Speech [Stability of Islamic system and its not becoming unsettled due to terrorist attacks]

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

Obviously, the program you «1» mentioned is what we want. I hope you will be successful in realizing this program. It shouldn't be like governments at the time of the arrogant kings when one came up with a program and another would come up with its opposite and so on and so forth and in practice nothing was done except oppression and injustice.

One reason for the growth of all our organizations is that your program is the same as that of the former government. You do not need to come up with another program. All of you are united in ensuring the internal security and ideal with the external war. The same is true about economy and attending to affairs of the weaker people which are the greatest act of worship. I hope God will grant success to you in carrying out this program the in short and long term. God willing, you will be successful.

I would like to talk about a few points: one is that all the gentlemen know that almost all corrupt foreign mass media apparatus propagate that Iran is on the verge of collapse, as if it has already fallen apart. We want to see where instability of a country springs from and whether such a thing has happened in Iran or not. Well, one point is that instability comes when a number of dear ones have been murdered. So when the president of a republic gets killed, it becomes clear that this country does not have stability. I knew that some American presidents who were assassinated, yet I enquired to make sure how many. I was told eight had been assassinated, of whom four died. Of these four the last one escaped death. Well eight American presidents in the biggest capitalistic country were killed. So, if a country becomes unstable when its president gets killed, America too should have lost its stability. Well, at his early days after coming to power, Reagan was assassinated. Why America was not thrown into chaos? There is no reason why things should get thrown off balance. These assassinations, whatever they might be, have not changed anything in our country. When a prime minister gets assassinated, the same day another one is appointed; when a president gets assassinated whether at the end of his tenure or earlier, another one is appointed.

Our nation has left behind Khordad 15 when fifteen thousand were, reportedly, martyred and which has gotten over 17 Shahrivar with all the massacre in the Martyrs Square, yet it has not stood aside. Of course, the interval between Khordad is and the time when the revolution was once again accomplished, was a little long. Shahrivar 17 was an important event for us. Tomorrow marks 17 Shahrivar. It was a fateful day for Iran. Those who are not familiar with Islam and with the spirit of the Muslim people thought that everything was finished and people were suppressed and went after their business. Several thousand people were mowed down in Martyrs Square and the movement was crushed. However, we observed the massacre was followed by greater involvement of people. The power of the nation, which is the power of Islam and the divine power, was never shaken; people pursued the movement more vigorously. We see whatever happens, this nation gets more prepared to proceed.

Therefore, if instability is represented by great number of people being killed, on 17 Shahrivar and 15 Khordad several thousands were killed. If it is marked by assassination of top officials, it does not lead to disruption of a country. Of course, we regret the loss of great personalities whom we always remember. A country with a population of thirty million who are all determined and prepared for martyrdom will not disintegrate. When personalities obtain martyrdom, their families, brothers and their small children come and talk to the people and comfort the people. A small child comes and advices the people to keep up the harmony. This is a blessing of Islam that the people are present on the stage. When such is the case, there is no point in saying that instability has overtaken the country. Of course, we have lost a dear one, but another one takes his place or has already taken his place. They want to make a mountain out of a molehill. Whatever event that has happened in Iran has similarly befallen other places. But when it happens in Iran they say that chaos will ensue in Iran. This does not mean that they do not understand; they understand nothing important has happened, but they want to magnify it. The people are comforting us and not the other way round. These people including women, men, the young and old are always present to comfort us and not the other way round.

These events are not things to shake a nation and a government. Our government is now the same as our nation and so is our parliament. If, God forbid, if in other crime the government and the likes of us who are gone, this same nation is there to counter. Nothing can shake our resolution. Our children, women and the millions-strong population do not feel a bit shaky. Of course, they say whatever they want; they are bankrupt and have been destroyed. We do not expect those who have gone bankrupt and escaped to praise us. Let them speak ill of us and misrepresent Islam.

I was thinking of what Islamology was? In the past, if one wrote an essay, he would be called Islamologist. One would be called Islamologist just by writing some articles in a newspaper. If one wrote something about Islamic history, one would be called Islamologist. Some of them were even engaged in burning books, like Kasravi «2». He did not care to claim prophethood. Islamology is swelling up. Even Saddam has become an Islamologist. Mr. Sadat is also among Islamologists, saying that so and so conforms to Islam and so and so contradicts Islam. Lately, Mr. Carter «3» has joined the Islamologists. In one of his tours he said what that dentleman did in Iran was not compatible with Islam! Well, it became clear that we have Islamologists who add to the scope of Islamology. Tomorrow, Begin «4» will also become an Islamologist. Perhaps, he has already become so! It is constantly said that so and so is not consistent with Islam. Well, you who do not know whether Islam is spelled Izlam or Islam, what do you have to do with Islam? You write a book and then claim to be Islamologist and know Islam. Another one writes an essay and claims to be Islamologist. Those who have lived eighty or seventy years with Islam do not know Islam, while Mr. Carter and his friends know Islam.

Anyhow, these natural happen in revolutions. The foreign and domestic groups that have sustained a loss should, of course, speak unfavorably. We should not expect those who have been defeated and left the country to write in our favor. We should not expect American newspapers and others to write favorably about us. Well, they have been driven out and lost their interests. Well, we should not expect those whom you have stripped of their interests to write articles in our favor. The nation took away all American interests. Now, the king is gone and they cannot export half a pound of oil from our country. So do other countries that have lost their interests. These countries should obviously insult us. If one day they write well of us, that time we will have trouble.

Once I said that they do not understand; if they did, they would have come to praise one who is held in esteem by people. This he would lose all value and esteem before people. If Begin insults us, our value would perhaps increase in the eyes of people. If Saddam Begin or others talk bad about our government, I would say they have the right. Saddam wanted to seize our country in three or four days. Now it is a year and he is increasingly losing and we are pushing ahead. God willing, we will advance more. When Saddam sees that all his prestige hinges on doing something and working out a peace to serve him as a cover, but Iran refuses to negotiate unless he steps down, he must obviously be an enemy and say that they have killed five thousand people. Just the other day when he was disgracefully defeated in two or three places, he said that they killed five thousand Iranians and did this and that. Well, if he does not say this, what can he do? He should say such things. If those who were defeated and fled the country do not make such mischiefs, what should they do?

The nation has driven out the dictators and proclaimed fidelity to Islam. People take to the streets and announce their readiness to support the officials, the government and the Majlis. The enemies should speak ill of us when they see people are jubilating in their absence and so fervently supporting their government and Majlis. They should call bloodthirsty and criminal. They themselves kill these people. They have killed very good people such as Mr. Bahonar, Mr. Quddousi and the like.

It is not a feat to put a bomb in some place and kill someone. These explosions are everywhere in the world. It is natural that some of them happen here. When we compare our country with other countries in the world, which one is more stable than ours? As soon as a prime minister is assassinated, another one takes his place and takes over the affairs. Where does a president elected by eleven million votes, as declared by them, escape when people found he was going the wrong way? The very eleven million people rose up against him who could no longer stay in this country, so people appointed another president. Where else is there such stability? In the past when a king died, everywhere would be embroiled in chaos. Now, we see the president was martyred without stability of Iran being disturbed. It has become more stable. Everybody beats his/her chest and people are in mourning for his martyrdom. People invite each other to tranquility and peace. Where is there instability? Which part of Iran is unstable? Although, sabotage is on the increase and you gentlemen must put it right, all affairs of the country are in good order, with stability prevailing every where in the country.

Every minister must closely watch his ministry and employ those whom he knows from among his friends or relatives. Yesterday, Mr. Raja'i's family were here and suggested that gentlemen bring people of their number and do not fear that they may be accused of employing their friends, relatives and family. Do not care for such accusations. Bring in people whom you know and whose background you are aware of. Do not bring in people whom you do not know or are likely to trigger trouble. There is always the possibility of a Muslims or some Muslims getting killed.

Anyhow, thank God, despite all the fabrications aired by foreign propaganda machinery, presenting Iran as a country where people can not live in their own houses, Iran is the most stable country. The adversaries portray Iran as a country that has been ruined and that no improvement is foreseeable in Iran, except death. Everyday people are killed and there is nothing else happening in Iran. Whether they like or not these explosions and things like that prove its stability. If it were unstable, these things would not have happened and they would have let instability to wear out the country. Their plan was to let people destroy themselves. They saw it did not happen; now, they are waiting to see the explosions do the job.

No country will be destroyed by explosions or assassinations. If you add up the number of people killed in assassination plots, you see it is far less than the number of people martyred on Shahrivar 17. People offered so many martyrs in 17 Shahrivar and made those sacrifices but no agitation overtook Iran. They advanced then. Though they were being suppressed, they pushed ahead and toppled the Shah and severed the interests of all those having interests here.

Now, thank God, we do not have no serious opponents, these few thieves cannot be called rivals. These thieves have always been in Iran. In fact, Iran has always been entangled in such problems. Everyone of us knew about parts of the problem. For example, we saw in our locality thieves would raid a village. At the time of the regime prior to Muhammad Reza Shah bandits used to raid and kill the people. This chaotic condition prevailed everywhere in Iran, but there was not then any means to write about such events in newspapers. In more remote past, bandits looted and killed the people. If people wanted to cross a valley they had problem. Yet, Iran remained intact. Today, we neither have bandits nor is there those killings and nor the raids.

Anyhow, we are not afraid to be told what happened. Fortunately, we see that we do not have any problem within the country. Well, let those who are outside come and see for themselves and study Iran. Let them see closely whether the government has flows or is unstable, whether people are shaky, whether bazaars are closed and there are strikes? They will see that none of these things exist and that people are living their daily lives. All are present on the stage; people take the government and the country at their own. Everything is in their hands. Whenever any one of you gentlemen, God forbid, do any wrong, the people will settle account with you. People are present on the scene. Therefore, what instability do we have about which foreigners write in their articles? These reports are brought to me. These news agencies quote foreign media apparatus as saying, that Iran is done for. While, they propagate that so and so part of Iran is done for, Iran is undisturbed, the bazaar is in good order and everything is found in abundance. Costs are, of course, high, but costs are high everywhere in the world. There is no place where costs are not high. There is explosion and sabotage everywhere in the world. If Iran is compared with other countries, it is not known whether such things are found in Iran in greater quantities than in other countries. Therefore, what problems do we have?

You should be engaged with your work in a big heart, without fearing any of these problems, as Islam is your stronghold, God is your support and the owner of this country is the Imam of the time (may God's peace be upon him).

Of course, security situation should be carefully examined; because every one of you is obliged to protect himself. It is a duty in Islam to protect yourselves. Furthermore, the duty is more serious than before. Attend to the problems of the people and do things in line with what Islam and you want. God willing, you are successful and sanctioned. I wish you health. May God's peace, mercy and blessings be upon you.