In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
I would like to welcome all the dear brothers and sisters, the honorable officials of the judiciary branch, and the esteemed family members of the great martyrs of the Haft-e Tir bombing. The two occasions [Judiciary Day and the anniversary of the Haft-e Tir bombing] have been bound together by Allah's order. Our judiciary has been imbued with the scent of martyrdom. It is very important for us to benefit from this in an appropriate manner.
I would like to make a comment on the esteemed martyrs of the Haft-e Tir bombing and the important event which happened on June 28, 1981. This important event will go down in history. I would also like to point out something to the honorable officials of the judiciary.
Regarding the Haft-e Tir event, the most important point is that we lost the most honorable and prominent revolutionary elements in that bombing. A person like Shahid Beheshti, who was a unique and exceptional figure of the Revolution, was martyred for the sake of the Revolution. I knew many of the martyred political figures, senior managers, ministers, MPs, and the political activists of the Islamic Republic - who were all prominent figures. I had worked with some of them. The fact that these high-raking officials laid down their lives is very important. After all, a country, a civilization, or a government will get nowhere without making sacrifices and laying down lives. Those people were the pioneers of this path.
The next point is that the Islamic Republic brought many elites into the revolutionary arena and lost them. However, the Islamic Republic was not rocked. Those who used to plan the assassinations were not focused on specific individuals. Their primary goal was to destroy the foundations of the Revolution and strip it of its elites. Through these assassinations, they wanted to bring the Revolution to its knees. But what happened was just the opposite. That is to say, the main foundations of the Islamic Republic - namely, its relationship with the people - were strengthened.
These are all the lessons that our Revolution holds. And I would tell you that nothing has changed today. The Islamic Republic will be strengthened today if some lives are laid down for the Islamic Republic and for Allah's sake. The roots of our government are like the immaculate tree that has been mentioned in the Holy Quran: "Whose root is firm and whose branches are high." [The Holy Quran, 14: 24] The Islamic Revolution is as firm as the immaculate tree which has been referred to in the Holy Quran. We must create a bond between our hearts and the principles and values of the Revolution.
The Islamic Republic, especially the judiciary, is truly indebted to the prominent figure, Shahid Beheshti. The short period of time during which he served the judiciary - that is, from the late 1358 to the early 1360 - Shahid Beheshti introduced many innovations, made numerous achievements, and made long-term plans for the judiciary. Thankfully, the judiciary has been making progress and it has made good achievements during the past 30 years. The prominent figure, Mr. Shahroudi, who is truly outstanding in terms of his knowledge and qualifications, has been shouldering the heavy responsibility for the judiciary for 10 years now - two five-year terms.
The important point regarding the judiciary branch is to see what its purpose is. Then we must try to realize that purpose. All measures must be in this direction. The judiciary is for administration of justice. And observing the law is the criterion for justice. Justice means that one's actions are in line with the law. And deviation from the law would mean injustice. Within the framework of the Islamic Republic, law equals Islamic law. Of course there may be some laws among our legislation that do not completely correspond to Islamic teachings. Or there may be some laws that are, for instance, the relics of the past, and such laws must be reformed. Acting in accordance with the law is the criterion. Justice can be administered in such an atmosphere.
Of course justice is not easy to administer in the judiciary. The infrastructure that was discussed by Mr. Shahroudi is something necessary. Policy-making - which is part of the infrastructure - adopting appropriate policies, and the systems that have been created or are being created by the judiciary are all indispensable. That is to say, in a giant organization like the judiciary, which is supposed to manage the judiciary system of a country with 70 million people, justice cannot be administered through words and standing on ceremony. These prerequisites are all indispensable. Therefore, all the measures that have been taken so far are valuable. We must appreciate them. By Allah's favor, these policies will be continued in the same appropriate manner. I deem it necessary now to thank Mr. Shahroudi as well as the senior managers of the judiciary who have been making efforts in different parts of the judiciary system. And as Mr. Shahroudi said, these efforts should be appreciated.
However, the important point is that although comprehensive administration of justice depends on these prerequisites, the mere existence of these prerequisites does not entail administration of justice. We may have the prerequisites, but we may still suffer from injustice. We must beware of this. What ensures justice is the determined and God-fearing man. "So fear not the people and fear Me." [The Holy Quran, 5: 44] This is the word of Allah the Exalted in the Quran. If this happens, with the help of the varied and good modern devices we can achieve complete justice. If this determination is lacking or undermined, none of these governmental organs will be able to administer justice by themselves. On the contrary, such organs will pave the way for injustice. That is the essence of the issue.
We must look at the outcome of our efforts and see whether we have been able to achieve justice. This is the main point that I always raise in my annual meetings with you honorable officials of the judiciary or in a number of other meetings with officials active in other parts of the judiciary branch. If the outcome is justice, then we will feel proud before Allah, our own selves, and other people. That is to say, when we administer justice, our judgments will inevitably please some people and displease others. When you make a judgment, you please one side of the argument and displease the other side. However, deep in his or her heart, even the displeased side will be satisfied.
If justice is not administered, even those who benefit from our judgments will make fun of us at the bottom of their heart. This is an important point. This is a fundamental issue. There is a tradition by Imam Ali (a.s.) which says: "One can talk about justice at length, but administering justice is by no means easy." There are big obstacles in one's way if one is to administer justice. One will fall by the wayside if one lacks strong determination or does not rely on God. This is an attitude which has to be promoted among the judiciary officials. The spirit of administering justice should constantly be instilled into the judiciary officials.
Administering justice is most difficult when you are dealing with influential people who are not willing to surrender to the law. In such cases, one has to stand up to these people. A judge's independence requires that he only consider the law and divine orders in his decisions. In all cases - personal or social - justice can only be administered if the law is the criterion for actions.
Concerning the recent events, I would like to say that I am opposed to dividing our dear people into two groups. I am opposed to pitching one group of people against another. In many cases, our people hold different opinions, but this does not mean that there should be clashes among them. We should not provoke our people into clashes. I advise both [the winning and losing] sides not to provoke the youth or pitch people against one another. Our people are united, hold similar beliefs, and have good relations with the Islamic Republic. And their presence in the elections is a testimony to this fact. If the people did not trust or believe in the Islamic Republic, they would not take part in elections. Therefore, the people have no problems with the Islamic Republic. No one should create division among the people, and the different groups inside the country should not be pitched against one another.
There are legal channels through which matters can be settled. The result of lawlessness is worse than causing displeasure to certain people by enforcing the law. There is a tradition by Imam Ali (a.s.) which says: "One who feels constricted by justice will be even more constricted by oppression." Administering justice is the same as observing the law. If we think that observing the law will constrict us, or if we do not surrender to the law, the result will be worse than the difficulty of accepting the law. This is a fact which everyone should take into account.
By Allah's favor, our people are aware and faithful. And they are always present when necessary. We have to rectify our ways. Political elites and figures should pay careful attention to what they do and say. This is a fact which all political elites should consider. It is not limited to a particular party or group. Everyone should stay vigilant in this regard. Everyone should know that the people are all united, and pitching different groups against one another will prove futile. The temptations of the anti-human global powers and the oppressive politicians will prove futile if you are united and trust the Islamic Republic.
As you see, some of the political leaders - both American and European leaders - make absurd remarks about our country and behave as if they have no problems in their own countries. They should know that wherever they enter the political scene, that place is considered polluted by the Iranian people."
Their support is counterproductive. The people will start asking themselves "what has made these powers, who have used all available means against us during the past thirty years, adopt a sympathetic stance towards us?" The people can identify plots and are aware of their evil intentions. This is the problem they are currently faced with. They would not face any problems if they were dealing with a nation that was not aware. But the problem they have to deal with is that they are faced with an experienced and vigilant nation.
Our experience during the past thirty years has helped increase the awareness of our people. And the enemies are aware of this fact. They are the governments who dropped chemical bombs on our houses and killed our innocent people during the 8-year war when our people suffered several crimes and bombs were dropped on our cities. During those times, not only did they not show any compassion, but they also helped our enemies. Our people are aware of these facts. These are not things which could be forgotten. Now they are sympathizing with our people. The people are watching what they are doing to the innocent people of Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, and Palestine. They dealt as many blows as they could whenever they found the opportunity to harm a nation. They show no mercy towards the people. They have no compassion for humanity. But now, they are supporting the Iranian people and certain figures inside the country. Their intentions are very clear. The people are aware of these facts. If you are united and maintain the spirit of resistance which the Revolution brought, their enmity will not do you any harm and they will not be able to do any harm to the Iranian nation.
I pray to Allah to bestow His blessings on all you dear brothers, sisters, and officials. I hope Allah will help you fulfill your duties. I hope we will all benefit from the prayers of the Imam of the Age (may our souls be sacrificed for his sake). I hope the immaculate souls of our magnanimous Imam (r.a.) and honorable martyrs are pleased with us.
Greetings be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings