Speech [Importance of simple way of life for clerics and officials]

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

In anticipation, I thank the good will shown by Mr. Meshkini and hope God will treat me in accordance with such good will and make us all successful in serving Islam. I also appreciate the gentlemen who gave me the honor to meet them and hope that they will perform responsibility devolved upon them most efficiently and act the way bringing God's gratification.

Of the most important issues worthy of note is the one concerned with the entire clerics and officials of the country. I am always worried lest the people who have sacrificed everything they had and served Islam and obliged us should be concerned with us due to our deeds. That which people expected of us and for which they followed us, propagated Islam, established the Islamic Republic and destroyed the arrogant powers is the quality of life of the men of letters. If, God forbid, people observe clerics have changed their way of life, built their edifices and their associations are not befitting the clerics and lose their confidence in the clerics, this loss is equal to destruction of Islam and the Islamic Republic. Of course, let me note this point that a group who are at stake should protect themselves, but they should be careful lest they should not act excessively. Do not imagine that if you make a public appearance driving costly cars with a number of escorts, your prestige with the people would enhance. That which people heed and which is in agreement with the taste of the public is your simple way of life as were the leaders of Islam, the Prophet of Islam, the Commander of the Faithful and Iimmaculate Imams who led a simple and ordinary life, if not lower than ordinary people. Those who set up the Islamic Republic are ordinary people. Those who are sitting in upper classes were not in any way involved in the revolution. It is these people in the bazaar, the farmers, workers in factories and the weaker classes of society in worldly and strong in otherworldly terms have this expectation. If, God forbid, these people are detached from us, its loss is not simply for us alone, but for Islam as well.

We should protect those who have preserved Islam and the Islamic Republic and who will protect it later. To protect them signifies that we should lead a simple and ordinary life. Those who want to preserve themselves, should know that they can be saved by a Peykan car much better than other vehicles. If the Friday and Congregational Prayer leaders take to the streets in ordinary way they might suffer assassination attempt, they should guard themselves as much as they are saved and not excessively. When a Friday Prayer leader comes to the street, you should not think the streets should be empty, making hue and cry for their arrival. Such things will damage their prestige in society. Greatness of your gentlemen is not dependent on the worldly gains; your greatness hinges on the hereafter and being reputable before God. This is an important point that is involved with preservation of Islamic Republic. We should be careful and the men of letters and the government and officials should be more careful, because all seek to find a weak point, particularly with regard to the men of letters and magnify it everywhere. We should live in a way that if every material things are taken from us, we would not regret. We should not be like for example the US president who will die frustrated in one's hope if his position is taken away from him.

Another aspect that I should highlight is that currently we are in hajj days. Hajj is among the rituals performed in our country and in many other countries. We should pay special attention to it. I know Mr. Mousawi Khoeyniha and he has been very active and acted well. However, since he was needed in Prosecutor General's Office; he cannot join hajj ceremonies this year. I thought Mr. Karroubi is suitable to replace him. Mr. Karroubi is one who has been thrashed for long years in the former regime and suffered many harms. He is resistant and righteous. For this reason, I send him temporarily this year to see what we should do for coming years.

The point I wanted to treat is that enemies seek to find an excuse and propagate that Iran's policy has changed now that Mr. Mousawi has abandoned. They do not know that hajj rituals are not policies we have made. Hajj is Islamic policies. From the outset we planned to perform hajj as it has been prescribed. We want to break the idols in the same way that the holy Prophet shattered the idols in Ka`abah. The idols in our time are superior and worse than those in period of the Prophet. We should act the way we did in the past and mount demonstration and rally. With the change of Mr. Mousawi, our policy has not changed. Hajj will be held in the same way it has been held, particularly in the past two or three years. The government should also tolerate it. We cannot revoke the duties Islam has prescribed and the Qur'an has also enjoined. Our policy in hajj is the same policy we have acted and anytime we go to perform hajj we will act the same way unless we are barred from attending the rituals in which case the story is different.

I hope that this ritual will be performed in the same way so far done and that this year it will be performed more efficiently and with greater number of pilgrims.

The pilgrims to hajj should be more attentive to their acts and to being united. I hope that other Muslim countries would share this feeling. Over one billion population of Muslims should not follow the matter what the US says and what the Soviet Union says. They should stand on their own feet and ignore others. They should act like this country with 40 million populations who are smaller than other countries. They have stood on their own feet and cry:" Neither East, nor West." Now the respect accorded to this country is greater than that given to countries supported by them. Muslims pay greater heed to this country. Therefore, nations should not fear what the US says. They are hollow drums; they cry but fail to act. You see what the US said and how it acted regarding the terrorists to whom we and all are opposed. They constantly sought to attribute them to any one of the countries opposed to them but they failed. The browbeat they show is empty. Nothing will happen. Nations should not fear and should traverse their own path. Islam and God will support them. One whom God supports should not fear anything. I hope that God will make us successful to obey His orders.

May God's peace and mercy be upon you!