Speech [Construction of the country in coordination with the nation and the government]

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

After this revolution that emerged victorious, thank God, and our great nation took the first step, among the works performed by the nation, I greatly like the Reconstruction Jihad. Whenever TV showed the brothers and sisters from all classes being engaged in some effort for their country, I felt a sense of delight. Note that you should not constantly see if the government or organizations would do so and so. They are busy doing things, but they cannot do to the extent Iran needs. Iran is yours and you should build it. If the entire nation does not endeavor in reconstruction efforts, the works would left behind. To expect that first a group takes action so that we would follow suit or expect no sabotage is naive. You know that in very nook and cranny certain people are prepared to work sabotage. It is the nation to perform the works. For example, notice that formerly in the previous regime all they did was empty words, among them campaign against illiteracy. Only when they left was it clear that they made no campaign. Yes, what they did was sapping the progress of literacy. They did not learn the illiterates how to read and write. If the nation waits for the government to do it, the government cannot. Now, we have around, I have no precise information, 80 or perhaps 60 or 65 or so illiterates. I am not in the know, but I know that there are many illiterates. In Afghanistan there are less illiterates than Iran that should be in command of these matters. By literacy I mean the very ability to read and write. We want the entire Iran to be literate; we don't expect all to become doctors, because this seems unreasonable. Likewise, we don't expect all to become engineers. We want all the people to be able to write what they mean and sign. When I was in Najaf, I occasionally made a pilgrimage to the holy shrine. Once I saw Afghan pilgrims coming to say written prayers; all Opened the prayers book and began reading from the book. Perhaps among the 30 or 40 Afghanis who were there only one could not read from the book. Perhaps he had finished saying his prayers. All were reading from the book.

They were from low classes. Anyhow, we wish this problem would be settled through the efforts of all. If you wait for the government to enable people to read and write, it cannot. Again, we would follow the previous regime in its rhetoric. The government has taken action, so has the education ministry; they have taken good measures. Nevertheless, the problem is not one that they can settle it alone. So is the Reconstruction Jihad. Reconstruction of a country that has lost everything and is ruined, it is not possible for the government to do the job. Nor is it possible for a certain layer to do it. People should regard the government to be theirs and all work to build a flourished country,

However, what is now important is that there are hands at work to take away our resources. Since I am worried about it, I have repeatedly highlighted this for persons coming here. Again I would like to reiterate the subject. There are hands mostly from America, the Soviet Union and othr places gazing their covetous eyes on our country. They want us to work and they take away our treasures. Now their hands have been virtually curtailed and will hopefully remain so for good. They are now contemplating to withhold Iran from being stabilized and setting up a well framed system. Everywhere, for instance, in the Reconstruction Jihad, people are found infiltrating. They are found in university as well; they are everywhere. In factories there are many of them. It appears to me that it is a scheme and plot to vitiate Iran's stability and order. They go into the army and disturb proper exercise of discipline. They go into the gendarmerie obstructing measures to practice discipline. So is the situation with regard to the police, IRGC, university and everywhere. They are present everywhere and have schemes for this purpose. It appears to me that their scheme is to deal a blow to us from within, inciting us to mount commotion, disregard order, give rise to differences and generate chaos. They want us to break into the houses of people and loot the houses, appropriate the people's lands and gardens and take away everyone's property. In the absence of law or stability, they would be able to do whatever they like. The enemies of Islam in abroad would magnify and exaggerate the events in their media. They will enlarge an incident so great as to focus the chaos in Iran. They want to show Iran like an infant who needs one to take care of till he attains maturity. Such it seems to me. This is a probable design. To reflect in abroad that Iran cannot administer by itself. All groups are adversaries to one another. Everywhere is chaos. So someone should administer the affairs in Iran. They want a ground to be coup d'etat if they so decide. To make a military invasion if they like. They will give a reason to it that they did so to save a nation. A nation which was unable to protect itself, we did a favor to them. We have to find a guardian, a caretaker for this infant.

None of the revolutions that have taken place in the world is better than the Iranian revolution. After each revolution, one million or half a million people were killed. A list is given to me. I see after every revolution, the casualties were one million and one million and a half. Two million were imprisoned. You see whenever a revolution or a coup d'etat or anything else has happened, all the outlets are closed. Airports are closed. Newspapers are held up so that nothing should be written or known. A complete suffocation is created for the people. An extraordinary suffocation like one that was previously. Sometimes if one won the coup he used to carry out the massacres. Everyone if supposed or doubted that he could be something, he was immediately killed. Even a whole town they used to massacre. Now look at our revolution. It is an Islamic one. It is from the people. It is not for the sake of power that one power vanquishes the other power. In other words: a military force against another military force. None of such things were in our revolution. The text, the contents of the campaign was the people themselves.

It sprung from the people embracing men and women. It was Islam that prevailed and persuaded them to do the revolution. When a revolution emanates from people, its aftermath is not devastating. Such killings do not follow. If at all follow, they are few. So you saw after the revolution that all the outlets were open. All the newspapers and parties were set at liberty- an absolute liberty. There was no killing. There was nothing to endanger the people. Yes, we did arrest these who had committed killings and murders. Some were put on trial, and were punished for their crimes. But we did not harvest the people. We did not kill one million. It should be admitted that the revolution of Iran was the calmest one among the revolutions in the world. Other revolutions even after elapse of one or two or three years, did not settle unless was followed. A power should overrun a power. Here is the place where a revolution has happened. The late Qarani «1» told me that the battle lasted only three hours and a half. The nation won over the government and regime within three hours and a half. They wanted to do coup d'etat in Tehran. They had fixed the day too. They announced a day-time curfew. So that the streets should be empty of people. By the will of God, the curfew was broken. Later they told me that the government wanted to take over the streets first and then perform the coup d'etat. But the people crowded into the streets which countered their design. So, the battle between the people and the government lasted only three hours and a half. In the other places you see the wars still going on. In Afghanistan, you see still there is fighting and unrest. It is not yet known as to how long it would continue. The reason is that a coup d'etat is in force. One man fighting against a nation. But here the nation itself has come in the field to expel the enemy. So the nation will not go against itself.

Presently also there are persons amidst this nation who receive inspirations from abroad. They are, indeed, in minority. They know the tones of the people. They can speak in every tone with the people. They are also well versed with the satanic deeds. The nation should be attentive of these things. A plot is quite likely- a plot appears to design that we should fight among ourselves. It is likely that in Jihad also they may do something. They might create differences there. They will not allow the work to progress. They may infiltrate in high schools and in colleges. Wherever they go they will always create for us strikes, less work, tumult, tantalum that to reflect abroad a mal picture of the affairs here. They want to prove abroad that some one should be over our heads to administer the country. We ourselves cannot manage our own affairs. Therefore, the nation should not be blind to these designs. The nation should avoid differences among themselves. Why at all should we differ from one another? For what? Why should we destroy ourselves and that too by our own hands? Those who want to create differences, you please advice them, admonish them. If they do not listen to you then expel them from your company. You don't give a reason to believe that this nation is not worthy of liberty. Now that it is set at liberty, see how they are behaving among themselves. A nation not worthy of freedom needs a Rida Khan. So they may not go after finding a Rida Khan for you. They do have Rida Khans in reserve. They will bring our Rida Khan under a name of nationalist. They keep such ones under a mask of nationalist for twenty to thirty years. Whatever they want, they will get it done by the man whom they will bring. These matters the nation should pay attention to. Today is very sensitive time for the nation. We want to appoint a president of republic. You see they have become busy in designing plots, in carrying sabotages. You saw in Qum. In Azarbayjan also the tumult and turbulence is going on. They will create still more disturbances tomorrow when you send your representatives to parliament. So the nation should be careful not give them any excuse to reflect to the outside world that these Iranians cannot tolerate one another. So you should stop these things. The slogans or writings or conversations which might cause differences should be stopped. It is not in our good or in our interest to shout or give slogans against this or that. You should act towards stability. Let the government first get settled. There are only two steps. Let us take these two steps- one is to appoint a president and the other is to send the representatives to the parliament. I do not desire to meddle in the affairs. I do not want to intervene. So it is the nation to be careful and attentive. Elect your representatives among the good ones, virtuous ones, religious ones, nationalists but neither leftists nor rightists. Among such ones you should choose your representatives. Likewise, the president too. The main pressing thing is to avoid whatever becomes a ground for differences. You should rebuild Iran. Iran today is in need of work and rebuilding.

May God protect you, the youths. You are courageous and have high will. This is reflected in the Reconstruction Jihad. You take pain. But this is for God. You don't think it goes waste. Each step you take ahead, it is safe with God. Don't think that you are wasting your energy. Yes, energy goes in vain when it is not for God's sake. This rebuilding, God willing, will build you too as God has commanded. God sent Prophets for this errand. This holy war (jihad) of building envelops a holy war with self. May God give you all prosperity and support you. I pray for you. I am a well-wisher of you as well as a servant to you. Be healthy, God willing.