Speech [Islam's prestige depends on the deeds and words of the responsible authorities]

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

Teachers must also be the teachers of morals concerning the tasks that have to be carried out. At present, our country requires that the teaching be done and also that morals be taught to those in their care. The present situation is such that we are at a fork in the road. One way is to show Islam and the Islamic Republic to the people of the world so as to make them aware of our claim of intending to establish a government of justice and a republic based on Islamic criteria. The enemies are concentrating on what we are doing. If they see any wrongdoing on our part they will severely criticize the Islamic Republic and us. In other words, Islam's prestige now lies in the nation's hands; more so in your hands and ours. If, God forbid, clergymen and you, the guards, do not act according to our Islamic duties, the enemies that are standing by and watching us in order to find some fault, will raise a hue and cry if they see anything wrong and will multiple it a thousand times. If we or you take a wrong step, these people in Iran itself- not those abroad- who are inimical toward the very idea will blame it. They will not say that a policeman, for instance, entered somebody's house and took something away. They will not say that a clergyman said or did something un-Islamic. They will say that the Islamic Republic is like this.

Today, we stand responsible. That is, I, this gentleman here, every gentleman, cleric and Islamic guard, wherever they be, you gentlemen that are here and all the other individuals of this country have a great responsibility; that of safeguarding Islam. Safeguarding the honor of Islam now depends upon our deeds. We will not be blamed for anything wrong that we do. Our enemies will blame the Islamic Republic. They will say that the Islamic Republic is also like that former regime and does the same things. 

They used to arrest the people without any reason, and these ones, also arrest the people unnecessarily. They used to enter people's houses forcibly, and these ones enter people's houses forcibly as well Suppose that somebody is a hundred percent criminal; one hundred percent. The guards should not force their way into the house of such a criminal and frighten his wife and children. They will attribute this to the republic that we claim is Islamic and just- and this is the truth of the matter- whereas we are to blame for anything wrong that we do; not Islam. We are responsible for our actions; that is, we are responsible before God.

Anything we do that brings disgrace to Islam in the world is the crime of crimes that will not be forgiven nor made good. It is different from our committing an offense that is" between us and God". Well, we can repent for it, and that is the end of the matter. But portraying Islam in a way as to make the world say that this" regime" is also like that of Muhammad Rida, that this cleric is also doing the same things which that colonel then used to do and this Muslim Islamic guard is also doing what that agent of the security apparatus would do, will sully the name of our school for the sake of which the Imams sacrificed their lives in order to safeguard it. The Doyen of the Martyrs who sacrificed his life did not want to rule; he wanted justice to exist. He saw that Mu`awiyah and his son had projected a false image of Islam. He wanted to dispel that wrong idea about Islam which they had been portraying. All of them made sacrifices for the Islam that they had wanted to safeguard. The school remained safe though they, themselves, were killed.

We are now at a point in time when our school is in danger. The enemies are watching us to find some fault with us and blame it on the school; not on us. It would not have mattered much had they blamed us. They would have said that Khomeini is a corrupt person! But it is dangerous if we do something and they say that the school is not the right one. This is their intention.

You now see us demanding an Islamic Republic. A certain group opposed to it says that" republic" itself is enough and that there is no point in having the" Islamic" part of it. Another group says that Islam is of no use now, while yet another group questions the very rationale of Islam. All of these groups are waiting to see us doing something wrong and then blame it on the school. The responsibility of this is apart from that which only concerns me and God, or you and God. A sin which concerns me and God is forgiven by Him when I repent. But in matters relating to Islam, if, God forbid, we perpetrate some act at this time when we are claiming that the former regime was corrupt and that we want to supplant it with a righteous one, and do something wrong as to sully the name of our government, it will not be one of those sins of which I cannot say:" I seek God's forgiveness and return to Him." You are destroying Islam! It would be like Mu`awiyah trying to repent. He destroyed Islam; he cannot repent. God will not accept it.

I advice and entreat you gentlemen to safeguard Islam now as it is the time to do so. Please convey my regards to all the people whom are to go and teach. Please also convey my request to them. The (important) matter now is Islam. This is not the time for such things to be said. Tell them not to abuse the power that has come into our hands now, and to use it for Islam. We will all be responsible for anything contrary that, God forbid, happens. May God protect you, and may you be successful and fine.