An important issue which I have discussed many times is the question of power among the Police Force. The Police Force is the manifestation of authority within the Islamic Republic, in establishing security. One matter the Islamic Republic is responsible for is the establishment of security in society. As explained, moral and social security are some of our responsibilities. These are responsibilities of the Islamic Republic and therefore, we cannot abandon them. It is the agent in the middle of this arena. Therefore, you (the agent) should have power. You should be able to act in an influential manner with decisiveness and authority.
A display of one’s authority should not be confused with acting out tyrannically. You should not confuse power with crossing boundaries by moving forward in an unbridled manner. For example, in some countries - such as USA - police have excessive authority. They lay bare these muscle-bound police on camera who arrest people in the middle of the showground. Although, they are in a position of power, they kill many innocent people. For instance, there are times when a civilian is killed by US police after being shot several times - with the pretext that he was about to draw a gun. This power they have is not ideal power, because it is accompanied by oppression. This is a type of power which will not lead to security in the end. On the contrary, it will lead to insecurity. In fact, it is a driving force in creating insecurity. And as you may have heard when they face a court of law, they acquit the brutal police officer.
Unfortunately today, you can witness that these events are common in a world that is indifferent towards spiritual values. Now, the amusing part is that in USA - whose president is African American - many crimes are committed against blacks. They have a commemoration for the occasion of abolishing slavery, which a certain president is recognized for, but they continue to tyrannize the African American population in a very cruel manner. However, there are certain criticisms regarding slavery abolishment. They say that Abraham Lincoln abolished slavery, but this is not honest according to careful historical research that has been carried out. The concern was not the question of abolishing slavery; rather it was the conflict between the north and the south. The conflict stemmed from extensive and deep-rooted wars between the Northern and Southern parts of the USA. It was a struggle over land, agriculture, and industry; this was the main source of contention. They did not abolish slavery because of altruistic feelings.
In any case, despite this commemoration, African Americans are still ignored and humiliated in the USA today. Their lives are in great danger. Immense police dominance is not what Islam wants and it is not what we want. We do not in any way like to give a cinematic and Hollywood-like brand to our police who work diligently on our streets. We want tasks to be carried out with a real sense of the world. That is to say, we want complete authority and power accompanied by justice, kindness and mercy. In certain cases, power should be accompanied by mercy; this is the manifestation of Islam. On one hand the Creator is beneficent and merciful; on the other hand He is the Great righter of wrongs. These two aspects should be considered collectively. This should extend down the hierarchy of the pyramid and affect our lives, behavior and affairs, the same should be applied in the police force.
Ayatollah Khamenei's speech in meeting with police commanders, Apr 26, 2015
