Welayat is the divine government by which there is no sign of egoism, monarchy, and despotism
We are proud and grateful to God that this was carried out in our time by one of His most virtuous servants; that is, Welayat was realized. Welayat is the divine government by which there is no sign of egoism, monarchy, and despotism: if these features exist in it, it is no longer Welayat. The difference between a divine and non-divine government, and their commitments, is that in divine commitments, the commitment is inherent. If someone who takes over a responsibility is not qualified for that position, he is systematically dismissed. -- This is extremely important. The foundation of divine welayat is complete compliance to God’s will: this is the exact opposite of material monarchs and human governments.
What exist in human governments, including signs of authority, monarchy, domination, coercion, egoism, the opposite of these exist in the divine government; its greatest manifestation being Imam Ali (A.S.)
April 5, 1999
Imam Khomeini ended thousands years of monarchy in Iran
In the history of our country, two great and unprecedented tasks were carried out by Imam Khomeini (r.a.): one was the destruction of a structure which was based on a cruel and unreasonable, inherited monarchy. This inherited monarchy had a millennium-long history in our country. This old and relinquished structure--on the basis of which some people controlled the government with the might of their swords and armies, then they passed it to others by way of inheritance--was a faulty and unreasonable tradition that dominated our country for a several-thousand-years. The first task that Imam (r.a.) carried out was to destroy this corrupt structure and to entrust affairs to the people.
The second great task that our magnanimous Imam (r.a.) carried out was to create a government on the basis of Islam: this was unprecedented in the history of our country and the history of Islam after the early Islamic era. The great jihad that our magnanimous Imam (r.a.) did bring about is such a valuable outcome. Therefore, it is really necessary to say: "He strove in His cause, such a striving that is due to Him," [Bihar al-Anwar, Vol. 33, p. 18]. Another example exists in the Holy Quran: "And strive in His cause, such a striving that is due to Him." Like other saints, this great man was a manifestation of the meaning: "He strove in His cause, such a striving that is due to Him."
June 4, 2015
Monarchy entails autocracy, exclusive privileges, and coercion
The importance of the Iranian Islamic system is that it is a stable, established and a sustainable political system created by the people. It is not a system imposed on the people; it is against the ideology of monarchy.
Monarchy is based on an ideology. Its ideology is what you can view in all different types of monarchies around the world: that is, autocracy, exclusive privileges, and coercion when they need to practice coercion.
Due to a personal grudge, stemming from his young age, Anushirwan (Khosrow I)--they tried to name him Anushirwan the Just--killed tens of thousands of Mazdakis [followers of Mazdak] on one day! He recalled a day his father, Kavadh, had asked him, who was young at that time, to prostrate at the feet of Mazdak (because Kavadh was a henchman of Mazdak). He said he could still remember the horrible smell of Mazdak’s feet, and now that he was king, he wanted to take revenge. However, not from Mazdak himself, but from tens of thousands of Mazdakis!
You see, Shah Abbas, who was a renowned king, committed so much oppression derived from pure despotism. He killed and blinded so many of his family members and relatives that they had to take some of the Safavid princes to a hidden place so the king wouldn’t know of them! For instance, by his order, four sons of Imam Quli-Khan were decapitated before the eyes of their father. Though Imam Quli-Khan had carried out many services to the Safavids, he was among the servants of the Safavids, a commander and a politician of Safavids. But, because of the spirit of dictatorship and despotism of the king, he had this fate. Oppression was not exclusively committed by Reza Khan and Muhammad-Reza. Within the ideology of monarchy, there is oppression due to dictatorship, autocracy, and there is no commitment to the people or God. The Islamic system rose up against the ideology of a monarchy. Though, our country was inflicted with this system for many centuries: before and after Islam. Islam in Medina brought about true freedom and, in today’s language, true democracy.
This was the case in Medina, as the birthplace and the main base of the prophet-hood. But, in far reached regions, where an Umavid commander was ruling in Khorasan, Isfahan, or Fars, it was not the case. Every commander was a tyrannical king and did whatever he could do. Of course, the belief of the Iranian people was not based on these individuals or commanders: it was based on the message of Islam. Of the ideology of monarchy, despotism being one of its essential aspects, other downfalls also emerged since the last hundred years; like dependence, then, corruption of the monarchy entourage and its aristocratic members: sexual corruption, ethical corruption, and lots of financial corruption.
November 3, 2001
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