Speech [The discord-sowing danger of colonialism; extraordinary and unique votes of the people for the Islamic Republic; lack of a committed workforce]

[In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful]

I thank you, gentlemen, who have come here to greet me. Our meeting with you, gentlemen, is a blessing. For long years in the past, we were separate from each other and the dirty hands of colonialism tried to sow seeds of discord among the nation's classes of people. They fear our unity and now that they have realized what it means when we (Muslims) unite, a greater danger is threatening us. In the past, when they considered the possibility that the unity of the people was harmful to their interests they worked diligently to separate the clergy from the people, university professors from the clergy, the businessmen the bazaar from professors. They tried to cause a rift among the nation, a kind of rift that would make everyone cynical of one another, so that the university people became suspicious of the clerics and the clerics suspicious of academicians; all people became suspicious of others; the bazaar people suspicious of clerics and vice-versa. Therefore, when they thought it a possibility that the unity of the people would endanger their interest, they seriously worked to separate the various strata of the people from one another. Now, that in this movement, they understood how the nation's unity, reliance on the Exalted God pushed them back and severed their hands from our interests, there exists a greater danger for us. That is, they are now concocting greater mischievous plots and their agents, those who are their lackeys, are working to create rifts among the nation in different guises and various ways. You see now that among all classes of people, there exist hands belonging to their lackeys who are involved in ruses to keep this government unstable and disunited.

Following the referendum, the enemies have suffered such defeat that it has driven them mad! There has been no precedence over our referendum in the world. There is no record of such a referendum across the globe. With only people of 16 years of age up to vote out the 35- million population of Iran, there would be 20 million or a little more voters. We had over 20 million positive votes and 140- thousand-odd negative ones. When we were in Qum they informed me that a woman had cheated in voting and perhaps there has been some cheating in the 80 negative votes cast in Qum because the people of Qum are one hundred percent for Islam. These 80 votes must have come from outside of Qum. Well there are people from outside of Qum (living in that city) and either these corrupt outsiders cast the negative votes or the cheating similar to that woman's cheating must have been perpetrated elsewhere too. Today they came from Kurdistan as well as Kermanshah and reported to me that cheating was done in these provinces too. Otherwise, the positive votes in these two provinces would have been more, too. We expected a hundred percent positive votes. In actuality the positive votes are hundred percent, hundred percent! It is only in appearance [that we have had a few negative votes]. Among all these, I have read in one newspaper, which reported the story of a person who was crying, and when asked why, he said that he made a mistake and voted no while he actually wanted to vote in favor and for this I am doomed to hell! Anyway, there are other issues involved. Firstly, the number (of votes) garnered (in this referendum) is unprecedented. No such incident has ever been recorded before which showed that 20 million out of 30 million population voted in favor. Secondly, it is quality, which takes precedence (over quantity). On the one hand, people rush to vote, and on the other, they vote with enthusiasm and love. Some 16 year-old youngsters and younger ones came over so upset about why they are not permitted to vote! They were upset because they could not vote and should not vote. The people cast their votes with love and enthusiasm in such a mode that is also unprecedented. Therefore, our referendum is without precedent with respect to both quality and quantity.

If this love and enthusiasm is maintained in us, we will be the same regarding the rest of the issues. However, if, God forbid, we allow this love and zeal to weaken and fail to maintain it, then we do not know what will happen! Of course, we have to go through another stage and that is the formation of the Constituents Assembly. We have the election stage ahead of us and it will not be imposed on us as it was in the previous regime. We are on our own; we will go and vote. Nobody will impose on us; nobody will coerce us. (We will vote) with love and enthusiasm! If we nourish this love and enthusiasm with which we took part in the referendum, that is we keep the movement's flame burning and not let it be extinguished, we will also triumph in the other two stages. Moreover, the representatives that we will be sending to constitute the Constituents Assembly and later to the parliament will be deputies who are nationalistic and pious completely and not affiliated to the left, or to the right. These deputies must be individuals of our own kind and who bear our well-being in mind.

But, if God forbid, weakness creeps in, a perilous situation will be created and the dishonest deputies will be imposed on us, That is, they will be seated in the Parliament. Anyway, what is of import to us is that the (movement's) flame is burning and it was God who ignited it; a human being could not have done it. It is a flame that God had ignited and we should keep it ablaze. For as long as this flame is kept alive and burning, we are victorious. And if, God forbid, this flame starts waning and gradually cools off, then we dread the return of the iniquitous stage like the previous regime. God forbid such a day's arriving. God willing, it will never come. May God approve all of you.

When we get things a bit settled, my duty is, of course, to take up teaching and counsel theology students with whom we are working. And gentlemen, your duty is to educate the youth in such a way that they become edified (and not merely learning school subjects).

In the previous regime, there was only formal education, not (spiritual) edification. That is, they (regime) would not allow it. They had created such a situation that they would not allow the youths' knowledge to improve and grow and at the same time would not allow them to be edified, preventing from acquiring correct education. They had created so many corruption centers for the (so-called) education and development of the youth; they transformed (schools) into centers of corruption! Let us take, for instance, the cinema, or the radio and television; the cinema is supposed to be a place for education and development, but when all these came (Iran's) shore and fell into the hands of these people who were foreign agents commissioned to transform the country into this mess it is now and who had the" mission for his country" to transmute it into something dreadful. From now on, the schools must be changed into machinery for the( spiritual )development as well as education; likewise the radio and television, the theater and all these.

Islam is not opposed to all these; Islam wants to edify these places to be used at the service of Islam and the education of the youth. We are designated to give the youth, who are in our care and with whom we are in contact, Islamic and religious education and make them aware of today's current affairs. This should be done in such a way that these children and youngsters be abreast with the current situation (in the world) and know what they should do in the future. They should be educated alongside science, and you, gentlemen, are certainly duty-bound to perform this task. All teachers and scholars in every nook and corner of the country must perform this task and after sometime, Iran will be transformed onto something else.

Take this thing into consideration. Now, we (want) to create an upright government, however, we cannot find any (qualified) individuals in spite of searching everywhere. Three or four individuals could be found, who are eligible but not in all aspects. Why is it so? It is because they (regime) did not allow any human being to gain the right qualifications and develop righteous discerning dignitaries during these fifty-odd years. The situation was not like this before, «1» but now it is. Now, we find ourselves in a situation wherein we are divested of not only any righteous and proper manpower but also a proper economy and other (aspects of the society). And more important than anything is we are short of human resources. Slackness prevails in every office you go. Ministries are no different. It is not because the people there want it to be so; it is because they are not able (to do anything)! Of course, everyone wants to put things right in their respective ministries and improve the situation. These personnel (in ministries) are honest people; nevertheless, they do not have (qualified) personnel and lack (committed) staff. This is why everything is in a confused order. Moreover, some individuals turn out to be unqualified. (Correct manpower must be created) through the efforts of all strata of the people, in particular, those who are teachers and professors at universities. From the very first day that primary and high schools admit students, the school authorities are duty-bound to educate them in a correct and Islamic way, which embodies all (the right characteristics). That is, if a Muslim grows up the way Islam wants, it is impossible that he will ever betray his country. It is impossible that he commits any treason against his brother, neighbor, his fellow citizen or a stranger. Treachery will be eradicated. We should make an effort to bring up righteous individuals. I implore the Exalted and Blessed God for you success, and everyone's health.