Speech [The important role of people in running the country; the importance of holding proper elections; the criteria of success]

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

I beseech the Almighty God to grant success to all the gentlemen and those serving this oppressed people for the sake of God. Regarding the story of governors and their subordinates, I would like to make two points. One is that the gentlemen are aware that as long as people are not present, neither the government nor governors can manage the affairs. That is, all government organizations cannot anything without people. Therefore, all of us, you and those who work with you should struggle to win the people's satisfaction in all affairs. In the past people regarded neither the government nor elections and officials to be from them. Therefore, they did not participate in elections the way they should have unless when they were under pressure. People did not also cooperate with the government in removing difficulties. Theu were more inclined to attempt sabotage than cooperate with the government. Definately, it is for people's presence and help that our government has been able to brave out the black-breaking problems facing the country since the victory of revolution. Today, people do not consider the government as being separate from them; they do not see elections as dictated ones. Today, people know that the government and election are from them.

You should strive to keep what is now in the mind of people who consider government and elections as from them. This mentality should not be eliminated from their mind. In the course of the service you render you should bear in mind God Almighty. You are responsible before God. Tomorrow, you will be questioned. If here you can, God forbid, do something and conceal it, your act will not be hidden before God and the angles of God. One-day man will come to realize this. From this perspective, the weaker the people the greater you should heed them. but in the past regime, the big guns, tribal chiefs and reach people were held in greater respect. The weak, poor people were, on the other hand, totally ignored. You should do the converse. You should treat the weaker, oppressed and deprived people in more dignified manner than others. Treat all respectfully but these are heart-broken and downtrodden in the course of history. They have suffered much and rendered great services in the revolution. Today, they offer the youths. If the affluent class does any service, a few of them are involved in such matters. Therefore, we should protect this class of people for the sake of God and preservation of the prestige of the Islamic Republic. You should kindly treat all social classes in every actively. If any of them has a problem and comes to meet you, the secretary should not block his way, keep him waiting or kick him out. These are acts in contrast to God's satisfaction but were done in the past. You should do the converse. This is a question regarding the acts you do. You should notice that God is present everywhere and watches over all our deeds, which are recorded. Our acts are recorded befor God, and on the day of juddgment will be unfolded to us. Therefore, I make this advice.

I have another piece of advice regarding elections. No matter how properly you treat people. Some try to find fault with you. We should not heed their find-fauting. They were looking for faults from the begining are still doing so. When there was only talk of an election, they would start complaining that elections were not free and fair and people would not go to the polls. They will make such complaints in the future. We should neglect them. You ought to consider this fact that you are heard responsible for your own actions and those of your subordinates before God. No one in the election is superior to others; all members of the nation are equal in elections. There is no difference in election between one who performs a small thing and one who is at the helm of affairs. The former has one vote and the latter one vote as well. Both should be treated equally. Therefore, pay heed to handle the elections in a way that people would be pleased. The elections should not be organized in a way that is favored by supposedly the chiefs. We want the people. The people should be satisfied. People should feel that election has been handled in the way electoral law has provided and Islam had recommended. You have to act. Law is something that records and determines our duty. What counts is action. Your action should conform to the law, and gain the satisfaction of people. It is necessary to be careful so that troublemakers cannot sabotage your plans. Of course, in time of elections a group of saboteurs will appear, disrupt the process, and make a fuss. Strong strops such movements. Everyone should cast one's vote calmly and peacefully. You must not allow some to cause trouble in the polling stations or others to tell people to vote for this or that person. Every candidate has conducted advertisement within the limits set by law. The polling station is not the place to tell people who is good and who is bad. You have to stop anyting like this so that hopefully we can have a proper election. I hope you will be successful in this attempt. People will also turn out in the election because people now consider the country to be theirs and know that the fate of the country rests with the election. They will not show any sign of apathy in the election. They do this for themselves. In the past people did not have any reason to take part in elections, because there was not a link between elections and people's interests. Today, however, there are not such arguments. People will participate and I hope they will turn out in greater numbers in this election. This is a divine, national and human duty, which we should fulfill. We all should participate in elections. You should make sure to hold a proper election. People will take part and cast their ballots. You have to embrace yourselves for complaints and criticism. It is obvious that some will make complaints. Obviously, not only you but also all will be subject to complaints of this nature:" It was not a real election and people did not turn out and did not do so and so." They will say such things, but we should go our own way.

Another question is the issue of war. I would like to remind the gentlemen of one point which people should also know. The standard showing that our war is good or bad is the propaganda made abroad. Wherever greater propaganda is carried out against us, it becomes clear that in this part they have suffered greater damage. For instance, in places such as Khurramshahr, we had achieved greater victories in the course of war, but they carried out greater propaganda against us. When I study the case, I see that these days for more propaganda are made against us. Never did they cover our news at the top of their items. Now they have aired lies to the effect that the Iranians have been surrounded and many of them killed. On one occasion they quoted Iraq as saying, they had killed 30,000 Iranian forces. On another occasion the figures was reduced to 18,000. Today, they said 50,000. Well, tomorrow they might say 200,000. Whenever they suffer greater defeat, they increase the volume of their propaganda against us. The greater the volume of their propaganda, the greater our victory has been. This is the standard, which the people should notice. Whenever they raise a tumult and talk more about our defeats, know that we have achieved great victories there. Now that the situation in battlefield has become sensitive, they have become confused to the point that once they might announce that no war has occurred in Iraq. Iraqi radio announced that they fought in Iran and all the dead bodies of Iranians lie scattered in Iran. The next day they may forget what they had announced and report that they drove out the Iranians from Iraq. Once again, they announce that the bodies of Iranian forces have been left in Iraq or Iranians have been surrendered, the Iraqi forces poured them into the sea, and that since they did not know how to swim they were drowned. Some simple-minded people might happen to accept these fabrications. Do not believe! This is not the case. The victory we have now achieved is greater than those up to the present time. As pointed out by some gentlemen, the tactic employed in this case were very complicated and in which there are many lessons to be learned by those who want to go to war. Anyhow, we should note that people should not be impressed by their propaganda and imagine that there might be something that they make such statements. When there is something, they increase the propagnda. When great damage is inflicted on them, they intensify their propaganda war. It is now clear that the US has sustained great damages from this war. You see what it is doing here, in the Persian Gulf and other places. The US is raise in tumult, announcing it will not let such and such things occur. They make such claims, which are of no use. Such is the case in France, England and elsewhere. Since they suffer the burden of war and see things are not getting along as they planned, they augment their propaganda operations on the supposition that we are araid of their threats. Right, we saw that the US can do nothing. In Lebanon, despite the fact that a large number of Lebanese people were not involved- many of them including the government sided with the US- that situation was so hazardous that none of them could stay there. France is also finding an excuse to escape. Well, we know them; their ballyhoo is more than their action. Colonization was primarily founded on making fuss as a means of pushing forward their programs. They advance their interests threat. For example, if there was an issue in contention in the Majlis- at the time when the late Mudarres was Tehran's representative- and they wanted something from Iran, in case of any laxity or hesitation, a British ship would sail towards our country and it was enugh for them to withdraw. Russia had once given an ultimatum and its army had been mobilized to enter Iran. They wanted to get a concession from the Majlis. No one dared to speak. The late Mudarres attended the Majlis and said," now that we are supposed to die, why should we commit suicide. Let them kill us." Others also accepted and voted against the bill. Nothing happened. They always make fuss directly or through their servants to force us retreat. I hope this war will soon come to an end and God willing in favor of Islam.

Another question that I would like to highlight is that the New Year is approaching. I expect the gentlemen and all to think a moment about the people and the mothers whose youths have been martyred or disabled in the war theater. I have been told that the Basij forces want to be here during the holidays. Right, You are performing a great act of worship now. If you leave the warfronts now, what do you want to do? Do you have any New Year festivities? You are entangled there and poisonous bombs are being poured on your head. What does celebration mean in these conditions? Do you want to evacuate the warfronts for festivities? Keep the battlefield strong. Your festivity is when you strengthen the battlefield, drive the enemy out, and achieve the final victory. God willing, many New Years will come and you will compensate. May God grant you all great reward!

Another thing I would like to point out is that some persons who seem not to be prejudiced and sound to be religious talk about making peace. They call for peace and ask for how long the youths should be killed.

These gentlemen are short-sighted. They do not notice that in the present situation if we accepted the peace proposal and sat at the table with Saddam- he at one side and our president at the other side- what the world would tell us. What would Islam tell us? What would Iraq tell us? What would Iran tell us? Shall we give opportunity to one who has afflicted us for four or five years and carried out whatever he wished against us and make peace with him? If he has not done something, it is because he has not been able to. He has done everything possible and will do so in future. Shall we tell him right! Gentleman! Go back to your country and we go after our own business. This does not comply with Islamic dignity and human honor. It is not possible to make such a statement. The gentlemen are mistaken. They imagine that now that we have offered our youths- I know we have suffered greatly- we had better come to terms with Saddam. Is this an honorable peace with one who will later stab us more fiercely from behind? Is this peace rational? Strangely, some gentlemen say if they had occupied part of our country they would have defended the country to a man. Right, Islam is opposed to this nationalism. Do we consider Islam less than our nation and country? We are doing everything for Islam. We do not consider the Iraqi people to be separate from us. This is a country in which many of our`ulama' and Iranian nationals are living now. We are not separate. When we are not separate, should we think it is right to be killed to a man for the sake of our land? The one who said why offering so many youths argues that when hey were in our soil we were ready to be killed to a man. Now that they have withdrawn- they have not yet retreated- why should our youths be killed? Let us sit and talk for peace, an honorable peace. Is this honorable, is this not against the view of Islam to offer our youth for land but if we offer our youth for our religion it is objectionable? We are now fighting for our religion; we do not fight for land. When the war cames to an end, we will openly welcome the Iraqi people, and will not be at war with them any longer. Our war is a war between Islam and blasphemy, not a war between one country and another. It is between Islam and disbelief. If we retreat today, we have caused Islam to suffer defeat. Today we cannot withdraw. Today we cannot make peace with them. On the one hand, they call for peace and on the other commit those crimes. They are not peace loving; they are only lying. Let us suppose that they happen to come to their senses, but no one accepts from us or our president to sit at the negotiation table and sign the peace deal with a crinal who has committed so many crimes. Does the world accept it from us? Suppose that big powers say" very good, thank God you won the war"- it is their victory- what do the nations tell us? What does Islam tell us? What do the prophet of Islam and Imam of the Time tell us? Well, we are responsible. Therefore, the gentlemen had better think and then talk. First think and then raise voice. I hope that you will be successful in all affairs. We are not expecting the east and west to help us. We seek help from God who has so far granted us help. We have so far seen the result. I hope from now onward we further experience God's help if we also serve Islam and God." If you help God, God will also help you." «1»

May God's peace and mercy be upon you!