In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
First of all, I would like to congratulate you on this great birthday anniversary and I hope that Allah the Exalted will bestow on us the blessing to benefit from this “Light of Guidance and Ship of Salvation” [Imam Hussein (a.s.)] in the best way possible. Also, I would like to welcome the honorable gentlemen in the Assembly of Experts who are the representatives of the people. I thank you for the congress that you held and the good issues that you discussed in it.
In particular, I would like to thank Hazrat Ayatollah Meshkini (may his achievements continue) for the statements that he made. He is really and truly a teacher of morality. It is many years now that we have been benefiting from his warm statements and his warm breath. Today too, we benefited from his statements. Also, I would like to thank Hazrat Amini (may his achievements continue) for his articulate and eloquent statements. He too presented a very good and comprehensive report about the products of this two-day congress.
What I want to say today can be summarized in one sentence and that is: today, our responsibilities are heavier than the past. Perhaps, after the great event of the elections – that was really an important event for the country – the different aspects of this reality will become clearer. The plots that they had hatched for the country and the Islamic Republic, the wrong notion that had crossed the minds of arrogant decisions-makers in the world – on the basis of which they had defined certain plans for themselves and all of which were foiled with these elections – are very important issues.
We should really see the hand of divine power and will in this event. This event was like many other events in which we did nothing. It was the hand of divine power that entered the arena. The great rallies and movement of the people, an enthusiastic election and the presence of all parties with various viewpoints were really divine blessings. Of course, the people who participated in these elections and who warmed the scene played a part as well, but it was the divine willpower that brought about this condition.
Today, the image of the Islamic Republic in the world is a different image. They feel that this is a popular system and that the people have stood by it. They feel that unlike their propaganda, the slogans of the Revolution are alive today. They used to think that the principles of Imam (r.a.) and of the Revolution have been consigned to oblivion and that the new generations that have emerged have returned from these principles. They used to think that even the officials and politicians of this system have reconsidered these principles, but all these notions proved to be wrong. It became clear that if the Islamic Republic has made scientific progress, if it has made progress in the arena of technology, if the emergence of talents in all arenas during the past two decades has impressed everyone and dazzled everyone’s eyes in a very astonishing manner and if all these constructive projects have been conducted in all areas, all these have been achieved in the shade of the Islamic Republic’s mindset.
The guiding hand of the Revolution and the name, remembrance and path of Imam (r.a.) have led all these movements and it is religious motives that have brought about these events. Everyone has felt and noticed this. The wrong notion that existed in everyone’s mind was corrected and the reputation of the Islamic Republic was enhanced. With the new circumstances in the present time, I feel that heavier responsibilities fall on everyone. I only want to refer to four responsibilities briefly because there is not a lot of time.
Primarily, our responsibility is to preserve unity. Despite all their advantages and despite all the enthusiasm that they generate in society – they create one of the greatest epics in the course of many years – elections create a problem in each term: they create some anguish among different groups of people, parties, intellectual and political orientations, and people with diverse viewpoints – although they follow the same path. Elections create some anguish among different individuals. We should remedy this situation very quickly. And this remedy is not achieved by one person so much so that we say such and such an organization, person and association should do that. This is the responsibility of everyone. Primarily, the heavier responsibility falls on those individuals who have a higher position.
As Hazrat Meshkini correctly put it, we have a heavier responsibility – including on this matter – on the basis of the sensitive position that we have. We should try to cure this feeling of anguish and irritation that has been engendered and the wounds that have been inflicted on some hearts and souls. And there are different cures for different periods of time. In the present time, I see certain policies and orientations inside the country that are planning in the exactly opposite direction. Such individuals are not friends and they cannot be friends. They are planning on creating as much discord as they can.
All outstanding personalities in the country – including government officials, seminarian officials, the members of the Islamic Consultative Majlis, the honorable members of the Assembly of Experts, different organizations, political pundits and those personalities who can exert influence and who have promotional and political minbars – have a responsibility towards creating unity more than ever. Why more than ever? It is because these irritations and rifts have been created in any case. So, they should be remedied and cured.
The second responsibility, which is a heavy one, is supporting executive organizations – in particular, the administration. This is everyone’s responsibility. An administration with certain slogans has held office. And its slogans are interesting slogans as well. They are popular and revolutionary slogans. If these slogans are put into practice, the country and all those who care for this system will reap the profits. If we can truly further social justice, if we officials can coordinate our behavior with Islam more than the past, and if we can prevent some of the divergences that have been created among a number of our principles in certain areas, this will be a great success for the Revolution and the country. This is a profit that everyone will benefit from. It is not the case that only a specific person, party or group will reap the profits. This will not be the case. Everyone will reap the profits.
Throughout the past 16, 17 years, during which different administrations held office – we held four presidential elections and two honorable personalities were in charge of those administrations – I had the same position without any difference. I believe that everyone should support and help the President and the administration. There is no government and no person which we can refer to as perfect in all areas. Anyone might have a weakness in part of their job. Previous administrations have had such weaknesses and this administration is no exception. Weaknesses should not be highlighted. Weaknesses should not be preferred to strong points and perfections.
The fact that there is a system in the middle of the arena which is headed by a president and which has the most responsibilities should be seen. All the things that you gentlemen spoke about today – all of which we expect to be done – will not be done except with the support and diligence of the administration. Cultural, economic, political, domestic, foreign and other such problems are all related to the administration that holds office. So, administrations and presidents should be strengthened. Our responsibility on this matter is heavy as well. It should not be the case that some people weaken the administration – from several sides – because of high expectations and because of some irritations that might exist. It is our great responsibility to strengthen the administration. It is a heavy responsibility that needs to be carried out.
The third point that I would like to discuss briefly is about fundamental issues in the area of politics and intellectuality. Notice that in the present time, the propaganda orientation of our enemies is not only to abuse, curse and make political accusations against the Islamic Republic. Today, our enemies are challenging the Islamic Republic in a fundamental manner with issues that form the bases of the Islamic Republic. As they themselves put it, they are theorizing about a philosophy that is against the Islamic Republic. In fact, they are creating ideological and intellectual bases with the purpose of promoting the philosophy that the world of arrogance – headed by America – should dominate the whole world.
All the things that are related to the people’s faith, to the legitimacy of Islam, the Holy Quran and divine rules, to the unity of religion and politics and to the specific principles of the Islamic Republic are being challenged by them. This challenge is being pursued by them in a serious way. The opponents of the Islamic Republic are not a bunch of thugs who gather together on the Radio and on TV to talk political nonsense. They have hired intellectuals: individuals who have ideas in intellectual – whether religious or political – areas. They are spending money, presenting ideas and thoughts and injecting them into our society. In the face of this, anger, takfirism, weapons and force are of no avail. In the face of the notion that “nothing can match iron except for iron” [speaking in Arabic] we should act with reason. The enemy is using artistic tools. He is using modern propaganda tools to promote his ideas. And the main target is our youth.
They bring thoughts into newspapers and different media. They even bring them into those media that are connected to the Islamic Republic – “in ways that one cannot understand” [speaking in Arabic]. These media sometimes publish certain things as well. They bring some people to media under the false names of philosophers, politicians, intellectuals and the like. And such individuals wrestle and fight against the well-established principles of the Holy Quran and they try to question them. This is clear: “To such deceit let the hearts of those incline, who have no faith in the hereafter. Let them delight in it, and let them earn from it what they may” [The Holy Quran, 6: 113]. Those whose hearts are potentially prepared for such things will use these ideas and some ignorant and naïve individuals – who do not have the capacity for scholarly complexity – will accept them. Today, the important responsibility falls on outstanding personalities.
Mr. Amini quoted Aqa Sayyid Ahmad Khatami (may God preserve him) as saying that illogical and unfounded ideas are promoted on the issue of rowza. However, I want to say that is not confined to rowza. We should observe precision in expressing divine teachings, the teachings of Ahlul Bayt (a.s.), the hadiths that we narrate, the narrations that we quote, the qualities that we ascribe to the Imams and the teachings that we want to be committed to. We should observe precision in all these areas. In the area of fiqh, our ulama have placed great emphasis on and attached great significance to the reliability of such and such narrators even when it comes to trivial and unimportant matters. They used to discuss such issues at length to see whether such and such narrators were reliable or not. Their purpose of doing this was to make sure that the narrated document was devoid of any doubt, to trust it if it was a reliable document and – when they could trust it – to issue a peripheral and third-degree edict about the issue of cleanliness or on other religious issues. We attach such significance to these matters. So why should we trust any hadith, narration, statement and claim on the issue of divine teachings and on the issue of intellectual and emotional matters? This is not acceptable.
Precision in narrating and recounting and in what we want to give to the people as food for thought is necessary. This is a major condition. This should be thought on. This is not an easy task. As I said before, this is a very difficult task that cannot be carried out only by holding a meeting, issuing some warnings and establishing some associations. This requires firm determination on the part of seminarian personalities and scholars so that they pursue and insist on it. They should not show fear in the face of might face in return.
A few years ago, we spoke about tatbir in this meeting. This issue is a clear example of “al-ghay” [meaning error: it comes from a Quranic ayah (2: 156) that says, “Truth stands out clear from error”]. A number of great personalities spoke about this issue. They showed their honorable nature and accepted what we said. Many people too accepted it. However, we saw that some voice was raised from a corner of the country saying that we were opposing Imam Hussein (a.s.)! Does “the Light of Guidance and the Ship of Salvation” mean that we should perform an act that is undoubtedly problematic from the point of view of sharia and that is clearly haraam? We should cast such light so that our young generation becomes more interested in Islam.
You should take a look at the youth’s inclination towards Islam. This inclination is a spiritual one and it is very valuable, but it can come and go like a wave. If we want this wave to be there all the time, we should strengthen the youth’s intellectual make-up. We have so many sources. Our youth read Dua Abu Hamza – this was pointed out by Mr. Meshkini as well – and Dua Imam Hussein (a.s.) on Arafah Day, but they do not understand them. “Oh God, bestow upon me a heart whose enthusiasm helps it get close to You” [from Dua Sha’baniyyah]. There are so many prayers, principles and deep statements like this in duas such as Dua Sha’baniyyah and Sahifa al-Sajjadiyyah. It is necessary for us to explain these duas for youth so that they understand and read them with keen interest and with the enthusiasm that they usually have.
The last point is about our heavy responsibility in the area of rendering services. This responsibility is primarily related to government officials. Rendering services to the people is our main job. The people who should benefit from these services more than others are the underprivileged and weak classes that are in need of such services. We should provide such services to them and facilitate this path. This is a big step on the path of administering social justice. Nowadays, showing laziness and indolence and reducing office hours to one hour – more or less – is not acceptable anymore. Such problems should be corrected. Of course, this requires diligence and endeavor. Everyone should help so that by Allah’s favor, officials can carry out their duties.
I hope that Allah the Exalted will bestow success on all of us so that we can carry out these heavy responsibilities, God willing. At these sensitive times, certain tasks have fallen on our shoulders. Each of us will be questioned about God’s blessings: “Then, you shall be questioned that Day about the blessings” [The Holy Quran, 102: 08]. So, we should answer for this great blessing. I hope that God will bestow on us the blessing to endure these heavy loads and to deliver them home, God willing.
Greetings be upon you and Allah’s mercy and blessings
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