Speech [The need to reconstruct the country]

I pray to God for the health of the gentlemen and for their success in what is to be our duty from now on. It is important for one to know one's duty when some task is to be accomplished. You know that much is to be done in this country. There is a lot of reconstruction to be carried out as the former regime had spoilt everything in Iran; it ruined the country. The strength of you the valiant youth is now needed. Serving a country lies in properly doing the service by means of those that are engaged in it. You cannot do what the army does, and neither can the army do the work you do. But both the groups can properly accomplish the tasks that have been entrusted to them. The country or any other country for that matter will prosper if each segment of the people properly does the work that has been entrusted to it. The peasant should do his work well, the ones that work in factories should do their work properly, the ones working in offices should work properly and those in the ministries should do their jobs well. It is now being heard that government employees are not working as much as they ought to. In fact, it is said that many of them are not working at all. This is against the path of a nation that has to build this country at present. When there was less or no work being done when they (the former regime) were around, well you would ask as to why work should be done for the foreigners to derive benefit. But it is not so now; the power of the foreigners has been curtailed, thanks to God; the power of those plunderers who were inside the country has been curtailed as well. The country is yours now. And just as everybody considers himself to be morally and religiously responsible for his family and for managing his own affairs which he devotedly does, you should work sincerely and with all your heart now that the country is yours and its people are of the same standing as your own family, so that all the confusion is, God willing, taken care of.

 

And that transformation that occurred during the course of the movement, when everybody was involved and active in the revolution, was a spiritual transformation that was of great importance to all the strata of the people.

In my opinion, the spiritual transformation that the people underwent is greater than the upheaval they wrought by overthrowing the regime, because that transformation was a spiritual one. All the people were kind to one another. According to what I have been repeatedly told, whenever they demonstrate, the people would come out of their houses and accompany them. Somebody said that he saw a person divide a sandwich that he had, into pieces and give these to his friends and the people who were there. A spirit of cooperation which was viewed favorably by God had arisen among the people. God, the Blessed and Exalted, was merciful to this nation in that a people with empty hands prevailed over a power that had everything. This could only be because of the spirit of cooperation and the faith that the people had developed. It was faith that brought you victory. You should now safeguard this movement so that differences do arise among the various groups of the people- regrettably, certain differences have been gradually cropping up recently- and its Islamic aspect and the features of devotedness and faith must also remain secure so that you are able to do your work with faith and devotion. Just as you demolished this barrier with faith and devotion, you must, likewise, occupy his place and rebuild the country with faith and devotion.

I hope that God, the Blessed and Exalted, will grant all of you prosperity and make our country an independent one which nobody should or could violate. May we be granted such a kind of independence, God willing. May God protect you all, and may you be successful, God willing.