In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Beloved nation! Brave and combatant brothers and sisters- may God the Almighty assist them:
Now, we have reached a sensitive stage in the course of the Islamic Revolution. The reconstruction period is a period in which the oppressed and deprived people of Iran should benefit from the fruits of our Revolution and experience the glory of a just Islamic system. It is a period when everyone should join hands and uproot poverty and deprivation. You, the noble people of Iran, who were active in the course of the struggle against colonialism and exploitation gained great victory, and could overcome the taghout of the time through your reliance on the Exalted God, unity of expression and the participation of all strata of the people, and made the superpowers tremble. Today, you should mobilize to combat poverty and deprivation through self-help and cooperative efforts and, with Divine approval, deliver the oppressed people by being firm in your determination.
During the rule of the abject Pahlavi regime, the housing problem was one of the worst social tribulations of the people. A great number of people led a life in captivity of banks just to procure a small piece of land or a" nest" to perch on, and in what deplorable condition they had to spend their lives indebted to banks and profiteers and plunderers, so that they could acquire a shelter for themselves and their children. A huge sector of the society's oppressed people was also totally deprived of a home, and was dwelling in slum areas in cramped, dark and dilapidated cubicles. And what was worse was a major part of their meager income which had to be spent on paying the rents. This ominous heritage has remained for our nation. Today our society is grappling with such a dilemma. The Islamic system will never tolerate such oppression and discrimination and it is the least (of rights) that every individual should have a home. The problem (of acquiring) land has to be resolved and deprived slaves (of God) should be able to benefit from this divine grace.
All deprived people must have homes. Not one person in the country should be deprived of a home. It is the Islamic government's duty to think of an alternative solution to this important problem and all the people are duty-bound to cooperate.
I have opened Account Number 100 in all branches of Melli Bank and am calling on everybody that can afford it to remit their financial assistance to this account for housing projects. Trustworthy and competent people in every locality, at least a group of three civil and city planning engineers, a clergyman, and a representative of the government should be selected to build low-cost housing with the utmost care and economical means and put them at the disposal of the poor. No money should be charged in these projects for the land. I hope that all those who own vast pieces of land will help in this Islamic and humane venture and lay at the disposal of this project their high valued residential estate. Moreover, all those who are capable of providing various kinds of construction materials should assist in this Islamic service. Labor and man power must also be extensively employed for this project and the government, too, should make all necessary decisions to furnish the related water, electricity, asphalt, means of transportation, schools, dispensaries and other public utilities.
The Foundation of the Oppressed should also rush to the aid of this project and make use of the property confiscated from the Pahlavi family and its cronies. Meanwhile, the government must prepare basic and long-term projects to settle such problems at the national level. Now, mobilizing the power of faith for Islamic cooperation and struggle against deprivation in the society is a new experience out of which the nation must emerge proud with the Divine assistance. I, in all humility, beg the nation to help in this vital issue, and I pray to God for the health and prosperity of all.
May God's peace, mercy and blessings be upon you.
Rouhullah al-Mousawi al-Khomeini