Speech [The rule of Islam in Iran and duties of the clergy]

On the eve of the great month of Muharram, I am happy to have found the opportunity to meet the prominent `ulama', dear preachers and leraned men of seminaries. On the even of the month of Muharram, we experienced big calamities. Our youth, brothers and sisters, our dear ones in Dezfoul and Andimeshk were martyred at the hands of the US and those who do not believe in Islam and who are against Islam, with the world keeping silent in this respect. The world mass media go as far as saying that Iraqis accuse Iran of bombing them while the Iranians accuse the Iraqis of bombing them. Despite the fact that they come and visit the disasters, these so-called human rights organizations condemn the oppressed rather than the oppressor. I hope that God Almighty gives power to this nation to resist all the pains and sufferings. We are on the threshold of a month, which teaches us to be like Husayn Bin `Ali (peace be upon him) who made sacrifices and offered everything he had in the cause of Islam. It teaches us who are followers and lovers to emulate him and offer whatever we have. We have nothing. Whatever we have is from God Almighty. We have nothing to offer in His cause. Whatever is His we will offer in His cause. We are all from Him. Our youths are from Him, our property is from Him. All things are from Him. We sacrifice these things in His cause. All are from Him and are sacrificed for Him. There are many subjects to highlight here but I am not able to express them. Nevertheless, I consider it necessary to touch on some of the issues that are of paramount significance at this juncture.

Don't be negligent of the deviles. They resort to all means and want to infiltrate into the nation in any possible way. The issue of military attack is not so much important. The violant combatants of Islam have responded and will respond to it. The mass media have also lost their influence in the world because it has become clear what they are and people do not believe their stuff any more. They can no longer deceive people. What they have embarked on nowadays is to sow discord. For instance, they say a certain official pursues this line and the other officials follow the opposite line. But, actually these two and other officials are in total agreement with each other and are like intimate friends in every issue, and they well know that only one way is open to all of them, but some simple-minded people may believe the mass madia. They say this seminary has one way, to other seminary has a different way; this gentleman has this line that genleman has an other line that gentleman has another line; this group of clergymen have this line, that group has another line. They present different lines and want to lead people to believe that such things exist in Iran and that all pursue different lines. This is not, however, the case. No line other than that of Islam is dominant in Iran; all are in the same line. The gentlemen who ascend a pulpit in Muharram and Saffar have great duties with respect to the issues we are now involved in. One is to condemn those who say that this gentleman has this line and that gentleman another line. People should be told that those making such statements are their enemy and present such idea to disappoint people with some or all officials.

Today all officials and those on power are together, all sincerely work, and move for Islam. We have no different lines in Iran. These are the accusations made by our enemies and their agents. After they became disappointed with military uprising, armed attacks and other methods, they tried to adopt this new approach. They say that Qum Seminary advocates this mentality and Tehran Society of Combatant Clerics that one, that a certain official with a group follow a certain path and the other with another group a different path and that each clergyman has his own path. However, this is not the case. I know and you know this, but simple-minded people might come to believe.

History is a lesson for us. When you read the history of constitutionalism, you see at first the Constitutional Movement proceeded, but later hands came in and divided the entire people of Iran into two groups.

Not only Iran but also the prominent clerics of Najaf were classified into two groups: one siding with the movement and the other opposing it. One group of Iranian `ulama' supported the constitutionalism and the other was against it. One group of the preachers spoke against the constitutionalism and the other against despotism. In many houses if there were two brothers, one supported constitutionalism and the other one despotism. This was a scheme that produced its effect and did not allow the constitutionalism materialize in the manner distinguished `ulama' had intended. The situation went so far that the constitutionalists were crushed by a certain group. A man like the late Haj Shaykh Fadlullah Nouri «1» was hanged in Tehran and people danced and applauded at the gallows only because he said that there had to be religious constitutionalism and rejected the one prescribed by the west or the east. While at early stages of constitutionalism there were not such problems, those who saw they would suffer from constitutionalism and their interests would be lost did not let it succeed. The constitution that should conform to Islam and that is illegitimate if it runs counter to Islam does not let them do whatever they wish. One group of the despots disguised themselves as constitutionalists and went among the people. Those despots later came, seized control of the constitutional movement, and led it where you and we saw.

In time of Mirza Shirazi, «2» too they wanted to repeat the same process. As soon as the late Mirza who boycotted tobacco, the devils started to tempt people to the extent that some of the men of letters in some cities ascended the pulpit and reportedly smoked hookah to show their opposition to the late Mirza's verdict. However, since Mirza commanded extraordinary power and his supporters such as Mirza Ashtiyani «3» were powerful, the opponents could not do anything in this case. However, the constitutional movement was a different story. In constitutionalism, the two sides were strong. Some first class `ulama' in Najaf were opposed and some first class `ulama' favored the constitutionalism. In Iran too, they sowed discord among the `ulama'. The discord did not emerge by itself; it was created among them. We should learn lessons from history lest certain groups infiltrate among the clerics or tempt the people and give rise to the events like those in the constitutional movement.

Some time later elections will kick off. As I have heard, some people are working seriously. There are persons who have no faith in the Islamic Republic, but who want to participate in election campaign in an attempt to break the Islamic Republic. They do not want to become parliamentary representatives; they just intend to defeat the Islamic Republic. There are also individuals who tempt believers to participate seriously in these affairs. If intelligent persons fail to warn participants and enlighten them, this election will possibly trigger schism among groups. This is the same as that of constitutionalism. People, particularly the clerics, the Tehran Combatants Clerics, Teachers of Qum Seminary, clerics of Mashhad, Isfahan and elsewhere should bear in mind that constitutionalism would not happen again. One group should not slam another because of their candidates and vice versa.

If everything is for God, you should have rapport with each other. Of course, there is no objection to advertisement, but beware lest the events of constitutionalism recur. One group should not slam the other and give rise to what our enemy seeks: creating conflicting lines in the election. You all want Islam to take root in this country and the Islamic Republic to proceed. For this to materialize, you need to foster mutual understanding among yourselves when the devils are plotting to pit you against each other, thus disappoint them. Your opponents and the opponents of the Islamic Republic are today hatching plots to split your ranks. This is a threat to our country.

They cannot do anything by force. Neither the US nor the Soviet Union can harm a country whose people close ranks. However, by hatching plots and provoking their domestic agents, they can create discord and the election is the breedy ground.

People are people are duty-bound, and bound by Sharia to give up all those crushing differences. This rule applies to all and is every one's duty including me as a theology student sitting here, you `ulama' and all `ulama' in other cities as well as people from different walks of life, not to mention the intellectuals, writers, speakers etc. All should work to prevent constitutional events repeat themselves. Take lesson from those events. If it is repeated, those who are opposed to Islam and the Islamic Republic will take over.

This is one of the important issues, about which the gentlemen should warn people.

The gentlemen should bring the first subject I noted to the attention of people. Let the people know that those who are in charge of affairs whether in the Majlis, the government, the judiciary and all else follow the same line. There are only a few among them doing mischief. Although duties of each differ, they all follow a single line. There are no conflicting lines.

Defuse the plot that in the name of different lines, some people want to make one group support a certain front and another group backs the other front. While they are not at loggerheads, their votaries may fall out with one another. Gradually, the same words in the constitutional movement would repeat when in one city one group of the preachers sided with constitutionalism and the other favored despotism. The same was true in houses. So was the case in bazaar. Beware! This idea may cause people to be at each other's throat, one supporting this political figure, and are supporting that figure while the whole story might be just an illusion.

Likewise, notice that in the election, you should attract the attention of people to the fact that you want to preserve Islam. Your candidates should be the ones who heed and are committed to Islam; they should not be players affiliated to the east or west. People should be religiously obliged to act efficiently when election approaches. The clerics and preachers should work, with people following them so that we can have a parliament in which there is no one opposed to republicanism.

Among the subjects to be highlighted is that the battlefields stand in need of clergymen. In fact, all people need the clerics to guide and preach them. If there is a plot underway, the clerics should thwart it. Clerics are needed in border cities and in warfronts. Let the clerics join the warfronts for the sake of God. The clerics should visit border cities and guide the people. Devils are present everywhere. The army of God should stand against them. Reports from warfronts emphesises that clergymen are urgently needed there. It is not fair that our youth, who are making great sacrifices in battlefields, call on us to guid and show them the way and we spare them this. This is one of the matters which should be noted by the gentlemen. The days of Muharram and Safar are opportune for the gentlemen to visit the battlefields. They can go to border cities- some of which even do not have clergyment for concluding the marriage contract- in turn and stay there for a month and so. You can guide the people and tell them the religious affairs. I would like to appreciate the dear youths across the country for protecting the revolution and the Islamic Republic against each harm. Yet, they should note that they are just midway through. Today, we need these youths. We have not attained the purpose Islam has prescribed. The gentlemen should advice the youth to fill the warfronts wherever they go for preaching.

Thank God, today power is in our hand in warfronts. Yet, we should not become proud of commanding the power. We should always seek the idea that we should advance. We have to get rid of this evil enemy. I have pointed out repeatedly, as have the esteemed officials, which we do not and will not have any intention of aggression, and our advance in Iraq is in self-defense and defense of the Islamic country of Iraq. Today, Iraq is a worse plight than our contry. The tribulations of Iraqi peole are worse than our people's. The stifling atmosphere reigning in Iraq is second to none. People own nothing in that country. Those oligarchs know nothing of the real Islam, but talk a lot about it. They have only heard about the term of Islam and speak about Islam. They have trampled upon Islam, imposed pressure, and suffocating climate on the Muslim people of Iraq. There is no security in Iraq today. Some of the gentlemen who have recently come back from Iraq said people were denied security. They don't know what the Ba`ath Party will do with them tomorrow. We defend Islam. Islam is being trampled upon in Iraq. This Iraqi army is not entirely composed of Baathists: only a number of them are Baathists and the rest are Muslims. They should not sit and watch the Baathist Party trample upon Islam and destroy Islamic rituals. If a day comes when these Baathists find it opportune, they will ruin these sacred shrines in the same way that tombs of the saints of the God in Baqi were destroyed because of stupidity and perversion. These Iraqi Baathists will behave in un-Islamic manner in Iraq; they will not let these sacred places remain intact if they are capable of doing so. Why do not Iraqi people and its military take no note of this fact? Saddam is on the brink of a pitfall, the Baath Party is on the brink of destruction; only an uprising- even a limited one- is enough to push them down.

We don't want to impose our ideas on Iraq; we respect Iraq in the same way that we do Iran. We hold Iraq in more esteem because the Commander of the Faithful and Imam Husayn has been buried in Iraq. We want people live peacefully beside these sacred places. We don't want the present situation in which people do not know what may befall them, their children and `ulama' the next day. I hope God help the Iraqi people and save them from corrupt regime- the way He helped and saved our nation- and enlighten all people, the Iraqi army, employees, workers and farmers so they can experience the kind of developments we had in Iran. Today we observe that due to incompetence of the regional governments, the US is governing them from the other side of the world. Here we cut the US hold, Persian Gulf is in our hand, and as soon as the US wants to take any action against us we will not let a drop of oil reach them. However, inattention of these governments has emboldened the US to stretch its hands from the other side of the world and hold the rein of these governments. The power is in the hands of the regional rulers, but they have not the acumen to exercise it. At the beginning, Iran had no power. All power was vested in the deposed Shah and his American friends. The army was in the hands of Americans. Everything was in their hands. However, our people were vigilant and the leaders of the country were intelligent and succeeded in awakening the people, bringing about what the nation really deserved. People in other countries are good, but they do not have a leader to direct them and motivate them to put an end to the domination of America and the Soviet Union. You have the arms, but a person who bears the arms must know how, where and when to use hem. You are amed just to harm Islam. You know that Islamic Republic wants Islamic rule in this country and in all countries. However, you have held your weapons and act against Islam and the Islamic Republic. You have the arms, but you do not know where to use them. If you get united, if these `Arab states get united, other Muslims will accompany them. We will also accompany them. They should get united and ask the US why it is here in the Persian Gulf and wants to rule over it. We should tell the US to mind to its own business. We should ask for what reason the Soviet Union has invaded Afghanistan and wants to bassir around. On what occasion? It is because they take advantage of ignorance of a number of people and treason of a number of others. One group are ignorant and another one traitorous. The poor people are in their grip and cannot do anything. I hope the Almighty God will favor us and the oppressed people of the world to save us from the hegemony of these tyrants who are sucking the blood of the people.

You gentlemen who on the pulpit or elsewhere show people the right way should redouble your efforts in these two holy months should heighten your preaching in the two holy months and explain Islamic and political issues to them. Karbala events that stand on top of political issues should remain alive in the same form. The wording should change. The afflictions are the same and will doesnot change. The political aspect of Karbala should be explained to people. The Doyen of Martyrs, according to our narrations and beliefs, knew what he wanted to do from the time he left Medina. He knew he would be martyred. Prior to his birth, this information had been prophesied as put by our narrations. When he came to Mecca and left Mecca in that state, this was a big political move. When all people move towards Mecca, he left Mecca. This was a political move. All the acts were politically motivated. His moves were politico-Islamic and caused the fall of Umavid dynasty. If it were not for these moves, Islam would have been trampled.

When people understand that Islam is exposed to threat, they should do what Imam Husayn did. When we think Islam might be under threat, we should all make sacrifice to remove the threat. If we consider it likely that due to our election campaign, Islam and the Islamic Republic will be at stake, we should stop that dangerous campaign because of being against Islam. Sometimes in the name of Islam or with an Islamic illusion something is done that is against Islam. Such was the case in the constitutional movement. It had been inculcated in a group that they had to do such and such. They had been indoctorinated so much that they promoted despotism. A group of `ulama' followed suit. Today is the same. Devils may infiltrate the society inculcating a kind of religious obligation in people and order them to oppose certain people or issues. Be vigilant! They are acting with satanic plots. Satanic plots are different from these military expeditions. The latter is not important. What is important is the satanic plots by which they might create discord in your ranks. These plots lead the country to ruin and help restore the former situation- not monarchy but on Islamic system of their preference.

The US agents should abandon their mischief. Gone are the days when they could do anything. They should sit in their places and do something else. If as claimed by the agents residing abroad and constantly propagating against Iran, people of Iran side with them, why don't they come back? Why did they escape? They are living in strongholds. If all Iranians or the majority of Iranians favor you and participate in Friday prayer or make sacrifice at gunpoint and all, sympathize with them, why are they residing abroad? Why don't they dare to return home? These ones want to infiltrate the simple hearts of people. I hope they will not succeed. Islam has showed a manifestation in the world and the people of the world have been attracted towards the Islamic Republic. I hope we also care for Islam and the Islamic Republic. It is hoped that you will be successful in serving people and the oppressed. The government should serve those who are making sacrifices in the cause of Islam, the people in Dezfoul, Andimeshk and Khouzestan who have lost everything they had. This is a religious duty for all of us.

May God's peace and mercy be upon you!