Speech [The plot to portray the Islamic movement in a bad light]

One of the blessings of this movement is that it has brought together various groups under one roof and in one small room. It has brought together all the brothers- Persians, Kurds, Arabs, and `Ajam (non-Arabs)- in one place so that they can discuss their problems and their concerns. And in case we, too, have anything to say, we will mention it to them.

In my opinion, what is now important, and vitally so, and on which the existence of Islam depends, is what we have to do from now onward. We have to determine our present duty. What has already passed, has passed; and thanks to God that it passed off well. What do we have to do in order to ensure that everything passes of well, and for the good of Islam, from now on as well. What is threatening us at present, which is a matter of concern greater than the one we had before, during the struggle with the taghout, is that there are some groups nowadays; some individuals among the people who want to show this Islamic movement in a bad light, its Islamic character notwithstanding. That is, they want to show the world that our school, our Islamic school, is just like these other ones and like these corrupt regimes, but at that time the power was in the hands of a group that used to do wrong things, but now it has come into the hands of another group which is doing the same things.

If we had been defeated in our struggle with the taghout- a struggle in which all the youth and all the ranks of the people had joined up and made headway- and massacred by that regime, it would not have important as it was for the sake of truth by which our school would have remained safe. We would have done our duty to our utmost, but were not strong enough to overcome them, just as many of the Saints of Truth[ awliya' al-haqq ]had also met defeat. But the school was unimpaired. The Doyen of the Martyrs (`a) and all his companions were slaughtered, but they furthered the cause of the school nonetheless. The school did not suffer a defeat; it progressed. In

 

other words, the slaying of the Doyen of the Martyrs (`a) brought about forever the downfall of the Bani Umayyads, and put an end to their bad portrayal of Islam and to their actions that were in the name of the caliphate but contrary to all the norms of humanity. But sacrificing himself, the Doyen of the Martyrs (`a) defeated that regime, that corrupt regime, though he, himself, was killed. With our school remaining safe and unimpaired, it would not have been important had we been defeated and destroyed in our struggle with the former regime as the Doyen of the Martyrs was also killed, and the Commander of the Faithful, too, was `defeated' in the battle against Mu`awiyah.

We are now at the fork in the road; and this is important. One way from the fork lies in the steps we must take to protect our school, and the other, the factors that could destroy it. What should you the dear and respected Islamic guards, whom all of us hold in affection, do? What should your actions be in this regime which is now Islamic, which is now an Islamic republic, and our country has now become an Islamic republic on the basis of the referendum? If we do certain things and commit acts that are against religious norms and the principles of justice- suppose, for example, that one of the youth from our side mistreats somebody, who is not of us, in contravention of the law, or a youth, by virtue of being an Islamic guard, unlawfully enters a house and commits an ugly act- such acts will nowadays not be attributed to the perpetrator. They will say that the Islamic guards are like this; that the SAVAKis would do such things in the days of the former regime, but the Islamic guards are doing likewise in the present one. It would not have mattered much if they had attributed the wrongdoing to somebody- not to Islam- and the school had remained unsullied. There are many corrupt people in the world. There are many that act contrary to principles. But, regarding ourselves to be the guards of Islam, if we who belong to this profession and are garbed in clerical attire and you the Islamic guards- may all of us always be the guards of Islam, God willing- from that group and we from this, and also the gentlemen, do something wrong today, the people wielding venomous pens, whose eyes are riveted on us in order to find an excuse and add on a thousands things to it, will attribute it to Islam; not to you and me. If I had once done a wrong thing, the people would have said that Khomeini was illogical and against Islam. This would not matter. Well, there were people who were opposed, including myself for example. But it will be dangerous if I do something (wrong) now, and they say that the Islamic government is such. Or, a clergyman, God forbid, does something for them to say that the Islamic government is also like that.

If these people in Iran and abroad, who are now intending on starting a dispute, find something wrong about you, me, the gentlemen, the clergy, the Islamic guards, committees, revolutionary courts, the government all of these, they will magnify it a thousand fold. Even then, they will not ascribe it to me and to the gentlemen; they will blame Islam. Our school is in danger at present. Our school was intact when the regime was there while we ourselves were in danger. It would not have mattered if in the days of the taghout we had fought them and been killed; it would have been a defeat for us. If a clergyman did something wrong in the days of the taghout, they would not blame Islam. They would say that the cleric was a SAVAKi; they would not ascribe the act to Islam. At present, if the guards, whether you or we, commit an impropriety, those people who intend to put an end to our school; to put the shutters on Islam, will pick up their pens and write, indirectly here and explicitly abroad, by which our school will suffer a defeat in the world one day. The downfall of the school would be a great disaster. The responsibility nowadays of the clergy, the Islamic guards, the Islamic government, the head of the council of Islamic ministers and the prime minister of Islam is not as it was before. The responsibility now is great. The responsibility lies in this that if we do something (improper); the clergy, God forbid, does something; some offenses occur in the committees and the revolutionary courts; if the Islamic guards or the people do something (wrong) and if the bazaar not be Islamic, these people, then, who are intending to take issue with us and are looking intently at us, will do something in order to destroy the very essence of our school; that is, for Islam to be buried forever. This is the tragic part of it. Otherwise, getting killed is not a disaster. Well, our young people were killed. They were killed for the sake of Islam; they were martyred. May it be auspicious for them. But the destruction forever of the school is crucial. Safeguard it.

O my brothers, the Islamic guards! O our dear ones! Do not do something lest it be written that Islam is like this; that these people (the guards) are also like the SAVAK is. O the clergymen! The clergy should not, now that they have gained power, they gather some armed people around them and do something that would discredit Islam. If today a clergyman commits an unprincipled act, the people that want to tarnish our reputation will say that the akhounds are like this; that it is now the dictatorship of the clergy! Do not give the people an excuse. The one who is a dictator is not a Muslim. The clergy is not dictator. The one who is a dictator is not a clergyman. But it is being written that these ones are just the same; at that time it was the SAVAK, now it is the Islamic guard. A misdeed should not, at anytime, be, God forbid, committed by us, the clergy and the committees. They are the organs of the Islamic country now. We claim that we now have an Islamic country. These people who act in the name of the Islamic courts, the Islamic committees and, I should say, the Islamic guards and the clergy should realize that the present period is unlike the former one when any wrongdoing on your part or mine would be attributed to you or to me. The present situation is such that any wrong move, God forbid, made by us would be attributed to Islam.

So much for our enemies. The Saints of God and God, the Blessed and Exalted, are watching over us. We have an" observer". «1» God is our Observer. The divine angels are our observers. That is, they are watching over us. Do not do something wrong for the report of your misdeed to be sent to the Imam of the Time (`a) and for the angels who take the report there tell him that these are the kind of guards you have. This would be the cause of his humiliation considering his affection for you.

Sir, the matter is important. It is not one of killing and carnage. Our uprising; our movement is not taghouti. It is a humane movement; a humane uprising. It is an Islamic movement. We wish to abide by the Book and the Sunnah. Your actions should conform to them. If at any time the report of a clergyman's deed is delivered to the Imam of the Time (`a), and the divine angles tell him," This is the type of clergyman you have; these are the kind of Islamic guards you have," and he gets embarrassed, God forbid, that he lose his affection for you.

Just imagine if the son of this immaculate gentleman does something wrong how ashamed that person would be. He would feel ashamed if his servant did a wrong thing. All of us are (his) servants. There are expectations of us, and of you.

This is the time for you to safeguard Islam. You must safeguard it. Safeguarding Islam means that you must modify your actions, behave well with the people, treat the people in a brotherly manner and not be dismissive of them. The past regimes used to consider the people as being apart from them. They were on one side and the people on the other. They used to crush the people, and the people, too, would crush them if they could. Today, the people are not apart from the guards of Islam. The Islamic government is not separate from the people. It is one with the people; it is of these people and these masses. You, too, are of these people and these masses. Do not do anything that will make them afraid of you. Do something to attract them to yourselves, to be kind to you and support you. A government that enjoys the people's support will not collapse. If a nation supports a regime, that regime will not be dismantled. The reason that caused the former regime to be overthrown was that it had no support; it did not have the people's backing. The nation turned its back on it; in fact, the nation itself drove it out. When the Allies drove Rida Shah out, the people rejoiced though they were in danger and their lives were in peril! It was a foreign army, an alien one. The armies that invaded Iran were foreigners, but because they took Rida Khan away the people were happy. We were also aware of this happening among the people. When this man also departed, you saw how happy the people were. It was because he lacked support. Do not do something for the people to wish that the Islamic guards had never existed! We should not do something for the people to wish that the clergy had no part in the affairs of the country. The matter is important. The matter is not that I or the gentlemen be cast aside. The matter is that Islam is in danger. Our situation today is such.

May everybody, God willing, pay attention to Islam and the duties of safeguarding it. This profession is a very noble one and carries great responsibility. You are awake until morning in protecting the people. It is for God. You put yourselves in danger for this purpose. What is there that is greater than this. But do something for God to accept you, and these efforts of yours, God forbid, not be wasted. And that is by fulfilling your guard duties, and also by keeping watch over yourselves. Guard yourselves against this satanic army which invades a person's self. Do not allow it (to overcome you). Expel it; abandon it. Do not let the devil tempt you, and you, God forbid, do something by which you will lose your reward. The reward God has kept for you is great. Do not lose it.

I hope that all the ranks of this nation will enjoy well-being, welfare and prosperity under the banner of Islam. If Islam materializes, such things as one being black or white, a Kurd or Lor, «2» a clergyman or something else will not exist. Piety is the criterion. If Islam takes effect, one will only have to fear himself; not the government. Nobody will be afraid of the Islamic army, the gendarmerie, the police or the Islamic guards. Everybody will have to fear himself lest his deeds are bad.

I hope that Islam will be implemented in Iran in the way we want, and God, the Blessed and Exalted, wants. There will be no difference between a border-dweller and one who resides in the central regions; between a Persian and a Turk; Arab and non-Arab; Kurd and non-Kurd. Islam does not differentiate between them. All of them will obtain their rights. I pray to God for the welfare and prosperity of everybody. May God protect all the people and grant them victory.