First, I would like to welcome the venerable gentlemen and senior clerics who have attended this gathering, and I hope that Almighty Allah will bestow His blessings on this meeting and make it beneficial to the Islamic ummah and the future of Muslims.
The issue of running the affairs of society in Islam, as the gentlemen pointed out, is a very important issue. In Islam, ruling over people is not considered a privilege or a special right for the ruler. Besides, this rule should comply with certain criteria, and the most important point is that these criteria should be observed by those who are in charge of the people's affairs.
The kind of government which has been introduced by Islam and which we have adopted is religious democracy, which is basically different from the present democracies in the world. The current democracies do not observe the criteria that we observe in administering the country's affairs and in appointing the government officials and executives. There is no power struggle in this country either, since it is not possible here to attain political power through such means.
Furthermore, when we state that our politics and our religion are the same, what we mean is that our politics should be based on our religion, and that our political activities should meet the religious and moral criteria. In other words, using immoral means to attain power is not allowed.
The law has established certain qualifications for the Leader, the President, the heads of the three branches of the government and other officials and executives of the Islamic Republic. These qualifications, which have stemmed from the Islamic tenets and principles, should first be fulfilled by an individual before he stands in an election if election is the criterion, or before he is appointed to a position if appointment is the norm, as it is in some cases.
The Islamic ruler has certain responsibilities with regard to the elimination of poverty, social gaps and discrimination, the promotion of morality and spirituality in society, the protection of the country's independence and also the protection of civil liberties within the bounds that have been defined and delineated by Islam.
This is what the people, who believe in Islam and who are familiar with the Islamic teachings, expect from the government officials. They expect the officials to take action against discrimination, corruption and breach of regulations in some administrative organs and also take effective measures to eliminate poverty. But contrary to the negative propaganda of some media that are controlled by the enemies of Islam, the Iranian people have full support for the Islamic system.
Another difference between a system of religious democracy and the existing democracies in the world is that in a system of religious democracy the expenditure of huge amounts of money on election campaigns and in order to woo the voters should be avoided. Instead, competent and pious individuals should be introduced to the public, and the people should vote for the best ones from among them.
Today, besides the Islamic nations, many broad-minded people across the world have realized that democracy in the way presently spearheaded by the United States, which is itself the symbol of arrogance and bullying in the world, cannot cure any sufferings of mankind.
The U.S. bullying of other nations is not something new, as history bears witness to the fact that there were many such powers in the past that tended to dominate other nations. However, there is no sign of those arrogant powers on the face of the earth today.
For instance, the former Soviet Union was a big power until just a few years ago, and until a few decades ago it used to bully, intimidate and dominate other nations, for example in Hungary, Poland and Eastern Europe. It used to annex other countries' territories and change their governments. In short, the former Soviet Union used to do what the United States is doing or threatening to do in the world today.
Thus, it is not the first time that the world is facing bullying and arrogance, which is embodied today by the Untied States, since there were arrogant and expansionist powers in the past too. However, those powers were ultimately annihilated and wiped off the map.
Once the U.S. flag was burned and the slogan of "death to America" was chanted only in one part of the world, but today you can see that the U.S. flag is being set on fire and this slogan is being chanted in several parts of the world.
Even in the United States itself the U.S. flag has been set on fire! This is a very important phenomenon! What is the cause of this phenomenon? Is it anything but the resistance and perseverance of a valorous nation that is loyal to its lofty ideals and objectives?
The Iranian people have been coping with different problems for the past 24 years, but they have also been making steady progress all the while, and they have never stagnated. Furthermore, the Islamic Republic has managed to bring about a spiritual awakening in other Muslim nations.
Thanks to Islam, we are strong and powerful. We should use our power and strength and show to the world that our Islamic system is an efficient system.
The Iranian people love their Islamic system, but they also have certain legitimate and rightful expectations from the government. These expectations have their roots in the people's knowledge of Islam and its teachings. The government officials should do their utmost to solve the problems and remove the obstacles in order to pave the way for the fulfillment of the people's expectations.
I pray to Almighty Allah not to withhold His grace and favor on our nation, country and Islamic system. I also hope that just as divine providence has assisted us in the different stages of the Islamic Republic and in the course of the various ups and downs that we have so far experienced, so it will assist us in facing the different trials that are ahead.
Finally, I invoke Almighty Allah's blessings on the sacred soul of our late magnanimous Imam and the immaculate souls of our pious martyrs.
Greetings be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings