I seek refuge in God from the accursed Satan
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
I would like to thank the ladies and gentlemen for having taken the trouble of coming here. Thanks God in this movement we had this opportunity to meet with people like you who bring up their problems with us and, in turn, we tell you of our pains.
The long path of reconstruction
After the revolutionary government has materialized, you know that we still have a long way to go for repairing the destruction inflicted upon this country throughout the fifty odd years (of Pahlavi's rule) in the name of the" great civilization" and freedom that they claimed had been realized. They all left the country and ran away after having either squandered our treasury or taking it away with themselves. We have become heirs to a country in ruins which cannot be returned to its sound condition and whose reparation is impossible unless through the concerted endeavors of all strata of the nation. If anyone in whatever position he is in does not make any efforts, and assigns his duties to another group, this burden will remain on the ground. The devastation wreaked upon the country is not something minor that the government or a group or groups of the nation can repair. The destruction done is so great in every aspect, such as economic, cultural, and military and others. All this will have to be repaired through the concerted efforts of people from all walks of life. Though you have a big share in this movement, the gentlemen teachers, strikers and others have a big share in it, too, and these strikes have yielded results for the movement, however, we have only taken the initial step. It is akin to a war-stricken country where foreigners had been. We should strive to kick the foreigners out. This is the first step.
The second step is reconstruction, which is more important than the first one. The reconstruction stage should start from today. Everywhere you turn your head in this country you will see destruction. As the government offices were run by unrighteous individuals, and the same is true with ministries, which were run by unpatriotic people, we can virtually say that these elements have ruined government offices.
Slum dwellers in Tehran
You have seen how, in the name of land reforms, they have despoiled our agriculture, which is one of the most vital features of our country, and on which our economy is dependent; now you have a bankrupt agriculture and have to import everything from abroad. In like manner, they have destroyed animal husbandry and our pasturelands, which they gave away to foreigners depriving the nation under the guise of nationalism. In those places, animal husbandry and agriculture would sustain the lives of people who now have to migrate to towns and cities in order to find jobs, however they cannot find decent jobs here. According to what I have heard, there are many places right here in Tehran where squatters, tent-dwellers and the like are proliferating and these poor migrants live there in deplorable conditions.
Avoiding discord
All men and all walks of life should join hands and be united and get involved in the reconstruction, amidst the destruction, with all their hearts. Office employees should take care to inform the government of any corrupt activities they observe in their place of work. Anybody in whatever place he is should take note of any corruption and report it. By taking strict measures, God willing, these problems will be solved.
I implore the Exalted and Blessed God to grant you all health, and I hope that with your concerted efforts you will be able to resolve these problems by preserving your unity of expression. You should do away with ideological and party disparity and other differences that these people have created amidst people. You should take note that it is the enemy who will benefit from this discord. You, yourselves, have witnessed how you, with your unity of expression, have brought the great powers to their knees rendering them powerless to keep the Shah any longer. May God grant success and His assistance to all of you.
May God's peace, mercy and blessings be upon you.