When we found ourselves in such a situation...

When we found ourselves in such a situation, you all, all the men and women of our country, praise God, proved yourselves ready to handle it, so you should not be intimidated by talk of a group coming from Paris or somewhere else to do whatever. They made one attempt by setting Saddam loose to attack Iran, and what a slap in the face he was dealt!

(351) 18 August 1981 (27 Murdad 1360 AHS) And I hope you will accept and perform those duties you are obliged to carry out, which are to strive both in the area of education, which is an important matter, and in the defence of Islam. These are among the important tasks the performance of which is incumbent on every man and woman, on the young and old alike. Defending Islam, defending the Islamic country, is an indisputable duty of the clerics, of those whose lives are Islam and who are Muslim.

That which is disputable is women’s role in the lesser jihad. [^1] It is not incumbent on women to take part in this jihad . However, defending oneself, one’s country, one’s life, one’s property and defending Islam is the duty of us all.

(352) 2 March 1985 (11 Isfand 1364) You ladies must bear in mind that just as it is necessary for the men at the fronts to push forward and spearhead the battle, so too it is necessary for you to help on the home front and to prepare yourselves so that if, God forbid, there comes a time when national defence is obligatory for everyone, for every able-bodied person without exception, you are ready to fulfil this obligation. Education is, of course, also a bastion, a bastion of the Islamic culture.

You know that throughout these past centuries, from the period after the demise of the Prophet, upon whom be peace and blessings, to the present, the Islamic culture has been trampled underfoot, the laws of Islam falling into abeyance. This culture must be brought alive again. You ladies must be active on the educational and cultural fronts just as the men are. I hope that God will grant you all success and you will make advances on these fronts too.

Pray that those who are at the war front defending their country and Islam will also be successful, God willing. May you all be healthy and successful. (353) 2 March 1985 (11 Isfand 1364 AHS) What is at stake here is not simply a government or one aspect of life; it is Islam. Islam is the concern. So it is incumbent on the men and women of this country to defend it to the best of their ability.