Rouhani: Islamic revolution was "choice" of Iranian nation

Addressing the Islamic Revolution anniversary rallies in Tehran, he said the developments during the month of February (coinciding with the month of Bahman according to the Iranian calendar) in 1979, exactly 41 years ago, proved how the power of the Almighty could make its manifestation in the will of a great nation to determine its faith.

He said the victory of the Islamic revolution in that particular time manifested the nation's determination to carry out Almighty's will though certain people then kept promoting the notion that the time of religion and spiritual ways of thinking were over.

Though the world then was divided into West and East poles, the great Iranian nation managed to confront and overcome a regime that was armored up to the teeth and its masters only by relying on its religious inspirations without getting any supports from any powerful countries, he added.

Undoubtedly, one could easily discern the powerful hand of the Almighty and its will in the historic events in Iran in 1979, the Iranian President stressed.

Rouhani further underlined in his speech that the Iranian Islamic revolution was in fact in choice.

Elsewhere in his remarks, he said he wanted to explain to the new generation of Iranian youth who might have questions about the reasons behind the breaking of the revolution in Iran why the nation choose to start a revolution and topple the Palhavid regime.

The 10-day period from the Imam Khomeini's return from Paris to Tehran on February 1, 1979 until the revolution’s victory on February 11 is celebrated in Iran annually and is dubbed as the Ten-Day Fajr (Dawn).

The 41st anniversary of the Islamic Revolution coincides with the 40th day of General Soleimani's martyrdom.

Iranians from all walks of life, too, have poured into streets on Tuesday morning to hold nationwide rallies commemorating the 41st anniversary of the victory of the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Iranians in the capital city of Tehran and more than 1,000 other cities and towns as well as 4,000 villages are attending the rallies carrying Iran flags and banners in support of the Islamic Republic.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Zeinab Soleimani, the daughter of the martyred IRGC commander Lieutenant General Qasem Soleimani, will address the rallies.

High-ranking Iranian officials including heads of all branches of power as well as members of all political parties, lawmakers and military officials are taking part in the demonstrations.

Rouhani noted that the Iranian nation would not have opted for a revolution, had the previous regime allowed them to make their choice of a rulership, have their desired type of Consitution, and also have free and healthy elections.

He went on the say that the presence of people in all scenes to determine their own fate is not exclusive only to years when the Islamic revolution started but rather they have always been present in the scene in the past 41 years during consequent elections as the members of a free society which holds regular elections, enjoys democracy with people making the final choice.

President Rouhani went on to mock Americans for daydreaming a return in the past 41 years and the Islamic revolution never affected just Iran but influenced the region even the whole world especially the Muslim world and those who were freedom.

He said a superpower like the US is intolerant of Iran's Islamic revolution and the victory of the nation which pushed Americans out of their land because it knows Iran's importance very well and is aware of Iran's role and power in the region which is virtually the most vigorous country in the Middle East.

Rouhani said the conflict between Iran and the US is over Iranians right for a choice because Americans believe the nation did not have the right to choose the Islamic revolution over the royal system which the US had installed in Iran.

He said despite 41 years of animosity on the part of the US administration against the Iranian nation, the Iranian revolution kept to move in the same path introduced by the late Founder of the Islamic Republic Imam Khomeini who since the very day of his arrival in Tehran from exile stressed that the nation's destiny should be at its own hands.

The Iranian President also referred to the days when funeral ceremonies were held for the body of the martyred IRGC commander Lieutenant Soleimani across the country and said on those days people shouted slogans against the US and other superpowers in one voice and resisted their acts.

"The US wants to defeat the Iranian nation. What does it seek? The US seeks a nation which is ready to surrender. It wants a country which has looted out of its sources and a government which is repenting (its revolutionary acts) and is not ready to shoulder its commitments," he added.

He said: "Today, Americans fancied that people are suffering from huge problems with the essential necessities of life like the electricity, water, bread, schools or hygiene and thought there will be catastrophe in Iran if they continued with sanctions on medicine and foodstuff with three months. But despite the harshest sanctions in the past two years, though people sometimes had very hard days, they are now overcoming difficulties.

Rouhani further touched on Iran's brilliant achievements and said while the country's gas output stood at just 110m cubic meters at the victory of Islamic revolution, now it will have 1000m cubic meters of gas by the end of the current Iranian year (to end March 20, 2020).

Elsewhere in his remarks, he urged the nation to actively participate in the upcoming elections and said it is important to vote in the polls because the country is in need of a renovation to have a better and healthier system as the Islamic Republic is going through the fifth decade of its life.

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