We are grateful to Almighty Allah for the valuable efforts that are being made by the people's representatives in the Islamic Consultative Assembly, and we express our appreciation for your sincere endeavors. We are also pleased and happy that once again we have the opportunity to meet you, the dear brothers and sisters, and exchange views with you.
The esteemed Majlis Speaker, Dr. Haddad-Adel, referred to the positive measures that have been taken by Majlis deputies over the past year. Indeed, praise and admiration is due to the people's representatives for the effective laws that have been enacted by the Majlis.
If we observe piety in our everyday lives, especially with regard to the responsibilities that have been entrusted to us in our various capacities, Almighty Allah will bestow His blessings and success on us:
"O you who believe! Be careful of your duty to Allah and speak the right word. He will put your deeds into a right state for you, and forgive you your faults;..." (the Holy Qur'an, 33: 70-71)
If we show piety and devoutness, Almighty Allah will rectify our deeds and guide us on the right path:
"Surely Ours is it to show the way." (the Holy Qur'an, 92: 12)
The Almighty has undertaken to guide us, provided that we observe piety in our everyday lives, enjoin the good, forbid the evil and be careful of our deeds. Therefore, piety is the main criterion.
What I have stated on several occasions in the past and would like to once again emphasize is that your four-year term of office as the people's representatives will come to an end very fast. What you should try to do during these four years, one year of which has already passed, is not to accumulate wealth or to achieve fame or respect. What you should make every effort to do during your term of office should be rendering valuable services to the nation, so that you may have something to offer before the Almighty on the Judgment Day.
Almighty Allah states in the Holy Qur'an: "O' you who believe! Be careful of your duty to Allah, and let every soul consider what it has sent on for the morrow, and be careful of your duty to Allah; surely Allah is aware of what you do." (59: 18)
Being pious and careful of our duties to Allah should result in pondering over what we have to offer before the Almighty on the Judgment Day. The last words of the above verse emphasize that "surely Allah is aware of what you do."
If you, as the people's representatives in the Majlis, be pious and careful of your duties, this will result in the enactment of effective laws conducive to the country's progress and development and to the people's welfare and contributing to social justice. Besides, you will be able to perform your legislative as well as supervisory roles more efficiently. If you move in this direction, you will also benefit from divine assistance and guidance.
I would like to make a few points about the Majlis and about the country's current political issues. What I wish to stress about the Majlis is that you should rightly recognize the significance of your responsibilities. You are entrusted with heavy duties, as you are tasked with enacting the laws of the country.
The laws constitute the software for running the country, and executive organs can be compared to the hardware components. If you prepare well-meditated, stable, effective and appropriate software capable of solving the problems and filling the gaps, the hardware components will perform their tasks appropriately.
It is true that sometimes the hardware components need to be repaired, renovated or replaced, but even a sound hardware component will not function properly with faulty and defective software.
You are charged with formulating the country's managerial software, or at least a major portion of this software. Of course the Majlis deputies are also expected to fulfill their supervisory role and perform some other duties as well.
The people's representatives in the 7th Majlis, who garnered the people's votes by expressing their adherence to revolutionary principles and the ideals of the founder of the Islamic Republic late Imam Khomeini, are entrusted with a much heavier responsibility. The reason is that by voting for these deputies, the people showed them the direction that the country should take in the future.
The voters also refuted the claims by certain individuals alleging that the era of revolutionary values and Imam Khomeini's ideals such as social justice has come to an end, and that a new course of action should be adopted in the new era.
The Iranian people came on the scene and corrected the country's direction, like an experienced pointsman who corrects the direction of the railway line. The Iranian people expect their representatives in the Majlis not to forget their crucial responsibilities and to forego their personal and factional interests for the sake of national interests and, above all, prioritize their heavy duties.
You should try to pass carefully-meditated and stable laws in the Majlis. Fortunately, the general policies of Article 44 of the Constitution have been notified to the three government branches. These policies now require relevant laws. The specialized parliamentary commissions and, in particular, the Majlis Research Center can play an important role in devising a stable economic system for the country.
To achieve this goal, some of the existing laws should be removed and some necessary laws should be enacted instead. However, special care should be taken in enacting the new laws so that it may not become necessary to change or amend them after some time. In short, we are in need of stable and effective laws.
The Majlis deputies should study the bills and motions in advance and consult experts and specialists to acquire additional knowledge, which is vital for passing new laws. You should allocate more of your time for legislative purposes.
The stances taken by the Majlis on certain issues of foreign policy and Iran's peaceful use of nuclear energy have been quite timely, suitable and effective, and appropriate legislation has also been passed in this regard. The Majlis deputies have shown that they properly represent and voice the views of their constituencies.
In our meeting last year, I pointed out that there should be legal, logical and sound relationship between legislative and executive branches of the government. There are always some hands at work trying to mar these relations without the knowledge and information of high-ranking executive officials. You should be very careful in this regard.
The venerable Presidential Board of the Majlis, the chairmen of various parliamentary commissions and also every one of you, the esteemed Majlis deputies, should try to comply with this divine guideline:
"...and enjoin on each other truth, and enjoin on each other patience." (the Holy Qur'an, 103: 3)
It is very important for the Majlis deputies to counsel and caution one another with the intention of improving and ameliorating each other's performance.
Efforts should be made to use the thoughts and views of scholars and intellectuals at the Majlis Research Center. I hope through the observance of moral values, order and discipline, the foreseen objectives will be accomplished in the best possible manner and the future will be much better than the past.
"And surely what comes after is better for you than that which has gone before." (the Holy Qur'an, 93: 4)
I would also like to mention a few points about the country's current political issues. As you all know, solidarity, unity and harmony will bring power and dignity to the country on the international front and prepare the groundwork for the implementation of necessary laws and regulations on the domestic front. Therefore, solidarity, unity and congruity are very important factors.
In order to achieve their main goal of subverting our Islamic system and lowering the banner of Islam in this country, the enemies are devising certain plots and schemes. Among the components of their plots are fomenting rifts and conflicts among our government officials, disseminating disbelief and corruption in our society, creating mistrust between our people and our government officials and discrediting our various government organs such as the Judiciary, the Guardian Council and the Majlis. Unfortunately, certain individuals are inadvertently helping the enemies carry out their plots because of their lack of insight and awareness.
The Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali (peace and greetings be upon him), during the battle of Saffain often repeated this statement that "nobody expect those characterized by insight and patience will be able to carry this banner." We should try to reinforce our discernment and awareness. If this is done, you as the people's representatives in the Islamic Consultative Assembly will be able to play an instrumental role in foiling the enemies in their plots and removing many of the existing obscurities.
The Majlis deputies should also be careful to avoid unnecessary disputes and conflicts over political issues, including the issue of the upcoming presidential election. There is nothing wrong with supporting a certain presidential candidate, as the expression of such support is the right of every individual. But insulting, discrediting and provoking others should be avoided. Anyhow, preserving the atmosphere of unity, benevolence, cooperation and harmony should be the top priority of the Islamic Consultative Assembly.
Fortunately, the 7th Majlis does not give rise to tension and agitation in our society. This is a great blessing, which we should be grateful for, and it provides another reason for praising and admiring you. Try to protect this amicable and peaceful atmosphere in all circumstances.
If someone is saying something which is not in conformity with you own views, listen to his or her remarks carefully. Then if you wish to respond to the remarks and express you own views, do that in a logical and appropriate manner. Interrupting one another and raising a commotion on the floor are not proper things to do. Always try to preserve and safeguard an atmosphere of harmony, poise, dignity and tactfulness in the Majlis. You have so far done this very well, for which we should be grateful to the Almighty.
Assistance should be sought from Almighty Allah. You should always invoke Allah's grace and guidance. I also pray to the Almighty to bestow on you further success in performing your duties.
Greetings be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings