Speech [Sovereignty of the canons of Islam; the main objective of the movement]

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

In this call to march, it was not that we thought it probable that our nation had turned back from the Revolution; it was in order that the ill-wishers would know that our movement has remained strong as ever; and that our nation remain as committed and zealous as they were at the beginning of the Revolution and shall remain till the very end. We called them to march so that the people would prove that our movement remains as strong as ever. We do not consider it probable for the nation to turn back from Islam; and the ill-wishers should not imagine that the Muslim nation will turn its back on Islam. The movement is not a political movement that there would be a chance that people become indifferent to it. The movement is a Qur'anic movement; it is an Islamic movement and this Islamic movement shall remain so until the end. Our call was not because we considered the movement to have slackened. Everyday we are witnessing the demonstrations of the people; we wanted to make the ill-wishers understand that they should sit in their own place and not be under the impression that these talks and plots can divert the people from their chosen path.

I thank the nation and pray to God, the Blessed and Exalted, for the happiness of all. I call upon them to continue the movement and call them to be calm and to be united. Our movement triumphed and shall be triumphant to the end. Just as our movement defeated the big powers, it shall bury these weak roots. The day when we come to know that the conspiring enemies do not do away with obstinacy, in a single day we shall recite their funeral song.

We have reached here with decisiveness and we shall advance with decisiveness and we shall implement the Islamic objectives with decisiveness. We started this movement in order that Islam and the canons of Islam and the Qur'an and the commandments of the Qur'an rule over our country; and that no law stands opposite the law of Islam and the Qur'an- and it will not stand. The movement is Islamic and the contents of an Islamic movement must be Islamic; and the tenets of Islam must be implemented throughout the country; and all strata must become Islamic. Our nation gave its blood for Islam and it shall continue with its movement for Islam.

Our constitution must be Islamic; and if a single letter of it is not Islamic, in that case I shall give my verdict and not the nation. Our nation is totally Islamic and all are devoted to Islam and want that our constitution should be Islamic. They shall elect those who have faith in Islam; and who regard the religion of Islam to be progressive; they shall elect those who are trustworthy; they shall elect those who are knowledgeable of Islam. Those who are not devoted to Islam; those who do not want the canons of Islam to be implemented in Iran, even if they are scholars and writers will not be elected by our nation. Those who imagine that with their devilish plans they can find a way to subvert the constitution from its Islamic channel are mistaken. All Muslims continue with their living under the banner of Islam and under the banner of monotheism and under the shelter of the Qur'an. Those who were under the impression that this movement has lost steam after it has reached here and that people are no longer focused on Islam saw that it was not so; they saw the recent demonstration- and any day that we decide to call them to rally, all are ready. Various strata cannot cause the majority of our votes to be diverted. I request all the classes, all the fronts, all the parties to come to a consensus on their candidates.

Islam is better than the rest of the doctrines for all; it was Islam that liberated you from the burden of oppression; it was Islam that freed you from the prisons; it was Islam that pulled you out of oblivion; it was Islam that brought you inside from outside; it was Islam that liberated you and freed your pens; do not misuse this freedom and be grateful to Islam; all should unite together; nominate the candidates together. If the candidates are un-Islamic, you will be routed in disgrace.

I pray to God, the Blesses and Exalted, for the health and happiness of all the strata of the nation; and I ask all of you to traverse this path together. If you want the independence of the country; if you want the amputation of the hands of the enemies; if you want to be free; if you want the country to belong to yourselves; then come together all of you under the banner of Islam and the command of" And hold fast, all of you together, to the cable of Allah, and do not separate." «3» Obey the call of God and shun that which He has forbidden. He has enjoined that all must cling together to" the cable of Allah". The cable of Allah is Islam. The straight path is Islam. The rope linking the truth and mankind is Islam. Cling firmly to Islam. Do not be divided among yourselves; do not divide into groups in order for your country to become independent; in order for you to be free. Be grateful to Islam that brought you out from darkness. I thank all the groups that have come from the surrounding regions; from Rafsanjan and the rest of the places. I thank the `ulama' of Rafsanjan for taking the trouble of coming here. And I thank the entire nation for continuing with the uprising with zeal and fervor- and they will continue with it.

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