Speech [Duties of governors and lieutenant governors in Islamic government-significa of elections]

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

I would like to thank all the gentlemen for coming here. I implore God Almighty to grant success to all the gentlemen to serve Islam, Muslims and their country. Perhaps no one among you has experienced the Qajar time. If there are, they are few in number. Moreover, very few may have experienced the early days of the Pahlavi dynasty. You observed the end of the dynasty, which had undergone tremendous change as compared to its early days. The fiber of government at that time and the texture of those who were engaged in government organizations ranging from the governors or district-governors and others was a special structure suiting the monarchical machinery. It was not possible for a district-governor to sit beside common people, farmers, or people from bazaar in a ceremony or gathering. Things were very different then. If we compare the government agents of that time, even the governor of a small town with our current president or prime minister we see that they are poles a part in every resppct. The former group had very strange and complicated rules for meeting and socializing with people. When a government agent of low rank wanted to go somewhere, his attendants would push people aside to msake way for him. In addition, you can guess how a minister or a prime minister would treat people. Before their fellow citizens, they should pomp and pageantry, but displayed weakness and humiliation before outsiders. They used to humiliate, insult, harass and take advantage of their subordinates, but were emeek and humble before an ambassador.

Today, we see that governors from across the country, as stated by the gentleman, and district-governors, farmers and some ordinary people sit in one place. If the prime minister and the interior minister who are here and the president and others were also here, they would also sit among them. If one comes from outside it is difficult to find out who the minister, the governor, the district-governor or the simple man is. This is what is found in our narrations to the effect that if one entered the mosque of the Messenger of Allah where the prophet was sitting with his companions no one could distinguish between the prophet and his companion. One had to ask which one of them was the prophet. In the past however, it was clear. Anyone entering a session could easily find who the government agent was. It was because he was sitting very proudly in a prominent place. People would understand he must have been the authority. However, the messenger of God who was also the head of the vast Islamic government used to sit among the ordinary peole. If an `Arab came to Medina, the center of his government, he would see a number of people sitting in circle talking to each other. It was not possible to distinguish who the leader or the subordinate was. This was the situation of life. The Holy Prophet intended to teach us to act like this, and make us understand our duty. I hope that the moral and spiritual aspects of you governors, district-governors and all other officials of the Islamic government are like your unaffected immaculate appearance. When the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) had been informed that an ankle-ring had been taken from the leg of a Jewish or Nazarene woman, the Imam is quoted as saying that if one dies of grief he is not to be blemed. «1» He became uneasy in the face of oppression. You are all in the presence of God, wherever you are. Your hearts are in the presence of God, you arms, your eyes and your everything is in presence of God and God is present everywhere.

Try to treat the servants of God in the way your Imams did, your prophet did and other prophets did. Do not imagine that someone who is president, prime minister, minister, Majlis speaker, governor-general, governor or district-governor has attained something important. The most important thind is satisfaction of God, which can be secure through satisfying the servants of God. You who deal with people should win their satisfaction. These very people in the street, the very dear farmers and civil servants and those who toil in factories are the source of honor of a nation and guarantee victory of a nation. They are our benefactors. We should feel this sense in our heart to treat our benefactors in a way that wins satisfaction of God. One who is governor of somewhere should not imagine that plume himself on people as did the governors in the former regime. The difference between the Islamic Republic and monarchical regime is that the former is from people and that the Islamic Republic is indebted to this very common people in the country. The monarchy believed that it did not need people and that they could do the works and people should be under their domination and thus treated people that way. Treat the servants of God well as the victory we have achieved is due to their struggles.

Know that preservation of a victory is more difficult than securing that victory. Conquest of a country is easier than preserving it. Now we are in the difficult stage of preserving the Islamic Republic establishment. The first stage that marked the primary victory has been left behind and, thank God, you emerged victorious. However, maintaining of the victory and the subsequent achievements are more difficult than the victory itself. All of you should struggle to preserve what you have achieved. It is no mean feat and has cost you dearly. It is not something insignificant that you have achieved. From spiritual aspects, I and the likes of me cannot reckon what spiritual achievements have the people gained. The Almighty God can only reckon this. Looked at from superficial aspects, what has today been achieved by Islam and Iran is that which had not been realized for Iran in the course of history. Iran had many bullies but they were weak persons bowing down before other governments, particularly in the recent century. The older the monarchy became the weaker it grew to the extent that a British ambassador at that time and American ambassador at the present time controlled the destiny of the country. The destiny of our country was in the hands of foreigners. What have you achieved is the power to exercise self-determination. You curtailed the influence of the US, the Soviet Union, England and other countries and expelled them. This is not something insignificant you have achieved. It is a great accomplishment whose preservation is more difficult than the achievement itself. Those who suffered defeat at your hands will not sit idly. They plan to avenge their defeat. If they want to avenge their defeat, as is their approach, they will do so through you. They struggle to bring about your defeat at your own hands. This is very important and you should be careful about it. The early signs of our defeat appear when those people working on farmlands are persuaded by the agents of our enemies to show laxity in agriculture, which is a top priority for a country like Iran, and the people working in factories are encouraged to slacken.

Since it is tome to talk about our duty in elections, I should say that for those intent on defeating the revolution Majlis is of crucial importance. Majlis is not something to be trifled with. It holds pride of place in our country. A good Majlis can rectify and improve everything while a bad one can worsen all affairs. As a result, those who ruled over the country in the past did their utmost to take hold of the Majlis. When the Constitutional Movement was launched and the Majlis was formed, they strived to get control of it. At that time as they could not force people, they along with their agents or local chiefs use various tricks to deceive people. When Rida Khan came to power, everything was in the hands of the king. These last days were also the same. Everywhere the governors had been ordered to rig the ballots and declare certain people winner. They were told to force the votes out of people. Failing that, they could change the ballot boxes or misread the ballots. Everything was in their hands. Since people had been disappointed, they had retreated and the way was now open. One of the important ploys by which they did their job was to disappoint the different layers of people in the country. People had come to believe they were not able to do anything. They tried to disappoint people from making any effort." We are unable to do things; everything has to come from the west; we have such neighbors" were the common motos at that time. They made efforts in this direction, and if some people occasionally stood up, through their agents in the Majlis they would crush them. Failing this opponent will be killed. They disappointed people from doing anything. Physician would be dispirited from treating appendicities. This was painful. Whenever I think of this treatment, I feel dejected. In time of Muhammad-Rida, physicians were brought from abroad to operate appendicitis. This meant to suppress the esteemed doctors of the country. Experts were brought from abroad. The army had to have American advisors. On the other hand, if it were at that time advisors would come from somewhere else. Experts were brought for us. For our factories, experts were sent to prevent us from understanding. Military advisor came to prevent the army men from understanding. Experts did not come to train them; they came to stop them from learning.

Today the country is in your own hands and you have no longer any superior to boss you around. Thank God, we have no one from abroad to dictate to us. No power in Iran can today impose something on us. Today you should sit and do your own work. Election should not be like in the past when orders came from the center to the effect that certain people were to be representatives. No one has the right to make such dictations. Election is in the hand of people. The president and prime minister are equal in terms of election with the subject working on the farm or the worker in bazaar. The president has one vote, prime minister one vote and that farmer in the remotest part of the country one vote. Their votes are the same. All are responsible. In distinguishing between good and bad, do not rely on the words of others unless they are people whom you completely trust. I draw the attention of people and you gentlemen who will be in charge of the elections in the future that if a deviation is found in any of you, which may harm this republic, you will be held accountable. If any damage is inflicted on Islam, you are to blame. Moreover, if your faults are uncovered, you will not be forgiven and will be prosecuted. Without regard to the dictates from above you should hold the elections. No one has the right to dictate anything in the elections. There is no objection in giving order as far as good performance of the elections is concerned. The interior Minister can, of course, give orders for the elections to be held in a right, Islamic manner. However, if someone from above wants to dictate certain people should become representative, such a thing does not exist in Islam and Iran. I make such a warning because coming generations in Iran should know that this is the way to be done. Today we do not have anyone to dictate. One might propose and people are free to choose. Let us suppose that all those at the helm suggest that certain people become representative but their proposal is not correct in your opinion. It is not permissible to you to obey. You should come to this realization that a certain candidate is a good person so that you can vote.

Mere fact that one is a very good man, says one's prayer on time and performs night prayer is not sufficient for representing people in the Majlis. Majlis needs political persons, economists, public officials and persons aware of the world situation. Majlis deputies should also be committed to Islam and favor the Islamic Republic. At the same time, he/ she should perform prayer. Everything should be found in a Majlis. In the Majlis commissions different subjects ranging from military topics, agricultural and economic questions to other subjects are debated. One should be aware of them.

Those accepted in these commissions should be persons versed in economics, agriculture, administrative affairs and world problems. Majlis has to steer a country against which all other countries have lined up. It is not to run a country in isolation. Nowadays Iran has stood against the world: the whole world on the one side and Iran on the other side. Iran is alone against a world full of aggressors. All want to attack us. You want to have a Majlis which bravely whitstands against these aggressors. The Majlis should appoint a government that can defend the attacks launched in the world and he pressures exerted by the world. This stems from Majlis. The government is made out of Majlis. You need such a Majlis. You should resist for preservation of yourselves and for preservation of dear Islam for which you have offered so much blood. Note that you should preserve this. To preserve means that you who are agents should efficiently perform without regard for anyone and in conformity with the Sharia, Islam, and interests of the country. People are all free. As pointed out earlier, there is no difference between the president, prime minister, interior minister and the farmer in the remotest part of the country in being obliged to choose the ones they deem to be useful for the country.

Bazaar should know for itself. Factories should know for themselves. No one should be impressed by others. However, if there are reliable people who know the candidates and testify that certain people are good, from various aspects, then it is no problem if others vote for them and take the reliable people's word for it. It is not however sound for one to follow others blindly. There is not such a thing in Islam and should not exist in Islamic Republic as well. You governors and district-governors and the respected persons directing these Islamic associations across the country are obliged to give care to this matter so that it will be accomplished well. Beware lest a fraud would, God forbid, come about. Be careful so that no frond or rigging can God find its way into into elections. Beware lest some people run for elections. You will see many of such cases. These are your duty to perform. People are also duty bound to participate in the elections. They should not retreat. Participation is an obligation. It is preservation of Islam. Retreating is opposed to obligation; it is against the interests of Islam.

The pious one who imagines he is doing an Islamic practice by refusing to interfere in Islamic affairs, he is treating against Islam. If God forbid such an individual is there, the one who withdraws by observing a wrong act done by somebody or group, he acts against the interests of Islam. This practice was also observable in early days of Islam. In time of Immaculate Imams such things were being done. Right, such things have existed, but they did not withdraw. They were engaged in their own activities. I advise people to participate in the elections and you should know competent individuals for this post. Hand over the fate of your country to those who are useful for your country from political, economic and all other aspects. If you show negligence and no one knows, God is there and God knows and sees. You are in God's presence wherever you are. All creatures of God are in God's presence everywhere they are. Supposing that I did a wrong thing, it does not mean that Islam has done it. You should work for Islam. You shuld not concern yourselves with what a certain person has done. Well, let him do bad thing, but you should do good for Islam so that the bad one becomes good by following you.

Do not retreat. The `ulama' should not withdraw. Of course, people involved should be knowledgeable no matter which part of this system they come from. All their responsibility aspects should be good. At any rate, I pray for you to be successful and sanctioned. The things that should be taken as obligations, you should act efficiently and people should participate efficiently. If people are not present and God forbid any harm is inflicted on Islam, we are responsible. God willing, God will make you successful!

May God's peace and mercy be upon you!