Speech [Preserving the Islamic Republic Establishment; outlining the duties of clerics]

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

In this gathering in which respectable preachers from Qum and Tehran as well as other strata are present, it is necessary to talk about some issues which are important for us today and tomorrow as well. The revolutions in the world and the revolutions that have happened in Iran have achieved primary results in many cases, but have run into problems later. Let us take the revolution in Iran. It is said that seizing a country is easy but running a country is difficult." The revolution took place in Iran and all strata of the nation were present. It achieved victory though the struggles of all strata including women, men, clerics, preachers, etc. We won stunning victories, but still initial ones: forcing out the plunderers, overthrowing the monarchy and establishing the Islamic Republic. However, preserving this result, which is the Islamic Republic, is very important. This is what counts for us today. Today, we should not look at the fact that we won and set up the Islamic Republic and therefore should not think any more and that every one of us should get busy with his/ her own business. If the dear Islam could achieve its objectives just by defeating unbelievers and replacing them with the Islamic Republic, well we would be comfortable. Every one of us would go about his/ her personal life. However, we should know that this is not the case.

The point is that with this stunning victory, which the Muslim nation of Iran secured, the superpowers of the world focused their attention on it. That is, all eyes have been fixed on it and the agents of superpowers have embarked on their struggle and concoct plots one after the other so as to prevent the realization of the Islamic Republic as prescribed by Islam and the Exalted God. Today, you see that wherever there are governments backed by the U. S. or the Soviet Union they think out ways to stop the spread of Islam in their countries. This Islamic movement originated from Iran, but its waves have reached the Islamic and non-Islamic countries as well as the masses of people with much propaganda effort on the part of us. These waves of truth have stirred people, and for this reason you have numerous enemies who have targeted you. May be they believe that if they can subdue the center and origin of this movement, that is, Iran, other places will not need use of force and they will automatically give up.

Today the duty of the entire nation, particularly the clerics, preachers and speakers, is to struggle to keep this movement and push it ahead. As you have noticed, the masses are prepared to accept what the clerics or the preachers say. Therefore, there is no excuse for the clerics, preachers, speakers and Friday prayer leaders before God. At the time of Muhammad-Rida and Rida you had the excuse that you could do nothing. Or you would say that you could not fight with empty hands, that people were not ready to listen to you, or that you were not allowed to talk. These were the excuses back then, but today is there such an excuse? Is it acceptable before God? Is it acceptable from speakers, writers and scholars wherever they are to argue that since the revolution has got this far, we should be impartial and step aside?

In the Constitutional Movement these very scholars were at the forefront of the movement which originated and moved forward by `ulama' in both Najaf «1» and Iran «2». As much as they wanted the constitutionalist to materialize and the constitution to be in place has found expression. However after it occurred it was not followed up and people remained neutral and the clerics went after their own business. That way the agents of foreign powers and particularly the British worked to drive them out of the scene either through assassination or propaganda. Their speakers and preachers tried to stop the clergy from interfering in politics and to pass politics to those who were capable in their own words, that is, the westernized and easternized forces. They did what we experienced. That is, the name was constitutionalism but in reality it was a dark tyranny, being worse than before and definitely worse than previous period.

If the committed clerics, the nation, preachers, scholars, writers and intellectuals weaken and do not learn from what happened to the constitutionalism, the same will happen to the revolution. Today the enemies of the revolution are more than those of the constitutionalists. Today there are two superpowers opposing each other. Back then, they were not present so massively. Today, all superpowers together with their associates have stood up against this revolution. Today, there no countries in the world which have no form of dependence. If there are, they are just a few. They have all stood against, this revolution, this divine revolution, in order to curb its wave and to stifle it. The assassinations are all accomplished to this end.

Distinguished people who are actively engaged in running the country and who are committed to Islam and religion are getting assassinated one after the other as you see or taken from us as the result of explosions. Now, foreign agents also work to eliminate those who are engaged in the affairs of the country and who are committed to Islam.

If all of us, all of you, the entire nation, especially the clergy and preachers are not present in the scene, rest assured that with your absence the revolution will suffer the same fate that befell the Constitutional Movement, in the long run. Preserving Islam is a divine duty superior to all others. That's, there is no duty higher than preserving Islam itself. If preserving Islam is a great duty and the greatest duty, preservation of the Islamic Republic is the foremost duty for all of us, all of you, the entire nation and all the clerics. If it happens that the clergies step aside and do not try anything to overcome problems, and preachers on their pulpits forget about the daily concerns and issues of the revolution, this revolution will suffer. Islam has been so far kept alive by the clerics. No stratum has got anything to do with this issue except the clergies and the preachers following them. Since the early days of Islam till now, Islam has been handed down to us by the clerics. The other strata, the intellectuals and their like do not know much about Islam. Even if they did, they did not have anything to do with such things. In time of Rida Shah in particular, and Muhammad-Rida those who remember know what happened. These very theological seminaries resisted and preserved Islam despite all the bankruptcy they were made to face and despite the blows they received from all sides. These same preachers were the people who occasionally spoke and talked to people about issues either explicitly or implicitly.

From now on neither I, nor you, the clergy, no writer has any excuse. We should struggle hard to fulfill this divine duty and to further this Islamic Revolution and the Islamic Republic. We should step up our efforts because our opponents and the opponents of Islam increasingly heighten their efforts and plots. We should also increase our efforts to defend the truth.

You and we should keep alive Muharram and Safar by remembering the sufferings of the Household (peace be upon them). Muharram and Safar are blessed months through which Islam is kept alive. Islam has so far remained alive by remembering the ordeals of the Household (may God's peace be upon them). This religion is alive, thanks to traditional way of remembrance, and commemorating the martyrs of Karbala. Do not let the devils instill into you that we have staged a revolution and should now talk about the issues of the revolution and that the questions of the past should be forgotten. Never.

We should keep the Islamic traditions and these blessed Islamic processions to commemorate `Ashoura in the months of Muharram and Safar. We should emphatically call for greater attention to the event. It is Muharram and Safar that have kept Islam alive. It was the selflessness of the Doyen of Martyrs (may God's peace by upon him) that has kept Islam alive for us. Keep `Ashoura alive in it former traditional frame. The clergy, preachers and the masses organize mourning processions in the same former order. You should know that if you want to keep your revolution, you should preserve these traditions. Of course, if there were unacceptable accretions in the past, done by uniformed people, must be purged, and mourning the martyrs of Karbala must be kept as strong as it was. After speakers talk about issues of the day, they should keep the tragedies of Karbala as in the past and prepare people for sacrifice.

It is the blood of the Doyen of Martyrs that stirs the Islamic nations. It is the processions of `Ashoura that move people and prepare them for preserving the objectives of Islam. There should be no laxity in this matter. Of course, daily issues should be dealt with. The youths who have been deceived by the hypocrites and their like should be advised from the pulpits, and called to appreciate the truth. They should be made to understand that those who instigate them to stand up against the Islamic Republic are on bad terms with Islam. They want to destroy Islam by using the name of Islam. They have never been on the side of the objectives of Islam. They used the Qur'an and Nahj al-Balagha as tools to destroy them. And these uniformed youths, uninformed girls and boys who have fallen victim to these evil propaganda ploys and stood up against the nation and want to do something against it should understand that they cannot do anything. If they take to streets and start a riot, the people will teach them a lesson. Military and police forces are powerful and will stop them. Why do you children and young adults waste your blood? Come back to Islam. Leave these people who are leading you astray. Repent before you are entrapped, as it would be difficult then.

The gentlemen should invite them to their sessions. We do not want the youth who should serve their own country to work for America by those who want to destroy Islam in the name of Islam. Finally, you who have so far called people to Islam and moral virtues, make greater efforts today to highlight both the daily issues and the corruption resulting from the acts of these groups that struggle to disrupt the republic for the benefit of America or the Soviet Union. You should remind the people of these and of moral aspects. I should say that those who have been appointed to this very important post and have volunteered to enter the rank of the clerics and preachers must refine themselves and adapt themselves to the Islamic ethics and act according to Islamic rules.

If, God forbid, there is any moral corruption among them, they have to mend their ways and adopt themselves to Islam so that their words would have an effect on people. If, God forbid, a speaker is morally corrupt, he can not help others rid of sleaze by word of mouth. We should first refine ourselves and then make efforts to reform others. The clerics should talk to people from mosques, pulpits and wherever necessary, to remind them of daily issues, moral and religious matters and subjects dealing with self-refinement. They should guide people and familiarize them with Islamic issues. They should relate the tragedy of Karbala at length. As it was practiced in the past, they should relate materials in verse or prose to highlight the virus of the Household and their sufferings so that people would be prepared and present in the scene. People should get to know that our Imams devoted their lifetime to propagate Islam. If they wanted to make a compromise, all material facilities were provided for them, but they sacrificed themselves for Islam and did not make any compromise with the tyrants.

You should familiarize people with their own duties. People are also called upon not to attend the marches as ordinary walks but as mourning processions- the same traditional processions aimed at preserving the Islamic aspects. Keep `Ashoura alive so that your country would not suffer harm. You, the speakers have an important part to play in this respect. You have a big responsibility as well. In fact, all `ulama' have both a big role and a big responsibility. Everybody is responsible within his own capacity.

The `ulama' should help this Islamic republic; they should not sit and watch. To sit idly as done in the early days of the Constitutional Movement would generate the same and even worse calamities. Do not sit aside and argue that judgment is so and so. Well, it is your responsibility to judge. Islam has assigned the jurists to make judgment. You should not sit aside and say judgment is not good? Can judgment improve automatically? With your efforts, judgment will be good. The `ulama' of every theological seminary should train judges. A country of about thirty or so million people needs many thousands or so judges. Since we have never been authorized by governments to take the seat of judgment, we have not thought about matters related to judgment and have not learned much in this regard. Now we need judges for judgment. We look for judges. The gentlemen who are capable of being judges and who can help with judgment must train judges. They should not sit aside and complain. It is easy to find fault but resolving it is difficult. Well, since we are short of judges in this country, are the gentlemen not duty-bound to train judges? Are theology seminaries not duty-bound to train religious judges now that judgment is religiously oriented? Is it right to sit aside and just raise voice? Primarily, objection is leveled against the gentlemen who sit aside. The gentlemen should enter the arena.

Gentleman, Islam has come here today and wants to be implemented and cries out for help! The help is that we need judges. Theology seminaries should provide judges for courts. We need lots of judges; they should provide. And if, God forbid, those who are engaged in judgment act out of grudge and are crooked, they are accountable not only before the Exalted God but also before the nation. The government will also sue them. We should provide judges to the society; that's, theology seminaries should provide judges. The jurists versed in judgment should train judges who in turn train others so that the problem can be removed. The work is obviously difficult, yet it should be accomplished. This" must" rests with the `ulama' of cities and theology seminaries, in particular.

If we keep aloof and leave the scene, who can take care of judgment? Who will train judges? Do we not need judgment? It is claimed that we want to make religious judgment. Who is to take care of it? Shall we step aside and say that children have gone to make judgment! Well, you who are among the dignitaries should come and train them. As a matter of fact, they are not children; they seem children to you. No they are not children; these judges are better than you. But do you who have sat aside and use your pens to criticize the Islamic Republic mean that the nature of the Islamic Republic to which you are objecting is questionable? Do you mean that the monarchical regime is good? All the tyranny and oppression at their time and all the corruption, fornication centers and bars and things like that are no longer existing and you still say that time was better than the present. Could you then raise any objection to them? Your tongues were either in their favor or cut off.

Well, today we need judges and you say that these ones are young and cannot judge. Ok, you come and judge. Those of you who are judges come and take the seat of judgment. Why do you just criticize? The problem is in you who fail to get involved. If you cannot judge, your age does not permit; your health condition does not let you make judgment, train judges and do other things. One should not sit aside and constantly raise objections to the government. What this government has done for people in villages, the monarchy did not do throughout its life. Anyhow, I told everyone coming here about performance of the government. Let people know about your efforts.

On the other hand, some keep telling people that this Islamic regime came and did nothing for anyone. Well, this Islamic regime, which is targeted from all directions, from within and from outside, has not been permitted to take a breath. Nevertheless, the welfare brought by this regime for the people in villages, in terms of road construction, communications, housing, education, training and constructing schools in these three years is greater than what the previous regime did in its lifetime despite all the afflictions encountered by this government and despite all the troubles created by friends and foes. Much more has been done than what had been done during those two brutes. No one would come down from the sky to improve this country. You and we are all responsible to do it. If you find fault while you are faulty yourselves, you will be accountable before God.

The Exalted God has clinched the issue for us. He has confirmed this nation who should take its destiny in its own hands. Others should not interfere. He has confirmed the nation to replace the corrupt monarchical regime by the Islamic Republic. He has confirmed that this nation pursue the objectives of Islam. Whatever befalls the country, the people get involved. If war breaks out, both old men and women support it. Well, when the nation is like this and the population is like this, men and women of this country are like this and they (Islam and people) have now been entrusted to you, instead of sitting idle, you should join in hands and build this country. Do not sit aside and nag. When Islam is the priority, when all are duty-bound to preserve it, we should let others come and perform their duties when we are not involved.

You say that there is disorder. Everybody accepts that. Who does not accept it? Can a great revolution like this occur with everything in its proper place? Well just take a look at the revolutions that have occurred in the world. After sixty or so years of the Soviet they have not been able to put things right, and still dictatorship reigns with all its power. Do you expect everything to be set in order in three years despite all the enmities and the troubles that the country has run into, while you are just sitting there and nagging? Well, you are on your own and others are on their own. You should come together and do something to save this country. Farmers should cultivate. Thank God, it is said that this year is better than the previous ones. Farmers are doing their job; and workers and owners of factories are doing their job as much as they can. Well, what about us? What about the preachers? What about the `ulama'? They too should do something.

They are the ones who can keep Islam; they are the ones who can keep the faith of the people. They can keep the people prepared so that they will not get hurt by these attacks from different directions. They too should do as much as they can. I am an old man; I can say a few words and I must say them. You the young should also speak out. The `ulama' in theology seminaries should train preachers and especially judges. Everybody must do his best.

In the month of Muharram, the students of theology should spread all over the country. They have the same duty as the one I talked about. They should call upon people to reform, invite them to the truths of Islam and guide them. Invite the youths who have been deceived wherever you are and in every village you go. Every city you go, you should advise these young people to abandon devious groups and not to ruin themselves and their lives. Tell tem that their leaders have fled and are seeking refuge in foreign countries. They drive you to carry out such works. They cannot do anything, but ruin themselves. We do not want you to get so much in trouble that there is a definitive Islamic ruling which the courts can not overturn. We want you to act in a way that the courts can acquit or release you. Do not do something that the courts can have any way to help you and the Islamic final verdict has to be implemented.

May God grant success to all of you and all of us stay on the straight path of Islam and call people to Islam. May God grant the entire nation success so that in this `Ashoura they can practice the past traditions. The mourning processions should be as strong as ever and the processions of chest-beating and wailing should be kept as strong as ever. Know that the survival of this nation lies in recital of the tragedy of Karbala and in these meetings and in these processions. In the Name Of God, May God's peace be upon Muhammad and his household, we pray to You and ask You O God, we swear You to the martyrdom of Abi `Abdullah, to grant success to Islam and Muslims and grant us success to serve Islam and Muslims to curtail the hand of devils from this country and confer glory on the prominent `ulama', the preachers and the other strata of the nation.

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