[In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
To His Eminence Imam Khomeini- may his benign existence endure,
After greetings and salutations, I acknowledged the receipt of kind letter dated Farvardin 6,1368 AHS. While extending my gratitude for Your Eminence's advices and guidelines, you are notified: Rest assured that just as from the beginning of the struggle up to now I have been a self-sacrificing, devoted and obedient soldier at your side and in the path of Islam and the revolution, I still deem it incumbent upon me to obey and carry out Your Eminence's order, because perpetuity and stability of the Islamic system depend on obeying the Supreme Leader. There is no doubt for everybody that under Your Eminence's leadership and guide lines, this glorious revolution has withstood important threat and has humiliated and driven away from the scene numerous enemies such as the blind-hearted hypocrites whose hands have been smeared with the blood of thousands of our dear people and figures one of whom was my own son «1» and other crimes of the oppositionists, anti-revolutionaries, conformists, and the crooked-minded pseudo-liberals. Are the horrendous crimes and cowardly blows of these blind-hearted guilty ones against the revolution, the country and dear nation and our self-sacrifices forgettable? If their mouthpieces and foreign radios imagine that through scenario-making, spreading lies and rumor-mongering under my name, they can achieve their ulterior aims and undermine the solidarity of our nation, then they are seriously mistaken.
Concerning my designation as acting leader, I myself was not amenable from the beginning; in view of the enormous problems and the burden of responsibility, on that very moment I wrote a letter to the Assembly of Experts, stating that my designation is not advisable. Now, I categorically announce my absence of readiness. I request Your Eminence to order the Assembly of Experts to take into consideration the future expediency of Islam, the revolution and the country. Kindly allow me, as a simple and humble student as in the past in the theological seminary, to engage in teaching, academic activities and service to Islam and the revolution under Your Eminence's wise leadership. If mistakes and weaknesses, which are natural for human beings, would emerge through the guidance of Your Eminence, they will be eliminated, God willing.
I request all the dear brothers and sisters as well as enthusiasts not to take any action or utter something about the decision of the Supreme Leader and the Assembly of Experts under the pretext of supporting me because the Supreme Leader and the esteemed Experts Assembly want nothing except what is good and expedient for Islam and the revolution.
It is hoped that this humble student would always enjoy your valuable guidelines and hope you would not forget me in your benevolent prayers. May God's peace, mercy and blessings be upon you.
Muntaziri
Farvardin 7,1368 AHS]
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
His Eminence Hujjat al-Islam wal-Muslimin Muntaziri- may his graces last,
Greetings and wishing you success! As what you have written, leadership of the Islamic Republic system is a difficult job and a heavy and crucial responsibility, which needs more than your endurance. It is for this reason that both you and I were not amenable with your designation, and in this context we had a parallel view. But the Experts Assembly had arrived at that conclusion, and I did not want to interfere in their legal bounds. I sincerely thank you for announcing your lack of readiness for being the acting Supreme Leader after acceptance. Everybody knows that you have been a product of my life and that I am very much fond of you. In order not to repeat the same mistakes, I advise you to purge your of unrighteous persons, and strictly prevent the coming and going of those who oppose the system, who are acting in the name of your interest toward Islam and the Islamic Republic. I also reminded you of this in the case of Mahdi Hashimi. «2»
I view the welfare of you and the Revolution in you to be a jurist whose views will be beneficial for the system and the people. Do not be touched by the foreign radios' broadcasting of the lies. Our people know you well, and have also recognized well the tricks of the enemy who, by attributing every thing to the Iranian officials, is showing its spite for Islam.
The dear seminary students, esteemed leaders of the Friday and congregational prayer, newspapers, and radio-television should make clear to the people the simple issue that in Islam the interest of the system is among the issues, which take precedence over anything else, and all must follow it. God willing, through your lesson and discourse, you would give warm to the seminary and the system. May God's peace be upon you.
Rouhullah al-Mousawi al-Khomeini
Farvardin 8,1368 AHS