In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
Dear brothers and sisters, welcome. I hope Allah the Exalted will reward you for every moment of your determined efforts and your sense of responsibility. I hope Allah the Exalted will bestow increasing blessings on you dear brothers and sisters.
I would like to thank Mr. Larijani [the Speaker of the Majlis] for presenting that good report and for acting as your representative and expressing the parliament's clear and transparent positions against the arrogant powers, against America and against greedy international figures who talk nonsense against the Islamic Republic. Of course what he said is what our people want to say as well. We should be thankful to Allah the Exalted for helping our nation preserve and even increase its accurate and clear insight into political groupings of the world and their goals over the past three decades. It is a fact that one of the problems of nations is the lack of this awareness or the failure to acquire this awareness, which harms them in global developments and in different events and which makes them prone to mistakes in the case of political dilemmas. If the reality of the major political and economic groupings of the world were clarified for the nations of the world and if they thought about these groupings in a conscious way and kept the goals of different groups in mind, the sword of the arrogant powers would become blunt. The main goal of the widespread propaganda - broadcast through the media and propaganda tools that are at the service of the policies of the arrogant powers - is to create confusion so that nations cannot gain or preserve this awareness and this insight. Our nation has preserved this insight, and we should be very thankful for this.
I would also like to thank the honorable members of the parliament for expressing these positions clearly until today, and by Allah's favor, they will continue acting like this until the end of their term. It would have been a serious disappointment for the country and for the Revolution if the Majlis had made a mistake in one of these important political developments, failing to adopt a position or adopting the wrong position. We should be grateful to the Majlis and we should be proud of it for standing firm and for adopting clear and unambiguous positions in the case of different political developments and during the enemies' attacks against the Islamic Republic. I express my heartfelt gratitude to the Majlis, and I insist that these positions should be continued in a firm way. This is because the conflict between the Islamic Revolution and global arrogance is a continued and ongoing conflict. Of course, by Allah's favor, this conflict will not continue until the end of time. The Islamic Republic is becoming stronger with the passage of time. The attacks will gradually decrease the day the enemies feel disappointed, but until that day it is necessary for the nation and its prominent figures to resist. It is necessary to continue this resistance. The subtlety with which the Revolution treats the enemy must not be ignored. Today we should see what plot the enemy has designed for the Revolution. In other words, we should try to guess the enemy's scenario and see what it is looking for. If we manage to make accurate guesses and plan our response to the enemy's scenario, the enemy will definitely be defeated.
All the proofs show that today the enemy has focused on a few essential areas. The economic area is the most obvious example. This is why I named this year as "The Year of Economic Jihad". One of the essential things that they are trying to do is to bring the economy of our country to its knees and to push the country backward in the economic arena so that they can cripple our economy and disappoint the people. This is obvious. Even they themselves are saying these things. This provides clear guidelines for the Majlis, for the administration and for each and every government official working in different sectors.
Another obvious example is their efforts to foment discord among the organizations in charge of managing the country. This is one of the essential goals that they are pursuing, and they do not even try to hide it. This does not mean that they do not want to hide this goal: it is just that the goal is impossible to hide. The way the enemies act in important, large-scale and global issues requires that they do certain things and make certain comments. Therefore, the plans and policies of the enemies cannot be kept a secret. They want to foment discord, and they do so in whatever way they can. We must be vigilant. Differences of taste and differences of political opinion must not result in a conflict among different political groups and elements of the country. If we adopt an optimistic perspective on the post-election events and say that the seditionists only had certain doubts, their great sin was that they turned their doubts into a challenge for the Islamic system. This great sin cannot be ignored, and the effects of this sin still exist in our society. Of course the Iranian nation is a vigilant nation. The level of insight that the Iranian nation enjoys offsets many effects of such events. But these people tried to deal a blow. Creating conflict and fomenting deep discord is a very bad thing. It is very serious and reprehensible. It is exactly what the enemy wants.
You should play your role in the Majlis in this regard. This issue has nothing to do with the political sympathies and tastes of the MPs. These political tastes make no difference in this case. It is a matter of defending the country, the Revolution, Islam and the great achievements of the Iranian nation. All political groups of the country share these concerns, except those who are outsiders. Otherwise, these concerns are shared by all political parties of the country, irrespective of their political sympathies.
Another obvious example is to undermine Islamic beliefs and sentiments and to promote sacrilegious or quasi-sacrilegious ideas in different ways. This is among their policies. They spend huge amounts of money and make widespread efforts in order to deploy various propaganda organizations to change the mentality of our youth. Of course this is not limited to our youth. Today the same policy is being pursued vehemently in the Arab countries in which these uprisings and revolutions are taking place. They spent billions of dollars in order to change the mentality of the youth who used to gather in certain squares in Cairo or Tunisia and who gave rise to those great events. These are the events that are happening, not guesses and analyses: they are facts. Well, the enemy is making efforts. It is working with all its power. Promoting corruption and immorality and shaking the beliefs of people: such things are common actions that the enemy takes.
The enemy has prepared a comprehensive and well-thought-out scenario for the Islamic Republic, the Islamic movement and Islamic Awakening. Fortunately we are capable of confronting this scenario. There is no doubt in this regard. I say this decisively: with its firm ideological and philosophical assets - both potential and actual assets - and with its competent and enthusiastic manpower, the Islamic Republic is capable of countering this attack, and it has shown this capability during the past 32 years. The enemies were not standing idly by over the past 32 years. They have been thinking and working constantly, and their so-called think-tanks have been working over these years. They have spent money. They have prepared many plans. They have employed agents. They have been active. They did everything they could in diplomatic areas. However, the result of their actions is that the Islamic Republic has moved forward and they have moved backward. Of course if it were not for certain moral and other weaknesses and certain shortcomings that we were suffering from, we could have made even more progress. After all, we were suffering from certain problems. But in spite of these shortcomings, we have obliviously made progress and the enemy has obviously been pushed back. The America of the Reagan era is radically different from the America of the Obama era. Similarly the Islamic Republic of 1360 is radically different from the Islamic Republic of 1390. We have moved forward, and they have moved backward. Therefore, the Islamic Republic is capable of countering them, but there is a concern that we might fail to maintain our vigilance and that we might feel overconfident, both of which are dangerous. We should neither lose our vigilance, nor should we keep ourselves busy with secondary issues. We should neither feel overconfident, nor should we underestimate the enemy and consider him helpless. We must be vigilant. I am addressing this point to everybody. I am addressing this point to each and every one of you 290 members of the Majlis. Each and every one of you has this divine responsibility. You must be vigilant. The same is true of the administration, the officials of the judiciary and government officials working in different sectors of the country. All of us are responsible: members of the military in one way and civilians in another. But the responsibility of government officials is clear and often well-defined. All of us are responsible. This is how we should think of our jobs. All of us are responsible: me in my own job, you in your own job and other people in their own jobs.
We are shouldering a heavy responsibility. Allah the Exalted has put this heavy responsibility on our shoulders. We do not have the choice to abandon this responsibility. No, this is a duty that we must carry out in a powerful and responsible way. We must always keep this in mind whenever we do something: whenever we engage in political, intellectual, economic or managerial work. If we continue working without keeping this point in mind, there is a danger that our efforts might work against the goals. Then we will have to deal with divine censure. Allah the Exalted will not forgive such big sins. Imam Khomeini (r.a.) said the same thing about certain social, political and other problems. He used to say, "This is a sin that Allah the Exalted will not forgive because it is not easy to repent of this sin." God forgives every sin if the sinner repents. But if a person does something and harms a nation, how can he repent of his sin? How can he make up for the sin? How can he ask forgiveness of each and every person who has been harmed? So Allah the Exalted will not forgive such sins. This is why our jobs are so sensitive.
As I said, regarding national, regional and global issues, the Majlis and the administration have fortunately adopted good positions and they have resisted. Fortunately our government officials have managed to convey the clear message of the Revolution to the people of the region in spite of the different kinds of uproar that have engulfed the region. In spite of the uproar that the enemies caused, the Iranian nation and its officials managed to clearly express the right and logical words. Fortunately this has already happened, and it should continue.
After all, this is a battlefield. In a battlefield people try to harm the enemy, and they should also expect the enemy to harm them. The enemy does not stand idly by: he tries to deal a blow as well. In these vast international arenas, one should consider oneself in the middle of a battlefield. It is not a time for peace, kindness and other such things. Even when they say soft things, they hide a dagger behind their soft words, waiting for a moment of carelessness so that they can sink the dagger into the heart of their opponent. Therefore, it is necessary to be vigilant. We must be vigilant. We are already vigilant, and I recommend and stress that this vigilance must be maintained.
Of course I would say that it is time for communal piety. As far as individual piety is concerned, each person should watch his or her actions. Perfect piety requires that one should constantly watch one's actions, just like a person who is walking through thorny bushes - and this is an example which has been used both in Islamic narrations and in the statements of prominent figures. That is to say, one should always watch where one is stepping. If you fail to pay attention, the thorns will damage your clothes and injure your feet. Piety has been likened to walking through a field with thorny bushes. This is individual piety, and it is necessary because it is the only way in which people can achieve success and salvation. If somebody wants to achieve ultimate salvation, he or she must have piety. The more piety one has, the more success and salvation one will achieve.
On the other hand, there is communal piety which requires groups of people to watch themselves. Lack of communal piety causes even those who have individual piety in a group to slip and to go where they do not want to be. We have been harmed for this during the past 30 years. This area is where we have had weaknesses.
During the past decades we had a political current in the country which was called "leftist". They used to shout good slogans, but they failed to watch themselves and exercise communal piety. There were people among them who had individual piety, but lack of communal piety ultimately made the situation so bad that seditionists who were opposed to Imam Hussein (a.s.), Islam, Imam Khomeini (r.a.) and the Revolution could rely on them. They did not shout slogans against the Imam or the Revolution, but those who were shouting slogans against the Imam and the Revolution finally came to rely on them. This is a very serious danger. They slipped. Therefore, communal piety is necessary.
Last year I suggested that you should establish self-regulation mechanisms in the Majlis. This is an example of communal piety. You should watch your own organization. Certain criticisms were voiced here and there, saying that MPs must be free. Nobody disagrees that MPs should have freedom. It is only deviant behavior that we are opposed to. MPs with deviant behavior might tarnish the reputation of the Majlis. Is it not a pity to see the reputation of such a great legislative organization become tarnished?
We visited Imam Khomeini (r.a.) at the beginning of the Revolution to have a prominent figure approved by the Imam so that we could nominate him as the president of the Islamic Republic. The Imam did not accept this proposal due to certain reasons. Then he told us to refer to the Majlis. He told us that the Majlis is important. The Majlis enjoys such a position from the perspective of the Leader of the Revolution and the founder of this system. It is necessary to preserve this position. It is necessary to preserve the reputation of the Majlis and save its face. This requires self-regulation. In the absence of self-regulation, we would face problems, and you can see the consequences already. I made this suggestion last year. Of course small steps have recently been taken in the Majlis in this regard, but the importance of this issue was not properly understood. This self-regulation is communal piety.
There are different tastes and political tendencies in the Majlis. I do not at all insist that different political tendencies should come together and unite as one. No, differences of taste, differences of opinion, different political opinions are natural. Such differences of opinion are beneficial in many cases though they may have certain consequences in certain situations. There is no emphasis on eliminating these differences. The emphasis is on what I explained earlier: the MPs must not attack each other, and these differences must not result in personal hostility and in ignoring America. Unfortunately this is how certain parties behave in our country. When they are opposed to a certain party, they tend to forget America, Israel, the opponents of the Revolution and the enemies of the Imam. Overcoming their opponent becomes their main concern. This is wrong. Therefore, political parties must not fight each other like this. Moreover, they must have self-regulation mechanisms among themselves. They must watch themselves. They must not let their party be derailed. Otherwise, there is no shortage of good individuals in these political parties. But when a political group is derailed, both good and bad members suffer from deviation. These points are among clear and natural things. I do not want to fully explain such points to the dear brothers and sisters.
Now I would like to mention an important point. Because this year is the last year of your term in the Majlis, take care not to let the upcoming election - which will be held at the end of this year - make the Majlis suffer from stagnation and lack of effort over the next ten months. There is a concern that the focus of the honorable MPs on the election might overshadow all the things that should happen over the next ten months. I am asking you not to let this happen. I have advised all administrations to take care not to give up trying during the last year of their term. This is more important in the case of the Majlis because the consequences are more serious. For our administrations, their last year is the end of their term in office. They cannot do anything to continue holding office. But this is not the case with our MPs: they can try to keep their position. These efforts must not overshadow their current responsibility, which is essential. I seriously demand the brothers and sisters to pay attention to this point.
Another issue is developing a relationship with owners of power and wealth. I will not stand on ceremony with you in this regard. After all, we are brothers, and we must call each other to the truth and to benevolence. It is a big danger to approach owners of power and wealth just to ensure one's position in the parliament. This is very bad. It is one of the things that Allah the Exalted will not forgive - one of the things that will provoke divine revenge. Such things have a negative effect on society and on people and their destiny.
The dear MPs should try to formulate the self-regulation bill - which has been partially approved by the Majlis - in a way that genuine supervision can be carried out. That is to say, it must be formulated in a way that collusion is prevented and the Majlis can really be supervised in proper way. You must not let standing on ceremony, collusion and other such things get in the way of this supervision.
Another point is the advice that I have always repeated: the need to cooperate with the executive branch. There should be cooperation with the executive as well as the judiciary branch, but cooperation with the executive branch is particularly important because the Majlis is primarily engaged with the executive branch. It is necessary to proceed in a way that discord and tension are avoided, otherwise this would have very negative effects on the people. Sometimes it is noticed that a certain comment is made in the Majlis during a speech. Once you have said something, it is out of your control. If your comment levels allegations against a person or a group, it will not be easy to make up for the consequences. The people will get disappointed. Today our government officials are working hard. Do not say there is this and that shortcoming. I am aware of the shortcomings. I may be aware of certain shortcomings that many people do not know about. In spite of these shortcomings, the executive branch enjoys a good and favorable structure today. Good things are being done in the country. It is necessary to cooperate. It is necessary to help. Both the Majlis and the administration should help each other. The law has the final say on the actions of the administration, and the tendencies and judgments of the administration is a signal to our lawmakers to watch the quality of their legislation. This issue does not go against independence of the Majlis.
I used to be an MP. I also used to be president. I have experienced both these positions. Over these years I have observed both our parliaments and our administrations. There is nothing wrong with formulating an appropriate, effective and logical law in a way that it becomes easy and practical for the administration to put the law into practice. If the Majlis passes such laws, it does not mean that it has lost its independence. There are certain people who have serious problems with the existence of the Majlis, but the same people are claiming to care about independence of the Majlis. They say that the Majlis should have independence. This would not affect independence of the Majlis. The Majlis should see how it is possible to formulate laws in a way that implementing these laws becomes easy for the administration. It is possible to do this, and nothing is wrong with it. On the other hand, once a law has been formulated and approved, the administration is responsible to act according to that law with all its power and without any excuses. This is true of both sides of the issue. That is to say, the two sides can cooperate and help each other. This is necessary, and it must be done. It becomes an impossible situation if the two sides make excuses. If the Majlis refuses to change a particular law just because the administration insists that it should be changed, and similarly if the administration refuses to practice a law just because it has a certain problem, then it will not be possible to run the country. Leniency and flexibility are good. We have Islamic narrations in this regard. People should be flexible. It is only the enemy that one must not be flexible with. One should be flexible with friends. After all, it is necessary to tolerate. It is necessary to tolerate each other's flaws.
The parliamentary election is about ten months from now, and elections are important. Elections are the flag of the Islamic Republic. Thankfully we have always held our elections without any delay, much to the disappointment of the enemies. This is very important. Since the first election in the year 1358 up until today, we have had 31 or 32 elections, and all of them were meticulously held on time. During a certain parliamentary election, they did everything in their power to delay the election, but they failed. Heads of the branches of the government joined hands to prevent the parliamentary election from being held on time, but they failed. They made a lot of efforts. They debated the issue and spoke in favor of delaying the election. They published newspapers in this regard. They drew up a petition. They deployed government agents, but by Allah's favor they failed. By Allah's grace, the situation will be the same in the future as well. Elections are important. Elections are a flag of honor for us: they are the symbol of religious democracy. It is necessary to hold elections in an appropriate way. In spite of all the bad behaviors from different sides and in different elections, in spite of all the nagging, in spite of all the premature warnings about possible vote-rigging and other such things, they have not been able to prove any of their claims. Thankfully all elections were held in a transparent and good way. By Allah's favor, the same is true of the upcoming election as well. Of course there is a long time before the election, but I would like to advise our government officials to be careful and to maintain respect for elections. The Majlis, the administration and the judiciary must all maintain respect for elections. Nobody is allowed to interfere in elections in one way or another. It is the people who should act on the basis of their judgment and determine the result of our elections.
I would like to add one more point [in response to excessive praise by one of the MPs present in the meeting]. I was really embarrassed by the comments of the dear brother who spoke after Mr. Larijani. Although I know for sure that the comments were out of sincere love, such comments are harmful both to me and to the person who makes them. It is necessary to avoid making such comments in this way. We have happened to come together at this point in time, and we are working together as a team. I am responsible for one thing, and you are responsible for another. Such comments are not the kind of comments that would make one feel good or the kind of comments that would help one move forward. We are all servants of God, and by Allah's favor we will manage to serve the people as well.
I hope Allah the Exalted will make all of us benefit from His blessings.
Greetings be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings