Speech [Guidelines for the youth]

I seek refuge in God from the accursed Satan

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

"My (own) affair I commit to God" «1»

This is the first time that I have come to this school. The treacherous hands of foreign powers and their agents had separated you from us. They sowed seeds of discord among us and achieved their ulterior motives. Then they witnessed that the solidarity of various factions and strata of people of life would preclude the achievement of goals they set for themselves. So, they made efforts to separate religious schools from universities and student groups from one another. We must understand what pains this separation had afflicted us with and what glories this solidarity had brought us.

You, the young students and the rest of the youth, are my hope and the harbingers of good tidings. You, the masses of young people, the masses of students, are my hope. My beloved youth, I hope that the country's destiny will be in your hands from now on and you, my dear ones, will protect your country. I hope that you will overcome your difficulties by (attaining) knowledge, and (doing) good deeds; by knowledge and self-edification; by knowledge and good deeds. So far, you have achieved this much; you have severed the hands of traitors through the unity of expression of all of the strata, reliance on faith and trust in Islam and the glorious Qur'an. God willing, we will further cut off whatever predacious tentacles remain. However, there may be more difficulties from now on, so this will require more vigilance.

From this time onwards, reconstruction of the devastation they (regime) had left us commences. You know better (than anybody else) what perfidious acts they had committed against our universities, high schools and primary schools. You know that they wanted to keep you backward and did not want you to become Islamic human beings, or be powerful individuals with a goal. (School) education had been corrupt and deviated from the very beginning and (educational) programs had always been designed to mislead. They wanted to drive our youth to (cultural) retardation so they could take advantage of the youth and make us dependent on everything( foreign )both scientifically and economically.

You, the youth, are my hope and harbingers of good tidings. You must make efforts and safeguard your unity of expression. They (foreign powers) did not let us confer with each other. During the lifespan of this school, this is the first time that I am meeting with you. This is the first time I am seeing your professors and teachers face to face. This is the first time that I am seeing you, the beloved youth and children of Islam, face to face.

You, the source of my hope and harbingers of good tidings, the beloved children of Islam, have discovered the secret of victory. In these last two years, you have understood that you could uproot the foundation of this 2500- year dictatorship and monarchial autocracy through your unity of expression. You have understood how you could push back oil-guzzling spongers. You have understood that the secret (of victory) was this unity of expression, unity of intention and purpose, and Islamic faith and goal, and the goal of the Islamic republic. You have realized that this secret brought you victory. Do not let this secret slip off your hand. Fortify and close your ranks; strengthen your relations with all strata of people, especially the clergy. Our hopes and aspirations revolve around you. With this unity of expression, the Iranian nation has become the paragon and hope of Islam. You must safeguard everything that has been achieved with this unity of expression.

Support you provisional government. Punch in the mouth the corruptors, who are looking for a pretext to weaken the Islamic government. It is necessary to obey this provisional Islamic government. It is based on religious law. I have absolute faith in it and you, too, must support this government, which has been entrusted with the task of holding the referendum, which is one of the most vital current issues, and the legislation of a new constitution through the votes of your legal representatives. The establishment of an Islamic republic, which is the ultimate wish of everybody, is the ultimate commandment of the Exalted and Blessed God. You must back this government for it to be able to carry out the tasks that have been entrusted to it in a free and right environment.

Intruders lurking and wishing to weaken the government, for one reason or another should know that a government that is reliant upon the nation will not be undermined. Someone who is reliant on the nation has endorsed this government. The nation has confirmed and approved this government, which has been set through the nation's support. You must give it more support. Ostracize or advise malicious elements, who are the lackeys of foreign powers and do not wish that an Islamic government be set up.

For a long period, we faced numerous difficulties; you were not in the scene (of the struggle), though. Recently, however, you became involved and experienced the difficulties, which all originated from foreign sources. Likewise, the crimes committed (against the nation) had been perpetrated by foreign hands. They (foreign powers) want the same (corrupt) practices to prevail in the country once again through their iniquitous functionaries. They are concocting notions in their heads in order to drag the country back to the same old tribulations but in another form. You, the energetic youth, and noble students, who are my hope and the harbingers of good tidings, must stay alert and vigilantly defend your rights wherever you are, whatever place you are in Iran.

Set up and establish an Islamic government that will defend your rights. Do not listen to reckless prattlers. Do not pay attention to statements made by groups who know nothing about Islam and are opposed to it. They want to deviate the people from the path. Your path is the Islamic path; your path is that where you set up an Islamic republic. I will vote for an Islamic republic and I am asking you to vote for it, not a word more and not a word less: only an Islamic republic.

Those people who mention" republic" in their writings, only a republic, that is, not Islamic, those who talk of a" democratic" republic, meaning a Western kind of republic and not an Islamic one, and those who want to push us back into another form of the same old adversities were never involved in this movement.

Those who now want to sit at the table spread all laid out were never involved in this movement. You, the various strata of students, the workers, peasants and merchants brought this movement into existence. They have a right. Do not accept, and we, too, will not accept, those who lived in foreign countries and who have now come for the harvest, and also those who warmed their seats watching the whole struggle from atop or assisted the regime and who now pose as revolutionaries. Do not accept those who, wielding their venomous pens, bring up such things as" national" and" democratic" (systems) and write against Islam.

We want an Islamic (republic); the nation wants Islam. Those who are attempting to undermine our movement and our government, wishfully thinking that we will not succeed in the referendum, are entertaining whimsical thoughts in their heads. Our nation unanimously wants an Islamic republic.

We should follow the ideals that the nation pursued for some years and heed what it aspired for in its cries for more than a year. The people of the country from various walks of life should listen to the nation's voice and see what it wanted, and does want. During this past year and a few months, the nation poured into the streets and shouted" Freedom, independence, Islamic Republic!"

We should follow the nation. We should not sit at home, hold a pen and write whatever we want. This is not right. This (action) will push us back to the same old situation and predicaments of the previous era and is tantamount to treachery against the nation. The communists, too, must want an Islamic republic. If they (communists) want to work for this nation and be truthful to it, everybody should desire an Islamic republic. Those who love this nation, those who love this country, those who are fed up with oppression, those who are opposed to this country's dependence, those who want this country's independence, whatever creed they have, should follow this nation in order to become victorious. They should follow these very same strata of the nation, the very same students, the very same traders, porters, peasants, farmers and workers. These people gave sacrifices (of their near and dear ones) and shed their own blood, and they have a share (in this victory and government). Everything belongs to them, not to you or me, who sat aside (during the struggle). And now, you (anti-revolutionary elements) have taken to your pens. Break those pens! Take refuge in Islam. Desist from your malicious government so that you obtain results and preserve your independence.

You, beloved and energetic youth and the rest of the nation, are my hope. I give you the tidings of victory: I give you the tidings of independence, grandeur, welfare, spirituality, cleansed souls, freedom-loving souls and refined souls spirit of religion, on the condition that you stay united, and (move) all together toward an Islamic republic, and all together toward Islam.

I implore the Exalted and Blessed God to give the entire Islamic nation grandeur, health and dignity. I implore the Exalted and Blessed God to give success to the dear and worthy youth.

May God's peace and mercy be upon you.