Speech [Strong protest against the absence of reform and progress in the various affairs of the country]

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

We are at the threshold of the blessed birth of Imam Mahdi. So I congratulate all the Muslims and the oppressed people of the world and the Iranian nation, and even you- dear sisters and brothers- on this great feast. I wish from God the health and happiness of all Muslims and the oppressed ones against the arrogant tyrants. I left the prison after 15 th Khordad. I became aware of the incidents that had happened. I came to Qum. I confronted some who had lost their dear ones. I did not think that these scenes I witness would entail me. That time, I considered the wounded ones and the martyrs of 15 th of Khordad as a great historical event. It was a heavy load upon me. When I was confronted by those who had lost their dear ones, a sort of distress and depression took me. I did not know that I might confront brothers and sisters who had lost their kith and kin. So now we have to face the families of martyrs and wounded ones. These families are all over Iran. I should beg pardon of all because we could not and cannot compensate the havoc you have endured, which was havoc for the whole country. We are unable even to present condolences to you. But at the threshold of the birth of Imam Mahdi, I present my condolences to him and pray to God to near the holy appearance of the Imam. Let him come. We should see the elegance of his sacred person. He will see you though he is well aware of the things- issues and troubles that hail on us. We are already indebted to the labor you took and your dear ones. The whole country, Iran, is obliged to the youths who pushed the campaign by their closed fists and developed it to the present extent. They are still ready to carry it even further. Have those who are still against you ever seen you? Do they know the havoc and calamity descended on you? They still support the past regime. Their poisonous pen writes in opposition so as to keep the revolution behind. Have they ever thought that how the families of the martyrs who scattered all over the country live? They have lost their dear ones, their nearest ones. What do they say? Why are they opposed? What for? Why do the ministries, the offices, the government departments and institutes, have to answer you? They are already recommended to avoid exchanging paper business in the offices so as to minimize the delay and accelerate work. In spite of such recommendations, they are still on their own track, which is against the revolution. They do not progress in their work, so they set hindrances for you too. Who are they? What do they have to say? Those who are at the helm of affairs, why do they not pay attention to their matters? Why the president of the republic does not intervene in the matter? Why does the revolutionary council not look into the matter? What is wrong with them? What are those affairs that have made them busy and occupied? We are indebted to them. It is they who have made you sit in the present locations of power. Had they not been here, neither I nor you were here. Even the groups which oppugn the campaign could not have been here. Those who are anti campaign, their entity is quite evident and their dealings quite different. But you who are pro campaign, with the campaign, and in our camp, why don't you check these departments and offices while the administration lie in your hands? These ministries and these ministers who are under their administration, what do they say? Don't they believe in Islam? Or don't they have competency at work? Can't they check the people who create setbacks for these disabled ones, for the martyrs' families? Don't they know that such a thing and such a behavior or such a tendency should not exist at all? Don't they know that Iran is indebted to them? Don't they understand that it were they who wiped out the cursed regime of Shah and brought you to power?

What is the situation in the country? What is going on in this country? I don't know. It is not possible to convince the people only by words. It cannot be. The marks and the signs of Shah still exist on the papers. I don't understand what these men are? The hospitals, the memorandums, the office stationary- still all these are related to Shah. If you belong to Shah, tell us so. We shall see to it. I shall tell the nation what to do with you or how to deal with you. If you don't belong to Shah then why do you not take out these old brands and marks? These people who are corrupt and still exist in the offices, why are they not out? Why are they still continuing to be in the offices? Should they be there to spoil our youths? I don't know what the position of this country is. It is twenty years that the deprived nation, is laboring hard, submitting innumerable martyrs on the day of 15 th of Khordad. Now again we have to face such fifteens of Khordad! They have attained martyrdom. For how long should we confront the sad, gloomy and melancholy faces? How long should the nation of Iran wait that you may get rid of the difficulties, which you claim to have? Iran should wait for how long? And you, when will the nation perform the reformation or amend the things? Now it is more than a year and a half that has elapsed since the revolution and there still exist the marks of Shah. Tell us if you are from the Shah's regime. If these signs and marks of the Shah are not abolished till ten days' time, I will tell the nation to do the same thing with you as it did with the very Shah himself. I am keeping quiet. It is a long time and I am silent. I want them to solve the troubles. But I see they don't pay any attention at all. Why should they not be mindful? Why does the Revolutionary Council not care about these matters? Why is the president of the republic not attentive towards these things? You'd better act a little upon what you say. You are all against the Shah's regime. All those at the top are against the Shah and the previous system. I know them. They are Islamic. But they are too lenient. I don't understand why and what for is so many leniencies. Two to three days ago, they brought a certain thing to me. It was a memorandum. It carried the Shah's mark and brand. In the Foreign Ministry and the other ministries, this should be mended. It cannot go on like this. If they cannot, let them quit the office and their job. We shall find people who can. It they are able, then why don't they act?

I apologize to you. I beg pardon from the nation of Iran. I apologize to those mothers who have lost their sons. I apologize to these brothers who lost their dear relatives and near ones. I also beg forgiveness from the army personnel who lost their youths. I apologize to these guards who lost their youths, brothers and other dear and near ones. I am so feeble in performance, that I cannot mend the things or set them right. Therefore, I do apologize to Imam Mahdi and the Prophet and against the nation of Iran. I reiterate my apologizes to the army, the armed forces, the guards, and once again to the nation that I could not do a thing for you. We are week. We are involved and entangled in paper work the office routine demands- a long and tortuous process and nothing else. We are bound into the marks and signs of the Shah. This country is still that of Shah's. Our ministries are still those of tyrant. We could not amend them though they should have been amended at once and without delay. If they are not mended, we do the things which are possible.so that they may know what they are doing against these havocs and calamities. May God preserve your honor before Imam Mahdi. You should not be depressed and be in distress. God and Imam Mahdi are at your support. May God bestow power to the nation of Islam and particularly to the Iranian nation to enable us to act upon the Islamic errands. May God make us so powerful to stand against the Satan and the enemies of Islam and its aims.

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