a large-scale evaluation of the conditions of the country in the year 1391, Ayatollah Khamenei highlighted the importance of trying to predict the enemy's next move and preparing plans to counter it, further adding: "The young Iranian scientists' move to produce twenty-percent enriched uranium to be used in the Tehran research reactor for the purpose of producing radiopharmaceuticals is one example of such intelligent proactive measures which should be adopted in the case of all essential issues of the country."

His Eminence said that adopting proactive measures in scientific areas is the great moral and rational responsibility of all Iranian governments, industrialists, farmers, capitalists, entrepreneurs, researchers, scientific and industrial designers, university professors, economic managers and science and technology parks. He further stressed: "It is everybody's responsibility to make the country resistant and impervious to the enemies' efforts."

The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution reiterated: "This is one of the requirements of an economy of resistance."

Ayatollah Khamenei referred to American officials' requests for bilateral negotiations and stated: "The Americans have been sending messages for some time asking Iran to hold separate negotiations with them regarding the nuclear issue, but on the basis of our past experiences I am not optimistic about such negotiations."

The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution stressed that the Americans are not trying to reach a logical solution through the negotiations, further adding: "From the viewpoint of the Americans, negotiation does not mean that we should sit down together and try to find a logical solution. This is not what they mean by negotiation. What they mean is that we should sit down together and speak until Iran accepts their views. The goal has been announced in advance: Iran will have to accept their views. For this reason, we have always announced that this is not negotiation. This is imposition and Iran will not give in to imposition."

Ayatollah Khamenei reiterated that he is not optimistic about direct negotiations with America, but he added: "Of course, I am not opposed either."

Ayatollah Khamenei said that the Americans repeatedly state in their messages that they are not after a regime change in Iran. "We were never worried about your intentions of overthrowing the Islamic Republic because even when you had this intention and you would announce this openly, you could not do anything and you will not be able to do anything in the future either."

His Eminence stated: "The Americans constantly send messages saying that they are sincere in their offers of rational negotiations. They claim that they sincerely want to have rational negotiations with Iran - that is to say, they claim that they do not want imposition. In response, I would say, we have told you many times that we are not after nuclear weapons and you say that you do not believe us. Why would we believe your statements? When you are not prepared to accept a rational and sincere statement, why would we accept your statements which have been disproved on many occasions?"

The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution added: "Our interpretation is that offers of negotiation are an American tactic to mislead public opinion in the world and in Iran. If this is not the case, the Americans should prove their sincerity with actions."

Ayatollah Khamenei discussed a propaganda technique that his used by the Americans and reiterated: "At times, the Americans have claimed that certain individuals have negotiated with them on behalf of the Leader of Iran. But this is a downright lie and so far nobody has ever negotiated with America on behalf of the Leader."

His Eminence added: "Over the years in different governments, certain individuals have negotiated with them over certain short-term issues and I was not opposed. However, this was done by different governments. Of course, they had a responsibility to observe the Leader's red lines and today they have the same responsibility and must observe the red lines."

Ayatollah Khamenei said that the Americans do not want to reach a solution through nuclear negotiations, adding: "If the Americans truly want to resolve the nuclear issue with Iran, the solution is easy: they should acknowledge Iran's right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes."

Stressing that observing the regulations of the International Atomic Energy Agency can eliminate the existing concerns, His Eminence stated: "Past experiences and the existing conditions show that the Americans are not after resolving this issue and they want the nuclear issue to remain unresolved so that they have a pretext to pressure and ‘cripple' the Iranian nation. Of course, much to the dismay of the enemies, the Iranian nation will not be crippled."

Ayatollah Khamenei proposed a solution to the nuclear issue, saying: "If the Americans sincerely want to put an end to the issues, the solution that we propose is that they should stop being hostile towards the Iranian nation in words and in action."

His Eminence referred to the failure of America's hostile policies against the Iranian nation over the past 34 years and stressed that such policies will fail in the future as well.

Elsewhere in his statements, Ayatollah Khamenei referred to the upcoming presidential elections and stated: "Elections represent the power and political valor of the Islamic system, Iran's national willpower and the pride of the Islamic Republic."

Ayatollah Khamenei highlighted the importance of a massive voter turnout in the presidential elections and stressed: "Massive and enthusiastic presence of the people in the elections, besides ensuring national security, will counter the enemies' threats and make them disappointed."

His Eminence stressed the need for the presence of different political orientations and currents in the presidential elections and added: "The elections are not for a particular political current or orientation, rather all those who are committed to our national interests and independence of the country have a right and responsibility to take part in the elections."

The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution stressed: "Turning away from the elections is appropriate for those who are opposed to the Islamic Republic."

Ayatollah Khamenei said that only the votes of the people determine the results of the elections and added: "What is important is that you should exercise judgment and vote. You should do research, observe carefully and consult those you trust so that you can identify and vote for the most qualified candidate."

His Eminence stressed that the Leader has only one vote and that nobody will know what his vote is. "Nobody should say that the Leader supports such and such a candidate and not another. If such a claim is made, it is false."

The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution advised the people to be careful and not let their opinion be influenced by different statements that are spread through different channels, including text messages.

Ayatollah Khamenei stressed that everybody should accept the rule of law and stated: "The events of the year 1388 started when certain people decided not to accept the law and the votes of the people, and they called on their supporters to conduct street protests, which was an irreversible mistake."

His Eminence added: "Fortunately we have the necessary legal mechanisms to eliminate the possible suspicions. Therefore, everybody should accept what the majority of the people decide through their votes."

The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution said: "Any in-coming president should enjoy the advantages that his predecessors had and should not suffer from the weaknesses of the previous presidents."

Ayatollah Khamenei added: "The governments that are elected one after the other should help us move towards improvement and perfection and we should gradually move towards electing the best among us."

At the end of his statements, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution said: "Those who enter the arena of presidential elections should be committed to our values and to the Islamic Revolution. They should be committed to our national interests and have faith in running the country on the basis of communal wisdom."

The following is the full text of the message issued on March 20, 2013 by Ayatollah Khamenei the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution on the occasion of Norouz.

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

O Conqueror of hearts and sight,

O Planner of night and day,

O Transformer of power and circumstances,

Change our condition to the best of conditions.

Dear God, Your greetings be upon Your beloved, the mistress of all women in the world, Fatima bint Muhammad, Allah's greetings be upon him and his household. Dear God, Your blessings be upon her, her father, her husband and her children. O Allah, be, for Your representative, the Hujjat (proof), son of al-Hasan, Your blessings be on him and his forefathers, in this hour and in every hour, a guardian, a protector, a leader, a helper, a proof, and a watchful eye until you make him reside on the earth, in obedience (to You), and cause him to live in it for a long time. Dear God, bestow on him, on his descendents, on his followers, on his people, on his special ones, on all those who obey him, on his enemies and on all people of the world what You brighten up his eyes with and what You make his heart happy with.

I would like to offer my congratulations to all my esteemed fellow countrymen throughout Iran, to all Iranians who are in different parts of the world and to all nations that celebrate Norouz, particularly our honorable war veterans, the families of our martyrs, our disabled war veterans and their families and all those who are making efforts to serve the Islamic system and our dear country. I hope that Allah the Exalted makes this day and this new year's day a source of happiness, prosperity and joy for our nation and for all Muslims in the world. I hope that Allah the Exalted makes us successful in carrying out our responsibilities. My honorable fellow countrymen should pay attention that the days for commemorating the martyrdom of Hazrat Fatima are in the middle of the Norouz holidays and it is necessary for all of us to value and respect these days.

The moment a new year starts is in fact the interval between an end and a beginning: the end of one year and the beginning of a new year. Of course, we should mainly focus on what lies ahead. We should look at the new year and we should make plans and prepare ourselves for it. However, looking back on the path that we have followed will also be beneficial for us so that we see what we have done, how we have moved forward and what results our work has produced, and we should learn lessons from it and gain experience.

Just like all other years, the year 1391 was full of events, both good and bitter events, both victories and failures. This is the case with the lives of all human beings. Life is full of twists and turns, full of ups and downs. What is important is that we should climb out of the depths and try to reach the peaks.

As far as our confrontation with the arrogant powers of the world is concerned, what was obvious about the year 1391 was the harshness of the enemies towards the Iranian nation and the Islamic Republic. Of course, on the surface of the issue, the enemies were harsh, but below the surface was the experience of the Iranian nation and its victory in different arenas. Our enemies had targeted different areas, mainly economic and political. On the economic front, they announced and reiterated that they wanted to cripple the Iranian nation through sanctions. However, they failed to cripple the Iranian nation and by Allah's favor and grace, we achieved a lot of progress in different areas, which has been or will be explained to our dear people in detail. And God willing, I will also briefly discuss certain things in my speech on the first day of Farvardin.

On the economic front, of course the people were under pressure and certain problems were caused. In particular, there were certain flaws inside the country. There were certain cases of negligence and laxity which aided the enemy in his plans. But on the whole, the general movement of the Islamic system and the people was a progressive movement and by Allah's favor, we will see the outcomes of this national experience in the future.

On the political front, on the one hand they tried to isolate the Iranian nation and on the other hand they tried to throw the Iranian nation into indecision and uncertainty. They tried to undermine the determination of the Iranian nation. What happened in reality was the exact opposite. Regarding their efforts to isolate the Iranian nation, not only did they fail to restrain our rational international policies, but also events such as the summit of the Non-Aligned Movement were held in Tehran and a large number of leaders and government officials from different countries throughout the world attended the summit. This led to the opposite of what our enemies wanted and showed that not only is the Islamic Republic not isolated but that people of the world hold the Islamic Republic, Islamic Iran and the honorable Iranian nation in high regard.

Regarding domestic issues, whenever our dear people had the opportunity to express their feelings - mainly on the 22nd of Bahman of 1391 - they exhibited whatever enthusiasm and epic presence that was necessary and they were present on the scene in larger numbers and with more enthusiasm than the previous years. Another example was the presence of the people of North Khorasan in the thick of the sanctions, which was an example that showed the conditions and spirits of the Iranian people and their attitude towards the Islamic system and the officials who are serving them. Thankfully, great things were done throughout the year, including scientific endeavors, the work relating to infrastructure and the strenuous efforts by the people and government officials. The ground has been prepared for progressive movement and for - God willing - explosive progress, in economic and political areas as well as in other crucial areas.

According to the outlook that has been delineated for us by Allah's favor and thanks to the determination our faithful people, the year 1392 will be the year of progress, dynamism and experience for the Iranian nation, not in the sense that the enmity of the enemies will decrease, rather in the sense that the Iranian people will be more prepared and their presence will be more effective. They will be better and more promising at building the future of this nation with their hands and with their effective efforts.

Of course, what lies ahead for us in the year 1392 will be in the two important areas of politics and economics. On the economic front, it is necessary to pay attention to domestic production, just as had been stressed in last year's slogan. Of course, certain things were done, but promoting domestic production and supporting Iranian labor and capital is a long-term issue: it cannot reach the desired outcome in one year. Fortunately, in the second half of the year 1391, the policies for domestic production were ratified and announced for implementation. That is to say, the ground work was laid for this work. And on the basis of these policies, the Majlis and the executive branch can make plans, start a good movement and hopefully move forward with firm determination and continued efforts.

Regarding political issues, the great event of the year 1392 is the presidential elections, which will in fact determine the executive and political destiny of the country - and in a sense, the general destiny of the country - for the next four years. God willing, the people will manage to build a good future for themselves and their country through their presence in this arena. Of course, it is necessary for the people to have a jihad-like presence both in the economic arena and in the political arena. It is necessary to step in with epic spirits and enthusiasm. It is necessary to step in with a firm determination and a positive outlook. It is necessary to step into the arenas with a heart full of hope and enthusiasm and to try to reach the goals with epic moves.

With this outlook, I name the year 1392 "The Year of Political and Economic Valor" and I hope that by Allah's grace, our dear people and our caring government officials will give rise to an economic as well as a political epic.

With the hope of receiving divine attentions and benefiting from the prayers of the Imam of the Age (may our souls be sacrificed for his sake), and saluting the immaculate soul of our magnanimous Imam and the souls of our honorable martyrs,

Greetings be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings