Speech [Moral deviation, source of degeneration in the world, preventing the influence of deviants; observing religious laws and criteria]

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

I hope that the New Year and the anniversary of the Islamic Republic will be a happy one for the Iranian nation and oppressed people of the world and the gentlemen who have gathered here. I hope that the oppressed people will be victorious, God willing, and the arrogant powers of the world will be on the precipice of downfall. I thank you, gentlemen, whether you are members of the Islamic Republic Party or the members of the bank and those working in other banks and other places as members of their Islamic associations. I hope that you and the nation will proceed further towards Islam, and be able to realize Islam and its divine objectives. It is also hoped that these divine and Islamic objectives will be realized in all parts of the world.

What threaten the world is not weapons, bayonets, missile and the like. What is pushing our planet towards the precipice of degeneration is moral deviation. If there is no moral deviation, none of these war weapons will be harmful to man. What drives men and countries towards perdition and degeneration is the perversion prevailing among leaders of countries and governments with moral decadence, leading the entire humanity towards the precipice of decadence. We do not know what will be the fate of man. Notice the big modern weapons in the hands of superpowers. For what purpose are these weapons used? Is it for the good of man? Is it for the bringing about peace as they claim? Or is it for the destruction of man and the selfishness of these leaders?

In our narrations, we read that love of the world tops all man's deviations, «1» which is a fact. The basis of the love of the world, the root of the love of the world is the love of the self that is also the attachment to the world. All corruptions found among human beings from the time man was created up to the present time and to the last day are rooted in love of the self. Love of the self leads to love of position, love of post, love of property and love of all sensual desires. The Prophets aimed to suppress the love of self as much as possible and control the self. Prophets also did not succeed the way they wished. They could not give expression to this ideal as they wished. In the just government of the Savior, justice will prevail, yet selfishness will remain prevalent in many layers of the people. It is the love of self that some narrations cite will excommunicate Hadrat Mahdi (`a). «2» On top of all sins is the love of self. As long as this selfishness prevails in man, these wars, these corruptions and oppressions and tyrannies will prevail. If Prophets sought to establish a just government in the world it was because if a just government with divine and moral incentive and spiritual human values were realized, it could retrain the society and improve it to a great extent. If governments are in the hands of tyrants, in the hands of deviants, in the hands of persons who consider values to lie in their own carnal desires, they will think human values to be these very efforts to dominate others and satisfy carnal passions. As long as these governments are in power, humanity will proceed towards degeneration. If the aspirations of Prophets even some of their wishes, are materialized in a country that country will move towards improvement.

Compare the Islamic Republic at the present time and the leaders of the Islamic Republic and this Islamic Republic Party in our country with any country you wish. On the whole, I do not think you can find another country in which the nation the government, the Majlis and the officials cooperate with one another to run the affairs of the ountry.

I am not saying that we do not have any defects, we have numerous failings and temporal desires, but we want to make comparison. I do not mean that Islamic Republic is now completely traversing the line drawn up by Prophets. It is also the case with Islamic Republic Party or other organizations in the country. None of us claims that all are completely Islamic, yet we claim that a celestial breeze has blown in this country from God Almighty. A divine ray has started shining on this country and due to this exhilarating breeze wafting across the country with the grace of God Almighty, this country is moving towards Islam and the ideals of the Prophets even though in many of its places there are shortcomings and many unfit persons have infiltrated the groups, yet we should consider the issue in a society as a whole. In a society, we cannot say all individuals are upright. I no are, even during the time of the great prophets, and even in the Islamic era and during the time of our noble Prophet we can claim that all individuals in the society were upright. Nevertheless, when one makes an assessment, he should evaluate the society as a whole, not individuals, to see if the society is moving towards improvement or degeneration.

I do not want to say that human societies and individuals living in other societies are devious and decadent, but what I want to say is when we assess an establishment, we can find much better information about it. We can say without any prejudice that the system in Iran is better than those in other countries. This system is heading towards Islam and wants the ideals of Prophets to materialize. We do not know of any such organizations elsewhere. In those systems there might be individuals who are sound, but when considering the system as a whole, it is moving towards degeneration.

Looking into some limited and specific cases we can understand the issues of moral degeneration to some extent. Take note of the situation of these countries which have opposed the Islamic Republic since its inception in order to understand the extent to which moral degeneration has prevailed in man.

From the very beginning of this popular movement until the realization of the revolution, all groups and individuals everywhere in the country proceeded with the slogan of" God is the Greatest." God and remembrance of God constituted their cries. These divine utterances of the attributes of God and cries are still alive in this country as it was at the outset and amidst all this. This tendency towards Islam and Islamic ethics is alive in man. However, except for a few, which country exists to even consider us Muslim? Whatever we cry that we wanted Islam, many of these countries said that they were Zoroastrian or fire worshipper. Is this other than moral decadence in government organizations that are found in a lot of countries? People who are heedful of these worldly issues and what is going on in the world know that from the first day we have been opposed to Israel. It is over 20 years that our talks have revolved around the fact that Israel should not be an independent country and that this oppressor should be removed from the world; it is dangerous and threatening. However, so far these very countries that say they are Muslim and Islamic consider us to be Israel's cohort! We consider the US to be an oppressor and tyrant and saw our country in its lap as result of the treason of the former government and objected to it; people rose up and shouted" Death to America," translated their slogans into action and seized the den of espionage and expelled them and they all went their own business. But in spite of all this we have been accused of being America's cohort up to this day! As if the US and we have conspired to oppose each other! Is this other than moral degeneration pervading the heads of these countries? Many of the countries are moving towards precipice of doom.

They forced Saddam to attack this Islamic country and they attacked us from land, air and sea. Aware of things, some of the people who held the rein of affairs at that time committed treason against this country but said nothing. Saddam attacked our country in the name and under guise of Islam and combating the fire worshippers. Is this other than dirty moral perversion? Those who supplied Saddam with arms, money troops and claimed to be Muslim and moving in the path of Islam should be asked who they were fighting then. Do not the fight the people whose children and adults, men and women, government and Majlis and whatever one can see- as they all know- all cry Islam? Those who claim to be Muslim and follow Islam promote on their radios, in their propaganda, on their television, in their speeches the same things that wee prevalent during the time of monarchy in Iran. The situation is the same. Now, do not our propaganda agencies, print media and radio and television, different organizations, the three branches of power promote Islam in different forms? Where can you find a place in the world in which its radio station teaches fiqh and divine philosophy? Do you know of any place where most of radio and T.V time is devoted to Islamic promotion? Which party do you know in which leaders are like the heads of the Islamic Republic Party? Of course, I do not know the party members, but I know the leaders and whatever they confirm, we also confirm. I do not want to say that in the Islamic Republic Party unfit individuals have not infiltrated or that there are no individuals who have made mistakes or purposely done wrong. However, all in all, when we compare this party with other parties like the Toudeh Party or parties that existed at the time of Muhammad-Rida Shah, compare their heads to the heads of this party, their members to those of this party, their behavior to that of this party, in all fairness, we see that this party is committed to human and Islamic ideals, while other parties are not like this.

If they object against the leaders of these organizations, and other organizations now existing in Iran, is nothing except opposition to human morality and values? The weapon is in the hands of our pasdars as well as our army, in the hands of the Saddamites, in the hands of Jordan and its government and in the hands of the US and the Soviet Union. All of them have weapons. We have weak arms, and they have powerful weapons. When these weapons are employed, these weapons by themselves are no problem, are nothing. The sword by itself is nothing.

The sword of the Commander of the Faithful and the sword of ibn Muljam were of one type. Perhaps the latter's sword was even sharper. However, the act will be judged based on who uses the sword. A single sword stroke of the former is equal or even more valuable than the worship of both worlds; and the latter kills a man whose single sword stoke is more valuable than all worships. He one who deals the blow is the criterion.

From the outset of this imposed war it has been quite clear where and for what purpose our armed forced have used the arms. And everyone knows for what purpose the US and its followers, that is Saddam, have used their weapons. When we notice, we see that their planes pounded Dezfoul, Abadan, Ahwaz and Andimeshk and the like, hitting the people and ruining the cities. Now they have caused the destruction of these cities. After they left, there remains nothing but destruction in our country. Our arms were employed for defending this weak nation, in the way ordered by God. Now, Iranian arms, except those weapons in the hands of the munafiqin (MKO), who use them for the destruction and overthrow of Islam, are being employed for the realization of Islamic and divine deals. The reason I say the world is doomed to annihilation and that it moves towards decline of morality is because these two groups attacked us and rendered the women and children in Iran and Iraq homeless and destroyed our country, for which we should take pains for years to reconstruct and we see that different countries are helping such a tyrant and evil man, supplying him with arms and everything else, sending forces, doing propaganda, spending most of their time to destroy the Islamic Republic.

As it was clear in these writings and statements, the US president had said that they should do something to end this war, because it was no longer in the interest of the US. You see! What sort of confession is this that a president of a country, a superpower country as it is called, makes such a confession that this war has been in the interest of the US so far. It was because the war was to disturb the Islamic Republic. Now, that they see that there was nothing they could do and that the Islamic Republic may grow into a great power and other Muslim countries might be awakened, which is a threat to the US, and is no longer in the interest of the US. Now, it has requested all people in charge to come together to stop the war and make peace. We said from the beginning that we did not have any war with anybody and that we want to have peace with all the world, that we have no difference with anyone, we do not want to occupy any country; we fight for defense as ordered by Islam; we are obedient to Islam and do whatever Islam has ordered. If Islam has ordered not to defend, we would stay put. Islam has ordered us to defend and we have to obey. They attacked and we defended ourselves. Those who say they are Muslim, these countries which say the basis of their work is Islam should act upon a verse of the Qur'an instead of attacking us. We all believe that if a rebellious group oppresses a group of Muslims, all should engage in a war against that aggressor so that he would return to the rule of God. When he returns, then they should sit together and, reform and make peace. «3»

We reiterate the first statement we have made. It has been discussed and confirmed in the Majlis. The president, prime minister said the same and the Majlis speaker said the same. Our statement is an appropriate logical humane one. One who has aggressed upon us and inflicted so many losses and is now in our country must leave our country. The aggressor is the one who has occupied part of another country. If you want to invite these international bodies which we know of to some extent to sit and see who the aggressor is, they will not invite experts from just countries to investigate the issue. They have already condemned you! They have already considered us to be aggressor! That is the degeneration I reiterate. We are moving towards moral degeneration. What should we do? What should Islam do with this morality that has been disgraced, with the situation? The day when they are defeated and expelled from our territory they will say Saddam withdrawn his troops! After it has become obvious everywhere, people came from abroad and saw and said what the issue was, now again they do not want to admit that they have been defeated. They say Saddam has recalled his forces perhaps because they were peace loving! These are all signs of the fact that the world is in moral decline. These people who are running the world are heading towards doom.

Nations should note the fact that these superpowers should not drag nations along with them towards the precipice. People of Iraq should be aware of the issue that if Saddam remains in Iraq, he will push them towards corruption, and drag the youth towards perversion. God knows what moral damage has been inflicted on Iraq and the Iraqi youths by the disbelieving `Aflaqi party! What is threatening human beings and countries is this moral deviation. Otherwise, what is wrong with weapons by themselves?

Let us bypass the issue and say a few words to the gentlemen who have come here. I have confidence in the gentlemen at the top of the party. I know them and those who were formerly in the party. Well, we have lived with them and know them. Yet these gentlemen are few do not have control all over the country and cannot represent the party everywhere. The righteous people who are in charge of the affairs should be very careful so that devious people or those who intend to infiltrate into the party and deflect it are not allowed. They should beware of such elements lest they join the party. Even a single one of them is threatening in his own capacity. Now there are numerous members in the party. Those who are at the helm of the party, not necessarily the high-ranking ones, and others who work in different places should be careful lest a devious person in an Islamic guise infiltrate their headquarters. Pay attention to their previous records and post activities, their families and what they do. It may be that man sees a lot of good in one thing but deviated individuals may come and deflect it or at least defame it. It is now sufficient that they defame something that is heeded by people. They plan to defame whatever we have namely, the government, the Majlis, the Islamic Republic and the Islamic Republic Party. We should be careful that the path God has set before us and want to traverse, be closed to individuals who want to deflect the path. If you take note of the words of the Blessed and Exalted God, you see that from the first day (of Creation), Satan has threatened that he would deviate God's servants. «4» This was the threat on the part of Satan to God. These people are of this kind; when they fail to attain something if they cannot kill them they will defame them up to their last breath. It would be better to enter such societies that are working in the name of Islam like Islamic associations that are present everywhere.

These Islamic associations are a good thing, a favorable thing and their members are, God willing, mostly good, but you should note what these associations are and what individuals join them. It is possible to see that an Islamic association has been deflected and defamed. If there are some devious people who intentionally try to defame these Islamic associations, you will see that across the country they say that Islamic associations are composed of dissidents. The persons who have contacts with individuals, wherever they are, should improve the situation and applicants should be accepted only after being identified. If, let us suppose, there is an Islamic association that wants to discredit an office, you should know that this is not an Islamic association. Islamic association should supervise affairs and stay wherever it is. For instance if an Islamic association in a bank wants to expel upright individuals and bring in unfit ones, this association is not Islamic.

You should be careful because there might be devious persons among you who try to deviate or defame you. Finally, we should endeavor to rectify whatever we have in this country, whether the Majlis or the government, a party, a bank and other organizations, so that they would befit the Islamic Republic. Well, we claim you that we want an Islamic Republic, and the entire nation is for it: they want an Islamic Republic. The opponents are few in number. We who say we have established an Islamic Republic in Iran, then, if God forbid, people come to the Majlis and see that some people are ruining the Majlis and when they go to government offices and see a similar situation, it will be like the:" lion without a tail and belly. «5»" We should endeavor to change the things we have to what Islam wants as far as we can.

Our banks should note that today the bank is an Islamic bank, not the bank in time of Rida Shah and Muhammad-Rida Shah. Banks should consider the fact that they should make their affairs conform to Islam. Things should be like this. On the whole, we are not concerned about our society. On the whole, our society is an Islamic society and is moving towards Islam. But there are few case and people who are the cause of worry, and we are afraid that these dangerous people may creep into some places and deviate them. We are concerned about such things. We should be careful lest these persons should enter and with their entry create deviation. We should not be negligent, arguing that only one person has supposedly come into this place and that others are not saboteurs. No. A single corrupt individual can corrupt an association and drag a country towards corruption. We should be attentive to these issues.

The limits set by the Blessed and Exalted God stipulate that if an individual does something in his own house that is reflected outside this house, he should be prosecuted and punished because those who make such corruptions in a country even in their own home will gradually spread into the society and corrupt it. The Merciful God, who has mercy upon all His creatures and wants all His servants to be morally sound and happy, has set these rules to be religious laws. When an individual takes to the street and draws a sword, draws a dagger to threaten people he should be killed. This ruling is not for the mere act of threatening people or is not out of enmity with that person. It is because if he is released, the country will gradually be dragged towards corruption, the corruption of one individual, two individuals, and four individuals here and there will steer the whole society to corruption. If the action was exclusive to him, there would not be any question, no talk, but corruption will spread, corrupt morality will pervade. Gradually, you will see the country has become corrupt. Islam prevents such acts from the outset. Islam has said that if one commits a corrupt deed he should be treated according to the law in an attempt to stop the growth of corruption from the beginning. You are obliged, the banks are obliged, Islamic associations are obliged, the Islamic Republic and the Islamic Republic Party are obliged, the government and all are obliged to prevent any single case of corruption, without conniving with it. They should pursue even one single case of corruption and destroy it so as to stem its spread. Otherwise, the whole system may become corrupt or be defamed. We have a sufficient number of people and preachers who may defame this Islamic Republic. We should not do something to help these individuals who are sufficient enough in the world to rise against us. But if you keep yourselves and if the Islamic morality pervades, and you all heed these issues, you know that Islamic morality enjoins that you should not be disunited and that you should be united. Islamic morality urges you to be together. If we have so far been progressing it is because of this concept. From the beginnings of this revolution all our achievements such as rooting out corruption or reconstruction efforts have been accomplish thanks to our unity, which is a telling instance of Islamic morality.

This brotherhood is one of the reasons that the holy Qur'an has called all of us brothers. «6» Muslims, believers and brothers should get together with good will and in an atmosphere of brotherhood, and thank God such is the case. We should preserve this divine blessing which God has granted us. This blessing is the greatest blessing that we should preserve. As long as we preserve this divine blessing, we are immune to all evils. The day when, God forbid, we lose this blessing our country will start to suffer. I hope that the Islamic Republic will move forward, as it is doing today and that all those who are doing something in the country, and developing an idea will stay close together and, for as long as this is the case, this state will persist and continue. So far, thank God, all plots have been foiled due to the awareness of the nation and the vigilance of the government and others. God willing, from now on these conspiracies will be foiled. May God grant success and awareness to all of you, to all the country, Islamic countries, all Muslim peoples to the extent that they can embrace Islam and can serve humankind. I hope that this Islamic Republic soars up to a station until the time of the reappearance of the Imam of the Time and, God willing, God will help us to keep good morality, good behavior and conduct and crush our carnal passions with His favor and power.

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