In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
His Eminence Ayatullah Golpayegani- may His blessings last,
After extending greetings of peace and good health and praying for your good health, your respected letter that dwelt on valuable subjects has been received. I have sent the same text to Hujjat al-Islam Mr. Ardebili. «1» Perhaps he will mention certain subjects that pertain to these sorts of affairs from all over the country. However, I would like to assure you that most of the persons that are entrusted with these sorts of affairs especially like His Eminence, strive with their heart and soul for advancing the objectives of Islam and are devoted to Islam and its life-giving commandments. The likes of him never intend to act against the commandments but they know of the problems of the society about which you and I are unaware and preference of one evil over another evil and one priority over another even with his own understanding of the problems of society. The extremely disagreeable problem of housing that sometimes results in loss of respectable lives and above that, the propaganda of the destructive elements against Islam and its teachings which mars the face of Islam all over the world and similar problems albeit at a much lower level that existed at the dawn of Islam. This has resulted in some of the most important commandments such as drinking wine not to be communicated and leniency to be shown regarding some of them such as usury. I wish those that mentioned the issues in a latent form to Your Holiness and only dwelt on their negative aspects and caused anxiety to your respected eminence would pay attention to the other side of the issue and would dwell on the positive aspects so that with the jurisprudential assessment of His Holiness, many of the issues that in their opinion are contrary, would be resolved. I wish that the manner of behavior and thinking of the big capitalists and also illegal land-grabbers and owners of several apartments that had without obligation to the commandments of Islam had accumulated them in an illegal manner. Today, with precise calculation, property belongs to Islam and must be used in the interest of Islam and Muslims and the poor that are living in abjectness and misery, must be taken care of and these they should have informed Your Holiness in order to make evident what tragedies is befalling Islam and the Muslims. Almost all the rented housing are of this type, which with jurisprudential review must be confiscated. There are few persons that believe in Islam and are devoted to it that are prepared to throw out a bunch of women and children from the homes and endanger the lives of the children in the cold of winter and the debilitating heat of summer in order to make more profits. Those strata that manifest this inhuman action in the name of Islam are those that do not believe in Islam or do not act upon the commandments and by resorting to Islam and the law, they want to continue with their immoral actions.
I do not say that what is happening and the officials especially the knowledgeable clergy are doing is hundred percent Islamic. However, I say that it is not in the manner that your holiness has been informed and has caused your honorable self to become anxious. I have a fear that these indifferent well-wishers cause Your Noble self to be misled and the Islamic Republic that must benefit from the knowledgeable existence of your self, is God forbid, not able to benefit as much. I pray to the Blessed and Almighty God for the good health and happiness of your respected existence. Mr. Ardebili shall bring to your notice a part of the problems. May God's peace, mercy and blessings be upon you.
Rouhullah al-Mousawi al-Khomeini