Speech [The sanctity of the job of physicians and nurses]

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

Man is free in choosing a job or any of the kinds. He is a free creature from the very creation. Islam too has extended him liberty. But, it is men themselves who differ with one another in their choice. This difference is emanated from the difference, which the self is at. The decorum which inside the bosoms of men varies with one another giving a cause to the taste to differentiate. One chooses theft as his profession. The other makes pillage his job. Some select drugs selling as their business. The choice or selection here is because of the freedom in it or for it. There is neither restriction nor prohibition in the choice. When freedom is in question, the propensity of self lists there to and there on. So here freedom is dirigible by self as per its own desire and dictation. The self of men varies with one another in the world as per the creation they have had. As a man grows up in an environment- the type of his growth and the type of the environment contributes in the variation or difference. You see in some environment, the man is brought up in an atmosphere not humane. In some other environment, one is brought up in the moral of humanity. Among all the professions, the most sacred one is that of a doctor. If the doctors be particular of their human obligations and work for mankind, it becomes too noble a job. It becomes a worship.

Likewise, the nursing. It is more noble. If one acts for mankind, it is a worship of the first grade. Of course, it enfolds responsibilities too which creep into the job of doctors and that of nurses. All the classes that work in hospitals have responsibilities. Doctors should not work to garner wealth or worldly profits. Such should not be the case. They should perform duty taking in view human beings who are the creatures of God. If so, their job will attain the status of worship. The profit that their job would yield will be the profit attained by worship. God forbid, if they happen to be devious or perverted, another deviation could become the cause of the danger to life of a patient. Then the doctor is a criminal. His crime will not differ with the crimes that the SAVAK used to do. Or even worse than that. The same case is with the nurses. Nursing a patient is a very difficult task. But at the same time, it is too worthy too. If one treats a patient with love, in a brotherly or sisterly care and affection, this human duty will become divine and a worship of utmost value. You be aware that your job is a noble one. On the other hand, it carries a heavy responsibility too. The responsibility is such that you yourself alone can fact it. To express kindness and love to a patient is very necessary because a patient is in need of love more than the need of medicine. A patient who leaves his house for a hospital, he sees himself a stranger. If the nurses treat him gently, politely in a brotherly or sisterly tenderness, the patient will be relieved of the painful feeling of a stranger. He will enjoy a relief and comfort. This comfort in his spirit will help his early recovery.

Furthermore, it is a help to the doctor and to a nurse. You should be mindful to not pollute this job. From the aspect of profit and the worldly gain, you deprive yourself from a divine reward while you have labored too. Why should your toil go in vain? You make your job a divine one, a Godly one. In that case, you too will earn a reward. You be mindful of this thing that the patients are in a gloom. They are in a melancholy and atrabilious. You should show sympathy to them. You should be kind towards them that they may feel themselves at home. You job would gain a sense, a meaning, and a worth.

We witnessed people in this world who choose very bad jobs. For instance, you see in Kurdistan, there are some groups obedient to the foreigners. They betray their own country. They also betray people in their own homeland who are from themselves, acquainted to them and known to them. To make people uneasy, they classify them. You already saw during this period the crimes they committed, the plunders they made, the pillage they perpetrated. They claim that they are fiends of the people. They say they support the people. But on the other hand, they burn their corn fields. They set fire to their one year long toil. They destroy the peoples' houses. Now as they defeated in their errand, according to reports, they have taken up trouncing, torturing and troubling people besides the fetid and flucent things.

One selects to a guard. One chooses to be a gendarme. One prefers to join the military. If they attend their respective jobs, if they act humanly within their jobs, they will see themselves as servants to the people, to Islam, to their country. In that case their jobs will equal to worship. If, God forbid, get killed, it will be martyrdom to them. People who are killed in Kurdistan among the guards, military gendarmerie, and regrettably, they are many. It is a cause for my sorrow, that a group should be so away from humanity. Military personnel, guards, have gone there to protect them, their properties, and the country. And they kill them. They claim that they will go to the frontiers to protect the borders. But not only they do not go but also they even do not let the military to go there. The frontiers are in danger. What type of men are they? How far one should be sorry for them? What a growth they have attained. They are turned bestial and wild. Advice has no effect on them. The very first day I advised them when I saw these things. I also recommended the heads of army, the gendarme to treat them tenderly and deal with them humanely. I laid stress upon not using force against them. I was mindful of the existence of innocent persons in those regions. But the forces when restrained a little towards them, they attacked the forces. They are always after a trick or a cheat. They are always very much concerned to betray their covenants. They are always desirous to pave way to foreigners- either America or the Soviet Union. There is no difference between these two to them. What type of people are they? I am sorry as to why a man should be depraved to such an extent. Why should they be of so bad an intention and bad will? They should put into trouble the people of their own stock, or their own land, or their own country. Why should they create so much damage? They want to destroy their own country and surrender it to the enemies of Islam and Iran. I am sorry as to why they are not men in reality? Another sorrow that has gripped me is about those who are killed. They are martyrs in the way of Islam. Their number is great either. Those who are killed in Kurdistan and its surroundings are many in number. Daily I am reported that such and such place, so and so is killed. This is a cause of sorrow and regret. On the other hand, a cause for pride too because the Islamic campaign has brought such a change in some people who were never in the affairs of fighting now they are so suddenly changed. They have become fighters. They fought in the way of Islam. They have sacrificed their life. They have presented martyrs. They themselves are after martyrdom. Although I am very much regretted and sorry for the dear ones who were killed, and we miss them, but I am proud of this change that has happened in them.

Thanks God, they have performed their religious duties. They gave up their life in the way of God. God will grant them in the next world whatever they like because they too have given what they had. So, God gives them their desires.

I again return to you, sisters and brothers. You should be advertent to preserve the laws of Islam in the environment you work there. This is an Islamic country. This is a Republic of Islam. A change should happen in all the aspects. As I see in you a spiritual change has occurred. Similarly, in your deeds also, a change should take place. There should not be any retreat from divine standards. All those who are in your hands and under your care, should be treated with tenderness and love. I mean the doctors, the nurses and all the categories that work here. All should be sympathetic towards a patient. Your service will attain the highest worth and esteem. Yes, it is a difficult service- nursing and being a doctor- but very much noble, indeed, if the obligations of the job are acted upon. I wish good for all of you. Whatever comes of me, I will do and that is I pray for your patients, and for the doctors and for the nurses. I pray for all the inhabitants of the country. May God preserve you in health, happiness and comfort.

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