Speech [Aim of the taghouti regime: leading the youth astay; elucidation of the characteristic features of the Council of Experts]r

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

In the midst of your statements you mentioned" 2,500- Year Old Culture". In the 2,500- year wrong culture of the taghouti regime, and the fifty odd years that we understood; and the ten to fifteen years that you who are young have understood, all their efforts were concentrated on deviation. They wanted to lead the manpower and the youth power astray, or preoccupy them with things that are irrelevant to living. So many centers of corruption; so many centers of prostitution; so many addictions; so many centers of learning that were in conflict with education, and corrupting- all of these did not occur accidentally on their own. They had plans according to which they have operated.

The plan was not to allow the active manpower of this country to develop and to continue with its humane activity. Thus, by various means, with various and extensive programs they attempted to thwart our human resources from developing. They were afraid of our manpower. Basically, they are afraid of human beings. They have experienced that in the past when at times a single person was found who confronted them and thwarted them from freely acquiring their interests. Thus, their programs- of the foreigners who want to exploit us- was to prevent a human being from being found; and better still, it was to lead our youth astray from the path that they must tread; to attract them toward vice; to pull them toward a cinema that showed vice. From the time that a youth would wake up in the morning and tunes in the radio, it was music; as soon as he switched on the television set it showed those horrible scenes that again kept his eyes and ears engaged. As soon as he would leave home, his destination would either be the seaside with those facilities, or to the centers that made those vices available easily and cheaply; and get him to form a habit for these matters that are lustful; matters that corrupt the mind of human beings. All these were done to prevent them from thinking on affairs which they are in need of. If our youth would be habituated in such a way that their minds would constantly be preoccupied with things that are shown on the screen and those things that they hear over the radio and those things that have been made for them in foreign countries, all their minds would be focused on those issues- the lustful issues. At night when he returns home, he goes to sleep thinking of those issues; when he dreams at night, he also dreams of those issues. When he awakens, the first thing that enters his mind is the same issue. When he goes to work or after some chore, his attention is focused on when it will be the time to pursue those issues. Such a creature cannot think seriously on issues. Basically, it does not strike him to go after serious matters. A mind that has been reared in this manner cannot at all think on the issue of the day and think of crucial and serious subjects; all his thinking is focused on those lustful and carnal issues; this was a plan. This did not occurred on its own that in our country the youth should be wasted in such a manner or for the youth to have done these things. This is a vast subject that in addition to the other issues that they have, it is a vast subject that was designed to close the ears and eyes of our youth from the crucial issues and divert them to other issues. Apart from the subject of the newspapers; apart from the subject of the magazines with the condition that you know of, and likewise, wherever you open your ears you shall see that those issues are present. Once upon a time in Tehran I would sometimes cross the street; all along the way there was music. In all the shops the sound of music could be heard; likewise, through and through there was music; it would constantly benumb the mind. They would draw your attention to these things lest you think about those issues that concerned your living; that concerned the issues of humanity; that concerned the independence of your country; lest you pay attention to these issues- and this is how it is. They also succeeded that in the course of these fifty and some years; except on rare occasions that too with very few people- the rest paid absolutely no attention to these subjects.

On the other hand was the widespread propaganda to alienate the clergy from the issues of the day. They had engaged in such a propaganda that when I first came to Qum- the very first or second year- the situation in Qum was such that one of the clergymen who was an authority would be ridiculed by the people saying that newspapers was found in his home! They considered the presence of newspapers in the house of a clergy as a flaw. They would say that such and such priest is" political"! They would taunt that such and such akhound «2» was" political". They would alienate the clergymen, restrict them to those personal matters and would always alienate them from social and political issues. The propaganda also was such that if an akhound wanted to intervene in these affairs, he would be afraid of the people; he would be insulted; he would be replaced- this is how they had made it. This too was a big plan for alienating the clergymen from the concerns of the day. Yet one bigger plan was to separate the clergy from the university; because all of these do not appear to be accidental; all of these were plans that they had made in order to exploit the resources and that no one should protest.

Separating the clergymen from the university students was echoed with the clergymen in such a way that the university students were treated as a bunch of hip, and so on and so forth. To the students they would say that the akhounds were a bunch of courtiers! They would separate these two strata from each other. They would not only divide but also make them enemies; one would say badly about the other; and that one would say something bad about this one. By means of propaganda wars they would separate these two groups from one another. There were plans for this division; it would be put into action at the onset of the month of Ramadan when it is the time for gatherings and at the onset of the month of Muharram when it was the time for gatherings. They would make plans- we the miserable and unaware- that throughout the blessed month of Ramadan the people would quarrel with each other over the plans from the pulpits. The university students would launch an attack on them while they would do the same to the university students. Throughout the blessed month of Ramadan they would keep them busy with issues that were unrelated to the matters of the day and living while they would sit at the side and laugh at us. We were in this way unaware of the daily issues and unaware of their ominous designs. This too was a big issue that they had created; and many issues like this.

Now we must think of these issues; both the strata of clergymen and the university and student echelon as well as the rest of the strata. We must think that now that they feel, they have witnessed that this coming together of the people must be broken and they were not able to resist because of the unity of expression of the society with all the seriousness that America openly and Britain openly and the Soviet Union too tried to sustain this source of corruption; they were not able to keep him in power and have come to know that it was because the various strata united together and the objective of all of them also was a rule based on justice; and were united on this issue of truth; now we are in greater need to protect ourselves and be prepared. Previously, they would however, do everything; but they had the general issues in mind- that maybe they come together; maybe these two intellectual strata consisting of the clergy and the university students unite together; maybe the masses of the people join them- there was" maybe" involved and on these" maybes" all these plans were based! Now they feel and in this movement they saw explicitly what the issue was; they saw that all the powers were weakened opposite the power of faith and congregation of the people on an Islamic subject; now there are more nefarious plots involved; now we must be more vigilant. We should not be under the impression that since we have now smashed this barrier, it is over. Now they are busy making preparations. Societies, associations and individuals that basically were not friendly with each other; groups that had no connection with one another have now linked together and are linking. You should read the newspapers; on these subjects of the constitution and experts, you can see what groups have come together in order to elect their candidates.

Make sure that your candidates are Islamic. We want to build an Islamic country. We do not wish to build a Western country. The laws of an Islamic country must be Islamic. Those whom you elect for their expertise and their abilities must be experts on Islamic matters. It is like we want to treat an ill person; should we bring a jurist because he is a jurist to treat that person?! He must be a physician to be able to diagnose. A jurist, too, however expert a jurist he is, cannot be an expert on medicine. We want to have an Islamic law; an Islamic republic. That these youth of ours poured into the streets and defeated those was because of their attachment to Islam otherwise if we were to erase the word" Islam", you think the people were foolish to go and face tanks and guns? People go for Islam. At the dawn of Islam, the Islamic soldiers would sacrifice their lives for Islam, meaning that they had no regard for danger; they would not regard it as a danger for themselves because they would not regard death as being a danger. Our youth had become like them and still are.

Even now, at times, perhaps once every few days, someone comes and whispers in my ears to pray for him so that he becomes a martyr. The youth have come on to the field in this manner. This feeling, this humane feeling and Islamic feeling has enabled us to triumph. And on the basis of this feeling, the people gave their blood. Now, after having reached here, should we come and prepare an American constitution; draft a European constitution; draft a Western constitution and waste the blood of our youth! This is now in your own hands. This law is a draft constitution. A draft is nothing. You must vote on it. You must review it.

It is important that the experts be Islamic, trustworthy, and Muslim, devoted, not be inclined toward the West and the East, and not be under the influence of the East and West and must not be under the influence of deviant doctrines. Those whom you want to elect must not be under the influence of the doctrine of Marxism or, for instance, similar doctrines. The Council of Experts that you want to establish must be composed of individuals that have expert knowledge of the commandments of Islam; and are trustworthy individuals; and are individuals who are not under the influence of deviant doctrines; and are individuals who are sympathetic toward this nation; and are individuals who are sympathetic toward Islam. You must appoint such individuals who are experts and knowledgeable and informed of the present circumstances so that, God willing, they review and prepare a constitution that is in keeping with the desire of the entire nation, which is a constitution that is not opposed to Islam and nothing in it is contrary to Islam. Then, it should be put to a referendum and the entire people must vote on it and give their opinion so that the constitution is an approved one.

May God protect all of you, grant you success, and make us all the servants of Islam.