Speech [The rule of law in the Islamic government]

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

Now that the Islamic Republic is our official system of government, it is our duty to act in accordance with it. The Islamic Republic means the system demanded by the people, with its principles being those of Islam. The system demanded by the people was realized, with 99 percent of them voting for it. Our official government now is the Islamic Republic. It remains for the injunctions to become Islamic. It is not the intention for it to be merely an Islamic government. The aim is that in an Islamic government, Islam should rule; the law should rule. The people should not rule according to their own opinions and thinking. We want Islamic principles to gain currency everywhere and the Commands of God, the Blessed and Exalted, to rule. In Islam, the government is a government of law. Even the governments of God's Messenger (s) and the Commander of the Faithful (`a) were based on law. That is, it was the law that put them into their positions:" Obey Allah, and obey the Messenger and those of you who are in authority." «1» It is God's command. It is compulsory to obey them according to what the law commands. Therefore, the rule belongs to the law. It is the law that governs in an Islamic country. There is no governance without the law.

If a president of the republic is installed in an Islamic country, it is again the law that has made him so by the public vote, which also includes the vote of the jurist [faqih]. Or the installation of the jurist, which is the same as being installed by God, is the law that prevails everywhere. Nowhere in an Islamic government will you find anything that is done on its own, or by exercising authority. Even the Noble Messenger (s) did not install himself. It was on the authority of the Qur'an. It was based on revelation. Whatever he used to say stemmed from the revelations." Nor doth he speak if (his own) desire. It is naught save an inspiration that inspired, which one of mighty powers hath taught him." «2» And similarly, the governments that are Islamic are subject to the law. Their authority is based on law. The government is divine; it is the government of law.

We did not want the Islamic Republic in word. The reason why we are continually saying that, with the government having become Islamic, its substance should also be Islamic is because the country claims to be a Muslim one and its people claim to be Muslims, but in many places it is seen that they do not abide by Islamic principles. Many people claim to profess Islam: It is merely a claim because on observation, you will see that it is not so in practice; there is no sign of Islam. We say that just as the government is Islamic, its substance should also be Islamic. That is, you should see Islam and its injunctions everywhere that you go: every ministry, every office, every street and locality, every bazaar and every school and university. This is because we had wanted an Islamic government; we did not want an Islamic Republic only in name. We wanted the rule of God to take effect in our country and, God willing, in all the other ones as well.

Freedom is bound by the law. Therefore, it should not be imagined that now that the Islamic Republic is in place, anybody can do as he likes, and now that there is freedom, one is free to do whatever he wants. Freedom is within the limits of the law. That is, we are free to the extent of the freedom given to us by God, the Blessed and Exalted. We are not free to indulge in corrupt practices or violate one's chastity. No human being is free to trouble his brother. Freedom is within the bounds of the law. It is to the extent that God, the Blessed and Exalted, has given the people. It is more than the freedom given by others. They have given freedom that is illogical; here it is logical. What they have given is not freedom. It should be logical and based on the law. Therefore, what we want is divine rule, the rule of God. We want the Qur'an to rule over us. We want Islamic laws to rule over us. We cannot accept any establishment that is contrary to Islamic laws, and neither any opinion that is contrary to that of Islam. We cannot accept personal, group and party opinions. We can accept what Islamic law commands. We are the subjects of Islam; we are subject to Islamic law. Our youth sacrificed themselves for Islam. Our youth made so many efforts. They used to say that they wanted Islam and Islamic principles.

It is now the duty of every one of us, wherever we are and to the extent we can, to implement Islamic laws beginning with ourselves. If we fail to reform ourselves and to put Islamic laws into practice in our own case, we will not be able to form an Islamic government. If a person, such as the president or the prime minister for example, who is at the head of the government, does not reform himself and does not observe Islamic laws; if he does not implement Islamic laws in his country, then its government cannot be Islamic nor can he be an Islamic ruler. And each one of those authorities; the ones who have authority, and head the various authoritative organs, such as, for example, the Chief of Staff, the head of the gendarmerie and the other heads will not be able to assume Islamic management unless they put Islamic laws into effect in their own cases. Islam does not accept a head who acts against Islamic laws. The army does not accept someone who is at the helm but does not practice Islam. It does not accept a department in which Islamic precepts are not in effect. We have defects now; and many of them. Our country is not Islamic yet. Wherever we put our finger, we find some trace of the taghout there; some individuals, some scheming individuals. We cannot accept the presence of plotters in the ministries and offices. They have to reform themselves. The country should become Islamic; if not it is a country in which some pawns have been removed and others put in their place, with these doing the same things. We never wanted such a situation. The people did not have their blood shed for Muhammad Rida to go and somebody else to come and do the same acts that he did; the same things that he would do.

Therefore, you who are Islamic guards ought to first reform yourselves. Do not imagine that you are free now, that you have guns, and that you should now trouble the people. You now have a duty to perform. You are now being watched; watched by God, watched by the Imam of the Time (`a). They are watching you; they give a report of your deeds to the Imam of the Time twice a week according to some of the narrations; and report of our deeds. Now that you are free of that oppressive power, you must be careful that you do not misuse your newly-found authority and power and be an oppressive force yourselves. Do not transgress against your brothers. Do not arrest anybody for nothing. Do not unnecessarily try anybody because of the personal grudges you have, or sentence someone for nothing. All these things are being watched. God, the Blessed and Exalted, will question us. May God give all of you success and may He make us succeed in becoming human beings, God willing.

May God's peace, mercy and blessings be upon you.